Thank you very much :up:

Please check back at your earliest convenience for my update. It should be ready in no more than a couple of hours from now :salute:

P.S: I finally see why the library models had no reflections: their WaterReflection controller must be placed directly under the model node; no dedicated reflection model is used :up:

:Kaleun_Thumbs_Up:

One thing - I couldn't identify the node for the flashing light, so there isn't a reflection of the light in the water when the light flashes. Which node and file has the flashing light?

regards,

MLF

Lighthouse_FX.dat. I have already added a WaterReflection controller to the version I am going to release today. :up:

I am also wondering whether to add a RayTracedHalo controller to the platform (with its 'Halo' property set to 'False') so to provent the halo for glowing under the platform. Maybe you can quickly test this option while I am adding a sound source to the lighthouse with a lapping waves SFX? :03:

What is the RayTracedHalo controller useful for ?

I added the controller to node 12 LaPlate_Platform in the lighthouse_Parts.dat - didn't see any noticble difference but I think possibly I am misunderstanding the term "platform" again. I cannot see the light through the structure of the lighthouse before or after so presumably it's what shows in my screenshot below (the white area under the platform) that you want rid of? The screen shot was taken after I added the controller as above. Should I be adding it somewhere else - I've never used this controller so.......:doh:

regards,

MLF

Lapping waves? Hope I never get that close:Kaleun_Sick:

Fog Horn?:O:

Regards,

MLF

About the icon, here how it looks with your .tga resized at 20 % :

http://i.imgur.com/AEIdR93.png

and in game (the other icon on the right is La Vieille lighthouse (with correct coordinates), and the small bar on the left is my submarine) :

http://i.imgur.com/ONgk36W.png

:-?

Tourelle de la Plate alpha v7
 

New version ready for download:

http://www.mediafire.com/file/lh8517...La_Plate_v7.7z

The list of changes is quite long today:

• I have split the tower base from the main lighthouse model: it is part of the rock now. This seemed more logical to me, since both rock and base lay at least partly underwater and they both need a StaticObject controller for collision detection and wave interaction.
  
  
• Folllowing Kendras' suggestion, the two sub-models composing the rock object (the unpainted concrete base and the rock itself) are now stored in the same library file as the lantern, the platform, etc, and and they are linked to Rock_LaPlate.dat through placement nodes (likewise stock harbors). I thought that storing those models in a library file is more rational, as we might use them for other lighthouses.
  
  
• Following the example provided by stock files, I have moved the StaticObject controller of Rock_LaPlate.dat to a dummy node which is also parent to the two placement nodes I mentioned above. This should fix the problem of collision with other units not being detected. Moreover, waves should "crash" against the base now, and spawn foam in the process.
  
  
• Also attached to the rock/base 'location', there is a SoundSource and AmbientVolume controller. Provided that I didn't make any mistake, you should hear a wave lapping sound when close to the lighthouse.
  
  
• Following MLF's suggestion, I have scaled down LaPlate's icon by an 8 factor, and the relative text by a 4 factor. I have created two versions of the tga. The 'default' version has texture size also scaled down to 128x128 pixels. Should this version look weird (i.e. icon having equal size as before, text double the size as before, both with heavily jagged edges) or crash the game (hopefully not), please replace the tga in the Terrain/Locations folder with the one provided in the 'spare icon' folder. The spare texture is stock sized (1,024 square pixels), and only the visible icon and text were resized.
  
  
• Since it did seem to do nothing, I have removed the Caustics controller from the lighthouse unit. I couldn't find any example in stock/GWX files of a land unit/terrain object using such a controller, and I doubt we will ever get it to work on our lighthouse.
  
  
• I have added a WaterReflection controller to the light/halo effect. It should cast reflection now.
  
  
• Submodel reflections should work now (thanks to MLF): I had placed their WaterReflection controller under reflect_* nodes with reflections model attached; this obviously works for units' reflections, but not for the reflection of equipments. Now I have correctly placed the reflection controllers of loghthouse 'equipments' under the same nodes as their visible models, and I have deleted the redundant reflect_* nodes with the attached reflection models.
  
