[WIP] Lighthouses mod

Originally Posted by MLF

Have just had a quick test. CTD when the GPU picked up the first light flash I'm afraid. Took out the RayTracedHalo controller from Lighthouse_FX.dat and all now OK.

Same here.

Originally Posted by MLF

Light tower offset from rock (see screenshot). What Lat and Long did you use in Locations.cfg and the corresponding co-ordinates in the .mis file? Sorry - I've not had time to look at Kendras' findings yet.

For exact coordinates, I have updated the first post of this thread (see green text).

Originally Posted by MLF

I don't like the lack of hard reflections - personal taste or possibly environment mod in use? Here is a real life example of another tower on a perfect day.

Reflections are broken in my game, due to my graphics card, so I can't comment. But I agree with MLF, hard reflections are nice.

Originally Posted by MLF

The chart icon is better, prefer the "spare" one I think.

Icon is better, text is readable, but I think the icon should be smaller (if possible), and text should be very near the icon.

How it looks :

Originally Posted by MLF

Presumably when this one is perfect all the others will be easy

Exactly. Mmhh no, let's say ... probably !

BTW : Rock is still not collisionable ...

Next lighthouse (after La Vieille) :

http://www.dirm.nord-atlantique-manc...le22618b-1.pdf

... Near Brest, a harbour which is becoming more realist !

[MLF]

Originally Posted by Kendras

For exact coordinates, I have updated the first post of this thread (see green text).

All OK with those co-ordinates

I'll put my reflections on later - time to eat!!!!!!!


regards,

MLF

[gap]

Originally Posted by MLF

Have just had a quick test. CTD when the GPU picked up the first light flash I'm afraid. Took out the RayTracedHalo controller from Lighthouse_FX.dat and all now OK. What does this controller do (apart from CTD)?

I din't add that controller, Kendras did when he created the light effect. I think does what the name says: it adds to the game an halo which is base on actual light rays, not just flat particle set as emissive. Kendras might know on it more than I do. Didn't you see any difference after removing it?
What changed compared to Kendra's version of the FX, is my addition of a WaterReflection controller, so now we know that the two controllers are not reciprocally compatible

Originally Posted by MLF

Light tower offset from rock (see screenshot). What Lat and Long did you use in Locations.cfg and the corresponding co-ordinates in the .mis file? Sorry - I've not had time to look at Kendras' findings yet.

I don't know Kendra's settings. Let's wait for feedback from him. Is vertical alignment more or less good?

Originally Posted by MLF

I don't like the lack of hard reflections - personal taste or possibly environment mod in use? Here is a real life example of another tower on a perfect day.

Me neither, but I think that depends on environmenatl settings. I don't see any parameter that might affect reflection 'scattering' in the WaterReflection controller

Originally Posted by MLF

The chart icon is better, prefer the "spare" one I think.

Is the 'spare' one as jagged and big as the one whose screeenshot was posted by Kendras in his last post? Is the text still readable? I think I know how to scale those icons up and down without loosing resolution. Let me know if you think I should further reduce icon's size

Originally Posted by MLF

I'll try and search for an example of an old imperial unit (Feet and fathoms with the Lateral system of buoyage) admiralty chart showing light symbols - I'm sure they were more discrete.

That would be nice. You should look for the symbol for "tower beacon": that's what the Tourelle de la Plate is.
The current symbol is the one used internationally on modern charts. I took it from this document:

https://msi.nga.mil/MSISiteContent/S...art1/Sec_Q.pdf

Originally Posted by MLF

Sorry if a bit negative. Presumably when this one is perfect all the others will be easyl

Sure, positive criticism is always welcome. When you get time, let me know if collision detection works now, if there is foam around the base, and if the wave lapping sound works as supposed.

P.S: I think you wanted to attached an image at the bottom of your last post, but the link was corrupted

[gap]

Originally Posted by MLF

Have just had a quick test. CTD when the GPU picked up the first light flash I'm afraid. Took out the RayTracedHalo controller from Lighthouse_FX.dat and all now OK. What does this controller do (apart from CTD)?

Originally Posted by Kendras

Same here.

Did removing either the new WaterReflection controller or the RayTracedHalo controller solve the issue for you?

Originally Posted by Kendras

Icon is better, text is readable, but I think the icon should be smaller (if possible), and text should be very near the icon.

How it looks :

Let's say half the current size and two times the current resolution? would that be okay?

P.S: was the screenshot above taken with the 'standard' tga or with the 'spare' one?

Originally Posted by Kendras

BTW : Rock is still not collisionable ...

Originally Posted by Kendras

Next lighthouse (after La Vieille) :

http://www.dirm.nord-atlantique-manc...le22618b-1.pdf

... Near Brest, a harbour which is becoming more realist !

Originally Posted by MLF

I'll put my reflections on later - time to eat!!!!!!!

Was your last screenshot taken with the latest alpha of the lighthouse? If so, after all it seems that the faint look of the reflection was caused by Min and MaxVis parameters rather than texture compression

Originally Posted by gap

Let's say half the current size and two times the current resolution? would that be okay?

Yes. Let's try this !

Originally Posted by gap

P.S: was the screenshot above taken with the 'standard' tga or with the 'spare' one?

From 'standard' tga.

Will continue tests tomorrow, I'm tired now.

Good job, our project is progressing nicely !

[gap]

Originally Posted by Kendras

From 'standard' tga.

Try the other one then and tell me what do you think. I think you will be surprised

Originally Posted by Kendras

Will continue tests tomorrow, I'm tired now.

Good job, our project is progressing nicely !

Originally Posted by gap

Is the 'spare' one as jagged and big as the one whose screeenshot was posted by Kendras in his last post?

Yes, exactly the same size. Conclusion : size of icons is 'absolute'.

