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Offline Archaine

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How do you set up Proxies and a custom view Range
« on: 22 Feb 2010, 04:07:00 »
I am trying to construct a large object that is made up of proxy models to get around the engine size limitation.

I was looking at other models that have proxies, like the the pier objects in the structures PBO, they have details on the top of the pier that are proxies, however they do not show in game when I put them in visitor and bin it up.  Do these have to be called out in the config.cpp or model.cfg to be visible, and if so what is the proper syntax for this?

Also I would like my object to be visible from the other side of my island, I saw some addons that claimed to have custom view distances for objects, but they did not have files I could open and check to see how it was done.  Anyone know what parameters I need to change in order to get the viewable range for an object to override the range dictated by the graphics options setting?

If someone could point me to any tuts covering these topics that would be great too, have been searching and found nothing so far.

Archaine

Offline Gnat

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Re: How do you set up Proxies and a custom view Range
« Reply #1 on: 22 Feb 2010, 12:07:14 »
If your proxies show in O2 and not in Visitor then I suggest the problem is there is no path to your addon setup for Visitor.
If your addon and proxies are in the root of P drive, then I'm thinking it should work.

On the "visible across island" bit, use the "featureSize" parameter in its config.
i.e. featureSize = 100;

I haven't tested (on buildings) myself (have on ships) but, you may need to ensure theres a few Resolution LODs so the game engine isn't trying to render a high detail LOD to the size of a pinhead.

Offline Archaine

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Re: How do you set up Proxies and a custom view Range
« Reply #2 on: 22 Feb 2010, 13:33:59 »
The object is specific to an Island Project.

I have the Island project folder in the root of p:  It is currently "Testproject"
Within that folder I have one more folder that is called "ARC" for content made by me specific to this Island only.
The ARC folder has a "Proxies" folder in it to organize any Proxy p3d's.

My object is a lake, that is make up of many different grid sections, so I though to proxy it because of the size limit, and I wanted to learn about proxies for efficient modeling in the future.

I created 1 grid called "Water.p3d" in the "Testproject\ARC\proxies" folder(once I settle on a grid size I will rename it to water 40x40 etc..)
I created a blank project in oxygen and made the lake by creating proxies from the Water file on each Lod, and then copied them around until I had a large area filled, I then saved it as lake.p3d in the "Testproject\ARC" folder.

In Oxygen it displays the proxies if I select them and hit show proxies, and they show in bulldozer.

Now the Config, this is where I get lost, as this object has no animations and all of the samples I see have animations, its hard to tell what is needed and what is not, also it will not be an item available in the editor.

Here is my config.cpp so far. I'm sure the problem is here, as I have no experience in the config file, and am looking at a lot of examples that concern objects way more complex than my own, in my attempt to simplify it, I may have killed it.  And I do not know if a mode.cfg is required, I played with and without them.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Code: [Select]
class CfgPatches
{
class TestProject
{
units[] = {"TestProject"};
weapons[] = {};
requiredVersion = 1.03;
requiredAddons[] = {};
version = "2010-2-1";
fileName = "TestProject.pbo";
author = "Archaine";
mail = "Archaine1@Yahoo.com";
};
};
class CfgWorlds
{
class CAWorld;
class Utes: CAWorld
{
class Grid;
class DefaultClutter;
};
class TestProject: Utes
{
description = "TestProject";
worldName= "\TestProject\TestProject.wrp";
pictureShot = "\TestProject\data\SM_Picture_ca.paa";
centerPosition[] = {2720,2462,500};
seagullPos[] = {2720,2462,500};
longitude = 30; // positive is east, in degrees?
latitude = -45; // positive is south, in degrees?

