GWX Hood dat file cannot be opened with S3D

[LGN1]

Sorry, wrong forum. Can a moderator please move the thread to the workshop section?

Hi,

can anyone please confirm that the GWX Hood dat file cannot be opened with S3D?

I wanted to see whether I can remove the annoying flickering of the commando structure, but my S3D installation does not allow me to open the file :hmmm:

Regards, LGN1

[gap]

Yep, correct. That file has probably been hex-edited in the early days of SHIII modding, when S3d was still to come. Some checksum error probably...

[Jeff-Groves]

What Dat are you trying to open?
I can fix it and may be the only one who can left around here.

[LGN1]

Hi gap & Jeff,

thanks for the replies! I would like to open the GWX file 'NBC_Hood.dat'.

If you look at the GWX Hood in the museum you can see some weired flickering artefacts at the forward mast. These artefacts vanish if you zoom in closer. It seems that this is also present in the original, non-GWX improved, version from Warhunter (at least he mentions some flickering in his readme).

It would be great if this annoying flickering could be removed.

Best, LGN1

[Jeff-Groves]

Try this one.
https://www.mediafire.com/?et8c7s5cyn6dj2c

The problem started at the dynamicshadowcast for the Command cabin.
I removed that as it is depricate and not used then removed the Waterreflection to bring the count back in line.
You may need to re add the water reflection for same if it does not show in Game.

[LGN1]

Hi Jeff,

thanks a lot for the new file! It opens fine with S3D :Kaleun_Applaud:

Unfortunately, I'm not able to fix the flickering issue. My guess is that the model of node 240 is somehow screwed up. But my modeling skills are not enough to fix this :oops:

@gap: Could you take a quick look at the model and see whether it has problems? I have tried re-importing the model without using vertex normals which seems to screw up the model :06:

Best, LGN1

[Jeff-Groves]

There is a lot of problems with this dat file.
I'll see if I can correct them but no promises.
Getting the new Machine Shop set up and turning out proto type parts along with my full time job is eating up my time.

[the_frog]

Hello,

LGN1 ask me to have la ook at the flickering problem.

The Hood.dat has 3 materials included, in line with the original KGV.dat that was cloned. All 3D models in the Hood.dat, however, use only one of these 3 materials. Most are correctly linked to the first ("normal") material but few are linked to the "2-sided". Those ones show the flickering.

So, the solution: open the Hood.dat with S3Ditor and removed all material linkages of all 3D items other than the one that refers to the first material node / texture ("normal"). The two materials (complete, 2-sided) following the first one (normal) can be deleted.

Also the materials referring to the Walrus seaplane can be deleted; Hood carried no seaplane.

Cheers

[LGN1]

Hi the_frog,

thank you very much for your help! Your findings also helped me to remove the flickering from the USSIowa :up:

Now only the Repulse still shows some flickering. It's also based on the KGV, but the flickering seems to be caused by something else :hmmm:

Regards, LGN1

[the_frog]

Hello LGN1,

I am not using the NBB_USSIowa (I replaced it by a re-worked version of the SH4 model) so I didn't notice the flickering.

Yes, Repulse shows some flickering. I'll try to get rid of them the next days.

In case you use the Leander models I did several years ago you can see flickering of the deck of the aft superstructure. That is due my limited 3D skills at that time; removal would require re-modelling that part of the model :hmmm:

Cheers

[the_frog]

Hello LGN1,

the flickering is due to overlapping horizontlal surfaces. The only solution would be re-building of several 3D model, including the hull model. That is no 5-minute job ...

Cheers

[LGN1]

Hi the_frog,

thanks for looking into this! I think it's not worth spending your precious time on this. One should not see this flickering without external camera.

Best, LGN1

[the_frog]

Hello LGN1,

right, only horizontal surfaces show the flickering. They are ony visible from above, when using the external camera.

Cheers