Graphics

== Articles ==
* Toby Ragaini discusses AC's Weather Effects
== Graphics Engine Updates ==
Event 	Updates
Darkness Ascendant 	Colored lighting effects introduced. Many lights, including the sun and moon, will now cast colored light in both hardware and software modes.
Throne of Destiny Expansion	
* Updated from DirectX 7 to DirectX 9 and from 16-bit to 32-bit texture buffers.
* A complete texture update (6,500 textures).
* Some low-poly models (such as Gromnies and Monougas) updated.
* True Z-Buffering support.
* Native window mode (no more need to patch the client.)
* Anisotropic Filtering and V-Sync support.
* Basic lighting effects on your character.
* New pop-up windows for help system and trade skill interactions.
* 3D models of people and creatures are now shown in the ID panel instead of an icon.
* Software mode will no longer be supported.
* Weather Effects including landscape fog left out of new code base due to performance issues.
Reprisals 	Higher Resolution Textures activated for ToD clients. (From the Texture detail dropdown box, select Very High setting)
Toward Ancient Shores 	Lightning effects disabled due to complaints (you can still see the effect without the sound, however, at the Battlefield of Ayn Tayan).
Shifting Gears 	Landscape distance fog reintroduced.
The Risen Princess 	Weather effects reintroduced.
== Model & Texture Updates ==
Click each event link to see some before & after images
Event 	Models/Textures Updated
Darkness Ascendant 	Drudges, Golems
Hollow Victory 	Tuskers
Chains of Command 	Character Underwear
The Widening Gyre 	Olthoi
A Reign of Stone 	Lugians
The Gathering Storm 	Mosswarts, Cows
Flesh and Blood 	Empyrean Stone Head
Festivus 	Banderlings, Human hands updated with thumbs
Mirror, Mirror 	Armored Skeletons, Armored Undead
The Madness of Men 	Gelidite Acolyte, Gelidite Initiate, Gelidite Lord
Across the Vast Divide 	Small Creepy Statues
A New Threat 	Fern Plants, Mites
Pillars Made of Sand 	Mosswart Idols
From the Darkness Born 	Phyntos Wasps
Throne of Destiny Expansion	Lifestone, Gromnies, Monougas, Reedsharks, Skeletons
Friend and Foe 	Tumeroks
Shifting Gears 	Landscape: Grass, Ice, Desert etc
Winter's Knight 	Pine Trees
Quiet Before the Storm 	Aluvian Doors
Shifting Shadows 	Hairstyles
== Animation Updates ==
Event 	New Animation
Thorns of the Hopeslayer	Casting portal recall spells now make you play some purple bubbly physics scripts for about two seconds before blipping you away.
Twilight's Gleaming 	New logout motion and animation. Now, when a player logs out, they get purple bubbly effects and fade out.
The Widening Gyre 	When you pick up something from a different height the animation is different -- arm swipe only, no bending.
The First Strike 	New animation for the house recall function that more closely mirrors the duration of the recall.
Atonement 	The animations and sounds from double- and triple-striking just weren't cool enough, so we tweaked them slightly. Thrill at the enhanced swinging action!
Visions in the Darkness 	New animations for @lifestone, @marketplace, and @pklite commands.
A New Threat 	New backflip animation for Mites.
Quiet Before the Storm 	The Logout/Lifestone animation has been changed to have a smoother looking animation.
== Misc Changes ==
??
* Shadow creatures now transparent.
	
Should the Stars Fall
* The animation speed for equipping and un-equipping bows and crossbows has been increased.
The Gathering Storm
* Nighttime visibility has been increased.
Dead of Winter
* Snow texture brightness reduced.
Category:Game Mechanic