class Clutter
{
#include "cfgClutter.hpp"
};
class Names
{
#include "TestProject.hpp"
};
};
};

class CfgWorldList
{
class TestProject {};
};

class CfgMissions
{
class Cutscenes
{
class TestProjectIntro
{
directory = "TestProject\data\scenes\Intro.TestProject";
};
};
};


class CfgVehicles
{
class All;

class Lake : All
{
scope = 1;
side = 3;
icon = "iconStaticObject";
nameSound = "object";
simulation = "alwaysshow";
picture = "pictureStaticObject";
model="\TestProject\ARC\Lake.p3d";
sound = "Building";
placement = "vertical";
ladders[] = {};
vehicleClass = "";
displayName = "";
coefInside = 1;
coefInsideHeur = 0.25;
mapSize = 10;
animated = false;
accuracy = 1000;
armor = "";
destrType = "DestructNo";
damageResistance = "";
class DestructionEffects {};
};

class Water: All
{
scope = 1;
side = 3;
icon = "iconStaticObject";
nameSound = "object";
simulation = "alwaysshow";
picture = "pictureStaticObject";
model = "\TestProject\ARC\Proxies\Water.p3d";
proxyShape = "\TestProject\ARC\Proxies\Water.p3d";
sound = "Building";
placement = "vertical";
ladders[] = {};
vehicleClass = "";
displayName = "";
coefInside = 1;
coefInsideHeur = 0.25;
mapSize = 10;
animated = false;
accuracy = 1000;
armor = "";
destrType = "DestructNo";
damageResistance = "";
class DestructionEffects {};

};
};

class CfgNonAIVehicles
{
class ProxyWater
{
model = "\TestProject\ARC\Proxies\Water.p3d";
simulation = "alwaysshow";
};
};

//SURFACES
#include "cfgSurfaces.hpp"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I played with the model.cfg, putting one in both the ARC folder and the ARC\Proxies folder.

Did not work but here was my first attempt.

The model.cfg from my ARC folder

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Code: [Select]
class CfgSkeletons
{
class Default;
class LakeSkeleton: Default
{
isDiscrete=1;
skeletonInherit="";
skeletonBones[]=
{
"proxy______Water_001_1",
"proxy______Water_002_1",
"proxy______Water_003_1",
"proxy______Water_004_1",
"proxy______Water_005_1",
};
};
};

class Static;
class cfgModels
{
class Default;
class Lake: Default
{
skeletonName="LakeSkeleton";
sectionsInherit="";
sections[]={};
class Animations
{
class proxy______Water_001_1: Static
{
selection="proxy::...\Water.001";
};
class proxy______Water_002_1: Static
{
selection="proxy::...\Water.002";
};
class proxy______Water_003_1: Static
{
selection="proxy::...\Water.003";
};
class proxy______Water_004_1: Static
{
selection="proxy::...\Water.004";
};
class proxy______Water_005_1: Static
{
selection="proxy::...\Water.005";
};
};
};
};
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And the one from my ARC\Proxies folder
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
class cfgModels
{
class Default;
class Water: Default
{
skeletonName = "LakeSkeleton";
sectionsInherit = "";                    
sections[] = {};
};
};

class CfgSkeletons
{
class Default;
class LakeSkeleton : Default
{
isDiscrete=1;
skeletonInherit= "";
skeletonBones[]={};
};
};
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Again the examples I am looking at have a lot of animation oriented parameters, I don't know if I have to pretend there is an animation when there is not, I would prefer to leave out code that is not needed to make the most efficient model possible, and this exercise will help me understand the Config files more, If I actually know what I'm doing instead of just copying a lot of code from others.

Hard to tell what parameters are needed and what are not, If I had to make a vehicle I bet it would be easier because most of the resources are focused on them, like setting up vehicle classes and the many nested classes that I assume are not needed in the simple model of a lake for my island. (Though I know it's more complex than a body of water should be, but it's doubling as a learning exercise.)

Thanks for the visibility solution, though I don't know where in the config to put it yet? Just under the class somewhere in CfgVehicles I would assume? (I take it the order for parameters is irrelevant? because I see them in different orders in many examples I have looked at, and I dont think I have seen the featuresize one yet anywhere, but I will search for it)


Whew that's a long one,  Thanks all

Archangel


#EDIT: Added code tags..   h-
« Last Edit: 22 Feb 2010, 16:35:33 by h- »

Offline DeanosBeano

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Re: How do you set up Proxies and a custom view Range
« Reply #3 on: 22 Feb 2010, 16:52:56 »
to create proxies , put your whole lake model in O2   and find components , select all in the named properties window , right click and theres an option move to proxy ( this is from memmorty) this will then create proxies for each component to a folder located where the original model was loaded from.

