[WIP] Lighthouses mod

Originally Posted by gap

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

It's quite simple : it's not logical to have fresh algae on the ladders. There may rather be some rusty metal. And on all pictures I saw of La Plate, there is only brownish mud on the base. Last point : the green mud is very visible and pixelised on the ladders, and looking very ugly, looking more like radioactive mud.

Originally Posted by 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

Yeah, not easy. First, are normal maps working in SH3 ? Specular maps are more important IMO, because you can choose 2 parameters : the shininess and its saturation. But is it working in SH3 ? Why can you choose also the specular strenght of a diffuse map ?

About glow maps, is this the type used by the buildings' and ships' windows with light at night ?

By the way, since I gave real coordinates to lighthouses, here are the ones with a new depth :

pierres noires -52
petit minou -17.51
tevennec -18

[gap]

Originally Posted by Kendras

It's quite simple : it's not logical to have fresh algae on the ladders.

Not logical you say?

 

These pictures must have been photoshopped then

Originally Posted by Kendras

There may rather be some rusty metal.

There is. I have applied semi-transparent overlays to that texture and arranged ladder's UV projections so that top rungs are incrementally more rusty and lesser weedy than lower ones. There was a lot of work involved

The effect is partly lost now due to the heavy hue/saturation adjustment layer I applied after your complaints, but it is clearly visible in the original version of the texture.

 

Originally Posted by Kendras

And on all pictures I saw of La Plate, there is only brownish mud on the base.

What you call "mud" is actually algae, and I don't object on its brownish tone, but like it or not, there is a also a green component to it which makes it more "greenish-brownish" than simply "brownish"

 

There's even a picture where the base looks almost emerald green (look closely under the water line), but that's mostly due to the interaction of the blue sea colour with the greenish colour of the seaweeds:

Originally Posted by Kendras

Last point : the green mud is very visible and pixelised on the ladders, and looking very ugly, looking more like radioactive mud.

I agree on that. That's due to the blurred borders of the adjustment layer I applied following your suggestion: due to it, the most external pixels are hardly affected by the layer and they contrast with the rest. If we agree on the other points, I will see what I can do with it

Originally Posted by Kendras

Yeah, not easy. First, are normal maps working in SH3 ?

I think so. If memory serves me well, crew models and a few more models use normal maps to create extra "detail"

Originally Posted by Kendras

Specular maps are more important IMO, because you can choose 2 parameters : the shininess and its saturation.

Usually specular maps are stored in the alpha channel so no saturation: only shininess.

Originally Posted by Kendras

But is it working in SH3 ?

It should. There is a controller for it. Anyway, soon we will know more about it, when I will send you my next update

Originally Posted by Kendras

Why can you choose also the specular strenght of a diffuse map ?

Specular strength, similar to Glossiness, is not a diffuse map parameter but a material parameter. I think Specular strength has no effect if no specular map is enabled for any given materia. Not sure about Glossiness, but probably it doesn't require a specular map. I will let you to play with those parameters once I enable that map. Tweaking them before I send you the next alpha version would be a waste of time, as the specular map can change drastically the look of the materials we have set so far.

Originally Posted by Kendras

About glow maps, is this the type used by the buildings' and ships' windows with light at night ?

Yep, sure. It is enabled through the CityLights controller IIRC. It might come in handy for illuminating the windows of some lighthouses pertaining to neutral countries.

[gap]

Originally Posted by Kendras

By the way, since I gave real coordinates to lighthouses, here are the ones with a new depth :

pierres noires -52
petit minou -17.51
tevennec -18

Very useful, thanks

...but...

is the sea around the Pierre Noires lighthouse really that deep?

I have checked on Google Earth, and in reality near that lighthouse the seabed should lay under 10-12 meters of water. Either you entered the wrong coordinates or, as it is more likely, devs got the sea profile totally wrong there and we will have to fix it: I can not create a 80-m-high island lol

Originally Posted by gap

Very useful, thanks

...but...

is the sea around the Pierre Noires lighthouse really that deep?

