Hard Light Productions Forums
Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => FS2 Open Coding - The Source Code Project (SCP) => Topic started by: Lightspeed on February 22, 2004, 10:52:41 am
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Thanks to the great work of the SCP coding team, I could finally complete and improve my planets.
New stuff in v2.0:
- Transparency (looks better than ever - fade it on backgrounds like you want)
- Graphical glitches removed
- Improved atmosphere layers & lighting
- Memory Optimizations*
Some screenshots (please check the full preview gallery on Milliways):
(http://www.penguinbomb.com/lightspeed/d01.jpg)
(http://www.penguinbomb.com/lightspeed/e01.jpg)
* - Memory Usage (TGA):
v1.0 (all planets in memory): 344 MB
v2.0 (all planets in memory): 68 MB
That's an optimization of 80%.
* - Memory Usage (DDS):
v2.0 (all planets in memory): 22,6 MB
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Version 2.0 is available both in memory-efficient DDS and high-quality TGA versions.
However, I do NOT reccomend ANYONE to use the DDS versions if the TGA versions work without too big FPS drops. The DDS versions have horrible compression artifacts and colour edges which will negate all the smooth 32-bit eye candy. If the v1.0 TGA did not work for you, i still advise you to try v2.0 in TGA mode first (see the memory optimizations) and only resort to DDS if there's no other possibility. If anyone can get decent DDS conversions (I have no idea if DDS can do better or not) - please do so and post here :)
Now... Links:
TGA Build (reccommended): TGA_Planets_FS2_v2.0.zip (http://www.penguinbomb.com/lightspeed/TGA_Planets_FS2_v2.0.zip)
DDS Build (ONLY if TGA is killing you): DDS_Planets_FS2_v2.0.zip (http://www.penguinbomb.com/lightspeed/DDS_Planets_FS2_v2.0.zip)
Also, i'd like you to check out the full preview gallery: PREVIEWS! (http://www.penguinbomb.com/lightspeed/FS2Web_trplanets.html)
(All screenshots were taken using the TGA versions.)
Feel free to link to the images in posts here. Also, i'd love to see some screenshots of v2.0 in-game :D
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Awesome!
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All hail Lightspeed
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****ing awsome dude!
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Now if you could only do something about those rancid nebulas in the background...
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You know... I probably will :rolleyes:
Just a matter of time.
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He's right, the nebuli do need reworking, but for the time being those planets are excellent, and I'm certainly greatful for the performance increase! Well done :)
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Not to get off-topic, but do you have any updates planned for your Bobbau-based thruster hybrids?
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Probably not, untill the SCP can fix a bug with the thrusters - which is what keeps me from doing it.
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Originally posted by Kalfireth
He's right, the nebuli do need reworking, ....
Not unconditionally. You can only see them blurry if you scale them to at least 5x5.
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But... well just look at them. The resolution could definitely be increased - I know they're gaseous but they lack detail. This is my idea of a decent nebula, the shot was taken in anchient pre-code FS2 but you get the idea.
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Once again, I need to wire my jaw shut.
Props Lightspeed! :)
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What are you using to make your DDS Lightspeed?
Have you tryed all the different supported formats?
At the end of the day it is a compressed format and that 80% memory saving has to come from somewhere I guess.
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the 80% memory saving is when you compare v1.0 TGA vs v2.0 TGA.
The DDS tool i use is the nVidia Photoshop plugin, I have tried the different formats, and i'm using DXT 5.
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I knew something like this would eventually happen so I can only point to my sig.
(great show, L!)
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Originally posted by Lightspeed
the 80% memory saving is when you compare v1.0 TGA vs v2.0 TGA.
Yer? What did you do, make them smaller?
The DDS tool i use is the nVidia Photoshop plugin, I have tried the different formats, and i'm using DXT 5.
You might want to try using the texture tool that comes with the DX SDK, its easy to use and the results seem to fairly good.
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Originally posted by Kalfireth
But... well just look at them. The resolution could definitely be increased - I know they're gaseous but they lack detail. This is my idea of a decent nebula, the shot was taken in anchient pre-code FS2 but you get the idea.
OK, OK, so you want hi-res nebulae just so you could increase their scaling and make the whole screen covered by nebula?