 Again there is no need to either create a model cfg or cpp for animations on surface textures, however your nonaivehicle config maybe necessary for proxies. in the event you do persue the cfg and skeleton path, the animations like the Flag are RTM based and therefore you will need isdiscrete = 0  (or is it 1 i forget but you can seen in the bis skeleton for man which one it is).

 Featuresize is the way to get your lake drawn as gnat says. i think max is 500 (KJU did some tests maybe he can answer ).

 Personally i would get your island in visitor , copy your  lake area only and export to a new map , export this as a height map , import this into wilbur , export from wilbur as .obj   then re import to 02 , you now have a perfect lake which you can cut up and place perfectly ( long winded but thats how i made my rivers in arma 1).

 
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Offline Archaine

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Re: How do you set up Proxies and a custom view Range
« Reply #4 on: 22 Feb 2010, 22:39:44 »
To make the lake I did something similar,  I set the terrain contours in visitor to start at the level I wanted my lake, then exported the map as a 10240 texture, and imported into photoshop, then I croped around it to make a perfect 800x800 meter area (based on the pixels). Then I imported it into AutoCad and scaled it on top of a 800x800 meter square.  Then traced over the contour with a polyline, imported into 3ds then into oxygen, it fit my terrain perfectly when I got back into visitor. but it is too big for the engine, so I will go back into AutoCad and cut it up and re-export it in pieces, hence the whole proxy test.

The reason I did not proxy it backwards as you mentioned, was because I wanted the repeating grid in the middle areas to be the same p3d and not separate ones for model efficiency leaving only the outer bounds where it meets the terrain as unique grids(it is about an 800m lake). I read that some entry would have to be made in config.cpp for the proxies to show, prolly the nonaivehicle one, but I think my syntax is in error for it, not sure how many parameters are required, when I bin it up, the game keeps saying missing this and that, so I add the parameters one at a time and rebin it and retest it to see what is really required, very time consuming.

Does the main p3d containing the proxies need to be called out in nonaivehicle or does the proxies themselves, or both.  I have heard it several ways, and nothing works so far. I will try re-doing the test and leaving them all in one directory, though I was calling out their location under model=? allowing for a nice organized directory system.

I will try a simpler test with just one box and a proxy box next to it, and see if i can get the proxy to show up, I will use both the forward and reverse methods for the proxy creation, and cross my fingers.

With proxies aside for a moment, I tried the feature size param, but it did not work. Lets assume I have a mostly blank config.cpp, just an empty island, what is the minimum I would need to call out my feature that I wanted to assign the featuresize parameter to? Do I even need a master class or would the class below be sufficient. I listed what I have so far in the test, I labeled what I "think" the params are doing, though unsure of many.

class CfgVehicles                      area for things in the project, though does not have to be a vehicle
{
   class BigFeature                              what that something is in the project
   {
      scope = 1;                                    weather it shows in editor?
      side = 3;                                       who can use it, required but not needed for a lake
      icon = "iconStaticObject";                  Icon in editor I assume
      nameSound = "";                               No idea what this is
      simulation = "alwaysshow";                    controls visibility in some way?
      picture = "pictureStaticObject";                  perhaps something in the editor
      model="\TestProject\ARC\BigFeature.p3d";        this one I know :)
      sound = "";                                                 what you hear when your are near it?
      placement = "";                                       how it meets the terrain
      ladders[] = {};                                  if it has ladders, and what they are (memory lod?)
      vehicleClass = "";                          if I was going to organize it in the editor as placeable object
      displayName = "";                          more editor oriented information
      coefInside = 1;                             no idea what this is
      coefInsideHeur = 0.25;                   even less of an idea
      mapSize = 10;                               its icon on the map? or is this related to featuresize?
      animated = false;                           whether its animated
      accuracy = 1000;                           no idea
      armor = "";                                    its health
      destrType = "DestructNo";                how does it go boom.
      damageResistance = "";                    how does it resist going boom.
      class DestructionEffects {};              more about the booming.
                featuresize = 200;                           just added it in, no change to visibility though.
   };

I have looked for a list of parameters and their descriptions similar to the above example but found nothing so far the closest is "Mondkalb's_Addon_Tutorial" where he describes the config.cpp and some parts, though a bit confusing.

