DCS: BS Night Ground Textures

[HUAF-074]

The night textures illuminate on the ground at night. :(

 

Realistic night ground textures and effects on the ground inside the ArmA when haven't moon:

 

 

... with moon reflect:

 

Edited August 3, 2008 by HUAF-074

[EvilBivol-1]

In Black Shark, you can hardly see anything at night. Nights have been made much darker than they were in LO. NVGs or illumination is a must.

[HUAF-074]

Real video from Bagdad:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pY1wmYUgH7g

 

Put this realistic switch into the Graphics options menu.

 

Dark texture at night -> Lowest visibility range graphics code -> more FPS and realistic.

 

I think...

[Canada]

In Black Shark, you can hardly see anything at night. Nights have been made much darker than they were in LO. NVGs or illumination is a must.

 

 

That's good to hear.

 

In Black Shark, ff you turn on ambient lights in the cockpit at night, is it harder to see outside ?

[EvilBivol-1]

That's good to hear.

 

In Black Shark, ff you turn on ambient lights in the cockpit at night, is it harder to see outside ?

No, this would require dynamic lighting effects which are not implemented in the TFCSE engine. ED has done some experiments in this regard, but for the most part, new graphics effects of this nature will only be possible in the new engine.

[Canada]

No, this would require dynamic lighting effects which are not implemented in the TFCSE engine. ED has done some experiments in this regard, but for the most part, new graphics effects of this nature will only be possible in the new engine.

 

Would it be possible by just changing the texture of the cockpit glass instead ? Also, I remember seeing in one of your early videos realistic reflection in the Shkval monitor that adapted as the angle of the camera changed. Of was it rendered ?

[EvilBivol-1]

Would it be possible by just changing the texture of the cockpit glass instead ?

Interesting idea, but if it was only so easy... In Black Shark, the cockpit ambient light levels vary depending on the lights operating in the pit. There is the cockpit flood light, the instrument backlights, the NVG light (blue), and the ABRIS (yes, the ABRIS brightness actually affects the ambient light levels in the pit and can be adjusted. No, the same thing is not true for the IT-23 Shkval TVM. No, I don't know why. :)). The only solution worth pursuing here is the real one - i.e. actually altering the outside "gain" based on the level of cockpit ambient light dynamically in the engine. This is one of the items on ED's wish list for the new engine.

 

For now, at least as it looks on my monitor, the world outside is so dark that ambient light in the cockpit doesn't matter anyway. I can't even taxi without the search light or NVGs on. I'm sure your mileage will vary, depending on your monitor settings.

 

As an aside - the cockpit ambient light does affect your NVG gain. When using NVGs, I usually turn off all of the lights, including the blue NVG-compatible light, and turn down the ABRIS brightness.

Edited August 4, 2008 by EvilBivol-1

[HUAF-074]

Thx. Good news.

[Canada]

Thanks.

[AlphaOneSix]

When using NVGs, I usually turn off all of the lights, including the blue NVG-compatible light, and turn down the ABRIS brightness.

 

And here lies the problem. When flying using NVG's, you look at the cockpit "under" the goggles. In other words, you don't look inside the cockpit with goggles, for one very important reason. It is completely out of focus. This is not modeled in the game, and I'm not sure how it would work out. NVG's are not like your eyes, and cannot automatically adjust focus, so you focus them for looking at faraway objects. As a result, anything close, like the cockpit, is a complete blur. In the game, everything is in focus, which is completely unrealistic, but I'm not sure how feasible it would be to change it.

 

Since I am currently "out and about" I will get a video this evening of what I'm talking about, using my goggles. My camera has been on the fritz, but hopefully it will cooperate tonight.

[AlphaOneSix]

Attached are two of the pictures I took really quick tonight from an Mi-17 cockpit. Both were taken one after the other at the same focus settings. Also note that there were no lights on in the cockpit.

[Yellonet]

An effect for the new game engine perhaps, depth of field.

[EvilBivol-1]

...you don't look inside the cockpit with goggles...

Right. I keep the ABRIS just bright enough to provide the ambient light to see the instruments under the NVGs, without having to actually turn my head down to see them.

[Witchking]

Along with those night improvements please consider tank fire brightness like this:

 

VIDEO::

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/37929.html

 

By vraev at 2008-08-04

 

seriously....DCS improved in everything except stuff like effects and explosions. At night we can barely see any fire from ground units in FC.

 

this image is not really night....but still shows how the explosion should look like.

Edited August 5, 2008 by Witchking

[VMFA117_Poko]

seriously....DCS improved in everything except stuff like effects and explosions. At night we can barely see any fire from ground units in FC.

Remember GA's "Edge" and Shilka firing at night?