I have checked on Google Earth, and in reality near that lighthouse the seabed should lay under 10-12 meters of water. Either you entered the wrong coordinates or, as it is more likely, devs got the sea profile totally wrong there and we will have to fix it: I can not create a 80-m-high island lol

I let you compare between the SH3 map, and the real depth map :

[gap]

Originally Posted by Kendras

I let you compare between the SH3 map, and the real depth map :

Well done maps

Reflect map setting is finished. Hopefully it will work. I am now working on lighthouse damage. I am setting some new damage zones. Is that okay?

Originally Posted by gap

Well done maps

Reflect map setting is finished. Hopefully it will work. I am now working on lighthouse damage. I am setting some new damage zones. Is that okay?

Mmh, why not ? Especially the gas tank for the light which could explode ...

[gap]

Originally Posted by Kendras

Mmh, why not ? Especially the gas tank for the light which could explode ...

You read in my mind

Could you help me setting the new zones I set?

[ReinforcedTower]
Multiplier=1.000000
Flotability=0.000000
HitPoints=1
Armor Level=1
Critic Flotation=0.300000
Critical=No
FloodingTime=59.999996
CargoType=None

[ConcreteTower]
Multiplier=1.000000
Flotability=0.000000
HitPoints=1
Armor Level=1
Critic Flotation=0.300000
Critical=No
FloodingTime=59.999996
CargoType=None

[StoneTower]
Multiplier=1.000000
Flotability=0.000000
HitPoints=1
Armor Level=1
Critic Flotation=0.300000
Critical=No
FloodingTime=59.999996
CargoType=None

[BrickTower]
Multiplier=1.000000
Flotability=0.000000
HitPoints=1
Armor Level=1
Critic Flotation=0.300000
Critical=No
FloodingTime=59.999996
CargoType=None

[MetalTower]
Multiplier=1.000000
Flotability=0.000000
HitPoints=1
Effect1=Effect1=#Fire_small, 70
Effect2=#Fire_big, 100
Armor Level=1
Critic Flotation=0.300000
Critical=No
FloodingTime=59.999996
CargoType=None

[SkeletalTower]
Multiplier=1.000000
Flotability=0.000000
HitPoints=1
Effect1=Effect1=#Fire_small, 70
Effect2=#Fire_big, 100
Armor Level=1
Critic Flotation=0.300000
Critical=No
FloodingTime=59.999996
CargoType=None

[GasCylinder]
Multiplier=3.000000
Flotability=0.000000
HitPoints=5
Destructible=Yes
Effect1=#Small_splinter_explosion_no_halo, 100
Effect2=#Fire_big, 100
Armor Level=1
Critic Flotation=0.300000
Critical=No
FloodingTime=59.999996
CargoType=None

[LanternRoom]
Multiplier=1.000000
Flotability=0.000000
HitPoints=1
Destructible=Yes
Effect1=Effect1=#Fire_small, 70
Effect2=#Fire_big, 100
Armor Level=1
Critic Flotation=0.300000
Critical=No
FloodingTime=59.999996
CargoType=None

[LanternBig]
Multiplier=1.000000
Flotability=0.000000
HitPoints=1
Destructible=Yes
Effect1=#Small_splinter_explosion_no_halo, 100
Armor Level=1
Critic Flotation=0.300000
Critical=No
FloodingTime=59.999996
CargoType=None

[LanternSmall]
Multiplier=1.000000
Flotability=0.000000
HitPoints=5
Destructible=Yes
Armor Level=1
Critic Flotation=0.300000
Critical=No
FloodingTime=59.999996
CargoType=None

'Tower' zones should be used with main lighthouse buildings, the remaining zones are for their 'equipments'. Towers are ordered in what I think should be a decreasing order of Armor Level/Hit Points, but I leave it on you. Among them, imo only metal and skeletal towers should have fire effects , due to them being likely painted with flammable enamel paints. LanterSmall should be used with small lanterns, like the one of the La Plate lighthouse; I think a well aimed 20mm round should be capable of disabling it. LanternBig is meant for Fresnel lenses. Disabling them should take something bigger, or several 20mm rounds. I have set GasCylinder's Hit Points and Armor level to 5 and 1 respectively (that's the only zone I really worked on, all the other zones have more or less the same basic settings). A single 20 mm round hitting it should be able to destroy it. Explosion and fire effects are triggered at 100% damage, as I thought that gas explosion is an "all or nothing" phenomenon. feel free of adding other zone type you might think of. That's all I think

Originally Posted by gap

Could you help me setting the new zones I set?