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Ah, no.. I want them because the detail would be increased - same with Lightspeeds planets. Sure they'll look nicer at a larger size - but they'll also look better when smaller. Look at games like I-War2, they have better background nebulas. They look better. Size doesnt enter it.
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I put a finger on it.(If it is a wrong expression, sorry :))
I understand it now. Otherwise can I grab that nebula palette from somewhere?
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I actually prefer a different "style" of backgroun nebula, like the ones used in Eve Online. To me, they look purdier than the FS2 ones. I think it has something to do with the fact that FS2's nebula's are usually
1)Multicolored instead of sticking with a signle colour
2)Highly localized, meaning there re patches of nebulas with mostly black background
3)Highy contrasty and highly texturized
The thing with Eve's stlye of nebula, is that the entire background is covered with this very soft, pastel colour. So you never really have any black onscreen. I know it not realistic, but it just looks better IMHO. I don't even know if something like that is possible with thr FS2 engine.
Oh and, great work Lightspeed. You continue to release one improvement after improvement. It really shows with the lightmaps and the weapons effects and with this. Keep up the awesome work.
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These looks great; I was having lots of trouble with the TGA versions before but these work very well, especially with the newest memory-efficient versions. It looks like resizing them to 2^n-sized images took down the ingame memory usage considerably.
But... well just look at them. The resolution could definitely be increased - I know they're gaseous but they lack detail. This is my idea of a decent nebula, the shot was taken in anchient pre-code FS2 but you get the idea.
This whole nebula issue is most likely due to the new nebulas in the fs2 open VP; see my post on it in here: http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,20572.0.html
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Ah, looks like nebuli have potential to be a separate topic which I've duely posted up, no wish to de-rail Lightspeeds topic with something else. Please take all comments of nebula here:
http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,20961.msg415382.html#msg415382
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Originally posted by RandomTiger
Yer? What did you do, make them smaller?
No, I aligned them to 2^x sizes. ;)
And yes, if I ever have a go at nebulas I will change the concept completely. I don't quite like the multi coloured thingy.
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=)
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@Lightspeed:
I don't know if it applies here, but for 2D acceleration is also recommended to have sizes that are multiples of 16 or 32, as some cards may have problems with different sizes.
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Dude, the transparency works wonders. Well done. :)
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A1 SUPAR! I wouldn't bother doing anything with those existing nebulae, however. Start with some fresh ones instead...
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That's what i'll do. This is bout the planets tho :p
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'Tis all about teh planets™. Well, them and those pillar thingies. Me wants those :nod:
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Originally posted by Lightspeed
No, I aligned them to 2^x sizes. ;)
Thats the way to do it, anything else is very wasteful.
The DDS tool i use is the nVidia Photoshop plugin, I have tried the different formats, and i'm using DXT 5.
You might want to try using the texture tool that comes with the DX SDK, its easy to use and the results seem to fairly good.
Can you download the SDK or would you like me to see if I can upload the exe?
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Try uploading the exe :)
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OK, but it may need dll's and stuff from the SDK and I dont really want to get into uploading them.
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http://www.randomtiger.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/freespace/DxTex.rar
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I dont know if its actually any better but its probably worth a look
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I really like the second one :)
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Let me know how you get on with that app Lightspeed
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I will, once i've time to try :p
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I spend too much time here dont I? :lol:
Im off to make some pancakes!
Or try at least.
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Too committed for your own good, RT. ;)
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There's a simple solution:
More coding, less forums :)
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Often Im too tired to code at the end of the day but forums dont take much brain power.
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yeah, I work in a frozen wastland of death (meat packing plant) by the time I get done, I just want to lay down, the only time I ever seem to get anything done is when I have homework to do and the SCP offers me an alternative to this.
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Originally posted by RandomTiger
Often Im too tired to code at the end of the day but forums dont take much brain power.
Uhh... that's also the reason why i'm here all the time :)
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Originally posted by RandomTiger
Often Im too tired to code at the end of the day but forums dont take much brain power.
:)
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It's strangely true that HLP is one of the few places I can relax and do stuff I want. The rest of the world likes to rush by but this place is like coming in from the wind and snow outside. (Naturally, I'd understand that idiom a lot better if I'd ever come in from the snow, but anyway.)
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OT: I think HLP is only Comminity/forum I can relax (times I like come here after work or I'am in work and after I played Final Fantasy XI (only MMORPG I play)