Laser Lens

[Kjammer]

In my next game (the first that I'm seriously considering finishing and uploading to the internet), there are a number of lasers.  The thing is, I intend to make the lens in a scale that is visible to the player.  The problem I have is that I don't know the best way to show a laser lens.

Actual size

size x2

So far I painstakingly drew it in a way that looks right to me.  What do you think and how would you draw it?  The game is in 16-bit color.


Ooooh, it just occurred to me that I included white in the color palette even though It never appears in the final design. 
Oh well.  :

[Khris]

You don't need to upload a second, bigger version. You can multiply the width in pixels by 2 or 3 and put that as parameter into the img tag: [img width=80]

x3

The biggest issue with yours was banding i.e. the edge of the lens featured a gradient that moves as a whole to the side by one pixel. This is to be avoided at all costs.

Also note that you can (re-)use gray to depict areas of the lens that are in shadow.

[Kjammer]

Here's the improved version based on your suggestion.  I really like the way I made the beam on this one.



x2

You don't need to upload a second, bigger version. You can multiply the width in pixels by 2 or 3 and put that as parameter into the img tag: [img width=80]

The problem with that method, is that the scaled up image looks blurry and out of focus (like the x2 picture above).  If nobody here is bothered by the blurriness, then I guess I'll multiply the width from now on.

After posting this, I realized that the border around the lens needs work.  I'll get working on that.  Any other tips?

[Khris]

The problem with that method, is that the scaled up image looks blurry and out of focus (like the x2 picture above).

Only if you're using a Webkit browser (Chrome, Safari) or didn't configure Firefox correctly.
There's no blurriness for me thanks to the setting in the profile css.

[Darius Poyer]

my suggestion would be this:



To further distinguish them by making the deactivated laser appear "unlit". I did that by just using very desaturated colors for the lens of the deactivated laser.
I also pushed the actual laser beam in a bit, so you see it coming out of the tube, not sure if that's desirable but i liked it.

[Khris]

You both didn't AA the tube, it's also not really shaded like a cylinder, more like a triangle. I addressed this in my paintover.

Darius: the point of the lens is to focus the beam; I imagine it isn't already focused inside the tube then.

[Darius Poyer]

That's a good point khris. Perhaps the beam being slightly focused already, and then this final lens focuses it further? I don't know about optics...

[Kjammer]

Here's a version with cylindrical shading.  Although I could make the tube overall a bit darker.

     


Darius: That's a great rendering, I really like your "bubble effect."  Except, I want to keep things relatively simple looking in the game.

As for anti-aliasing, I'll work on that next.