'Tower' zones should be used with main lighthouse buildings, the remaining zones are for their 'equipments'. Towers are ordered in what I think should be a decreasing order of Armor Level/Hit Points, but I leave it on you. Among them, imo only metal and skeletal towers should have fire effects , due to them being likely painted with flammable enamel paints. LanterSmall should be used with small lanterns, like the one of the La Plate lighthouse; I think a well aimed 20mm round should be capable of disabling it. LanternBig is meant for Fresnel lenses. Disabling them should take something bigger, or several 20mm rounds. I have set GasCylinder's Hit Points and Armor level to 5 and 1 respectively (that's the only zone I really worked on, all the other zones have more or less the same basic settings). A single 20 mm round hitting it should be able to destroy it. Explosion and fire effects are triggered at 100% damage, as I thought that gas explosion is an "all or nothing" phenomenon. feel free of adding other zone type you might think of. That's all I think

No problem. Some gunfire exercice for my SH5 converted Nelson !

Shells are passing through the tower without hitting ...

All your 3D models are ghosts.

[gap]

Originally Posted by Kendras

Shells are passing through the tower without hitting ...

All your 3D models are ghosts.

No panic, I am currently working at some good damage decals

Have you finished with damage zones setting?

All the stock land units I have seen have a .zon file with a SH3ZonesCtrl controller and a damage box attached to it. I have already set up those items for our lighthouse unit and for the platform, lantern and topmark library equipments.

That is a very simplified configuration though, and I doubts it can really enable ammo damage to be taken by any unit.

Looking into Jeff's Maunsell forts, I have noticed he added a CollisonableObject controller to their zon files, as I would have thought logical also for other land units. I will add that controller to our model too.

I will also add collision spheres. They are probably not needed for ammo damage, but they will make our model 'solid' to the camera and to other objects that might collide with it (especially planes: ships will collide with the base instead, which is already collisionable thanks to the StaticObject controller).

Add to those controllers a sim file with cmdr_AI* and unit_* controllers. Again, I am not really sure that those controllers are required for damage detection, possibly not; probably not the two of them. In any case, they might be needed for enemy units to 'see' and attack our lighthouses. If that was true, we could omit the said controllers for the lighthouses that we don't want to be attacked, while still being able to damage/destroy them with our guns

Stay tuned for an update by me before dark

Originally Posted by gap

Have you finished with damage zones setting?

Yes, that was easy. I have added the new zones to Zones.cfg (and chose values for each parameters, but couldn't test in game), created the .zon files for the land unit and library objects, also added the .sim file for the land unit because the unit couldn't be detected by Nelson.

Originally Posted by gap

That is a very simplified configuration though, and I doubts it can really enable ammo damage to be taken by any unit.

Looking into Jeff's Maunsell forts, I have noticed he added a CollisonableObject controller to their zon files, as I would have thought logical also for other land units. I will add that controller to our model too.

Let's see.

Originally Posted by gap

I will also add collision spheres. They are probably not needed for ammo damage, but they will make our model 'solid' to the camera and to other objects that might collide with it (especially planes: ships will collide with the base instead, which is already collisionable thanks to the StaticObject controller).

The problem if you link collision spheres directly to the main model, is that when destroyed, the object will be thrown into the air, like an airplane's wing. This can't be realistic for a massive building. So, maybe if we link the collision spheres to a child node ?

Originally Posted by gap

Add to those controllers a sim file with cmdr_AI* and unit_* controllers. Again, I am not really sure that those controllers are required for damage detection, possibly not; probably not the two of them. In any case, they might be needed for enemy units to 'see' and attack our lighthouses. If that was true, we could omit the said controllers for the lighthouses that we don't want to be attacked, while still being able to damage/destroy them with our guns

Yes, exactly.

