Skin changes in certain distance

[Roi Danton]

Hello all,

 

I've got a problem with custom 2048-Skins. Above a certain distance the custom skin is replaced by the default one. Do you know a workaround, maybe adding the same Skin in several resolutions? If so, how to do this?

 

Thanks,

Roi

[Deadman]

Well read this tutorial by Cosmonaut CDDS Tutorial V2

What skin is it and what aircraft ? is it in just the temp text folder or a CDDS?

[Roi Danton]

Thanks for the link, but I already read this tutorial (a while ago).

 

Su-33, own skin, resolution 2048x2048.

The problem occurs by using dds files as well as by using 24bit bmp files from TempTexture folder. On bright/blue skins the problem isn't visible that clear like on dark skins (b/c the default skins are all brighter).

 

Though I still have to test out if the game behaves the same with 512x512 or 1024x1024 skins it would be nice to know if/how it is possible to use the skin in different resolutions at the same time (I think this would solve this problem 'cause it just seems to be a LOD thing) - e.g. when you open WorldTexturesTGA.cdds you have a High, Medium and Low column with similar named textures in each column.

[Alfa]

The equivalent to "LOD" for textures is called "mip-mapping" - as the view distance increases a smaller version of the texture is loaded :) .

 

You need to use a CDDS tool to insert your custom texture to the appropriate CDDS archieve - overwriting the existing one by the same name . In doing so your texture will be converted to .dds format and mip-maps automatically generated.

 

If you just place e.g. a 2048 x 2048 custom skin in the TempTextures folder, then this will be loaded instead of the largest version of the corresponding skin in the CDDS archieve......but the game will still look in the CDDS for the smaller mip-maps.

[Roi Danton]

The equivalent to "LOD" for textures is called "mip-mapping" - as the view distance increases a smaller version of the texture is loaded :) .

Ah, ty for clarification of that. :)

 

I've stored the skins in one custom cdds archive and added the archive to the list in the graphics.cfg. I have created the archive with the tool mentioned here and mip-maps were inserted by the tool, too.

File with one Skin:

Save textures 2
..Level 0: 2 textures
: Level 1: 2 textures
: Level 2: 2 textures

Now the problem still occurs (skin changes to default at certain distance) so using this method ...

You need to use a CDDS tool to insert your custom texture to the appropriate CDDS archieve - overwriting the existing one by the same name .

... seems to be the only solution? (I don't like to change original files 'cause I want to give the skins away to squad mates) :(

 

So every custom skin should be affected ... I'll have a look at other dds skins.

[Alfa]

Ah, ty for clarification of that. :)

 

I've stored the skins in one custom cdds archive and added the archive to the list in the graphics.cfg. I have created the archive with the tool mentioned here and mip-maps were inserted by the tool, too.

File with one Skin:

[size=2]Save textures 2[/size]
[size=2]..Level 0: 2 textures[/size]
[size=2]: Level 1: 2 textures[/size]
[size=2]: Level 2: 2 textures[/size]

Now the problem still occurs (skin changes to default at certain distance) so using this method ...

... seems to be the only solution? (I don't like to change original files 'cause I want to give the skins away to squad mates) :(

 

So every custom skin should be affected ... I'll have a look at other dds skins.

 

Hmm strange - if you build a new custom CDDS archive it should work in the same way as if you inserted the skin into the original archive.

 

First check that you removed the bitmap version from the TempTextures folder and make sure that your new custom CDDS is listed before the original one(containing the Su-33 skins) in the grahics.cfg file. Since you cannot make custom named textures for the Su-33 model, the game will look for appopriately named textures in CDDS archives in the order they are listed in the graphics.cfg file.

