[DaBrain]

I'm looing for 3-4 tester for some new MV stuff.
It' not about eveything I'm going to add, but some big changes I've made. Normally I'd just test it myself, but this time, so much will be changed, that I'd probably miss a few bugs.

Let me explain what I did:
FS2 didn't support mipmapping. It used downsized versions of the textures for the lods (like a simplified mipmappin system). Well, now that we got mipmapping, we can just delete all these maps. Mipmapping will also fix the shimmering problem in FS2, while it also improves the performance.

Doing so requires to rename all used maps in all pofs. That would be quite enough work already. Unfortunately ~1/4 of the lod maps are not downsized versions of the original map. So using the original map for them would end up in a strange mapped model. So I got to check every single texture of each model before I can start renaming.
Very tiresome and it's likely I made some mistakes. Anyway I'm not done yet. Hopefully I'll get it done next week.

You'll have to remove all other MV files, as well as the spark.VP, so you can clrearly see errors. (Using the current MV_models would screw up your game anyway )

[karajorma]

Ummm. Renaming the textures is going to screw over any mission that uses texture replacement AFAIK since the mission file stores the name of the old texture being replaced.


Still that's one more reason to have a big mission fixage session once 3.6.9 is out and make sure that everything works with it.

[DaBrain]

Oh great... more work...


Well, I got to edit the missions to fix the nameplates anyway.


If this doesn't speed up the game by at least 5% I'll probably jump into the next river I can find.

[Pnakotus]

I've finally finished moving so I can help out.  I think kara's right too - a major overhaul of missions is a better solution than constantly working backwards for compatibility.

[Col. Fishguts]

Great effort

Out of curiosity, what did you do with those lower LODs that don't use scaled down versions of the LOD0 map ?

[Zacam]

More than willing to help......in fact, I've been working on doing something pretty much exactly like that myself. (Just cut the memory usage of the Faustus in half, in fact.)

Where do I sign up?? (I'll even do the mission Edits, if you'd like. Or anything else for that matter.)

And screw up isn't likely to happen.....the texture replace just won't work if the models refference to "nameplate" texture is no longer nameplate. If it is, and anybody has the DDS nameplates available outside of the Zeta's, it will still work just fine.

[MetalDestroyer]

Well, what kind of test do you need we could check ? I don't get it ><.

[DaBrain]

Great effort

Out of curiosity, what did you do with those lower LODs that don't use scaled down versions of the LOD0 map ?

I went through the painful progress of making a list of them and kept kept them. Some of them were deleted anyway, if the difference wasn't visible, but that's only for lod3 or higher, when you can't see any details on it anyway.

More than willing to help......in fact, I've been working on doing something pretty much exactly like that myself. (Just cut the memory usage of the Faustus in half, in fact.)

Where do I sign up?? (I'll even do the mission Edits, if you'd like. Or anything else for that matter.)

And screw up isn't likely to happen.....the texture replace just won't work if the models refference to "nameplate" texture is no longer nameplate. If it is, and anybody has the DDS nameplates available outside of the Zeta's, it will still work just fine.

Great, getting some help in this would be awesome, especially cause I'm not used edit missions anyway. (even if it's only Notepad work.)

The naming convention:
textureA, textureB, textureC (old)
texture (new, no other letters behind it)

Well, what kind of test do you need we could check ? I don't get it ><.

I want you to look out for texture problems. Some debris textures may be wrong. There might also be missing textures. Additionally I'm interested in any performance changes, the memory usage, and the shimmering issue.



BTW third party ships, that use standard maps won't work anymore! They will need to be updated as well. Same goes for third party missions that use texture replacement.

[Zacam]

I never have like the old naming convention. What's worse is that many of the models (for example) use one size for texturea-01 but a different size for texturea-01-glow or shine and then textureb-01 is not a logical scale down. Mimapping is definately nice.

I suppose by removing sparky_fs2.vp you want us to keep the files from fonts, force feedback, hud, interface, 16b11k, 8b22k and what effects from effects that haven't been converted yet, yes? Stripping out models and maps? (I've already done this for my own testing purposes.)