Under project parameters in visitor, do I need to put anything for the objects directory or class config?


Archaine
« Last Edit: 22 Feb 2010, 23:21:46 by Archaine »

Offline DeanosBeano

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Re: How do you set up Proxies and a custom view Range
« Reply #5 on: 22 Feb 2010, 23:55:39 »
   i aint no expert in o2 ,
 with that outa the way ;). what i have found is that  if i place a model in O2 and all its components are uvmapped and sections laid out correctly i can select different parts of the model and move to proxy  obviously this allows people to break the Highpoly/big section count rule.
  
  what happens is a proxy (triangle plane/poly) is created and this is the proxy , in named properties you see the path (right click and rename shows full path). sellect all again > view > show proxies and voila the whole original model is there . same in bulldozer ( as long as hide proxy in bulldozer setting isnt ticked) and same in game.


 the feature size works for buildings as far as i can recall , however it was about Patch 1.02 when KJU did some tests so BIS may have done some change on it.

 i have that water cube attached just add featuresize = 100;// then increment see if it works .

 its binarised but i have unrwapped the config so you can edit it. ( just gimme a shout tomorrow if you need the model unbinned ).
« Last Edit: 23 Feb 2010, 16:26:58 by DeanosBeano »
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Offline Archaine

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Re: How do you set up Proxies and a custom view Range
« Reply #6 on: 23 Feb 2010, 03:33:49 »
Thanks for the sample, it helped.

I made progress both good and bad.

1. I tested your cube with the featuresize param and it had no effect on visibility, I tried 1, 10, 100, 200, etc...

2. I used your config.cpp and separated my lake as a stand alone addon, when I put it in Arma2 the proxies showed up fine. It appears the problem is when I have it bundled with the island, maybe I am doing it wrong, I assume if you want an object to be specific to an island project it should be in the island projects directory and called out in the islands main config.cpp file, let me know if I am wrong on that?

3. I may not be able to use proxies for my lake, the visibility seems fine, but when I shoot it, the effect only occurs around the center lake tile and just a bit beyond it. The tiles are 40x40 so this seems to correlate with the 64x64 engine limit.  It appears proxies may get around the limit visually but not functionally, unless I am doing something wrong.

For your info on proxies, the way I did it was to use the "create" pulldown in oxygen and select "proxy" then you browse to the p3d file and it inserts it in your model as a proxy(it fills out the named selection for you), which you can then copy it around as much as you want.  The method you have used is the reverse method which also works, but I don't think you can use the same model over and over, it would make separate proxies for the repeated tiles, which would impact the efficiency gained from proxy usage.

My lake is 800m by about 800m so the amount of repeated tiles is significant. If I cannot use proxies then I will have to manually put them together(uggg), maybe by making them snap-able(another thing to learn). I heard talk of an "attachto" option as opposed to proxies they said it prevented the ability to animate the objects, but i do not need animation anyway.

Progress sweet progress!

Thanks again and again you all have been very helpful, when I learn more I hope to contribute, I used to teach AutoCad, Revit, and a little 3dStudio as an Autodesk certified trainer.

Archaine

Offline DeanosBeano

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Re: How do you set up Proxies and a custom view Range
« Reply #7 on: 23 Feb 2010, 08:51:16 »
Quote
I assume if you want an object to be specific to an island project it should be in the island projects directory and called out in the islands main config.cpp file, let me know if I am wrong on that?

 No, it isnt necessary to define in the island config mate. theres many ways to do it but my way is

 P:/ DBO/ dbo_island  
 P:/ DBO/ dbo_tile

 when binarising  click path to island and then click options , option = use source path , change from p:/dbo/dbo_island    to  p:/dbo/

  when binarising it will then have all the relevant info.

