transparant buildings

People, transparency of objects is NOT a bug or a hardware problem. This is exactly how ED intended it to be (whether you like it or not).

The idea behind this is to simulate haze on objects. I know, it's a very cheap way and I HATE it aswell.

You can screw around with settings and partially solve it, though not without big effects on FPS.

The love-hate relationship with ED continues........:D

All I need is the damn settings to be documented. As it is now (hit&miss, obsolete config entries...) I can do squat. What pisses me the most is that, if the settings effects were documented, ED would soon have 1-3 geeks on it and it would probably result in some partial solution at least.

Few years ago I had a similar problem with LO FC 1 shkval. One of the mods/testers mocked me when I pointed out that there's a mess in configs / they lack explanations. He would sure look stupid now.

Bucic, all I can safely guess right now is that ED is too busy with DCS:W to be documenting on some older behaviour.

But it's a feature allright.

ED doesn't earn money with documenting ;) You are supposed to play the game, not mess around in their configs (I guess that's their way of thinking).

And yes, as they build on build you get obsolete files for free aswell.....

Bucic, all I can safely guess right now is that ED is too busy with DCS:W to be documenting on some older behaviour.

But it's a feature allright.

I'm sorry I went like that in the previous post. But not to the point to admit it's all fine. It's simply not.

I'd give ED that it's all about the recent hassle with the (brilliant) pig... if I had joined the forums a year ago. But I'm here long enough to know that the transparency issue (in that form or another) has been present since the Flaming Cliffs 1.0 times. I would admit myself that I'm dramatizing here if not that fact.

If I was only a geek posting on the forums then sure - ED has no obligation to even answer the topic's call. I don't usually approve that kind of arguments but here we go -I'm a customer. I bought Lock On, Flaming Cliffs and Black Shark. Not to mention I've been effectively spreading the word about ED products for years. I... I... I... but there's more long time ED supporters not happy with the gello buildings and objects.

ED doesn't earn money with documenting ;)

I don't need essays. Just "transparency is being affected by file X, entry Y, Y2... and file Z, entry Z1, Z2..."

You are supposed to play the game, not mess around in their configs (I guess that's their way of thinking).

Ignoring the issue by ED works better than such illogical remarks :music_whistling:

transparency is affected by nearclip/middleclip/farclip.

you can refine it but can't eliminate it.

Vecko posted that now it's controlled by 'clip' values found in \Config\servergraphics.cfg but there's no 'clip' values there, only 'fogs'. Which probably means it's affected by 'fogs' right there. My previous trials were done using edited values in graphics_bs.cfg

That pretty much narrows it down. If servergraphics.cfg will also have those parameters dead, I give up. I'll post my findings in the evening.

The values in \Config\servergraphics.cfg are inactive either! Changing both fogparam's to what not gives absolutely no difference for ground units visuals through shkval. Dist ~8 km.

FC2 reads clip values from graphics.cfg

BS reads clip values from graphics_bs.cfg

clip values are in the "Low" or "Medium" or "High" paragraphs.

try farclip=500000

FC2 reads clip values from graphics.cfg

BS reads clip values from graphics_bs.cfg

 

clip values are in the "Low" or "Medium" or "High" paragraphs.

try farclip=500000

Thanks for the hint! Fogparam's values are completely dead! (EDIT: not sure anymore) The transp. effect is affected by clipping values. Investigating further. By changing some values I got transp. eliminated! Now it's time to determine which entry is 'our entry'. If it will allow transp. elimination without glitches possible performance hit has to be measured.

fogparams=1.1/10 (default) if not stated otherwise

lack of info on the image - check it's file name

Two things for now:

- I didn't notice that value found in Frazer's tweak guide worsens the transp. effect. He probably didn't too.

- how the hell it happened that now fogparams work from c:\0os\0hp\dcsbs\Config\graphics_bs.cfg while it didn't in my previous tests :huh:

I'll perform a methodological test after work for various fogparams and clipping combinations. It will require at least 20 shots :crazy: It will also need higher res. I did these in windowed mode.

First set ready. Download all the combinations with images here http://www.mediafire.com/?xle1gjbatg7c2ft

I also uploaded raw screenshots from 80k test http://www.mediafire.com/?1zxcll6cycizbwf

Settings investigated:

\Config\graphics_bs.cfg

far_clip

FogParam1

FogParam2

A note to Frazer:

Far_clip – the distance (in meters) over which nothing at all will be rendered.

What I came up with:

Whichever fogparam is set to 0 it will cause no fog at all. The terrain will be just cut where the far_clip value is.

