[Rga_Noris]

With the detail box, it has become closer to the original version, and should still run better than the first release I made. (Hopefully)

EDIT: The detail boxed items are the thrusters, interior, and some greebles on the under side near the docking point.

[Kolgena]

So I just made the detail box, and it cuts over 10K from the detail0...

Crappy card owners, rejoice...

That's a 30% drop. I think even upper-mid card owners wouldn't mind that.

The hattie and the hecate are the only two ships that drop my shiplab frames under 120 steady. Though my frames are still like 117, it means that with lots of explosions or extra ships around, I would probably get some stutter, which isn't conducive to surviving flak and AAA on insane.

[Kolgena]

I beleive because the hangar would be removed from the main hull, the lightning should fix itself (pretty please!!!)

I wonder if you could test this out. I have no idea how detail boxes work, but I imagine it culls everything inside it unless the camera is within a certain distance of it. Depending on how that distance is set, lightning might start disappearing if you just happen to be pretty close to the hangar area.

On the other hand, it'd be unbelievable amounts of cool if the lightning effect moved INTO the hangar bay as you flew into it. I mean, just go to ship lab, tick lightning, tick transparent, and just imagine what it'd be like to be flying in the midst of that.

[Rga_Noris]

Ill be testing it in about 30minutes, just before I release it. Just to let yall know, improvements are already obvious. Takes about 1/4 of the time to generate the .IBX

[Redstreblo]

...improvements are already obvious. Takes about 1/4 of the time to generate the .IBX

See, it only takes a little bit of clean up and optimization! You don't need to get stressed out by these cool features and just remove them. I was wowed by the hanger when I first saw it and I am happy to hear that it will remain 

[Rodo]

This one is turning in the coolest ship ever

(until we get the Colly at least)

[Rga_Noris]

little bit

Little? LITTLE? Do you have any idea how much optimization went into the FIRST release I made? It was FAR from a straight port over, let me tell you. Anyone who has seen the source file can attest to that.    

Oh, and here you go:

http://www.mediafire.com/?t0jt3kzetq5

EDIT: Instead of the lightning only being on the hangar, its now only on the front of the ship, which I suppose it better. I need to go get bark dust. PLEASE TEST!

[Redstreblo]

little bit

Little? LITTLE? Do you have any idea how much optimization went into the FIRST release I made? It was FAR from a straight port over, let me tell you. Anyone who has seen the source file can attest to that.    

  bad choice of words....

[Droid803]

The very front thing is supposed to be a destructable subsystem (Navitagtion) I think.
You should cut that out too. (Also the sensors could be cut out too I think.)

Though...doing that might actually ADD to the polycount.

[Aardwolf]

So uh... I take it the lightning arcs between randomly selected polygons, each having an equal probability of being an endpoint? And that that means the uber-detailed portions get a lot more lightning? Maybe the lightning code just needs some fixin'

[Kolgena]

Not too sure. I think it's isolated to "pieces" that the ships are comprised of.

If you look at the Orion, lightning will only ever be seen in the rear engine block. This is true regardless of how long you watch lightning arc, so I don't think it's entirely a probability function. Same applies for the Hecate, except its rear "piece" is larger, and therefore the lack of lightning in the front half (instead of the front 80% in the orion) is less noticeable.

[Rga_Noris]

Those sensors were merged with the main hull, (dont worry, I deleted the polys on the mainhull that would intersect BEFORE I merged them... there are no overlappers) as were some of the other subs. The issue with some of the destructable subs is that they are in different spots than on the retail, which would break compatibilty. I have some options in mind to include them, but we *may* need to go without.

[Galemp]

How different are we talking about here? If they're in the same general location (i.e. on the nose and not on the side) I don't think it would matter too much.

[Rga_Noris]

About what you said. Nothing huge, really.

[Colonol Dekker]

Jeez, how many different links are there?


Is HTL_HatsDB.rar the current?

[Shivan Hunter]

Yes.

[Snail]

For some reason or another, turning off specular maps seems to bring out a lot more detail on some parts of the normal maps. This normal behavior?

[Rga_Noris]

The spec map is likely too overkill, and over powering the normal. How is it running otherwise? Oh and to Dekker: there were only two links, and now all links point to the lastest.

[Kolgena]

For some reason or another, turning off specular maps seems to bring out a lot more detail on some parts of the normal maps. This normal behavior?

Duplicated on my machine as well, though my spec_static is like 2.5 or 3 or something.

[Aardwolf]

IDEA! Make the internal fighterbay use primarily glow maps, so that the lighting doesn't change funny ways as the ship rotates. There's no sunlight that'll be reaching inside, after all, so the diffuse and specular components don't really need to be there. And it's not like you're gonna be firing your weapons or entering subspace while inside the hangar either.