Author Topic: Release: 23.0.0  (Read 9805 times)

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Offline SirKnightly

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Change log: (chronologically ordered)
PLACEHOLDER

Deprecations:
PLACEHOLDER

Deprecations are a mechanism in FSO where a certain feature or aspect of the engine has changed or is no longer supported. Since this would normally break existing mods we have the mod table feature "$Target Version:" with which a mod can specify what version of FSO it was developed with. The features listed above will be removed or changed when the target version of a mod is at least the version released in this post.

Previous 22.2.0 Release Thread

Launchers, if you don't have one already:
All platforms: For every day use, we recommend Knossos, an integrated solution for downloading and launching mods.

Hidden Text: Alternative Launchers • Show
Cross-platform: wxLauncher 0.12.x Test Build (ongoing project for a unified launcher, you should upgrade to the latest RC/test build if you have not yet)
Important: For best compatibility with FSO 3.8 and later you should use at least wxLauncher 0.12.

Windows:  Launcher 5.5g (Mirror) (Mirror) Not compatible with Windows 8+, use wxLauncher above
OS X:  Soulstorm's OS X Launcher 3.0
Linux:  YAL or by hand or whatever you can figure out.

Windows (32/64-bit)
Compiled using GitHub Actions on Windows Server 2019 (10.0.17763), Visual Studio Enterprise 2019

64-bit: fs2_open_23_0_0-builds-x64-SSE2.zip

32-bit: fs2_open_23_0_0-builds-Win32-SSE2.zip
This one is based on the SSE2 Optimizations from the MSVC Compiler.

Hidden Text: Alternative builds • Show

64-bit AVX: fs2_open_23_0_0-builds-x64-AVX.zip
This one is based on the AVX Optimizations from the MSVC Compiler (fastest build if your CPU supports AVX instructions).


32-bit AVX: fs2_open_23_0_0-builds-Win32-AVX.zip
This one is based on the AVX Optimizations from the MSVC Compiler.

What are those SSE, SSE2 and AVX builds I keep seeing everywhere?
Your answer is in this topic.
Don't want to deal with that? Use Knossos and it will download the best build specifically for your PC!

Linux 64-bit
Compiled with Ubuntu 16.04 LTS 64-bit, GCC 5
fs2_open_23_0_0-builds-Linux.tar.gz

These builds use a mechanism called AppImage which should allow these builds to run on most Linux distributions. However, we recommend that you compile your own builds which will result in less issues.
Alternatively, if there is a package in your software repository then you should use that. If you are the maintainer of such a package for a distribution then let us know and we will include that here.


OS X
Not available We recently lost access to our Mac CI environment which we usually used for compiling these builds so for the time being, there will be no builds for this OS.

Hidden Text: TrackIR Users • Show
Important!!
An external DLL is required for FSO to use TrackIR functions.  The following DLL is simply unpacked in to your main FreeSpace2 root dir.
TrackIR is only supported on Windows.
TrackIR SCP DLL (Mirror) (Mirror)

Known issues:

 

Offline wesp5

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I don't know if this is the right place for it, but I recently made a patch to update "The Babylon Project" to 23.0.0, and noticed
several problems with some of the new launch options! I don't know if these are common or caused by outdated TBP assets.

- Enabling emissive light makes all models look much too bright, this is already visible in the technical database view.
- Enabling post processing makes all models look flat and uniformly lighted, enabling post-processing AA is fine though.
- Enabling deferred lighting and deferred lighting for cockpits is even more broken, check the screenshots (thanks den5):

FS2 Open 22.0.0
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1F__psjl_4JFURO-ovplT8HqbfHS_sGfB/view?usp=share_link

FS2 Open 23.0.0 with deferred lighting for cockpits
https://drive.google.com/file/d/10Fy1XG29cWanyVZCbcn6Zkxa43j87u28/view?usp=share_link

FS2 Open 23.0.0 without deferred lighting for cockpits
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hKWzW3tU7gAC7NU2rVTX8GCF9OxP_Xp7/view?usp=share_link