Originally Posted by gap

When you get time, let me know if collision detection works now, if there is foam around the base, and if the wave lapping sound works as supposed.

No collision, no foam, no sound.

I will try to add sound.

New sound added to the land unit, perfect in game.

Sound from this video :

[MLF]

Hi,

I'm afraid I did not have time last night to do any more testing etc. For the next couple of days I will not be available for anything, and thereafter, for a couple of weeks I will only have access if/when WiFi is available - possibly won't be able to test much though. Sorry about the short notice. But I will watch the thread and respond when I can if needed.

Regards,

MLF

Originally Posted by MLF

Hi,

I'm afraid I did not have time last night to do any more testing etc. For the next couple of days I will not be available for anything, and thereafter, for a couple of weeks I will only have access if/when WiFi is available - possibly won't be able to test much though. Sorry about the short notice. But I will watch the thread and respond when I can if needed.

Regards,

MLF

No problem.

About the light's icon, reducing its size by 50 % is still acceptable :



What do you think ?

[gap]

Originally Posted by Kendras

Yes, exactly the same size. Conclusion : size of icons is 'absolute'.

mmm... it can't be that. Have you really tested the tga file that I have put in the 'spare icon' folder?

What I have understood is that the game scales the tga overlay, no matter what is its pixel resolution, to fit the same space on map. That means that if a standard sized (1024 x 1024) texture is scaled down, let's say to 256 x 256 pixels, the result in game won't be an icon four times smaller than the unscaled version, but one having the same size than the original, but four times lesser smooth. This is exactly what is happening with the tga file I have placed in the Locations folder of the last alpha, and with the one you yoursels have scaled to 20% of the original size, both of which you have tested yestarday.

The correct way to make the icon smaller, is scaling not the whole tga file, but only the visible pixels within it. In other words, If we want the tower symbol to be four times smaller and as smooth as the original, we should select the area within the tga file with non-trasparent pixels, and scale it down to 25%, repeating the process for both RGB and alpha channel. This is exactly the approach I followed for creating the tga file in the 'spare icon' folder, and that's why it is important that you make sure you have tested it.
There is more: due to the size reduction, some icons and/or the text, might require their resolution to be increased in order to still look good. How to do it? If, folllowing the previous examples, we want the same icon to be four times smaller and four times smoother, we don't have to scale the tower symbol within the original tga file: all we need to do, is adding black/transparent pixels to it, so to modify its size from 1024 square pixels to
4096 x 4096. One might fear that by doing that the file size would increase exponentially but that's not really the case: with the compression method used for saving those files, black/transparent pixels get compressed, so the final file size will be bigger, but not so much bigger.

Originally Posted by Kendras

No collision, no foam

Yesterday night I have been looking into the issue. Everything is apparently in order, but I will keep inspecting the files this afternnon.

Originally Posted by Kendras

no sound.

I will try to add sound.

Originally Posted by Kendras

New sound added to the land unit, perfect in game.

Sound from this video :

Yep, I had listened the same sound when I was looking for sound loops which might apply to our model, but I discardes it, because it is the sound of crashing waves, not realistic during fair weather. At the end I opted for the wave lapping sound already featured in SHIII with GWX (but I believe it is in stock game too): it would be audible during calm days, and it would be covered by the ambience sound of heavy waves when the weather is stormy. What do you think?

Whatever is your decision, can you please send me your tweaked and/or added files when you are satisfied with them, so I can keep working on up-to-date files?

Originally Posted by MLF

I'm afraid I did not have time last night to do any more testing etc. For the next couple of days I will not be available for anything, and thereafter, for a couple of weeks I will only have access if/when WiFi is available - possibly won't be able to test much though. Sorry about the short notice. But I will watch the thread and respond when I can if needed.

No problem MLF. Your help and suggestions are always appreciated, but take your time on them. Whatever you got planned for the next two weeks, I wish you to have a nice time!

Originally Posted by gap

mmm... it can't be that. Have you really tested the tga file that I have put in the 'spare icon' folder?

Yes Sir.

Originally Posted by gap

What I have understood is that the game scales the tga overlay, no matter what is its pixel resolution, to fit the same space on map.

Definitely not.

Originally Posted by gap

This is exactly what is happening with the tga file I have placed in the Locations folder of the last alpha, and with the one you yoursels have scaled to 20% of the original size, both of which you have tested yestarday.

No, in fact I didn't test your original tga, because I knew that it was far too big. Here is the definitive evidence, the pictures speaks for itself (in game icon with your original tga) :

Originally Posted by gap

Yesterday night I have been looking into the issue. Everything is apparently in order, but I will keep inspecting the files this afternnon.

Don't loose your precious time on that problem, i will see/test that myself. Keep going forward with 3D modelling, you're very good !

Originally Posted by gap

Yep, I had listened the same sound when I was looking for sound loops which might apply to our model, but I discardes it, because it is the sound of crashing waves, not realistic during fair weather. At the end I opted for the wave lapping sound already featured in SHIII with GWX (but I believe it is in stock game too): it would be audible during calm days, and it would be covered by the ambience sound of heavy waves when the weather is stormy. What do you think?

Mmh, I don't know. Maybe it's not the appropriate sound for this beacon, but sure it will be for bigger islands. On the video, the sea state is not stormy.

Originally Posted by gap

Whatever is your decision, can you please send me your tweaked and/or added files when you are satisfied with them, so I can keep working on up-to-date files?

Yes, of course. I will send you v.8 during the afternoon.

[MLF]

Originally Posted by gap

No problem MLF. Your help and suggestions are always appreciated, but take your time on them. Whatever you got planned for the next two weeks, I wish you to have a nice time!

Thank you

Regards,

MLF