[Drew]

This would be great if my card was bigger than 64mb.
**** that explosion looks nice

questions:
Whats an IBX file and an EFF file. I kinda figure the EFF is just a animation for DDS. But i dont know what IBX is.

[Overlord]

I think this stands for Index Buffer Exchange, it's a buffer for the models so they are loaded faster.

[taylor]

Originally posted by Drew
Whats an IBX file and an EFF file. I kinda figure the EFF is just a animation for DDS. But i dont know what IBX is.

An EFF is to allow animations of individual hi-color images.  The old ANI format has specific color and palette restrictions that can make things look ugly.  EFF allows you to use DDS, TGA, JPG, or PCX images that break the ANI restrictions but still allow them to be used as animations.

Overlord got IBX right.  Index buffers are generated when a model is loaded so that they are rendered more efficiently, that is, there is less data sent to the video card and it will render faster.  The problem with these buffers is that they are generated every time a model is loaded and the process is *slow*.  The IBX files are just that same buffer data saved to a file so that instead of being generated it can just read the needed data right from a file.  The IBX files are specific to a model and are meant to be distributed with the model so that only one person has the generate the data and everyone else gets to use it.  Hence the "exchange" part.

[DaBrain]

Originally posted by Drew
This would be great if my card was bigger than 64mb.
**** that explosion looks nice

Ok, I got it. Wait for the low-end version.

I can cut it to 12MB memory use (DXT1, which means decreased image quality. Especially the gradients will look worse.)

Or cut the res half, so it weights 6MB (DXT5, same quality, but blured due to low res.)

Which one do you prefer?


Edit:
Here it is the final version for low-end PCs.


92 frames, DDS DXT5, 5,7 MB in-game memory usage. (0,4MB compressed DL size)
->Download<-

Note: It has the same res as the stock shockwave. But the colors and the performance should be better.

[Drew]

Normaly, i would be happy with lower graphics, but the main reason i play the SCP is because of its graphical kickassness.  I think ill just buy a new card and another 256mg stick of butter.

[Triple Ace]

Does anyone know why I have slowdowns when there are shivans on screen? It does not slowdown with terrans or vasudans. Also I thought the warpout effect was fixed. Only part of it appears.

[taylor]

Originally posted by Triple Ace
Does anyone know why I have slowdowns when there are shivans on screen? It does not slowdown with terrans or vasudans. Also I thought the warpout effect was fixed. Only part of it appears.

The slowdown is from the animated glowmaps which the shivan ships make heavy use of if I remember correctly.  As far as the warpout thing goes it should be fixed in the beta so if you aren't using that it's still broken.

[Triple Ace]

What beta? I have seen no link. And is there anyway to fix it so it don't slowdown?

[redmenace]

Originally posted by Triple Ace
Does anyone know why I have slowdowns when there are shivans on screen? It does not slowdown with terrans or vasudans. Also I thought the warpout effect was fixed. Only part of it appears.

If you would like I will provide you with a copy of the beta build as long as you give detailed descriptions of problems, a copy of your dxdiag report, and fs.log. You would need to use the debug version for that last one.

[MatthewPapa]

And now some more screenies for you hadware impaired people so you can know what you are missing.... All courtesy of the campaign I am playing right now, Unholy Alliance. These should load faster BTW as they are a little bit more optimized than the last ones.





Great job  to all those who contributed things to the new media VP's! Gameplay is so much better than it used to be (dont get me wrong, it was always great) because of all of the new effects, high poly models etc. I can only dream of how good the next edition of media VP's will be . I hope to participate in the SCP in the future now more than ever before (you guys have really won me over on this one) because this new stuff is just great. I have been playing freespace a lot in my spare time lately (I havent done any homework at all the past 3 days ) and have been having a blast! I hope other people feel the same . Great job again guys.

Now what do we have to look forward too eh eh eh?
*nudges bobboau about his high poly orion*

[WMCoolmon]

Originally posted by Triple Ace
Does anyone know why I have slowdowns when there are shivans on screen? It does not slowdown with terrans or vasudans. Also I thought the warpout effect was fixed. Only part of it appears.

Try playing without mv_hieffects if you've got it installed. All the Shivan animated glowmaps are in there, I think there's only one or two for Terrans/Vasudans.

[Triple Ace]

Damn I'm using the zpack. I do wish there was a way to speed it up without losing the glowmaps, they are so awsome.

[WMCoolmon]

http://www.s93727692.onlinehome.us/programs/VPMage.exe

Getting rid of animated glowmaps in the zpack:

Start VPMage.

Click 'File...', select the zpack, click 'Open' and then click 'Add source'.

Along the right side you should see a little folder called 'Data' appear, open this up to show the contents of the 'maps' folder.

Click on a file whose name ends with "-glow.ani" and press the delete button, you'll get a prompt. Repeat for the rest of the files. Be careful not to delete a wrong file.

Then, enter a destination filename into the box at the bottom (eg 'D:\games\freespace2\ypack.vp' - DO NOT overwrite zpack so that you have a backup.) and click Build VP. Your computer will sit for awhile and the HD light will flicker; this is normal. Finally, a dialog should come up telling you that the VP is done.

Finally, move the original zpack file outside your FS2 directory and try out freespace.

[Overlord]

Should i still use the kpack or are these effects in the new vps too?

[Singh]

silly question: are bob's decals in the .vp as well? I wanna use the decals if they are done! (are they even available tho? I thought bob finished them a while back?)

[redmenace]

WMCoolmon, I hate to use this method, but I have some questions I need to ask you please?

[Antares]

Are we going to see a finalized version of this in the next few days (I.E., corrected beamglows, adding IBX if it's going to be added)?  I'm leaving campus on Wednesday and I'll be going home to a dial-up connection for the next month, so I'd like to download all these goodies before then...

[Taristin]

I'd like to point out that the High Poly Sobek's multi-barrel turrets were made and mapped by Vasudan Admiral. He deserves credit as well.

[wolfdog]

wow.. this is good... now i can finally clean up the mess in my maps and effects folders:D  

ow.. and I noticed that the high-poly Sobek isn't working properly... you can still shoot right through it... and I think that's bad for gamebalance.... model look great though;)

[Inquisitor]

Can we make sure this gets updated and uploaded to the new SCP site?

WM you should have permissions to upload stuff as a developer now.