S3D v0.9 sneak preview - VIDEO

[MrSargyano]

So far I have only needed this tool once (or twice ) but it was there for me! It's incredible!

Thanks Skwasjer

Regards,
Mr. Sargyano

[JREX53]

Skywasjer,

You have taken Modding to a whole new level. You have opened the door
to the unmodder to become a modder.

Thank you!!!!

[bigboywooly]

Originally Posted by jimimadrid

Applause. This looks incredible. I'm sure S3D will be part of the tools the devs will use to develope Sh5.

Ther is a pic somewhere of one of the devs working on a harbour in SH3
They have something very similar which makes life sooooo easy

This tool will allow everybody the same chance the devs had
Great piece of kit and well designed
( probably better too ) :rotfl:

[skwasjer]

When I have time I will certainly look at that more closely. I did open the harbor_kit (both US/GER) and all the houses, structures etc, are neatly layed out in line. I'd have to use the cfg files/city dats, etc., to allow for proper city building but at least now there's a framework. Similar for a zones editor... Hell, maybe in time even a particle engine (lol, uhm, maybe not... difficult )

[Xantrokoles]

Oh Skawasjer,
I hope you don't spend too much time in thinking about further projects...

WE WANT IT NOW!

Eh sorry...
It is very hard to wait for it after watching the vid. Especially your 'don't watch it' made me watching it.
I love your 'one moment, what's that thing here for' styl although your know
everything!
keep this up too

[bigboywooly]

Originally Posted by skwasjer

When I have time I will certainly look at that more closely. I did open the harbor_kit (both US/GER) and all the houses, structures etc, are neatly layed out in line. I'd have to use the cfg files/city dats, etc., to allow for proper city building but at least now there's a framework. Similar for a zones editor... Hell, maybe in time even a particle engine (lol, uhm, maybe not... difficult )

Wasnt hinting
lol
Was just saying they showed one in a pic
Probably the Kashmir software that also does the ship dats etc

( but if it works on harbours I wont be complaining )

[skwasjer]

Originally Posted by Mikhayl

Hi Skwas', maybe you can help me (again ) ... I'm wondering if there's an overall limit to the amount of objects/data contained in a single .dat, maybe you know ? :hmm:

Well, I can only go by my knowledge of the file structure, not so much file reading algorithms of the game or other limits that could trip the game. Maybe some other guys like privateer, ref or Anvart know...

But by judging the shear amounts of data the game can handle over thousands of files, I can tell you it's most likely just split up the way it is now for easier file management and patching, but it may have been a single 4GB dat as well for that matter. There are some limitations on some arrays due to use of 16-bit datatypes (regarding models, animations), but you can work around those limitations by simply splitting the meshes up. The devs did so too Other than that, I see no limit to a single dat-package... (edit: S3D certainly doesn't have a limit. It should handle files as large as you can imagine, just gets slower as it gets bigger).

The limits I do see are more related to what our GFX cards can handle. For instance, a full modeled interior sounds great, but I worry the game will blow up on the huge number of poly's it has to render...

[edit] Just toggle on wireframe in an interior in S3D when you get the chance. I am by no means a skilled 3D programmer, but I got pretty good framerates, with textures and stuff. But wireframe mode means the zbuffer gets overloaded, and the GFX needs to check depth for each line over each line over each line (if any coder can tell me how to improve it, by all means!). FPS from 100+ in solid mode all the way down to 13... And this is just one room...

[skwasjer]

Originally Posted by Xantrokoles

Oh Skawasjer,
I hope you don't spend too much time in thinking about further projects...

WE WANT IT NOW!

Eh sorry...
It is very hard to wait for it after watching the vid. Especially your 'don't watch it' made me watching it.
I love your 'one moment, what's that thing here for' styl although your know
everything!
keep this up too

Heh, thinking out loud never hurts... Not saying all will become reality

I will try to release it in a few hours, but I got caught up tonight doing some other things. In any way, it will be this weekend for sure, because next week, I'm off with my girl, son and tent

[skwasjer]

It's too bad the game doesn't support some kind of technique commonly used in FPS games. But it's also logical it doesn't since it's not that kind of game. In FPS maps, designers often have means to 'hint' rooms and create 'portals'. Basically this means you can tell the engine what to render from what position and view angle. So a room next to another doesn't need to be rendered if a door is closed, or if you are at a steep angle and never could see that other area through a hallway or open door. Most GFX cards do support clipping of unseen poly's though, but as you will see in the model viewer in S3D (using solid+wireframe), it will still often render poly's that it doesn't have to...

[skwasjer]

Hola! Cool! But wait till you reach the engine rooms, torp rooms (pipes, fittings), and want to add more crew, animations!

But yea, you are correct, the other room only gets rendered when you actually enter it's zone (the camera zone). Since they overlap a bit you don't get the black out of sectors while moving between them, but they get clipped out when you move from one to the other. If you'd increase both camera zones you'd see them both at the same time is my suspicion...

However, possibly the 3-dats approach may be reused to break apart the sub in 3 sections (not just 3 rooms), and use a trick between them. Like a static texture behind a hatch, which changes to the actual next dat when you move through it...

But until then, we first need the rooms It's a long road ahead for sure...

[skwasjer]

I should be thanking those that make it work. Maybe then, I will thank myself. All of this sexy stuff means nothing if it doesn't find practical use. We will see

I'd say, DivingDuck gets a big pat as well

[Lagger123987]

How much days till v.9 is released?

[LukeFF]

Originally Posted by Lagger123987

How much days till v.9 is released?

Did you read the above posts?

[Sailor Steve]

I've tried to use S3D and failed. I've tried to copy Nautilus' example in harbor editing and failed. I've tried...well, none of that is important, since I'm not posting this to ask for help or advice - this would be the wrong thread anyway - I'd just start my own. I'm looking forward to the new release as well, as it may help me get over my inadequacies.

All I really wanted to say is this: I find it pretty amazing that the man who has done the most to help the Silent Hunter modding community, who may well revolutionize the whole thing, doesn't even consider himself a modder!

Well done Skwasjer! This is remarkable work.

[Xantrokoles]

Can anyone tell me in which timezone Skawasjer has calcuated?:hmm:

I am looking all 30 minutes on the threads and the homepage.