[Zacam]

I have 3.6.8 Zeta's with the 710 patches merged into them.
I haven't tried not using the pof from the MaT test file.
(Keep in mind, I don't have v2 stuff, just teh v1 test file.)

[ARSPR]

I've recently been going over the contents of the mv_effects_new_v2 VP, and I've noticed that in the models folder, there are a bunch of what I presume are glowpointed or maybe fixed versions of ships. However, a number of them have HTL counterparts already present in the assets VP - the Medusa, Ursa, Zeus and Herc 2.

Best case scenario is that these old models will just be a waste of space, but it's possible that if VP names get mixed up by someone, they'll get priority over the HTL ones, and in that case you could get issues like Zacam is having. I'd recommend moving all those models over to assets, unless there's a pressing reason for them to be in the effects VP?

I pointed that to DaBrain. If you take a more careful look, the Effects models are obsolete ones. DaBrain has retextured a lot of models and these seems WIP or source ones. But as you have said they are usually glowpointed. I've used them (and vp 3.6.8.) as the glowpoint source for my fixed models (posted in this thread).

OTOH, if you merge these models with Assets one they're not going to be used (mv_assets is loaded before mv_effects). (IIRC)

I have 3.6.8 Zeta's with the 710 patches merged into them.
I haven't tried not using the pof from the MaT test file.
(Keep in mind, I don't have v2 stuff, just teh v1 test file.)

Move to v2 + VA's fixed models (Fenris, Leviathan, Triton and TC-Tri, HTL Zeus and Lucy) if you want to perform tests. (Ask DaBrain)

[Zacam]

I have VA's models, but still no word on v2.

I think the Effects models were in place for people not using the HTL ships to have updated models for advanced textures in the event that they got wrapped differently to handle for shine and glow maps, but that's only a guess and they could have just been left over reference test models used during building the updated (Non HTL) map files.

But given that so far I haven't seen a single one that has a difference in it's listed attached texture files vs. the original retails....beats me, unless there some sort of vector code I'm not seeing some where. Granted, I also have not take much of a detailed look at the models, concentrating more on the materials (and ironing out/debug texure and procedural handling issues on my machine, which result in just re-installing everything on new hardware. *sighs* )

[Backslash]

I'm still helping test this stuff, just been kinda busy and mostly lurking lately...

A smaller matter:  I rather like the new gun muzzle flashes, but on some ships (for example the Myrmidon) the flashes show up right in your face, when in normal HUD view.  Way too dazzling.  Should I try to code things so that muzzle flashes only show on your own ship in normal view if "show ship" is on?

[taylor]

A smaller matter:  I rather like the new gun muzzle flashes, but on some ships (for example the Myrmidon) the flashes show up right in your face, when in normal HUD view.  Way too dazzling.  Should I try to code things so that muzzle flashes only show on your own ship in normal view if "show ship" is on?

I had done something like that myself last summer.  I never added it to CVS, though I don't remember why.  Pretty sure that it wasn't a code issue, perhaps a user issue or something, one of those famous "matter of taste" deals.

Anyway, if this is going to be done then it needs to happen for lasers, flak, and beam muzzle glows.  Quick and easy changes though, so I say go for it, unless others hate the idea for some reason. 

[DaBrain]

I spent quite some time on the beam charge particle... atm it's using the ParticleEXP01, but that's the impact hit effect. (organge/red-ish).

I remember working this tiny, but annoying, particle before. Well, I've tried a few things, but it did't turn out useable...

Maybe somethine more simple will do the trick.

Also... How do you like the Vasudan shield effect. I'm not entirely happy with it as it is. Still it should be ok... probably. Well, I don't know if I should redo it to be honest.

[ARSPR]

I'm still helping test this stuff, just been kinda busy and mostly lurking lately...

A smaller matter:  I rather like the new gun muzzle flashes, but on some ships (for example the Myrmidon) the flashes show up right in your face, when in normal HUD view.  Way too dazzling.  Should I try to code things so that muzzle flashes only show on your own ship in normal view if "show ship" is on?

PLEASE!!!!! Code WHATEVER to disable them in player ship (internal view). They're going to drive me mad ... 
(I've also suggested it in this thread)

How the hell do you like them? , .... let me think, ... , I know, you are blind. No, this one can't be, ..., let me think again, ..., hey guy!!! I've discovered it, you DO really LIKE HASH...       (Just joking )

BTW, nice to see you again Backslash. 
[Offtopic]Please submit your multitarget additions ASAP, at least the first ones     [/Offtopic]

[ARSPR]

Also... How do you like the Vasudan shield effect. I'm not entirely happy with it as it is. Still it should be ok... probably. Well, I don't know if I should redo it to be honest.

Well, the effect I do not like is Shivan one. It's too excessive. A more subtle effect would be better. And it is also very abrupt. I mean, a shield effect should look as if the energy is being expanded over a surface, (even in a crack line pattern if you want). But now the pattern just appears and then disappears. It should grow from the impact point while the lines lose "intensity".

OTOH, Terran and Vasudan shields were developed together (FS1 cutscene) so they should be quite similar, just as they are now.

[Backslash]

Thanks for the tips, taylor.  I'll see what I can do.

How the hell do you like them?

I like seeing them on OTHER ships   not my own.  Much better than 'green blob suddenly appears'.

