As promised, I have figured out how to draw custom meshes at run-time via code. In this example I combined three nested for loops to draw each game frame. The X , Y, and Z are increased in value based upon Elapsed Time, a random number between 1 and 3, and a set of arbitrary values.

Video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dU0-h5oYX38

The game uses a ModelViewProj matrix (equivalent to WorldViewProj). This matrix needs to be set with SetVertexShaderConstantF.
To make the matrix it is a bit tricky.

First you multiply the current world transform by the current view transform. Then multiply the WorldView by the current Projection. But before you can use this final matrix you need to switch some values around in the 4x4. If you need the code for that I can provide it to you.

Now that I am confident I can draw the raindrops where I want at any time, I can either move on to making the rain fall in a natural way from the sky, or work on making it so the rain drops do not penetrate solid collision objects. Both will be done before the end, but are separate challenge I believe.

Oh and if you are wondering about the exact dimensions of the rain show in that video, it is 25x25x5. 25 x, 25 y, and then 5 layers of z.

So yeah I hope this makes up for my absence over the past couple days. (life issues)

Are you going to make anything of this?

Well this would be dandy...If it didn't lag.

The window resolution is greater than what i usually go with. That could explain why the video recorder had a more difficult time keeping up. The performance seem unaffected prior to the video recording. Do you think I would really make this topic and be so ignorant of my own work , that someone can some along and say what you did just now?

Have more faith man.

Also this is a continuation of the other graphics related thread I posted recently. Not a release, yet.

Nilla, it seems like the problem most people have with your topics is that you don't actually make anything out of what you show us. It's great that you are doing all this stuff but this is a forum for mods, not for seeing things that have the potential to be made into a mod. After seeing the flame-fest that was your last thread, you should really consider only posting things like this if you're actually going to make a mod with them. I'm not trying to make you feel bad, but people don't like seeing the cool things you've done if you aren't going to do anything with them. I'd like to see you release a mod that utilized some of the things you've been showing off here, at the very least it would show people that you do actually intend to do something with the things you post about.

If this is going to turn out into a mod, it should be called [WIPz] 3,125 Raindrops Drawn Each Game Frame, so people know you aren't just showing off.

Anyone who is upset with me because of my past track record should know by now not to flame me. If these genuine and concerned members even read my topics, then they would understand how one relates to the other. It should be obvious that by now I do plan to make a release, but I don't see how promising a release of what I accomplish now is equivalent to the concatenation of all things this project will be by the end.

Even if this was just to show off, would that not be motivational at minimum for others?

I actually like these topics, adds more life to the forums and shows something good the engine can do besides mod. It's not his fault about the last thread...I assume. Never read it.

Well, if you hate Nillas topics, next time you should talk to admins or moderators first, because this way it is only waste of time... I think if he put all his time from writing unnecessary topics and posts to modding he would have enough time to release his own Fallout 4....

Yea, can we expect anything from this? There is so much potential to be had, why not finish one thing first and release it, then worry about the next project. This way you don't have tons of people complaining.

I can't pretend to know anything about what OP is trying to do, and I'm not throwing my chips down on the pro-cakester or anti-cakester side of the line, but NillaCakester - http://knowyourmeme.com/i/000/048/212/original/1272792296303.jpg?1272794016 should so be your avatar.

I'm sorry but that made me laugh. How do you think I hate Nilla's topics? And to use the word hate, wow. I like what Nilla is doing a lot. It's nice to see a modder figuring out ways to do cool new things. I in no way hate Nilla or these topics, but, like most others, would like to see at least one mod come about as a result of Nilla's work. It's disappointing to see Nilla post things like this but never see anything come of them. It's obvious a lot of people feel the need to flame him over that, and flaming is never the right thing to do, but I can understand their frustration. It's unfair to post things like this but make no mention of incorporating it into a mod. It's gotten to the point where Nilla's topics seem to be teasing us. Honestly, I support Nilla, I just want these things he does to result in a mod that I can go to the nexus and download. And if it wont be done for a while, I at least want to know if he's even working on one. Is that too much to ask?

