[gap]

Originally Posted by the_frog

Hello folks,

so far, I only had a very brief look into the files and couldn't do any testing.

Hi The_Frog, thank you

Originally Posted by the_frog

Some first impressions:

1. rather complex file structure

A while ago, Kendras asked me for some generic lighthouses that we can place around the globe while we wait for more accurate models to get available. My idea is creating models of real lighthouses and day beacons that can be stripped down to their basic elements. Those elements should be easy to combine in order to create the said generic lighthouses, and the file structure I have adopted is functional to this 'modular' concept

Originally Posted by the_frog

2. placement of textures in the Texture folder

I think I will move textures that are specific to a lighthouse unit, into the folder of that unit. All the remaining textures should remain in the tex folder, as I plan to re-use them on other models.

Originally Posted by the_frog

3. textures, attached controllers, model setup, channels -- all fine

Still, there's something wrong in our files, otherwise specular masks would work. I hope that apllying some of your suggestions below can solve the problem...

Originally Posted by the_frog

The way I would set up the files and the contents:

0. Use smaller textures; they are not very detailed so maps of 512 x 512 or 1024 x 1024 are sufficient, especially the submerged rock does not need a HR map

You are right; we are still at the alpha stage, but soon all the textures used by the model will be resized/compressed, especially the ones of the rock model. When it comes to textures and non-vectorial 2D art, my philosophy is: the bigger the source files, the better they will look once they are resized to their final size

Originally Posted by the_frog

1. No texture in the Texture folder !!! All placed in the *.dat files

If you mean in the same folder as the dat file, that's what I want to do. If you mean embedded in the dat files, I am a bit against embedded textures, essentially for two reasons:
a. they are not configurable; once you link a material to a 3d model and that material has a texture embedded, that model will have the same texture forever.
b. if you want to use the same texture on several dat files, you need to re-embed it as many times as the dat files that use it, with a total waste of disc stoting space and RAM.

Originally Posted by the_frog

2. All material not changing over time removed from the _parts.files in the Library folder

I don't get you here

Originally Posted by the_frog

3. Model of rock placed in the respective Location file, including texture.

The rock model might be re-used in other locations, that's why I decided to store it in the library file. If you look into stock locations, they are mostly composed of dummy nodes and placement nodes pointing to models in the harbor_kit.dat library file

Originally Posted by the_frog

4. Model of the platform and concrete base added into the Lighthouse files in the Land folder, including the respective texture

This is an option I had taken into consideration, but ad the end I decided to make it part of the rock terrain object, mostly for two reasons:
a. I don't want it to be destroyable
b. Ease of making terrain objects collisionable using the StaticObject controller

Originally Posted by the_frog

5. Either lantern and topmark remain the library file; then, a small cropped texture representing black and yellow metal can be placed into that file...

I don't get you. What would be the use of the cropped texture you are talking about?

Originally Posted by the_frog

...Or place them also into the Land folder file. The lantern was likley not removed during wartime but just switched off. Therefore, it can stay; only the halo needs to "switched off".

It is not only about the lantern or topmark being removed during wartime. As I mentioned before, we might proxy-clone the La Plate tower and use it in another position as a different type of sea mark. Depending on the type of mark we want to reproduce, we might need to replace or remove at all one or more library parts, including lantern and topmark.

Originally Posted by the_frog

More probably later the week (if I find some free time ...).

I am looking forward to listening to any other suggestion or remark you might come from you

Originally Posted by Anvar1061

Amazing video Anvar1061, thank you for sharing, and by the way...

https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/mod...u-Fastnet-Rock