[Offtopic]Please submit your multitarget additions ASAP, at least the first ones     [/Offtopic]

I'll do what I can.  A couple of them are already in, but you don't notice them because they only work with the 'Multitarget Wing' control, and I can't add new controls until taylor finishes the new pilot/control code (because the way I did it in my test builds was pretty hacky and could mess up your pilot files).  The rest... well I'll do what I can

I spent quite some time on the beam charge particle... atm it's using the ParticleEXP01, but that's the impact hit effect. (organge/red-ish).

Another thing I want to do... make or modify a table to control stuff like this, so that 'hard-coded' special effects can be customized.  ...Unfortunately this is just one of the many things on my 'want to do' list, and I tend to bite off more than I can chew at once.

[Backslash]

it needs to happen for lasers, flak, and beam muzzle glows.

I've got it done for laser and flak, but where shall I put the code for beam muzzle glows?  They get handled differently.  It is easy to do for lasers (and flak seems to already have been partially done) in ship.cpp , but not beam.cpp .  Also should I deal with the ones in AiTurret.cpp ?

[taylor]

I've got it done for laser and flak, but where shall I put the code for beam muzzle glows?  They get handled differently.  It is easy to do for lasers (and flak seems to already have been partially done) in ship.cpp , but not beam.cpp .  Also should I deal with the ones in AiTurret.cpp ?

The code may have changed a little bit since I had done it originally, but when I made the changes I handled beams in beam_render_all().  I put a boolean test at the top to check if it was a player ship and should or shouldn't render the muzzle stuff, then put that check around the beam_render_muzzle_glow() and beam_render_muzzle_particle() calls in that function.   And... I'm pretty sure that was all I had done for beams.  That makes it easy, since it will automatically apply to anything that fails the boolean check, and can therefore be easily upgraded/expanded later on.

I had done all of this when I got fighter beams working properly (with proper streaming, scoring, etc.), but I'm not really sure if I got all of those changes in CVS or not.  There was probably some strange scoring/traitor bug that I never had a chance to work out, and so never committed.

I remember doing something a little funky for flak stuff, regarding turrets and what not, but I can't think of exactly what that was at the moment.  I can't recall if that was to fix a bug, rendering problem, or just something that I needed to test something else with.  If I still have that code someone I'll give it a look and see if there was actually a valid reason for all of that crap I had coded in.  But unless you notice some strange issue with flak, don't worry about what I had done, it was probably idiotic anyway.

[DaBrain]

Yes I'm reached page 7 of my 22 page-long error list!


@ARSPR
I've ignored some reports. Like the debris problem. There isn't much I can do about it. I just hope peple will retexture the debris as they HTL the models.

The Ma'at lod 3 isn't invisible, but is using a black part of the maps as it seems.
I don't think the lod 3 errors are that bad, as I didn't see any of those problems during my playtestings. It's too far away to notice.
But I can't really ignore it... some low-end players might hate me for it.

Edit: Mini request.

Could somebody without the test VPs take a look at the Dragon's lod 1?
My version looks very low-res, but I can't fighter better maps (fighter03-01b).

[taylor]

Could somebody without the test VPs take a look at the Dragon's lod 1?
My version looks very low-res, but I can't fighter better maps (fighter03-01b).

As far as I know, there aren't hi-res maps for anything but LOD0.  That's specifically why I added the tbl option to force it to use LOD1 for the hud target screen.

The thing just needs to be UV mapped again, really, just to make it all use the same map.

[DaBrain]

That's probably somethin I could do in a patch. Should be easy enough to do a HTL version of it too.


@ARSPR
Don't worry about the capital muzzle. The table entry points at the muzzles defined in the mflash table, not to the EFF itself.
It's not working, cause the turret muzzle doesn't work in 3.6.9., but it works in the CVS version.

BTW does anybody know a good renaming utility.
I've a few hundred files with xxxx-shine.dds, that I want to rename into xxxx-somethingelse.dds and I really don't want to spend an hour renaming files by hand.

Edit: Forget about the renaming tool. And thanks to Pnakotus.
I've used I-View a lot to rename files. I didn't know it had this 'replace string' option.

At least my auto-generated normal maps have the right names now.

And they might just work. At least they do work ok outside FS2 already.
http://i16.tinypic.com/4clo2h3.jpg

[wolf]

At least my auto-generated normal maps have the right names now.

And they might just work. At least they do work ok outside FS2 already.
http://i16.tinypic.com/4clo2h3.jpg

Are the normal maps compressed?

[DaBrain]

Yes.

First... the generated maps are pretty horrible. Just enough to see an effect when you enable it.
And the compression kills what is left...

At least we can do something about the first point, by creating the normal maps in a proper way.

[DaBrain]

I'm uploading the new version atm. I'll send a PM to the testers when I'm done.

Adding in the beam effects screwed up a few things. I noticed some 'broken' (non-power of two) maps. I don't know How they got in there...
Well, I had to fix a lot of stuff, but it should be ok now.

Two issues are left:
One shivan beam effect is using too many sections.
The HTL Ravana has holes.

I hope I won't have to take the Ravana out again, but we can't use with that many collision holes.


Edit: Damn... I just noticed I forgot to remove the fighter models from the adveffects.vp.
Well, it's late. I won't stop the upload for just that.

[takashi]

where are the latest beta mediavps?

[DaBrain]

You mean the non-public test files?

They are where the links I gave to the tester point to.

[takashi]

can i be a tester?

brand new system specs:

2 gigahurtz proccessor
256 mb radeon 9550 gfx card
1024 x 780 resolution
1 gigabyte RAM

runs all mediavps with no problems.