Hard Light Productions Forums

Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => FS2 Open Coding - The Source Code Project (SCP) => Topic started by: SirKnightly on August 07, 2021, 06:42:26 pm

Title: Release: 21.4.0-RC1
Post by: SirKnightly on August 07, 2021, 06:42:26 pm

Please note: I'll clean this up in the next 24 hours. These changes need to be grouped (i.e. scripting, FRED, ...) to make this list less overwhelming. --ngld

Change log: (chronologically ordered)

Deprecations:

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 21.2 Release Thread (https://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=97561.0)

Launchers, if you don't have one already:
All platforms: For every day use, we recommend Knossos (https://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=94068.0), an integrated solution for downloading and launching mods.

Hidden Text: Alternative Launchers • Show
Cross-platform: wxLauncher 0.12.x Test Build (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=89162) (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 (http://scp.fsmods.net/files/Launcher55g.zip) (Mirror (http://scp.indiegames.us/builds/Launcher55g.zip)) (Mirror (http://www.mediafire.com/?wdvzn7hhhzh418m)) Not compatible with Windows 8+, use wxLauncher above
OS X:  Soulstorm's OS X Launcher 3.0 (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,51391.0.html)
Linux:  YAL (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,53206.0.html) or by hand (http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/Fs2_open_on_Linux/Graphics_Settings) or whatever you can figure out.

(http://scp.indiegames.us/img/windows-icon.png) Windows (32/64-bit)
Compiled using GitHub Actions on Windows Server 2019 (10.0.17763), Visual Studio Enterprise 2019

64-bit: fs2_open_21_4_0_RC1-builds-x64-SSE2.zip (https://github.com/scp-fs2open/fs2open.github.com/releases/download/release_21_4_0_RC1/fs2_open_21_4_0_RC1-builds-x64-SSE2.zip)

32-bit: fs2_open_21_4_0_RC1-builds-Win32-SSE2.zip (https://github.com/scp-fs2open/fs2open.github.com/releases/download/release_21_4_0_RC1/fs2_open_21_4_0_RC1-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_21_4_0_RC1-builds-x64-AVX.zip (https://github.com/scp-fs2open/fs2open.github.com/releases/download/release_21_4_0_RC1/fs2_open_21_4_0_RC1-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_21_4_0_RC1-builds-Win32-AVX.zip (https://github.com/scp-fs2open/fs2open.github.com/releases/download/release_21_4_0_RC1/fs2_open_21_4_0_RC1-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. (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=65628.0)
Don't want to deal with that? Use Knossos (https://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=94068.0) and it will download the best build specifically for your PC!

(http://scp.indiegames.us/img/linux-icon.png) Linux 64-bit
Compiled with Ubuntu 16.04 LTS 64-bit, GCC 5
fs2_open_21_4_0_RC1-builds-Linux.tar.gz (https://github.com/scp-fs2open/fs2open.github.com/releases/download/release_21_4_0_RC1/fs2_open_21_4_0_RC1-builds-Linux.tar.gz)

These builds use a mechanism called AppImage (http://appimage.org/) 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.


(http://scp.indiegames.us/img/mac-icon.png) 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 (http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?4zw024zrh44etse) (Mirror (http://scp.fsmods.net/builds/scptrackir.zip)) (Mirror (http://scp.indiegames.us/builds/scptrackir.zip))

Known issues:
Title: Re: Release: 21.4.0-RC1
Post by: Antares on August 07, 2021, 09:02:49 pm
The nebula poof system overhaul on August 3 effectively turns nebulae "off." Is this something that would have to be adjusted on a per-mission basis, or can it be toggled from within FSO?

(https://i.imgur.com/KHc7Gns.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/q6en5i4.png)
Title: Re: Release: 21.4.0-RC1
Post by: Cyborg17 on August 08, 2021, 12:03:21 pm
Please post your fs2_open.log file.  Instructions on how to do this can be found in this post.

We want to take a look at your settings because we're having trouble reproducing the issue.
Title: Re: Release: 21.4.0-RC1
Post by: Asteroth on August 08, 2021, 12:04:50 pm
The lack of a proper "fogging" effect is almost certainly due to a lack of post processing, can you ensure the make sure you don't have the -no_post_proc flag on (this is a known issue, and it appears the push is to deprecate support for no post proc entirely). Regarding the poof bitmaps themselves, if that's what you were referring to, the MVP poofs have always been very wispy and subtle; the latter picture is largely what I expect to see, and more or less what you should've gotten before, although it doesn't look like there's any at all in your first picture...

I'd be interested to see a direct comparison before and after the change for you, I wasn't able to replicate anything unusual on my end.
Title: Re: Release: 21.4.0-RC1
Post by: Antares on August 08, 2021, 02:42:43 pm
I do play with post-processing turned off, as it makes the game too pretty for my integrated graphics to handle at a reasonable framerate. (For the record, I'm in the market for a newer computer with a better GPU; I'm just waiting for Black Friday to score a good deal.  :P)

However, that never stripped away nebular fog in the past. For comparison, here are the same missions running on the August 1 nightly:

(https://i.imgur.com/6cm1OCX.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/B1Gs9sB.png)