[gap]

Originally Posted by Kendras

Yes, that was easy. I have added the new zones to Zones.cfg (and chose values for each parameters, but couldn't test in game)

Can you please copy/paste you settings here, so that my files will be up-to-date with your changes, when I upload them?

Originally Posted by Kendras

created the .zon files for the land unit and library objects

Did you match damage boxes' and 3D models' shape and position? Did you specify the correct zone number for each damage box you added?

Originally Posted by Kendras

also added the .sim file for the land unit because the unit couldn't be detected by Nelson.

Originally Posted by Kendras

Let's see.

CollisonableObject missing is my first candidate as a reason for damage not working during your tests

Originally Posted by Kendras

The problem if you link collision spheres directly to the main model, is that when destroyed, the object will be thrown into the air, like an airplane's wing. This can't be realistic for a massive building. So, maybe if we link the collision spheres to a child node ?

Okay, we will test without collision spheres first. This will actually make my update to come faster, as spheres were the last feature I wanted to add before the next alpha, but why do you think the lighthouse will be thrown in the air, if we add them?

The update will be ready in about 30 minutes: just the time to wait for your zone settings, to revise the files for errors, to pack the up in a zip file, and to write the change log

[gap]

La voilà:

https://www.mediafire.com/?coftg94397kwhns

Change Log:

• Adjusted Caustic controller's parameters according to the settings of stock ships. The effect should look better now (the initial FPS setting was extremely low), and it should be visible (also) above water. Let me know if those improvement are noticeable on your system.
  
  
• Adjusted Y Translation values of placement nodes in Rock_LaPlate.dat for a sea depth of 17 meters, as inferred from La Plate's position height in Kendras' mis file. This should make the rock to lay perfectly on the sea bed, and improve the vertical alignment of tower and concrete base.
  
  
• Added a SpecularMask action controller to all the 'concrete' and 'metal' materials in LLH_LaPlate.dat and Lighthouse_Parts.dat, and restored the alpha channels of LH_LaPlate.tga and Rock_LaPlate.tga. There should finally be specular reflections on the model, changing with light conditions and material settings. If everything hopefully works it is about time to mess with material properties. Some tweaking of textures' alpha channels migh be required too
  
  
• Corrected some small mistakes of the platform 3D model in the library file, and adjusted accordingly the AO map overlapped to the diffuse texture.
  
  
• Added GWX's version of Zones.cfg file to the mod with some new damage zones to be used for lighthouse damage. Damage settings still under development.
  
  
• Added a LLH_LaPlate.zon and a Lighthouse.zon file with SH3ZonesCtrl controllers and damage boxes for the lighthouse and its subparts. Those boxes have been assigned the newly added damage zones as their type. Other settings still under development.
  
  
• Added a CollisionableObject controller to LLH_LaPlate.zon. Its settings are still under development. I hope that the three additions above will be sufficient to make damage detection to work for our model.
  
  
• Added a LLH_LaPlate.sim file with cmdr AICostalDefense and unit_CostalDefense controllers, so to make other units to 'see' and react to our lighthouse.
  
  
• Added a LLH_LaPlate.val file with VisualDamage controllers. I am currently working on new and more appropriate concrete damage decals to be set in the controller. After implementing the new textures, the adjustment of other parameters in the controller might be required.

That should be all for this update. I am waiting for your feedback Kendras, and I hope that someone else will join our testing/modding team while we wait for MLF to report back on duty

gap off for now

[MLF]

Originally Posted by gap

.
If no one volunteers and we become too impatient for waiting MLF to get back to us, I might decide to once again istall the game on my computer

Originally Posted by gap

I am waiting for your feedback Kendras, and I hope that someone else will join our testing/modding team while we wait for MLF to report back on duty

Hello - you 2 have been making good progress I've just checked on my iPad

I should be in a position to test the latest version tomorrow with a bit of luck, but I can't say when. Anything specific you would like tested?

I can't believe you are doing all this without an installation - remarkable

Regards,

MLF