Well, if it turns out to be anything like the rain form http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_14dG3xDKPk then i'm sold.

Just give us a particle system that can be activated via script depending on weather type and be moveable with a moveto player, and you'll have something useful.

Come on Nilla, you've obviously got some skillz - show 'em what you can do!

~Xeph'

Kudos at least for posting with a simple descriptive title. It appears that people react more to the OP's delivery than to the actual information that he posts. "All the world loves the humble and hates the proud." as Confucius would say.

If the OP enjoys toying with arcane programming issues that most modders don't even approach then where is the beef? A more constructive response to him might be "That looks cool. Will you collaborate with me on a mod that I am creating to put it into play?"

Not all mods are created by one man bands. Some are created with teams playing different parts.

Well, I am sorry, maybe I misundarstood that a little and, well, if i look at it that way, hate is little too harsh word. Yes, it should have some promise but for me it looks like Nilla wants too much attention for nothing (at least for now). My point was that he should make one topic and there he can post every new step, and do not make so many topics full of "anti-nilla" posts. I think this was your point too, but I don't think so that he will learn to edit his posts and stop creating new topics each week or so...

I want to follow up my own suggestion and ask you, NillaCakester: if I have a unique worldspace that amounts to long, narrow valleys completed in September, could you provide me a modder's resource by that time that would make the valleys constantly raining in the way that you have described? Could it be done without a large frame drop?

Work on collision first. Making "natural" game rain is pretty much just assuming the object has already reached terminal velocity, then making some long particle shapes. Collision requires integration with Havok to run fast collision queries.

It looks like a cloud of randomly spaced black birds. It looks interesting, don't get me wrong. But looks more like a hoard of ravens or bats than rain.

As for havoking the rain, I would suggest, in my ignorance, a single tri on the rounded end of the rain drops, and a script to make it disappear when it hits an object.

Not really sure what I am seeing in that vid or how it might apply usefully in game.

Personally Nilla, I am always interested by your posts, and the novel, though somewhat, perplexing things that you seem to be able to do with the game engine.
I must admit, I have been a bit dismayed by the way some have seemed to attack you for not releasing a lot of practical and popular mods, but as I see it you seem to be doing some more theoretical research that may pay off in the future.

I am willing to give you the benefit of the doubt on the potential payoffs.
In anycase, if you dig what you are doing, all power to you!

Realized that I hadn't actually watched the video before. My bad. Doesn't look like rain to me, though perhaps a hellish swarm of approaching eyebots.

I just want my Fallout mod to look like an Akira Kurosawa rain soaked, post apocalypse, samurai village.

It is probably the "be in awe of me" tone of the posts and exaggerated claims. I looked at the video linked above, and honestly, if the title of the thread didn't say "raindrops" and someone asked me what did I think that was, the last thing I would say is "raindrops". Matter of fact, even after reading "raindrops" in the title and looking at the video, the last thing that would come to mind is "raindrops".Hardly the work of someone who has complete control of the graphics, as he claims.
Personally, I read the threads for amusemant purposes

Taking into concideration that polishing a diamond takes time, WIP doesnt start out polished. However impressive the system may be, its still WIP, and WIP only gets so much attention before people get frustrated with no final results. Best not to post anything until theres a realistic deadline and a strong sense of it getting done (in my opinion), or doing incremental alphas and betas working towards the final result.

I personally think you are a mad genius. Keep up the good work.

I usually don't participate in Nilla's threads... with the exception of one that really stoked my fire. Yes, we butted heads once, but most of the stuff Nilla comes up with is pretty awesome (the TVs playing video, and the psychedelic light shows come to mind, for me).

I agree with BadPenny here. Some of this stuff may leave us saying "uh...yeah, and?", but obviously Nilla has put a lot of work into these projects, and to him, the topics are exciting.

I guess what I'm saying is, if his theories and experiments bother you, there is always the Ignore option. But as for me, I kinda get a kick out of seeing the sort of stuff he comes up with. It would be especially cool if a modder looking for a good idea picked up one of these projects, and worked with Nilla to develop something from it.