[Koorah]

Hi All,

Been away pretty much since 2001. Dl'd ShivanSpS torrent of FS_Open and all the gubbins (many thanks!). Got it working and by jimminey poo-bahar its great to back in the saddle!!

I'm afraid I have some questions which I'm sure have been answered elsewhere - perhaps I'm being a tool but I don't seem to be able to search the forums for answers (not allowed) so I hope you'll forgive me these questions. Are forum searches banned for everyone btw or do I need to be registered ofr a while???

Main one is that the new explosions - v nice btw - seem to cause a major drop in frame rate. Is there a fix/advice/somethign I should be trying?

(should point out I'm a gamer, not a coder, so for the love of God speak English please )

Secondly, I'm running the MediaVPs MOD from the launcher but I don't seem to have the HUD upgrades (notably the more 3d radar I have seen in some screenies) - what am I doing wrong??

Hope you can help.

Oh, and  WELL DONE for sticking with FS2 all these years. I feel somewhat ashamed of my absence!!! I will be checking out the more FRED centred forums as I used to love fooling around with it. Maybe I can help out some way once I've re-acclimatised!!!

Thanks.

3.06Ghz Intel P4
ATI Radeon 9700PRO
1GB DDR RAM

[Shade]

The 3d radar is enabled from Features->HUD in the launcher.

[CP5670]

2001? Were you on the VBB?

Anyway, try running in OpenGL mode if you aren't already. D3D doesn't like the new shockwave effects and often causes huge framerate drops with those.

The search system currently has some problems and has been disabled until the forum software is updated. One of the admins can probably explain this in more detail.

[Cobra]

man, wish i could get on the VBB before it died.

OpenGL is a good start, but you should also enable -img2dds and -tga16. the first compresses textures so you have a better framerate. the second converts 32-bit TGAs (say, high-detail planets) to 16-bit. Also, i'm not sure how well they'll go with your hardware, but if you have mv_adveffects, that will also slow down your computer due to the 'high' detail shockwaves.

you would also want to download the beam slowdown patch (or just go to DaBrain's thread about beams in the FS Upgrade Forum). that might help the massive framerate slowdown you get when you see the beams, if you have that problem.

[taylor]

you should also enable -img2dds and -tga16

Ack!  Don't ever mix them!  -img2dds will compress TGA textures and can use 1/2 to 1/4 the memory that even -tga16 would use.  -tga16 is officially obsolete now anyway, part of the point of -img2dds.  Just ignore -tga16 now, it's going to be removed in the not too distant future.  It served a purpose at one point, but has since been replaced by -img2dds which is a much better option.

[Cobra]

you should also enable -img2dds and -tga16

Ack! Don't ever mix them! -img2dds will compress TGA textures and can use 1/2 to 1/4 the memory that even -tga16 would use. -tga16 is officially obsolete now anyway, part of the point of -img2dds. Just ignore -tga16 now, it's going to be removed in the not too distant future. It served a purpose at one point, but has since been replaced by -img2dds which is a much better option.

erm... i use 'em both all the time without any problems.

[taylor]

erm... i use 'em both all the time without any problems.

-tga16 invalidates -img2dds on TGA images.  Your 24-bit and 32-bit images would be converted to 16-bit and never compressed.  Also you lose the alpha transparency layer on the 32-bit to 16-bit conversion.  You would also likely get really bad banding issues on the 16-bit converted images (how bad depends on the image).  Just using -img2dds gets you much less memory usage and much better image quality.

Of course, that's how it should work.  I've actually never tried them together for that reason, but -img2dds may effectively disable -tga16, since it automatically enables -jpgtga and the bpp checks that -tga16 uses would be wrong with -img2dds.  Either way, don't bother using -tga16.  It will be removed soon now that -img2dds is finally working everywhere.

[Koorah]

Guys,

Many thanks for your replies. I'll give all these suggestions a go when I get a chance to see if it improves things.

Feel somewhat foolish I didn't try OpenGL and missed the HUD option in the Launcher. Don't need to be a coder to know that!

/slapself

As for VBB, erm don't think so. I remember going to Voilition Watch a lot when I got into FREDing but wasn't a regular on the forums. Had to pay for dial up and times were tough! Didn't stay online any longer than I had to back then!!

Hopeto become a regular here though. If I hang around long enough who knows, maybe I'll be able to decipher wtf you guys are talking about most of the time

Thanks again!

[neoterran]

hey taylor, when I use img2dds (i'm using the 3/23/06 build in OpenGL) Then the ships all look like they're missing textures (invisible) and I lose planets and a bunch of stuff. What could be causing that ? It works fine without it.

[Cobra]

what are you using -img2dds with? D3D or OpenGL?

[taylor]

hey taylor, when I use img2dds (i'm using the 3/23/06 build in OpenGL) Then the ships all look like they're missing textures (invisible) and I lose planets and a bunch of stuff. What could be causing that ? It works fine without it.

Using a debug build, run a mission that demostrates the problem, then post/link your fs.log file.

[neoterran]

Okay taylor, thanks. I pm'd you with the log. It's pretty weird... otherwise I have absolutely perfect functioning SCP now ;0P

It's awesome looking, so thanks very much for the hours of free work you've provided, you've made of people very happy.

I was only interested in using -img2dds since it everyone was talking about it and I heard it might speed up the game somewhat by saving memory... my aging 5600 ultra isn't the snappiest of cards after all, but it can still run aero glass well ;0P Oh... you're a linux guy... NM 

[CaptJosh]

I tried using img2dds but it didn't work, crashed the game in fact. Then I remembered that I was using OGL. Somehow, I doubt that a direct draw surface(IIRC that's what a DDS is) works correctly under OGL. Something to keep in mind for others who want to use the option if I'm right about it.

[karajorma]

The fact that Taylor was the one who added most of the DDS code along with -img2dds should tell you a lot about the veracity of that statement.

[CaptJosh]

Well, then I don't know what the hell its problem was. Nevermind then.

[Inquisitor]

man, wish i could get on the VBB before it died.

- Take a sheet of clean white paper.

- Slash it visciously at any exposed skin on your body.

- Take a nice bath in lemon juice spiked with salt.

There, you now have the complete VBB experience.

[Shade]

Ouch. I once tried to press lemons when I had a cut under my nail. Big mistake... salt might actually migitate it, lemon juice is just the worst.

[Cobra]

man, wish i could get on the VBB before it died.

- Take a sheet of clean white paper.

- Slash it visciously at any exposed skin on your body.

- Take a nice bath in lemon juice spiked with salt.

There, you now have the complete VBB experience.

[Goober5000]

Cobra would probably actually fit right in.

[Black Wolf]

Damn you Goober! Damn you and your only slightly quicker wit!