Quote
I may not be able to use proxies for my lake, the visibility seems fine, but when I shoot it, the effect only occurs around the center lake tile and just a bit beyond it. The tiles are 40x40 so this seems to correlate with the 64x64 engine limit.  It appears proxies may get around the limit visually but not functionally

 I presume your proxies have the correct lods and not just the  resolution lod ?

 
« Last Edit: 23 Feb 2010, 09:00:25 by DeanosBeano »
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Offline Archaine

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Re: How do you set up Proxies and a custom view Range
« Reply #8 on: 25 Feb 2010, 03:39:28 »
I settled on putting it together manually from tiles.  There is the range issue still to resolve, and the problem with the textures showing differently at the grid boundaries in the game.

Proxies apparently only save you on the limits of vertex and face count, you are still limited to the 64x64 area for everything else.  :(

Its a lake nestled in the end of a large crater, eventually I would want waterfalls from the rim.
I am going to do a panorama of screen shots from the center of the lake and apply as the reflection environment, anyone know how to have it orientated the correct way?

Here are some pics:

The first one is the ocean below the crater and not the lake.
The last one shows the problem of texture difference between the game grid sections.
« Last Edit: 25 Feb 2010, 03:55:12 by Archaine »

Offline DeanosBeano

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Re: How do you set up Proxies and a custom view Range
« Reply #9 on: 25 Feb 2010, 10:02:34 »

   looks very good mate,
 the grid thing could be any one of numerous effects :

 Shadows on tiles are they all orientated correct(same) way ?
 Depth of land below the tile
 Lod  is the tile furthest away rendering the same lod as the lighter one or is it at a distance where another lod is drawn and if so ,what properties does that LOD have ?
 Is one tile casting a shadow on the furthest tile ?   

 i could go on but i am at work i will have a think and try and contribute a bit more this evening.
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Offline Archaine

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Re: How do you set up Proxies and a custom view Range
« Reply #10 on: 25 Feb 2010, 18:34:48 »
I have the resolution LOD set to lodnoshadow, and there is no shadowvolume lod, so shadows should not be issue.

I only have 1 resolution LOD right now, so I believe it has to do with the texture, the light area is transparent the darker areas are not, the texture is displaying differently at different distances, depending on the grid your standing in, wonder if there is a way to force it to render one way only(all the time).  Maybe I need more resolution LOD's?  So it only reverts to the one with transparency when you are very close. That means I will probably need two textures one for each of the different LOD's?

I think the problem is with my lack of understanding of the LOD system, I will do some LOD and material tests tonight.

I still have the range issue as well, see the (1st pic)

The bullet impact is decent on the surface, now if I could only get grenades to fall through the surface  :)  (2nd pic)

Offline DeanosBeano

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Re: How do you set up Proxies and a custom view Range
« Reply #11 on: 25 Feb 2010, 18:49:45 »

 well unless BIS change it ,you should get a definite change iin draw distance with Featuresize =500;
 this would go under model =""; or anywhere in that section of he config.

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Offline Archaine

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Re: How do you set up Proxies and a custom view Range
« Reply #12 on: 26 Feb 2010, 03:36:15 »
I tried that on your test cube, it had no effect on the view range. Maybe they changed something, hard to tell what is for arma1 and what is for arma2, I was just going through a page describing textures, thought it was arma2, but when it listed the pixel and vertex shaders there was no calmwater, which is what the pond in arma2 uses, so I don't know if the info there is useless or just a little useless :). half the time I don't know if things I read and try don't work because they are arma1 legacy stuff that just doesn't work anymore.

Does anyone from Bis every read through these forums and correct people or render help? They could have someone do that once a month and the community would not be spending so much time trying to figure out what works through trial and error, then the community would grow stronger through their help and thus perpetuate the popularity of their game\engine.