 

[EDIT] No, sorry - it was screenshot:

Edited August 5, 2008 by Poko24

[EvilBivol-1]

Along with those night improvements please consider tank fire brightness like this:

Man, you are persistent. ;) We're all for bigger and better special effects and I would have no doubt these will be featured in the new engine, but as we've discussed before, DCS is running on a modified TFCSE engine at this time, which wasn't designed for the kinds of eye candy you are asking for, especially in regards to dynamic lighting and fire effects.

 

Having said that, ED did implement muzzle flash and area flash effects for barreled weapons. From a distance, you will clearly see the flickering flashes of active firing, especially at night.

Edited August 5, 2008 by EvilBivol-1

[Chizh]

Attached are two of the pictures I took really quick tonight from an Mi-17 cockpit. Both were taken one after the other at the same focus settings. Also note that there were no lights on in the cockpit.

 

How you made this images? Is it pure digital camera or with NVG device?

[AlphaOneSix]

How you made this images? Is it pure digital camera or with NVG device?

 

I held a digital camera up to one of the tubes of my goggles. So just a regular digital camera, and a set of AN/AVS-6 NVGs.

[Witchking]

lol EB!!! hey! the persistence paid off. FInally my most requested feature (and by others as well), infantry is in the game. :D The other thing I always felt about lockon was how the special effects were crappy. I mean the fire on ground units....it looks soooo bad. Atleast the old style fire effect on ships looks better. There are sooo many games out there...simulation or not with explosion effects which look soo much more engaging than lock on. WHen we work soo hard in FC/BS dealing with AA fire etc and so on....fire off a missile...its disappointing to see a crappy little fire rather than a nice wicked explosion with debris flying around. I understand the need of a new engine for the gloom and blur effects...but now DCS is using DX 9. COmeon man! IL2 PF has better explosions than LOMAC. Shoot a tank with a cannon and u see nice ground explosions and when the tank explodes there are few random sprites of polygons which give the feeling of the tank falling apart. The fire in there is great as well. Don't tell me PF is running on DX 10. :p

 

Yeah Poko!! I have seen that shot the day it came out. But tanks don't have the muzzle fire which I showed in that video and shot. That was what I was requesting. Also a tweaking of the colors is needed. THere needs to be higher contrast, a bit of color grading to the edges in red/dark orange in that AA fire.

[EvilBivol-1]

There are strengths and weaknesses in every game.

 

As we've explained in the past, it isn't about DirectX, but about TFCSE and the fact that ED would have to go backwards into the code to redesign the effects. This is very unlikely to happen, because a new engine is already in development to replace it. The move to DX9 was made for a specific reason - to fix the shadow issue. Unless there is a similarly good reason, ED will not do double work and develop special effects in two different engines, especially when one is supposed to be replaced sooner or later.

 

As always - what ED does has less to do with what we or even they would like and more with what makes sense given the limits of manpower, time and money available to do their projects. There is a specific number of graphics artists in the studio and they need to be used in the most effective manner possible.

 

We welcome requests from users and ED takes them into account as much as possible, but you would be mistaken to believe that your repetitive asking is what gets a feature into the game, including your example of infantry. Moreover, asking for a feature a dozen times over, especially when we've taken the time to respond and explain the possibility of implementing it, becomes an unnecessary distraction for us and looks like trolling on the forum. I understand that wasn't your intent, but you have to also understand that implementing requests is not a matter of clicking heels and not everything can be done at the same time.

Edited August 5, 2008 by EvilBivol-1

[Witchking]

I know dude. I have been here for a while to realise that. ;) I first posted this in the tracers thread and deleted it as I thought I had requested this already many times. But, the video of the M1 fire from OF2 was just amazing to see. I had to post it somewhere. My whole meaning is just to show what the effects SHOULD look like when they are indeed being worked on...which is later for the ED team. Its just a reference to add to their list. ;)

[AlphaOneSix]

this image is not really night....but still shows how the explosion should look like.

 

If ED is less interested in realistic explosions and more interested in making Hollywood dramatic explosions, then yes, they should look like that. However, most people here would probably prefer realistic explosions.

[Yellonet]

If ED is less interested in realistic explosions and more interested in making Hollywood dramatic explosions, then yes, they should look like that. However, most people here would probably prefer realistic explosions.

What?! You don't want some Hollywood flare to boost the sales? ;) Perhaps ED should consider adding Witchkings effects to the arcade mode :P

[Witchking]

well Alpha....I don't think the effects we already have are any "realistic".

 

BTW...I wouldn't call it Hollywood effects. Have u seen an M1 fire??

 

By vraev at 2008-08-05

 

video:

[AlphaOneSix]

I was specifically talking about the explosion, not the tank firing. I though the pic of the tank firing was just fine, as long as it's dark. The explosion below it, on the other hand, is a no-go.