August 1 build debug log (https://fsnebula.org/log/6110328f0384e1a5ed95ce64)
August 3 build debug log (https://fsnebula.org/log/6110336fb15aef1dcc95ce53)
Title: Re: Release: 21.4.0-RC1
Post by: z64555 on August 08, 2021, 04:25:25 pm
If its the case of post-proc being turned off, it's probably related to this: https://github.com/scp-fs2open/fs2open.github.com/issues/2227 (https://github.com/scp-fs2open/fs2open.github.com/issues/2227)
Title: Re: Release: 21.4.0-RC1
Post by: Asteroth on August 09, 2021, 12:07:41 am
Blergh, no this is a real discrepancy. Gonna take another look at this
Title: Re: Release: 21.4.0-RC1
Post by: Asteroth on August 09, 2021, 06:42:17 pm
Antares, can you give this exe a try, and tell if you think it looks closer to the original? Hopefully Discord works well enough for hosting
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/223511391531827200/874436994397274173/fs2_open_21_3_0_x64_AVX-FASTDBG.7z
If you're not sure how to use a custom exe, simply save the exe wherever you like, click the dropdown on the MVPs (or whatever mod youd like to test with) go to FSO Settings, and for the build hit 'Browse' and select this exe, and don't forget to hit save at the bottom of the dialog, and then run it.

I found not 1, not 2, but 3 bugs with the old handling that were subtly "boosting" the look of poofs that were very not obvious, and result in very anemic poofs unless you specifically correct for them.
Title: Re: Release: 21.4.0-RC1
Post by: Antares on August 09, 2021, 08:17:09 pm
That still looks a little thin to me, if that's what you mean by 'wispy and subtle,' but it's definitely closer to the original than the August 3 nightlies and later (although I think Mystery of the Trinity wound up being kind of a crummy test case):

(https://i.imgur.com/Sz04U1e.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/mW0s9jf.png)
Title: Re: Release: 21.4.0-RC1
Post by: Asteroth on August 10, 2021, 10:28:34 pm
Also, just in case, ensure your nebula detail setting is at max. This value effects the total number of poofs you see where before it didn't. (it used to only make them smaller and closer at lower levels, which as far as I'm aware doesn't actually do anything to performance, but rendering less of them overall does)
Title: Re: Release: 21.4.0-RC1
Post by: Antares on August 11, 2021, 12:28:21 am
Quote from: Asteroth on August 10, 2021, 10:28:34 pm
Also, just in case, ensure your nebula detail setting is at max. This value effects the total number of poofs you see where before it didn't. (it used to only make them smaller and closer at lower levels, which as far as I'm aware doesn't actually do anything to performance, but rendering less of them overall does)

Nebula detail is already set to max.

For purposes of comparison, here's Return to Babel.

August 1:

(https://i.imgur.com/lVTq6L3.png)

August 3:

(https://i.imgur.com/oLOXdm5.png)

Your test build:

(https://i.imgur.com/OZViX8e.png)
Title: Re: Release: 21.4.0-RC1
Post by: Asteroth on August 12, 2021, 04:43:01 pm
The opacity still isn't right, this might take some time to unpack wtf it was doing before. The apparent alpha you'd get out of the old system is different from what you put in, so I either need to get to bottom of why it was happening or just experimentally pick out the output values vs input values.
Title: Re: Release: 21.4.0-RC1
Post by: Asteroth on August 13, 2021, 04:03:53 pm
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/223511391531827200/875845996976930866/fs2_open_21_3_0_x64_AVX2-FASTDBG.zip
This build has a few more adjustments, but I took another look at the flags and does appear to the case the rest of way is due to post processing. Could you turn it on at least for a little bit to confirm what poofs look like on your end with it on?

21.2 with post proc:
(https://imgur.com/8N41bYX.png)

This build with post proc:
(https://imgur.com/VNbrh4Q.png)

This build without post proc:
(https://imgur.com/XwK54QZ.png)
Title: Re: Release: 21.4.0-RC1
Post by: Antares on August 13, 2021, 04:40:49 pm
Fog of War.

Post-proc on:

(https://i.imgur.com/Z7SoxgU.png)

Post-proc off:

(https://i.imgur.com/idHlYpW.png)
Title: Re: Release: 21.4.0-RC1
Post by: Asteroth on August 13, 2021, 06:50:24 pm
Looks pretty similar to 21.2's poofs as well, so this is likely the best I can do for now. It's a shame that they are affected this way, but the fact you can still see ships through the nebula is a much bigger problem imo, but as mentioned it seems there's little appetite among the other coders for maintaining 'no post processing'.
Title: Re: Release: 21.4.0-RC1
Post by: z64555 on August 14, 2021, 09:08:42 pm
So what's happening?  are the poofs not being rendered at all, different blend mode? different opacity?

If there's no way around making the poofs appear as they should, would making the distance fog thicker make up for it?
Title: Re: Release: 21.4.0-RC1
Post by: Asteroth on August 15, 2021, 02:07:01 am
Well, as you can see, without post processing thick fog isn't going to make a difference either :lol:
Title: Re: Release: 21.4.0-RC1
Post by: Antares on August 17, 2021, 12:10:14 pm
I should note that out of all the missions I've tested, Masks (in Scroll of Antankharzim) has the best-looking nebulae. I don't know if there's any special FREDing involved, but I think it has partly to do with the contrast between the poofs and the background; Masks uses yellow poofs against a comparatively dark background, which really makes them stand out. I've noticed that most (if not all) of the canon FS2 missions use poofs that are the same color as the background, which makes them hard to see and results in the mission area looking very "empty." (Note that this does nothing to solve the problem of ship models being visible through the nebula, but oh well.)

These are from RC2:

(https://i.imgur.com/gCx0vjP.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/hoRlBmF.png)