Archaine

Offline DeanosBeano

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Re: How do you set up Proxies and a custom view Range
« Reply #13 on: 26 Feb 2010, 11:46:21 »

 well for the shaders and how there applied etc , look in Pdrive for MatTemplates or similar, the shaders vary from TerrainX to Multi .

 As for thispond problem , i cant help but believe there is just a simple missing step here and misunderstanding of how it works .
  Basicly  viewdistance and object and terrain details all affect what is drawn at distance, BIS introduced a new feature specificly (i believe) for Lighthouses and radio towers etc. this is Featuresize, no matter what view distance object detail settings are, the featuresize should override it.

  Make sure the thing your gonna test has correct resolution lods  (try arma1 buildings for a guide) ( my cube only has one 0 lod).

 place the object near the part of your pond that dissapeaers , try featuresize 500 + and so on.

  now all this depends on other criteria
 what is your pond configged at if at all ?  ( this would normally be done in the model gemoetry class = _x where _x = house ,road,tree,fence etc) avoid Road class as this draw distance is also affected in the island cpp (search road in island cpp).

 the main concern for me is the size , if its too big then at certain angles it will simply dissapear.

 hope this helps. if not then maybe try the other water , is it freshwater or something ?

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Offline Archaine

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Re: How do you set up Proxies and a custom view Range
« Reply #14 on: 27 Feb 2010, 02:40:22 »
Ahaa, found out the problem with featuresize, it works until I give the object the textures and materials for water. then it will not show at a distance.  Default material works fine hmmm. must be a shader thing.

I am using calmwater material from the pond in the structures directory.

I will try to play with different LOD's and try to find a material that shows, and looks like the lake water from a distance, unless someone knows of a parameter to get the water textured objects to show.

Archangel


Offline Gnat

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Re: How do you set up Proxies and a custom view Range
« Reply #15 on: 27 Feb 2010, 03:54:01 »
Arh! Interesting twist!

Offline DeanosBeano

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Re: How do you set up Proxies and a custom view Range
« Reply #16 on: 27 Feb 2010, 11:38:21 »
 in my river tiles  i have  

 0 res lod           
 100  res lod
 900 res lod   

 texture on  all 3 above lod = ca\structures\pond\data\normalmap1_dxt5.paa
 material on all 3 above lod =ca\structures\pond\data\calmwater01.rvmat       

 roadway LOD 

 texture on above lod  = ca\structures\pond\data\watersurface_ca.paa

  works fine for me at distance and all lods have same textures as the Cube in the water test i sent ya , obviously Lodnoshadow 1  s property in al res to avoid this darkening effect.
 i did however have a problem with certain angles at distance but i reduced the angle of the land , yours is a lake so i guess you shouldn't have this effect .

 here is a snippit which is commented about water  from the Bin incase you struggle achievin what you need with the above and decide to go for the  general water option .

 
Code: [Select]
class CfgMaterials
{
  // Water material is used for sea landscape parts
  class Water
  {
    PixelShaderID = "Water";
    VertexShaderID = "Water"; // mutlipass/alpha is not used on water

    //ambient[] = {0.4,0.4,0.5,0.6}; /// last number is water alpha
    //diffuse[] = {0.95,0.95,1,1};
    //ambient[] = {0.4,0.4,0.5,0.6}; /// last number is water alpha
    //diffuse[] = {0.47,0.47,0.5,1};

    // color when there is no water texture
    /// applied to both deep and shallow water
    // Alpha is the basic transparency on water depth 0 (shore)
    ambient[] = {0.016,0.0264,0.040,0.4};
    /// applied to shallow water only, based on light direction
    diffuse[] = {0.032,0.128,0.128,1.0};
    forcedDiffuse[] = {0,0,0,0};
   
