shader (abstract tag)

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Shader tags define the visual appearance of models in the game world. The shader tag class itself is abstract and cannot be created directly, but is extended by the various child shader types like shader_model and shader_environment.

Structure and fields

Field Type Comments

shader flags bitfield

Flag	Mask	Comments
simple parameterization	`0x1`	Causes lightmap UVs for this material to be based on existing texture UVs rather than generated completely anew by Tool/Sapien. This can be used to fix squiggly or jagged shadowing artifacts often seen on large complex surfaces using a single material. Note that any overlapping UV faces may cause lighting artifacts because one part of the lightmap texture is being used to represent different locations.
ignore normals	`0x2`	Lighting will ignore surface normals (the direction faces point). Use this for shaders where the surface normals are not a good representation of lighting directionality, such as foliage mapped to flat planes for trees and bushes.
transparent lit	`0x4`

detail level

enum

Determines how detailed lightmaps will be for surfaces using this shader. This affects various radiosity tessellation parameters.

Option	Value	Comments
high	`0x0`	The surface will receive the highest possible quality of lightmaps. Shadows will be sharper and there will be greater detail in local variations in lighting.
medium	`0x1`	The surface will receive a medium quality of lightmaps.
low	`0x2`	The surface will receive a low quality of lightmaps.
turd	`0x3`	The surface will receive the worst possible quality of lightmaps. Use this for shaders which will be used in areas which do not need detailed shadows or the player is unlikely to visit in order to save texture space.

power float

color of emitted light ColorRGB

tint color

ColorRGB

Tints the light passing through this surface during radiosity, resulting in coloured shadows. Black completely blocks light and white is totally transparent. Tinting is supported on all shader types that can be used in the BSP, but is only applicable when the transparent (#) or double-sided (%) BSP material symbols are set.

physics flags

bitfield

Hidden

Flag	Mask	Comments
unused	`0x1`

material type enum

Option	Value	Comments
dirt	`0x0`
sand	`0x1`
stone	`0x2`
snow	`0x3`
wood	`0x4`
metal hollow	`0x5`
metal thin	`0x6`
metal thick	`0x7`
rubber	`0x8`
glass	`0x9`	Required for breakable surfaces using the `-` symbol.
force field	`0xA`
grunt	`0xB`
hunter armor	`0xC`
hunter skin	`0xD`
elite	`0xE`
jackal	`0xF`
jackal energy shield	`0x10`
engineer skin	`0x11`
engineer force field	`0x12`
flood combat form	`0x13`
flood carrier form	`0x14`
cyborg armor	`0x15`
cyborg energy shield	`0x16`
human armor	`0x17`
human skin	`0x18`
sentinel	`0x19`
monitor	`0x1A`
plastic	`0x1B`
water	`0x1C`
leaves	`0x1D`
elite energy shield	`0x1E`
ice	`0x1F`
hunter shield	`0x20`

shader type

uint16

Volatile

Acknowledgements

Thanks to the following individuals for their research or contributions to this topic:

Kavawuvi (Invader tag definitions)
MosesOfEgypt (Tag structure research)