Hard Light Productions Forums

Hosted Projects - FS2 Required => Blue Planet => Topic started by: Javito1986 on May 20, 2009, 03:00:28 pm

Title: Fine tuning BP's graphics
Post by: Javito1986 on May 20, 2009, 03:00:28 pm: Just loaded up Blue Planet again for the first time since November. Had to do a big system restore deal on this laptop, just now getting to putting Freespace back on and fine tuning it.

So I'm up and running pretty well except that on the first mission things look... I don't know, not as I remember them? Not as I see in the screenshots around here? Just seems kind of off. Check out the Raynor on the first mission of BP...

(http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/1332/15264364.jpg)

Is it just my imagination or does it look strange to anyone else? I got all this via Shivan's SCP back over on Gen Discuss and so it's 3.6.10 and everything. But it seems to me like I could make the game look better. But is it in my head? I just remember the Raynor was darker and more blueish than the kinda splotchy gray seen here.
Title: Re: Fine tuning BP's graphics
Post by: Aurora Paradox on May 20, 2009, 03:13:40 pm: I don't believe that Shivan's SCP pack included the 3.6.10 version of Blue Planet.

Here is the link for it: http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,61406.0.html
Title: Re: Fine tuning BP's graphics
Post by: General Battuta on May 20, 2009, 04:31:46 pm: And check your mod.ini to make sure it's referencing the MediaVPs.

Also, check your launcher to make sure all the relevant graphical details are turned on.
Title: Re: Fine tuning BP's graphics
Post by: Javito1986 on May 20, 2009, 09:26:44 pm: Mod.ini looked good. I did follow that link and d/led BP 3.6.10 and that made things look much better. Except this oddity. What's up with these beams??? :confused:

(http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/468/98043084.jpg)
Title: Re: Fine tuning BP's graphics
Post by: General Battuta on May 20, 2009, 09:30:27 pm: That's a problem with the 3.6.10 MediaVPs. Here's a patch you should put in your MediaVPs folder (extract it there.)

[attachment deleted by ninja]
Title: Re: Fine tuning BP's graphics
Post by: tinfoil on May 20, 2009, 09:37:40 pm: I like rainbow beamz. :nervous:
Title: Re: Fine tuning BP's graphics
Post by: Rick James on May 20, 2009, 09:46:28 pm: Quote from: tinfoil on May 20, 2009, 09:37:40 pm
I like rainbow beamz. :nervous:

You mean you like it when each subsequent graphical update causes the Shivan beams to vomit psychedelic narm?
Title: Re: Fine tuning BP's graphics
Post by: Hero_Swe on May 23, 2009, 02:56:28 am: Dude...i WANT those beamz...
Title: Re: Fine tuning BP's graphics
Post by: -Norbert- on May 23, 2009, 11:39:23 am: It's hard to tell how good the Raynor looks from that viewing distance....
But a flag that can make a massive difference in graphic quality is the "normal flags". If you havn't done so, you should really enable that one.

One thing that does strike me as odd is, that I just tried to look at how the Raynor looks in this mission on my PC and on exactly the same angle as in you screenshot, I got slight light-reflections on the topside of the Orestes, which I don't see in your screenshot.
Title: Re: Fine tuning BP's graphics
Post by: General Battuta on May 23, 2009, 04:01:57 pm: Specular and environment maps should accomplish the shininess, right?
Title: Re: Fine tuning BP's graphics
Post by: blowfish on May 23, 2009, 04:06:36 pm: Yes, along with, perhaps, reduced ambient light.
Title: Re: Fine tuning BP's graphics
Post by: eliex on May 23, 2009, 05:49:54 pm: Herra Tohtori's light settings are exceptionally good for general glossiness.
Title: Re: Fine tuning BP's graphics
Post by: Titan on May 23, 2009, 07:12:26 pm: Yeah, custom settings matter a lot. Look here for a bunch of settings by members of the community. (http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/Sample_Lighting_Settings)
Title: Re: Fine tuning BP's graphics
Post by: Javito1986 on May 24, 2009, 02:54:56 pm: Hey thanks for linking to that. I've been experimenting with those light settings all day. Fun stuff!

Got another graphical oddity for you maestros I'm afraid! I've continuing my replay of Blue Planet and just completed Forced Entry (at 1% hull! That Basilisk wing at the end is murderous on hard/insane!) and took this little gem during Proving Grounds. Resolution is set to 800x600 at the moment b/c any higher than that and my rig would slow to a crawl during Forced Entry. Anyway...

(http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/523/32503224.jpg)

Yep. That's a rather ASSY looking Lucifer alright! Transparent too, can see clear through the hull. Jee that green nebula is pretty though. ;) Little help?
Title: Re: Fine tuning BP's graphics
Post by: Rodo on May 24, 2009, 06:13:28 pm: you sure you are seeing through? the Lucy is quite reflective on most parts of it's body.

get close and take a look, maybe you are seeing the nebula that's on your back.
Title: Re: Fine tuning BP's graphics
Post by: Javito1986 on May 24, 2009, 08:01:28 pm: Get close to the Lucifer?! Boy is you insane? :confused:

Kidding. I'll get on that and report back.

EDIT: Well that was worthwhile. Guess you were right! I never knew how shiny the Lucifer actually is. Every time I've ever been close to that thing I've been trying not to die. That ship is SHINY. Holy cow. I got up close to its belly (the side seen in that screenshot above) and it's reflecting light off (I think) the planet below. And then I climbed to the top of it, looked down, and it was like looking down into a black obsidian mirror. I swear I could see my fighter reflected off that dark polished surface. It's quite a pretty ship when it's not wiping out Terran civilization.

Anyway, my mistake! Lucifer is not see through :-).
Title: Re: Fine tuning BP's graphics
Post by: Rodo on May 24, 2009, 10:18:18 pm: yeah it's damn shiny... too much, but it's ok.. you can see yourself exploding right after dying.

and that's :cool:
Title: Re: Fine tuning BP's graphics
Post by: eliex on May 25, 2009, 12:26:52 am: Cheat if you're specifically going for screenshots. :nod: