[WIP] Lighthouses mod

[gap]

Originally Posted by Kendras

[B]Here is version 9 :

Cool!

I have just one remark:

Originally Posted by Kendras

- deleted the Rock_LaPlate.dsd file from the Locations folder

- removed the aud_node in Rock_LaPlate.dat

[...]

- added LLH_LaPlate.dsd

If the lighthouse (not this one in particular but I hope that, once finished, we can use its files as template for quickly importing in game similar models), is removed from game or destroyed, after your changes the sound source would be destroyed too, whereas the rock/base would stay in game, though without SFX. Is there no way to tie them back to the 'terrain object portion' of our model? I have seen that most if not all the harbors in SHIII have dsd files and SoundSource controllers connected with them, and I hoped we could do the same with our model

[gap]

Found this page with some interesting sound loops:

https://www.soundsnap.com/tags/lapping

The one that I think more fit for our needs is the one called 'Rocky lakeshore, small waves lapping - quick and bubbly'

The following SFX are nice too, but they come with some squeaky/chirpy sound (as cricket's calls) which are a bit out of place for our model:

https://freesound.org/people/Benboncan/sounds/82058/

Tomorrow I will look for other sounds, in the meanwhile let me know about the ones above

Originally Posted by gap

If the lighthouse (not this one in particular but I hope that, once finished, we can use its files as template for quickly importing in game similar models), is removed from game or destroyed, after your changes the sound source would be destroyed too, whereas the rock/base would stay in game, though without SFX. Is there no way to tie them back to the 'terrain object portion' of our model? I have seen that most if not all the harbors in SHIII have dsd files and SoundSource controllers connected with them, and I hoped we could do the same with our model

I agree. The sound was not working with the terrain object. But now you remind me that harbours have also sound attached, I had a look into a harbour's .dsd file, and I saw that the sound attached is 'Ambient.Harbour'. So I guess that it will work with your terrain object after I changed 'Land' to 'Ambient'.

[gap]

Originally Posted by Kendras

I agree. The sound was not working with the terrain object. But now you remind me that harbours have also sound attached, I had a look into a harbour's .dsd file, and I saw that the sound attached is 'Ambient.Harbour'. So I guess that it will work with your terrain object after I changed 'Land' to 'Ambient'.

Yep, I was looking exactly at that. 'Ambient' and 'Animations' are the sound prefixes most commonly associated with harbours

P.S: what about linking seagulls to the model? It would be cool seeing them flying over our lighthouses

Originally Posted by gap

Found this page with some interesting sound loops:

https://www.soundsnap.com/tags/lapping

The one that I think more fit for our needs is the one called 'Rocky lakeshore, small waves lapping - quick and bubbly'

Cool sounds ! This one sounds pretty good : "Lake, water lapping against rocky shore - calm ebb and flow".

Originally Posted by gap

What about linking seagulls to the model? It would be cool seeing them flying over our lighthouses

Good idea, but I think this is hardcoded ...

[gap]

Originally Posted by Kendras

Cool sounds ! This one sounds pretty good : "Lake, water lapping against rocky shore - calm ebb and flow".

Not bad, but can't you hear the sizzling background noise, as of small pebbles dragged by the waves? That has nothing to do with our model, I still prefer 'Rocky lakeshore, small waves lapping - quick and bubbly' which is very similar to the one you like BTW, except for that noise

Originally Posted by Kendras

Good idea, but I think this is hardcoded ...

Probably yes. We can try, the seagull will probably show up, but there will be only one, and it will probably be static in the air

Sound is working with the terrain object !

Originally Posted by gap

Not bad, but can't you hear the sizzling background noise, as of small pebbles dragged by the waves? That has nothing to do with our model, I still prefer 'Rocky lakeshore, small waves lapping - quick and bubbly' which is very similar to the one you like BTW, except for that noise.

Believe me, it can't be noticed in game.

So, here is version 10 !

http://www.mediafire.com/file/mx69u5...a_Plate_v10.7z

Change log :

- deleted LLH_LaPlate.dsd

- restored the aud_node in Rock_LaPlate.dat

- restored and modified Rock_LaPlate.dsd

- added lap_rock.wav

- modified Sh3.sdl

[gap]

Originally Posted by Kendras

Sound is working with the terrain object !

Originally Posted by Kendras

Believe me, it can't be noticed in game.

I give up on that lol

Originally Posted by Kendras

So, here is version 10 !

Time to see if we can give additional texture maps to our model now!

Originally Posted by gap

Not bad, but can't you hear the sizzling background noise, as of small pebbles dragged by the waves? That has nothing to do with our model, I still prefer 'Rocky lakeshore, small waves lapping - quick and bubbly' which is very similar to the one you like BTW, except for that noise

I also saved the sound you're looking for. Let's use it for the rocky islands, and keep the one I chose for smooth obstacles (La Plate, U-Boot bunkers ... ). It will also allow the island sound to be hear from a geater distance, by setting specific values (min and max distances) in Sh3.sdl !

[gap]

Originally Posted by Kendras

I also saved the sound you're looking for. Let's use it for the rocky islands, and keep the one I chose for smooth obstacles (La Plate, U-Boot bunkers ... ).

Imo it is quite the reverse: I see the one you chose more suitable for rocky islands as La Vieille, and my one better suited for small obstacles as La Plate

P.S: how do you save those sounds? I have recorded them using WavePad, but I have noticed a decay in sound quality

Originally Posted by gap

Imo it is quite the reverse: I see the one you chose more suitable for rocky islands as La Vieille, and my one better suited for small obstacles as La Plate

That's not very easy to say ! I think your sound is more natural and is good for rock or beach. Mine is more rude and better suitted for human devices. But that's just a personal feeling.

Originally Posted by gap

P.S: how do you save those sounds? I have recorded them using WavePad, but I have noticed a decay in sound quality

With Audacity, and also a decay in sound qualit, but not (or very hardly) noticable in Sh3, with the other ambient sounds (sea, seagulls, wind, u-boat).

[gap]

Originally Posted by Kendras

That's not very easy to say ! I think your sound is more natural and is good for rock or beach. Mine is more rude and better suitted for human devices. But that's just a personal feeling.

My sound being more quiet, soft and uniform, I think it is best suited for a small and smooth obstacle raising abruptly from the 17-m-deep sea bottom, such as the concrete base of La Plate. On the contrary I see your sound more adequate for moderate waves lapping in shallower waters against an irregular rocky coastline. Anyway those are just details, and switching sound files is easy enough that we can post-pone our decision to a second moment

Originally Posted by Kendras

With Audacity, and also a decay in sound qualit, but not (or very hardly) noticable in Sh3, with the other ambient sounds (sea, seagulls, wind, u-boat).

I wonder if there is a way to record stereo mix audio without such a loss of quality

Just a detail : could you remove the residual green mud from the texture, it's visible on the ladders.

[gap]

Originally Posted by Kendras

Just a detail : could you remove the residual green mud from the texture, it's visible on the ladders.

So far I thought you loved Phaeophyceae, but I start suspecting that you actually hate Chlorophyta. By any chance, did you happen to slip on one of them as a kid?

Out of jokes: both green and brown algae are common on bedrocks and other hard substrates of the lower intertidal zone and of the infralittoral zone. Some times those seaweeds form mixed communities, some other times one species belonging to either group prevails on others. In any case, unlike their name, brown algae are rarely fully brown, as they rely on chlorophyll -which is a green pigment- for their nutrition. A good example of that is Dictyota dichotoma, a brown alga common in the Mediterranean and in the North Atlantic, but I could bring many more examples.

I am sorry to sound like a professor (I hope I didn't), but besides being a sea lover, I am also a biologist...

That said, I am ready to remove the remaining green spots if you explain your point

[gap]

So, the more I read about SHIII and texture maps, the more I get convinced that the game can't manage more than two textures per material at a time. Detracting from that the one texture channel used by the diffuse map and ignoring the ambient occlusion map, which was blended to the diffuse texture, we are left with just one channel which we can use either for the specular or for the normal map. Which one should we use?

Personally I would opt for the specular map, but I wish to listen to your opinion before anything. Should you need a description of how each texture map works, please read the document below:

http://wiki.splashdamage.com/index.p...xture_Overview