[REL] KZS Hull Wetness for U-Boats

[kapitan_zur_see]

Sorry lads, been away for a while... Regarding that ice stuff, NOW that's a great idea!!! I Love it!! Many thanks pals! Just as I was out of modding ideas... I'm going to work on that as soon as I get Back after the weekend. That could be quite an eye-candy and immersion thingy!

Will stay in touch for progress! Can't wait to get to it

[0rpheus]

Originally Posted by kapitan_zur_see

Sorry lads, been away for a while... Regarding that ice stuff, NOW that's a great idea!!! I Love it!! Many thanks pals! Just as I was out of modding ideas... I'm going to work on that as soon as I get Back after the weekend. That could be quite an eye-candy and immersion thingy!

Will stay in touch for progress! Can't wait to get to it

Awesome! Can't wait to hear your progress

[tonschk]

kapitan_zur_see

[kapitan_zur_see]

Looking at your type VII All wet and icy on a winter grey and overcast morning is going to be quite yummy

[kapitan_zur_see]

mmm... Obviously it doesn't work this easily, sadly.

If I try and create an ice texture for the uboat, it simply won't appear ingame. For example, taking Uboat7A_deck.dds, replicate the texture adding some ice on it and renaming it Uboat7A_deck_ice.dds to mimic the file structure for other boats simply don't work and won't show anything.

Apparently, there's some kind of trigger linked to the time period of the year that makes it so the textures switches to their _ice.dds counterpart, but apparently, it won't do so for any textures of any sea object as if it was just checking for the _ice suffix.

Can't find such a trigger anywhere under goblin and GR2 files, I fear it may be hard-coded... TDW, any thoughts maybe?
I'd be interesting in knowing just how the game knows which textures to use for each given 3d model, as it may be there. Hexediting GR2 files maybe...

Ice appearing on Units is controlled by Ship Render Controller.
There must be a 3D mesh in said Unit to do this.
Examine the Penguin in Granny Viewer (best for detailed information)
or Goblin. (only allows viewing the Mesh itself)

To have Ice on other Units?
We need to add the needed meshes and more.

[kapitan_zur_see]

On most detailed ships, the icing effect comprise two things:

• indeed a mesh system in the GR2 file, for example one called _ice_hull_X (hide by default in goblin) that is a simple 3d plan where a transparent texture is applied which depict icicles. Same texture is always used and tile repeated.

• The overall textures of the boat are switched to their alternative versions ending with _ice.dds . Basically the same textures but with some ice painted on them. (some boats only have this effect and no icicles)

Can't find any controller in goblin called "Ship Render Ctrl", I supposed you meant by that nodes in the GDS_scene tree? Anyway, can't see any controller you could add/modify (like the granny caustic ctrl for example) that is controlling the switching of winter/non winter version.

Must be hardcoded somewhere I presume.

Ship Render Controller is running all the time.
You can not mod this controller.

If a Unit has the Mesh for Ice?
It will be rendered at the proper times.

The Game Engine 'sees' certain things when needed.
If they are missing?
Nothing may happen.

Or the whole Model may not be there!!
Take the Bunker for example.
Rename a certain part of it and no Bunker EVER appears and you go directly to the Sub.

Try it once.

[kapitan_zur_see]

mmm... that makes sense. Now there's no way i can think off to know what's this ship render ctrl is calling off ingame and when...

I tried to "fool" him a bit like what I believe you're saying, creating some *_ice.dss winter version of the textures of a VIIa for example, mimicking the textures name structure of the various boats winter version, to see if the game would call them, but alas without result. Maybe the winter textures itself should be added and indexed into the GR2, though neither can i find those winter ice ones into the textures list of the penguin GR2 in granny viewer for example. Although I'm a bit clueless on the entire process on how the textures are summoned from the TNormal directory.

Part of the Tools package I have been working on since release of SH5
will help solve issues like this when it is completed.

The Engine 'sees' certain meshes and the controllers act on them.
If those meshes are not named properly or do not exist?
The controllers can not act on them.

Now I'll say right now that TDW is as good or better them me with Dats and such.
And I above all others probably respect that fact.

What I DO KNOW better (at this time) then anyone at Subsim is the GR2 format and how the Game Engine uses that information!

I look only at the GR2 format and how the Engine uses it.
Nothing else.
So my time is concentrated on one of the biggest issues at hand.

[kapitan_zur_see]

As a matter of fact, I'm more interested right now at winter textures switch rather than adding some icicles meshes to start with, seems less complicated... However, It seems both of them would require to go "deeper" into SH5 than obviously what you can do with goblin/granny viewer and fiddling with various files. Seems like it goes too far for my knowledges at present, and I'll have to resort to future tools packages like yours...

Are you hex editing a lot to have an insight into such things as the ship render Ctrl? Things are not obvious when looking at GR2 files, aside for a few headers you can read at the start of them. And I'm definitely no specialist regarding the process of sorting out how things are linked and tied together under an hex edited file. I remember it was easier prior to that granny **** (lame stuff, if you ask me... does nothing but complicate modding tasks)

So far, I've not been in contact with TDW regarding this matter, so I don't know whether he can be of any help.

I've seen that little arguments between you and TDW I'm rather pleased you're both helping and experimenting stuffs in different directions. The more experiences of SH5, the better! Both of you accomplished quite a lot for the SH series. Dat thing is, ultimately, going to be limited and obsolete, given the game uses granny now. A limited workaround, for the time being. Still, it permitted new stuffs to come in the modding scene before someone like you or someone else "breaks" these GR2 files and come up with some tools we can use

Some parts of the GR2 files must be edited in Hex.
Depending on what you want to do.

As to adding things to those GR2 files?
There are Tools but they are not perfect and require alot of knowledge as to what you want to do.

If I told evreyone right now what to use?
We'd see a wasteland of to early released Mods and threads as to why it does not work.

Time is wasted by mistakes like that!
I don't mind that I'm not popular in SH5 areas.
I care that what I do release is nearly flawless!
(That way I don't have to answer questions down the road)

You could try switching textures in the Roster files as I think about it.
But that will have limited effects.

[kapitan_zur_see]

I perfectly understand your point regarding prematurely released stuffs
You'd be harassed with flames and too much questions at once if things were going awry due to the complexity implied. You'd have to open up your own hot-line!!

Already had a look at the roster stuff but it is of no use for this matter. For the textures management , it's kinda like a remnant of good ol' SH3 (you can find so much of SH3/SH4 now useless files scattered everywhere it's frightening as to how much the devs were organized !)

As a side note:

Did you know that only the Tribal LOD GR2 lists the ice.dds file?