By 3rd party, you mean mod's like Derelict, Sync, etc yes? N/M.....I _really_ should get some sleep, but Lightwave is mocking me, Photoshop is complaining and Winamp isn't being nice. *sighs*

[DaBrain]

Oh, I forgot the other sparky files. Don't worry, I'll in include them in the test VP.

Duh... it's still work left... and I'm no mood to take care of it right now...

[Backslash]

Count me in if you don't have too many already

Heh, I've probably done a lot of what you're doing for my home setup, but I'll gladly back that up and make a clean install for proper testing. 

[Zacam]

It is indeed alof of work. Just trying to convert the faustus was a pain. And I still have F3 issues where LOD 2 and LOD 3 won't display, even though the model is just peachy in game. I'm also trying to figure out why I'll randomly get alpha channels after saving a DDS as "DXT1 (no alpha channel)", but naturally when I reopen it, there suddenly is one. (And then 5 saves later, there suddenly isn't. Oi.)

So, erm, yeah....I have no idea what I'm trying to say.

[DaBrain]

Are you using Photoshop for this?

I've experienced this error quite a few times already. Sometimes the plugin stops working correct and adds alpha channels to everything. Reinstalling the plugin will help. But I stopped using it unless I want uncompressed DDS files.

I'm sticking to The Compressonator now.

[Zacam]

What version of that are you using? Does the latest version (1.27) support RxGB compressed normalmaps? I know they pulled that out just after 1.21 which is what prompted my switch to the nVidia DDS tools (both standalone and photoshop plugin). Ironically, now that I'm going PCI-E I'm switching that from ATI to nVidia as well.

Of course, I'm still having the problem of the model disappearing on LOD2 and LOD3 in the F3 screen even when I'm sure the texture is correct. (DXT1 with/without Alpha and DXT3 Explicit Alpha.....better size, no loss of quality). Doesn't seem to phaze the game any, but it still is not right. (Of course, I think the faustus has other issues aside from that, but until I can convince Lightwave to do what I want, I'm still a ways from fixing that.)

[DaBrain]

I'm using 1.24.1066. But I've no idea if RxBG compressed normal mapping is supported. Actually, I not compressed a single normal map so far.

Does this have anything to do with the color channel swapping, which is supposed to give better quality to the normal map, while it requires the engine to create a missing channel?

I remember reading something about this.


But I know there is support for 3dc, which is supposed to be very good for normal maps.

[ARSPR]

I'm looing for 3-4 tester for some new MV stuff.

I would help but nowadays I'm running on 56Kb Internet connection so it's a PITA to download big files...

OTOH, the next two weeks I'm going to be quite busy but if I have time I will dig through 3.6.8 zeta + retail + 710 Taylor's patches to make a list with:

• Used pof for each ship and which table, (highest priority ship.tbl or -shp.tbm), is setting it.
• Using PCS, look for the used textured of every used model.
• In which vp you can find evey texture.
• If they have glow or shine versions.

I suppose you would have already done a similar list but if I finish it in time it could be a good cross-check.

(OTOH, I've made a fix in GTA Charybdis AWACs which has mad gun normals. If you haven't fixed the old one while texturing, please take the new one from Mantis).

I'm also trying to figure out why I'll randomly get alpha channels after saving a DDS as "DXT1 (no alpha channel)", but naturally when I reopen it, there suddenly is one.

I'm always getting that error with nvidia NVDXT and Photoshop pluging and I was getting mad. I will try ATI's Compressonator...

[Turambar]

hey, DaB, am i too late?

[Zacam]

The Faustus has some badly recessed firing points as well for the rear assembly. In the mission for SOC where you escort the Iceni and the Hinton, the Hinton usually ends up damaging itself rather severely.

[DaBrain]

Great work guys! I'm really glad to get some help

hey, DaB, am i too late?

Not at all.

BTW I need your fixed shine maps.

[Zacam]

w00t! That would be so sweet to finally see a non-saran wrap env effect! ( I could even learn by comparision how it's actually supposed to be done, since comparisions usually work better when there are closer similarities.)