The visuals of the first screenshot can be achieved by disabling both deferred lighting and deferred lighting for cockpits.
Deferred lighting also makes a spaceship visible which should be hidden by hyperspace clouds, see second screenshot!
« Last Edit: February 19, 2023, 02:34:44 am by wesp5 »

 

Offline den5

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The first screenshot is with deferred lighting enabled but without deferred cockpit because it wasn't implemented in 22.0

 

Offline EatThePath

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At least two SCP members(myself one of them) have tried to look into this, but the knossos version of TBP won't launch on 23.0, and the moddb download page for the patch refuses to actually provide a download for the patch. If you could please find somewhere to upload at least the files that make it launchable, that would be very helpful in getting us started with troubleshooting.
Name your damn turrets and sounds! Numbers alone aren't helpful!
"if disco is dead then I am the laser lich"
"...[Warmachine] keeps changing as fast as EatThePath can force the engine to do his dark bidding..."

 

Offline wesp5

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At least two SCP members(myself one of them) have tried to look into this, but the knossos version of TBP won't launch on 23.0, and the moddb download page for the patch refuses to actually provide a download for the patch.

Yeah, something is off with ModDB. You can still upload mods but they can't be downloaded! Below is a link of the patch on Google Drive, but it was possible to run TBP on 23.0 without anything else and lots of warnings ;).

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DD5-gG-ukCK5zcUa__IZF9Q0mfeRH0EX/view?usp=sharing

 

Offline EatThePath

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Some things I can comment on without the hands on testing...


- Enabling emissive light makes all models look much too bright, this is already visible in the technical database view.
- Enabling post processing makes all models look flat and uniformly lighted, enabling post-processing AA is fine though.

Enabling emissive light just adds light to everything, so if something is lit properly without it, turning it on is going to make things too bright. Handling of emissive changed in 23.0, as did light flags and all lighting in general, so you may be getting somewhat different results from what you're used to and need to adjust accordingly.  The wiki page on flags is updated with current information, and while using emissive isn't recommended, there is a new version of it listed there which lets you set how strong you want it to be.

If the mod relied on command line flags to look good, a new table lets mods set that up internally rather than relying on the use of flags for it. This thread contains some discussion about the reasons behind these changes, and the other lighting changes that were made.

For the tech room specifically, 23.0 includes updates to the lighting of the ship viewer. The classic model lighting was a single white light from directly above, which does a terrible job of exhibiting most modern models. With the input of several community artists I updated it to a three light setup designed to show the models off better, so things will definitely look different than they used to.

Finally, that new table lets you configure what's called the tonemapper, which is a part of the post-processing. Unfortunately I have not gotten together a good visual guide to the options, but if you press F3 in the menus you can access the 'lab' which includes the ability to interactively explore what different settings look like.

These were taken in 22.0 to get around the crashing so the settings won't produce exactly the same results in 23.0, but here's an example of the kind of difference you can make with that table
Default(or very close to it):

Tweaked:


If you want to dig more into settings for TBP specifically that's probably better for a thread in that subforum, but it's probably good to have this overview here for others to see.
Name your damn turrets and sounds! Numbers alone aren't helpful!
"if disco is dead then I am the laser lich"
"...[Warmachine] keeps changing as fast as EatThePath can force the engine to do his dark bidding..."

 

Offline EatThePath

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At least two SCP members(myself one of them) have tried to look into this, but the knossos version of TBP won't launch on 23.0, and the moddb download page for the patch refuses to actually provide a download for the patch.

Yeah, something is off with ModDB. You can still upload mods but they can't be downloaded! Below is a link of the patch on Google Drive, but it was possible to run TBP on 23.0 without anything else and lots of warnings ;).

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DD5-gG-ukCK5zcUa__IZF9Q0mfeRH0EX/view?usp=sharing
That works for getting me in-game, thanks. Can you tell me what mission you're seeing the errors in? It's most likely related to the distance fog effects, since the missions I've tested don't have that and everything looks fine.
Name your damn turrets and sounds! Numbers alone aren't helpful!
"if disco is dead then I am the laser lich"
"...[Warmachine] keeps changing as fast as EatThePath can force the engine to do his dark bidding..."

