[REL] Moon light mod v1

[Rubini]

Hi guys,

This one was a very old research, thanks to Anvart for some inputs and directions as you can see in this thread:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=181965

This mod adds a real moon light into the game. The main feature of this mod is that now the night "main light" is aligned with the moon, what is much more immersive.

Limitations?

-Oh yes, some and important ones:

1. The moon light is an "all or nothing" type of thing on the game (SH3 serious engine limitation). I mean, the moon light will be always into the night. Sh3 draws the moon all nights just "blocking" it with alpha channel when we have a no moon sky. So, as the light is attached to the moon object it will be always there. But see below some tricks that makes the whole thing works...

2. No moon light shadows as this is a feature (shadows) never implemented correctly and was totally dropped out by the devs after the last 1.4 patch. Indeed, you will see only an "ambient oclusion" type of effect.

How this mod solved some of these limitations?

- Well, sh3 have only three main environmental node lights (all them on scene.dat): sun light, sun reflection light and ambient light. I added a new enviromental light attached to moon object and made it similar and discrete as a night ambient light. So you will don´t notice it so much but now when you see the moon you will notice that the main night light is correctly sync with the moon path&direction.

Options?

- Yes. The mod is made from only one file and is compatible with any sh3 installation. I added the new light node to the scene.sim file (IIRC a file never modded before) and it have two variations: the one ready "out of the box" is a more strong moon light, the other one is much less powered (just rename them accordingly). The mod is adjusted out of the box for a medium/very darker environment - so the moon light is not that strong.

The first file (ready out of the box) is also adjustable to have yet more or less light power. If you want it, (it´s not necessary to the mod works), just open the scene.sim with S3D and changes the Moon light node "Attenuation" propertie up to have more moon light or down to have less moon light.

Notice that you must have to find a equilibrium between the moon light power and your environments lights/colors at deep night to the whole thing makes sense. This is absolutelly recomendable!

Last words:

- There is 3 types of lights for any light node on sh3: ambient, directional and omni lights. Obviously i tried all them. The directional, altrough a more intuitive choice, have more side effects than the others, that is why i ended with the omni light (out of the box) and the discrete ambient light ( on the optional file).

This is a WIP and not yet extensivelly tested. Please post feedbacks!


Ahoy!

Rubini.

(pictures made with a bit more strong version to show the effects)








Link:
http://www.mediafire.com/?vgbvayzz2rmmwpf

[VONHARRIS]

Looks good to me.
I will use it in my mod soup.

[Rhodes]

Same here!

[Echolot]

Thank you, Rubini.

[rowi58]

Thanks Rubini,

very good mod. Just tested it - you can keep your scene.dat and Moon.tga. Just wonderful.

Greetings
rowi58

[sublynx]

202.) In view of the fact that paint, especially on the wet submarine, is liable to reflect the light (shine), care must be taken not to show the enemy the moon-lit side. If the circumstances make this unavoidable, the tapering silhouette should be turned toward him as soon as possible.

203.) Take care that the submarine does not appear in the track of the moon on the water; i.e., in the line between the moon and the target.

204.) Favorable conditions of attack, enabling the submarine to remain unseen:

a) Attack the enemy when he can be seen against the light horizon, or against the moon, and move toward him from the direction of the dark horizon, or the dark portion of the sea. In this case, the submarine itself is invisible even at the shortest distances from the enemy.

Thanks Rubini for giving these procedures from U-boat Commander's Handbook more weight

Now it's easier to plan one's attack as if one needed to take consideration of the light from the moon as well.

To me this mod is not just eye candy!

Rubini thank you for the mod

Originally Posted by Rubini

1. The moon light is an "all or nothing" type of thing on the game (SH3 serious engine limitation). I mean, the moon light will be always into the night.

Does this means moonlight will be also present at cloudy night ?

[Rubini]

Originally Posted by sailor_X

Rubini thank you for the mod



Does this means moonlight will be also present at cloudy night ?

Yes, but in a less amount. This is the main issue with the mod (sh3 engine limitation). Anyhow, if you look at night env with attention you will notice that even in vanilla or modded envs we always have at least one light at deep night: ambient light. What I made on the mod is to add one more "ambient light" that is attached to the moon. So if you adjust your env correctly you will not be bored by this "always" there moon light. (just not use a so much powerfull moon light and you will not notice this added light)

At first, at my game, i made the deep night´s ambient light very dark and then the moon light took it´s "place". But late i noticed that this isn´t really necessary, we can have both without issues.

Ok, I will try and see how it looks to me

[jaxa]

Good work Rubini
How many such interesting presents do you still hide, Santa Claus?

One question - does increased moon light affect detection of uboat by other ships and vice-versa?

[Rubini]

Originally Posted by jaxa

Good work Rubini
How many such interesting presents do you still hide, Santa Claus?

One question - does increased moon light affect detection of uboat by other ships and vice-versa?

Hi jaxa,

How are you and Peter?

Santa Claus is yet some months ahead, so, who knows?

About your question take a look on post 10 and 14 about some details and limitations of this mod. Anyhow, if you adjust yours env deep night lights/colors (envcolors.dat ) and the amount of moon light inside this mod I can assure you that you will have a correctly working moon light without any side effect. Even out of box it will work very well.

Greetings from Brazil!

[THE_MASK]

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...postcount=2744

[Myxale]

Rubiniiiiiii