    //diffuse[] = {0,0,0,1.0};
    //forcedDiffuse[] = {0.078,0.098,0.115,1.0};
   
    specular[] = {1,1,1,0};
    specularPower = 4;
    emmisive[] = {0,0,0,0};
   
    class Stage1
    {
      // normal map expected here
      texture="#(rgb,8,8,3)color(0.5,0.5,1.0,1)";
      uvSource="texWaterAnim";
      class uvTransform
      {
        aside[] = {0,4,0};
        up[]    = {4,0,0};
        dir[]   = {0,0,4};
        pos[]   = {0.2,0.5,0};
      };
    };
    class Stage3
    {
      // special texture expected
      texture="#(ai,16,64,1)waterirradiance(16)";
      uvSource="none";
    };
    class Stage4
    {
      // Texture to be overridden by engine
      texture = "#(argb,8,8,3)color(0.5,0.5,0.5,1)";
      uvSource="none";
    };
    class Stage5
    {
      // Texture to be overridden by engine
      texture = "#(argb,8,8,3)color(0.5,0.5,0.5,1)";
      uvSource="none";
    };
  };

 
« Last Edit: 27 Feb 2010, 11:49:56 by DeanosBeano »
I love ofp

Offline Archaine

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Re: How do you set up Proxies and a custom view Range
« Reply #17 on: 28 Feb 2010, 05:08:31 »
Well I have the exact same settings on my lake tiles, calmwater.  It will not appear at a distance, it is as if the engine will not render calmwater beyond a certain point, if I apply any other material it renders fine from afar, I even applied the water to half the faces and default mat to the other half, at a distance only the faces with the default mat showed. So my distance rendering is working just not with the water material.

Your water feature may be nestled in a bit more, have you tried viewing it from a chopper from across your world? If it appears then I must have something wrong somewhere, no matter what I do it will not show with the calmwater material beyond a certain distance,  my graphic settings are at about 3000 for view distance, and every graphic category is set to very high, except terrain detail which is on normal.

Also to get my LOD's to work, I had to create extra faces on the 0.000 LOD and then add progressively less to each LOD until my last LOD which is only 1 face, it seems wasteful to add detail that is not needed, is there a way to force an LOD to register as such if it has the same face count as another(just a different material), I noticed that regardless of the numbering, the face count was what mattered, made me wonder why they even number them?  An example: I created a single face(40x40) and put it on 0.000 LOD, then copied it and renamed the LOD to 10 and changed the material, then copied it and renamed it to 100 and changed the material, then copied it and renamed it to 900 and change the material, however only the 0.000 LOD shows no matter what distance, very frustrating.

Played with the lodrequired parameter but not sure how it works yet.

Archaine

The Pic below shows the test tile that has the faces in the center as calmwater and the outer faces just default material.  about the range of the red line is where the water will not show beyond,  the other blue tiles past the line are not water material, just a default material colored blue, that I was trying to make as close to my water as possible to fake the effect, though it seemed a lot of work and I hoped maybe there is a solution elsewhere, like a parameter that will allow the water to render further.

Offline DeanosBeano

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Re: How do you set up Proxies and a custom view Range
« Reply #18 on: 28 Feb 2010, 09:52:47 »

 hmm very strange indeed,
 the front tiles look like they are suffering from this layer that bis put in to hide AI at distance , i thought they got rid of that and now they sink them in the ground or something ?

 anyway pls try the attached tile , i apologise but i am very busy  at the moment and its hard for me to even start aram2 with all the windows i have open.

 how high above the actual terrain is your water ?
 yout tiles look like they have the wrong setting somewhere too, there angled agains the terrain ( semi sunk) . select all  and  tab points > properties in each lod  are all lods the same ? Normal , on surface or above etc ?

 do you have land contact or memory lod with snap to points  ?



 for an experiment if this dont work i suggest you alter your mask and give your lake a unique texture at the bottom blueish colour, then in your island config re jig the Water in cfg surfaces to match your lake bottom textures, see if that helps with this masking the distance view of the lake .

I love ofp

Offline Archaine

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Re: How do you set up Proxies and a custom view Range
« Reply #19 on: 28 Feb 2010, 22:05:18 »
I just threw the planes on the terrain in visitor, so some of them are partly submerged under the ground, the issue is with the water texture in center portion of the tiles, it does not show past the red line, even though the default material around it shows just fine(all one object).  It's like the water has a different range setting than the regular materials?

I will check out your file this evening,  thanks for your assistance.

Archaine