  
• I have deleted the materials I had set for reflections from the main lighthouse file and from the lighthouse parts library file. These materials had their DX2/3 compression flag set to true. Now all the reflections use the same material as the visible models, with no in-memory texture compression. Higher memory usage but much better results. Thanks again to MLF for confirming my suspect!
  
  
• I have deleted the messy reflection model used for the main lighthouse unit. The reflect_LLH_LaPlate node was linked to the main model instead, and reflections are calculated based on it now. This tweak should make reflections to look better without increasing RAM memory usage, though it might require more work by the GPU, due to the higher complexity of the model used for reflections.
  
  
• All the MinVisDim and MaxVisDim reflection properties used by the lighthouse, by the library items and by the light effect, were set to 0.1 and 0.5 respectively. These settings were taken from the reflections of similar stock objects. Should you guys think that the settings proposed by MLF give better results than the ones above, feel free to tweaks those parameters and to inform me about your changes: I will update the files on my HD accordingly, and you wont have to redo the changes again and again after each update :03:

Well, I think that's all from my part. I am looking forward to your feedback and I am ready to work on any still unfixed, or possibly newly introduced, bug. I thank you for your big efforts into the development of our first full-fledged lighthouse, and I hope you are enjoying the process as much as I do. As you know I am a SH5 guy lent to SHIII, but I am getting to love it as much as the other games of the series :salute:

The yellow three-legged turret with stairs on a side, the big gas bottle under it, and lantern and topmark on top :03:

Exactly: the whitish halo covering the back half of pltform's bottom side. That's just a detail, but I am a perfectionist: I we can fix this glitch, why not? If we can't, well, we will live with it :D

I don't know much abot this controller: I was looking at Kendras' light effect, and I noticed that the controller had two states: one for glowing light (True) and one for obstacle (False). I was curious and I made a quick search. The sparse information I got from it, induced me to think that we could use the controller to iron out the glitch described above, but unfortunately I don't know much more of what you can read from the link above. Maybe Anvart, Jeff Grooves or some other old timer might... cast some light on the topic :O:

:rotfl2:

Sure, this is an idea I had before. Where there must be fog horns, there will fog horns. That's not the case of the Petite Vieille though :03:

Talking about your idea, a while ago I looked for a way to link the playing of a certain sound to a particular weather state. Unfortunately I couldn't find any clue. Ideas?

I see what you mean Kendras: they still look super big, but they already look awfully jagged. I think I might have a solution for that, but before I can say more I need you to test both icons included in my new release, and to report back with the results and with your impressions :yep:

Hi Gap,

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)?

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 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.
.https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...ighthouses.jpg

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

Sorry if a bit negative. Presumably when this one is perfect all the others will be easy:)l:Kaleun_Thumbs_Up:

regards,

MLF

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/data...gAxQAYoAMUAf/Z

Same here.

For exact coordinates, I have updated the first post of this thread (see green text). :03:

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.

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 :

http://i.imgur.com/2fvf9wM.png

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

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 !

:D

:Kaleun_Thumbs_Up: All OK with those co-ordinates:)

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


regards,

MLF

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 :03:

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

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 :hmm2:

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 :)

That would be nice. You should look for the symbol for "tower beacon": that's what the Tourelle de la Plate is. :up:
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

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 :03:

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


Let's say half the current size and two times the current resolution? would that be okay? :03:

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

:o :wah:

:up:

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 :yep:

Yes. Let's try this ! :yep:

From 'standard' tga.

Will continue tests tomorrow, I'm tired now.

Good job, our project is progressing nicely ! :yep:

Try the other one then and tell me what do you think. I think you will be surprised :03:

:salute:

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

No collision, no foam, no sound.

I will try to add sound.

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

Sound from this video :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFlHYoxstgo