I'll be happy to test it, mate ! :D

Stunning visuals Reece... this is "thread of the year" by all means! Simulation dreams are coming true!
Could you PLEASE present, step by step, what have you done (tweaker? file mix&format? versions/modes...?) to achieve this graphics level?

We are "more than willing" to further test options of SH3/4, but we should fully understand the present achieved level,... as a starting point.
Could somebody present "read me" for such a beauty?
(Order/format/tweaker/mod...etc...in a clear presentation)

Outstanding research guys! I had hoped people would embrace this and look further down the road. Good work everyone!

It's looking great!

It does look great....

All the visual enhancements of this 'other sim' into SH III.

It is becoming even better, a couple of years after its release.....

:rock:

Hi, unfortunately I have to go down to the big smoke & wont be able to upload anything for several hours, I just got a notice that my PM box was full so I've cleaned it up a bit & can now recieve PM's again.:yep:
You started the ball Stager, many thanks for your find!:up:
Cheers.

I have not looked deep into the SH4 files but,
I did dig somewhat the day after it came out.

Here is what I see:

There ARE somethings we can adjust that will improve SH3.

There ARE a whole lot of clues as to how to do things abit differently,
that will work in Sh3.

We have to look at several areas, being:

Is it Vanilla we are adjusting?
Or GWX?

(I am very adapted to Vanilla but not GWX,
so let's keep that in mind)

Vanilla is very easy to adjust for me as I know what does what.
GWX has so many changes that I am not schooled in. So to speak.

Another issue is the tweak files.
They truely only touch on what they were written to find.
You can not fix the vortex issue with standard tweak files.
A proper tweak file might allow this but it requires hex edit skills
just to be able to know what to point the tweak files to.

Remember, the tweak files were written for SH3, and as such,
did not take into account any new additions to file
being tweaked!

So you are most LIKELY not getting the full picture by
depending on this approach.

Not trying to be the bearer of bad news here,
just don't want to see you guys give up!!

Hmm, it does look really good, but does anyone know how to fix the problem where it does not render as far as you can see?

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n...-2007_19-1.jpg

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n...-5-2007_19.jpg

The problem comes to the rendering distance in scene.dat. The game displays the ocean as a grid of cells. Editing scene.dat with the minitweaker, I found that under WaveState 1 to 4, the first lines x=... y=... z=... are actually the size of the "ocean cell" displayed by the game. In the GWX version of scene.dat, x and y are set to 5, meaning the cell is rather wide and we cannot see its edges. In SH4 scene.dat, under Wave State 1, X=0.55, Y=0.7, meaning the cell is so small that its limits are clearly visible. The problem is if you increase the size of the cell, you get rid of the waves. I think there is a preset number of waves per cell and if you increase the cell, the waves flatten and stretch, so that to cover the whole area. I still have to find how to increase the number of waves per cell, so that to have still perceivable waves in a larger cell. I also don't know how to make the game render what it is beyond the current cell, i.e. the neighbouring ocean cells.

If this will work I'll consider to put away Silent Hunter 4 to play number 3 again. It looks awesome!

I am seeking permission to release a modded GWX version of the scene.dat file.:yep:
I am also waiting for permission from others to use their files in an environment mod.

To those doing tests the most important thing is to keep all wave state (X, Y & Z) variables set to original SHIII version!:yep:
Cheers.

Edit: Just read your post dcb!:up:

Wow, keep pushing it guys. Cant wait to get back home to do the voodoo myself.:rock:
There will be a second dawn for SH3:up:

I'm going out on a limb here posting a download before all persons credited with various included mods have been contacted, some have & replied, some I cannot find & others I haven't recieved confirmation from, If there is any problems please contact me, the last thing I want to do is step on toes!:oops:
Credits & Special thanks to:
Ailantd.
Kriller.
Marhkimov.
Sale999.
Seeadler.
Sergbuto.
Stager00.
Anyone else I may have forgotten.

This is a beta version of a combined environment mod & should work with most supermods & stock, it is JSGME ready & readme supplied with instructions & Credits.
If there is any problems just uninstall, also please experiment with minitweaker & post any findings, this really is a comunity mod & the main reason for this mod is for those who don't like experimenting but want to give it a go!:yep:
Cheers.
Download:
http://files.filefront.com/New_SHIII.../fileinfo.html

Edit: Forgot to mention This is an 8k environment version.

Well... let's give it a try then. :up:

would this conflict with sobers 3D wave mod?

Was going to give it a spin till I saw the edit

Quote:

Edit: Forgot to mention This is an 8k environment version.

:o

I play 16km :damn:

@Reece
 

Reece, I am trying to mod the file so that to get the 16k version of scene.dat, starting from the GWX file. You have read my post, so you are aware of the problems I encountered.
Could you please explain how you were able to bypass this gridlock: keeping x and y = 5 and still having waves in windspeed 1? Or, the other way round, to make the game render the neighbouring cells of the grid?
Or, if none of these was the case, what exactly have you made to mod the file?
Thx in advance.

Bingo! Lets support Reece's mod!
 

Wellcome to cinema:
http://img388.imageshack.us/img388/9...atico16no7.jpg

http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/5...atico13yg7.jpg

http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/9...atico14wq5.jpg

http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/374...atico12dt4.jpg


http://img357.imageshack.us/img357/2...atico11ci0.jpg

Cool shpts...looks like the boat is skating on ice :rock: :up:

Well, I'm just tried this mod and then switch back to GWX standard water. The reason for that is because I think that some things like moonlight reflections for example are like in old TGW (I think that the GWX team did the great job and fixed many things which came from old TGW), and water have too many reflexive effects for my taste, especially in harbours. But anyway interesting and promising mod, keep up the work on it, I'll try another future version of this mod.:up:

I grew up on sea, and sea surface can not be too reflective, it is reflective by itself... especially on a calm sunny day.
But generraly, I liked even more the look of vaves and clouds (Bismarck single mission).
I respect your opinion, but be avare:
- that we played one old surface for years and months in this game... and our eye takes it as normal and common...
If one plays these new settings for a month (and set gradually visual perception) the old surface would look "a bit artificial"...

Keep in mind that this is "beta"... maybe even "pre beta" due to impatience of us supporters... Give them three months to work as a team...
I think there is no way back from this point!