How should i go about making a laser?

i know i need a shader of some sort but how do i calculate everything like how to let laser be any variable distance long with out obvious tiling or how to make the texture allways face towards the screen and how to angle it

2-D or 3-D and what program are you using to create this laser?

In blender there is a section for using python scripting for animations, i would probably create a small section of the laser and use the scripting to "extend" it out by creating duplicates of each drawn section and connecting them end to end.  Alot of it would depend on you drawing of it to be able to connect each section without looking like tiling.  You could probably also use a scale type function, i dont know if there is one, but as an idea try scaling it in the direction that you want it to be extended, but then you face image quality issues.  I think the best way would be to create several sections, a beginning, middle and end and jsut peice them together in either python scripting or in the actual coding of your draw method.

oh srry, i want 3D

and ya, that sounds good

 my plan is to make a texture in something like GIMP and draw it in with code

I've some lasers/particle weapon effects.  I've some early pictures on my spaces

http://drjbn.spaces.live.com/

and some of them show up somewhat in some of my youtube vids www.youtube.com/DrJBN

If you're interested in either the laserbolts or the raybeam let me know.  They were pretty simple.   I used cylinders or capped cylinders and a shader.  I simply scale them by Z to move between a "ray" and a laserbolt.

Best,

Byron

 Thank You.

I don't have one quite like that, but I could probably help put one together. 

For full 3d, I'd start with a cylinder for a core, shaded so it had the desired color.  Then, I'd work out a way to add a glow to it without post processing.  I've some ideas, and steve hazen developed a neat technique in this thread http://forums.xna.com/forums/t/13655.aspx?PageIndex=2 .that might work too.

 Drop me an email    drjbn  at hotmail, & we'll see what we can do if you wish

Best,

Byron

I still dont understand 3d orthographics projection yet...

I have dropped you an email. Do take alook.

Thank you.

My live account gets a lot of hits from this particular forum topic.  Since I am guessing they check my space looking for a laser, I thought I'd make the class available to everyone.

http://cid-87267ddeebe4f390.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/XNA/Laserbolts.zip

Its pretty easy & straighforward.  Hope is of use to someone.

[EDIT if you build & run the demo, the "L" key fires the lasers across the view frustum ]

Best,

 Byron

You start with a white object, can be a box or cylinder, then in your shader, perform a guasian blur perpendicular to the angle it's pointed toward (would have to play with the blur distance to get it right). To color the laser, you additively blend the color (asuming a black background with just the laser beam/bolt on it), so that only the outside edges of it are colored while the inside looks closer to white. I think the effect could be done entirely with index/vertex buffers and a relatively simple pixel shader.

Best,

Byron