[Roi Danton]

Seems to be only "bug-free" with replacing original texture file, many skins affected

 

Archive added to graphics.cfg

TextureCollections
{
   highFolder = ".\\Bazar\\TempTextures\\";
   common = ".\\Bazar\\Terrain\\Surface\\High\\LandTexturesBMP.cdds";
   common = ".\\Bazar\\Terrain\\Surface\\High\\LandTexturesTGA.cdds";
   spring = ".\\Bazar\\Terrain\\Surface\\High\\LandTexturesSprBMP.cdds";
   spring = ".\\Bazar\\Terrain\\Surface\\High\\LandTexturesSprTGA.cdds";
   common = ".\\Bazar\\Terrain\\Surface\\High\\LandTexturesSumBMP.cdds";
   common = ".\\Bazar\\Terrain\\Surface\\High\\LandTexturesSumTGA.cdds";
   autumn = ".\\Bazar\\Terrain\\Surface\\High\\LandTexturesAutBMP.cdds";
   autumn = ".\\Bazar\\Terrain\\Surface\\High\\LandTexturesAutTGA.cdds";
   winter = ".\\Bazar\\Terrain\\Surface\\High\\LandTexturesWinBMP.cdds";
   winter = ".\\Bazar\\Terrain\\Surface\\High\\LandTexturesWinTGA.cdds";
   common = ".\\Bazar\\Terrain\\Surface\\High\\MapTexturesBMP.cdds";
   common = ".\\Bazar\\Effects\\EffectTexturesTGA.cdds";
   [b]common = ".\\Bazar\\World\\su33takera.cdds";[/b]
   common = ".\\Bazar\\World\\TexturesBMP_weapons.cdds";
   common = ".\\Bazar\\World\\WorldTexturesTGA2.cdds";
   common = ".\\Bazar\\World\\WorldTexturesTGA.cdds";
   common = ".\\Bazar\\World\\WorldTexturesBMP2.cdds";
   common = ".\\Bazar\\World\\WorldTexturesBMP.cdds";
   common = ".\\Bazar\\World\\WorldTexturesBMP1.cdds";
   common = ".\\Bazar\\World\\ShipTexturesBMP.cdds";
   common = ".\\Bazar\\World\\ShipTexturesTGA.cdds";
   common = ".\\Bazar\\World\\CockpitsTexturesBMP.cdds";
   common = ".\\Bazar\\World\\CockpitsTexturesTGA.cdds";
   common = ".\\Bazar\\Effects\\effects.cdds";
   common = ".\\Bazar\\World\\Cockpit-SU25T-TexturesBMP.cdds";
   common = ".\\Bazar\\World\\Cockpit-SU25T-TexturesTGA.cdds";
   common = ".\\Bazar\\World\\WorldTexturesTGA1.cdds";
}

I've uploaded a dark skinfile, archive created with CDDS Studio the way I did it all time. It would be kind if you could check it. Maybe I did a mistake while creating the archive - though by browsing with ModMans CDDS browser the available mip-maps are the same like in the original cdds files. -> http://files.takera.net/su33debug.cdds

 

I've tested other dds skins, but mostly I got the message during installation with ModMan/LoMan

SKINNAME.EXT does NOT match original texture size so it has been installed to bazar\temptexture

Due to the fact that they are added as bmp files the problem occurs by using these skins (e.g. this or this), too.

 

Instead, this skin hasn't the problem of changing in distance. Reason: The file MIG-29G-PAINT-L3.BMP is replaced in the ShipTexturesBMP.cdds by installing it through ModManager.

 

 

Conclusion:

It seems as replacing skins in original files is the only solution to avoid the "changing skin problem in distance" (easily possible with ModMan v5). The problem occurs by bmp files in TempTexture as well as own CDDS files (maybe you can disprove the last fact :) ).

 

That also means most of custom skins are affected (wondering why this hasn't been encountered before).

[Roi Danton]

Creating skins with ModMan isn't satisfactory, too.

 

The advantage - replacing original texture automatically - only works if the original texture has the same size like the texture to be replaced. Mostly original textures are in 512x512 or 1024x1024 so almost all Su-33 files won't be replaced. Instead they are copied to the TempTextures folder by ModMan which causes the old problem of changing textures ingame (and lower game performance in comparison to dds files).

 

So for sharing textures ModMan isn't better in most cases than pure bmp files. Custom cdds archives offers best performance/file size but for new users they are tricky to install.

[Roi Danton]

I will share my skins as ModMan v5 files thx to Ezor's updatecfg.exe.

 

Tho the mip-map bug with custom cdds archives is still present (custom mip-maps aren't taken into account by the game).

Hopefully this will be fixed in BS (or replaced by a Su-33 .lom model with .skins file ;) )