Far_clip is the distance (in meters) over which nothing at all will be rendered. That means that I can eliminate it as a variable by setting it up first. I've set mine to 80000 (80000 m = 80 km). It's relation to fogparam's – it appears to simply add to the effect of fogparam's. Lower far_clip and higher fogparam's => more fog in external view, more transparency in Shkval (!) and lower viewing distance.

Now the 'first package' contains my first set of comparative tests for far_clip = 140000 (game default). View all the images one by one. Make sure it loads them according to name sorting.

After what I saw I've decided not to fiddle with it too much. Just set my far_clip to ~60 000 and then fogparam's. For that far_clip I've came up with fogparam's 1/2 which covers the cut out terrain with mild fog and gives no tranparency at all to tanks seen through Shkval from 9 km.

Additionaly I'd be glad to eliminate the fog being nonlinear. There is no fog along the distance of 10 km and soon past that, bam!, a wall of fog. Fogparam's 1/2 did quite nicely in that department.

P.S. If anyone knows how to change the ridiculously white color of the fog/haze, please do let me know.

P.S. 2. What's the point of the whole story? If you go for gimmicks instead of doing it properly (Il-2 Sturmovik) there will be problems :music_whistling:

Fogparams 1/2 meaning 1 for FogParam1 and 2 for FogParam2? Or 0.5 for both FogParam? Or half the original value? Bit confused.

Anyway, I tried all of your settings but not getting any improvement. Still have transparent buildings even at 6km away no matter what values I use for far clip and fogparams. I'm using Frazer's tweaks and is there a setting in there that also conflicts?

Fogparams 1/2 means Fogparam1 = 1 and Fogparam2 = 2.

Yes, as I said fogparams work in direct corelation with far_clip. If you don't see any effects

Make sure you change far_clip in the appropriate section of cfg according to your setting in the GUI. If you have range MEDIUM selected in GUI changing farclip in HIGH section in the cfg will have no effect.

If you don't see any differences then test extremes, e.g. set default fogparams of 10/1.1 and far_clip = 500000, as flydragon126 advised. Or both fogparams to 0. Seek your golden settings only after you'll observe a clear response.

Fogparams 1/2 means Fogparam1 = 1 and Fogparam2 = 2.

 

Yes, as I said fogparams work in direct corelation with far_clip. If you don't see any effects

 

Make sure you change far_clip in the appropriate section of cfg according to your setting in the GUI. If you have range MEDIUM selected in GUI changing farclip in HIGH section in the cfg will have no effect.

 

If you don't see any differences then test extremes, e.g. set default fogparams of 10/1.1 and far_clip = 500000, as flydragon126 advised. Or both fogparams to 0. Seek your golden settings only after you'll observe a clear response.

Thanks for clearing that up. I tried your settings and I had to set far clip to 180,000 in order for transparency to be completely gone at 6km. But you said you achieved it with 80,000 far clip? Any idea as to the reason for the difference? Again, all other settings of mine are from Frazer's tweak guide. The building I'm using for testing is the factory looking building right behind the AAA in the quick mission.

Being a complete noob, not sure if this wiil help, but I followed one thing in the Alpha Guide and the only thing I changed was in graphics_bs and it was the objects in red below.

High

{

near_clip = 0.2;

middle_clip = 5;

far_clip = 140000;

structures = {60, 6000};

trees = {1000, 9000};

dynamic = {300, 20000};

objects = {5000, 80000};

mirage = {3000, 20000};

surface = {20000, 80000};

lights = {200, 80000};

lodMult = 1.5;

lodAdd = 0;

}

I changed it from 80000 (80kms) to 20000 (kms) and my tanks went transparent. I didn't change any of the clips, so my way of thinking is if the objects setting is too low it doesn't matter what you set the clips too it won't make a difference. Even on the low setting objects is set to 80000.

I am hoping I have stumbled on a solution to your problem, or if not........I'll get my coat LOL!!

Just to sum it up.

For singleplayer you can alternate the following parameters in the \Config\graphics_bs.cfg :

far_clip

FogParam1

FogParam2

For multiplayer you can alternate only the:

far_clip

NOTE:

I haven't tested the Carney's hint yet.

"What's the point of the whole story? If you go for gimmicks instead of doing it properly (Il-2 Sturmovik)"

Isn't Lockon based on the Flanker code? And isn't Blackshark based on the Lockon code? I wonder how much of this stuff is new code and how much is just tacked on or modifications of existing code, perhaps with the ED coders trying to squeeze stuff out of the old coding that was never intended and without having to write new stuff from the ground up. So essentially that would mean you're buying payware moddings of SSI's old stuff and finding issues that ED has difficulty resolving possibly because they don't know exactly how it works to begin with. Correct? Wrong? Are FC2 and/or Warthog completely original ED code?