Need help with laser beam...

[Masaketsu]

Hello EpicGames Community,

I've been developing several "animated" textures. I've got a shader
on a model, that uses a texpanner to scroll a "beam" of particles in
the direction of the target. However, this beam is as the texture is
created, a tiling texture. I need it to fade out before it goes to end.

In the order of which this texture is applied:

Diffuse > TexPanner > Shader.








I'm also using the diffuse itself as part of the Specularity to ensure
a randomized brightening and darkening of the beam as it passes in
the direction of the target. I however, need help getting it to fade!

edit:

One of my dev team members advised i try using a combiner, but in
doing so i have yet to succeed. I only get partial success without a
complex alpha, or without the properly created "specularity" needed.

Please help, thank you.

[Masaketsu]

Anyone?

[GreatEmerald]

I don't get what you mean exactly by "fading" and how exactly it fails to work.

[Masaketsu]

I don't get what you mean exactly by "fading" and how exactly it fails to work.

Basically i'm trying to get the "end" of the beam to fade out, and i've not figured
out a method to get that, and the texpanner/shader to all combine to achieve it.
Essentially i've yet to succeed in getting the end of the beam to just fade out..!

Thank you for replying by the way.

[GreatEmerald]

Oh. Well, the only thing I can think of is adding a TexScaler so that the texture would not be looped on the beam, and then using the TexScaler in a combiner with a texture with an alpha layer. But I don't really think UT2004 supports that many material steps...

[Masaketsu]

Oh. Well, the only thing I can think of is adding a TexScaler so that the texture would not be looped on the beam, and then using the TexScaler in a combiner with a texture with an alpha layer. But I don't really think UT2004 supports that many material steps...

Hmm, would it be best if i just made a static beam, coloration and then made an appropriate
Envmap shader that "glistens" the particles depending on direction? That way we achieve at
least a faded beam, and still attempt to get a "minor" particle effect in the mix also? Thanks!

[GreatEmerald]

Yea, that could work.

[Masaketsu]

Yea, that could work.

Thank you for your help in this matter by the way, i've got deadlines
to make and i've only got so much experience with this sort of work!