 

Offline den5

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SFP A distant star

 

Offline wesp5

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If you want to dig more into settings for TBP specifically that's probably better for a thread in that subforum, but it's probably good to have this overview here for others to see.

I found good settings for TBP already, but den5 thought it couldn't hurt to ask if there were some common issues. Deferred lighting of cockpits certainly looks buggy in TBP...

 

Offline den5

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This happens in Solaris too
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Offline The E

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Found the problem with deferred cockpits and fog. A PR is open for review and a fix will be in a nightly coming soon.
If I'm just aching this can't go on
I came from chasing dreams to feel alone
There must be changes, miss to feel strong
I really need lifе to touch me
--Evergrey, Where August Mourns

 

Offline wesp5

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Found the problem with deferred cockpits and fog. A PR is open for review and a fix will be in a nightly coming soon.

That sounds great! But be aware that unless deferred lighting and deferred cockpits are connected in a way that I don't know about, the problem was with deferred lighting as such and not with the cockpits. Like you could enable deferred lighting and disable deferred cockpits and you could still see the ship in the fog and the same was true in third person view without the cockpits visible...
« Last Edit: February 20, 2023, 07:01:42 am by wesp5 »

 

Offline The E

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That sounds great! But be aware that unless deferred lighting and deferred cockpits are connected in a way that I don't know about, the problem was with deferred lighting as such and not with the cockpits. Like you could enable deferred lighting and disable deferred cockpits and you could still see the ship in the fog and the same was true in third person view without the cockpits visible...

I have only been able to reproduce this issue with both deferred lighting and deferred cockpits enabled.
If I'm just aching this can't go on
I came from chasing dreams to feel alone
There must be changes, miss to feel strong
I really need lifе to touch me
--Evergrey, Where August Mourns

 

Offline wesp5

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I have only been able to reproduce this issue with both deferred lighting and deferred cockpits enabled.

They are probably connected, like if Deferred Lighting is off, Deferred Cockpits doesn't do anything. So when can we expect a nightly to test this out?

 

Offline The E

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They are probably connected, like if Deferred Lighting is off, Deferred Cockpits doesn't do anything. So when can we expect a nightly to test this out?

Well, yes, switching off deferred lighting also disables the deferred cockpit pass, this is just how that technology works. The fix should be in the next nightly.
If I'm just aching this can't go on
I came from chasing dreams to feel alone
There must be changes, miss to feel strong
I really need lifе to touch me
--Evergrey, Where August Mourns

 

Offline wesp5

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The fix should be in the next nightly.

Cool! But I already tried the last one and I get the error message below. With what should "On Death" be replaced and where can I read about such changes?

Warning: cuswingmengag-sct.tbm(line 798):
Warning: Hook 'On Death' is deprecated from version 23.0.0 and should be replaced!
File: parselo.cpp
Line: 316

 

Offline The E

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'On Death' has been deprecated in favour of the more granular "On (Ship|Asteroid) Death". Changes like these should be listed in the changelog (which we should really generate for 23.0....) and are also listed in scripting.html.
If I'm just aching this can't go on
I came from chasing dreams to feel alone
There must be changes, miss to feel strong
I really need lifе to touch me
--Evergrey, Where August Mourns

 

Offline wesp5

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'On Death' has been deprecated in favour of the more granular "On (Ship|Asteroid) Death". Changes like these should be listed in the changelog (which we should really generate for 23.0....) and are also listed in scripting.html.

Thanks, that did the trick! In case the warning message is not automatic, maybe the valid form of things like this could be mentioned right there? To avoid the need to reread all documents with each update...

 
Hi, um. On my system, 23.0.0 doesn't launch. Instead I get an error message and the game doesn't launch. Help?

 

Offline The E

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What error message are you getting?

Please post your fs2_open.log file.  Instructions on how to do this can be found in this post.
If I'm just aching this can't go on
I came from chasing dreams to feel alone
There must be changes, miss to feel strong
I really need lifе to touch me
--Evergrey, Where August Mourns