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Part-time Hermit
#951 Old 23rd Nov 2005 at 9:57 AM
Quote: Originally posted by XTS
Thank you very much. I had a feeling you would be the one to respond if anyone did I was afraid of that (needing a subset addition). That's one topic I've yet to read but I do have the subscription. :D

That's unfortunate for DXT3! I really like it. Before, I was getting the glitches in the pattern and unsure how to fix them. Strange part was it would like fine upon regular import but once I loaded it ingame it was changed. Back in SimPE it was changed as well. Thank you IgnorantBliss for your expertise.
xts


When you import through the regular texture import, you only see the final result after you save the package. That's why it looks good at first but crappy afterwards . Build DXT generally has better results overall. Sometimes it does weird thigs to certain kind of textures, like where two textures meet, you get pixellation (when I uv-map my objects, I usually leave a little space in between areas that are going to have a different texture due to this). I've also noticed that textures that are only white, gray and black often turn out looking quite bad, but if you add just a hint of a color to the texture image, it looks a lot better when imported, doesn't pixellate as much for some reason.
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One horse disagreer of the Apocalypse
#952 Old 23rd Nov 2005 at 10:01 AM
Is it just me, or is Build DXT not available since SimPE 050? I always have to go back to 049 if I want to do it.

"You can do refraction by raymarching through the depth buffer" (c. Reddeyfish 2017)
Part-time Hermit
#953 Old 23rd Nov 2005 at 10:59 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Inge Jones
Is it just me, or is Build DXT not available since SimPE 050? I always have to go back to 049 if I want to do it.


Have you made sure the path pointing to the DDS Utilities is set correctly in your SimPE settings? DXT works fine for me with .50 .
One horse disagreer of the Apocalypse
#954 Old 23rd Nov 2005 at 11:27 AM
Quote: Originally posted by IgnorantBliss
Have you made sure the path pointing to the DDS Utilities is set correctly in your SimPE settings? DXT works fine for me with .50 .


LOL! No it was blank! I just assumed it would have been copied with everything else during the "would you like to transfer your settings" setup process. Dunno why I never thought to check for myself tho...

Thanks

"You can do refraction by raymarching through the depth buffer" (c. Reddeyfish 2017)
Field Researcher
#955 Old 23rd Nov 2005 at 2:37 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Inge Jones
LOL! No it was blank! I just assumed it would have been copied with everything else during the "would you like to transfer your settings" setup process. Dunno why I never thought to check for myself tho...

Thanks


Lol, everytime that happens to me I panic and fear I won't be able to figure out how to do it. So far I always have.

I've been wondering how other people get such great looking stained glass windows when mine turn out all blocky like huge pixels all over the glass. It isn't just where two textures meet.
The ModFather
retired moderator
#956 Old 23rd Nov 2005 at 3:44 PM
I see that the compression of the images it's a problem that many users have.

Anyone experiencing distorted, pixelized or blurry pictures may find interesting this post in the Recolouring Objects" tutorial.

I've finally started my Journal. Information only, no questions.

My latest activity: CEP 9.2.0! - AnyGameStarter 2.1.1 (UPD) - Scriptorium v.2.2f - Photo & Plaques hide with walls - Magazine Rack (UPD) - Animated Windows Hack (UPD) - Custom Instrument Hack (UPD) - Drivable Cars Without Nightlife (UPD) - Courtesy Lights (FIX) - Custom Fence-Arches - Painting-TV - Smarter Lights (UPD)


I *DON'T* accept requests, sorry.
Part-time Hermit
#957 Old 23rd Nov 2005 at 4:09 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Numenor
I see that the compression of the images it's a problem that many users have.

Anyone experiencing distorted, pixelized or blurry pictures may find interesting this post in the Recolouring Objects" tutorial.


For me, it's not usually the image resizing that's the problem: The biggest mipmap image is usually the ugliest when the pixellation happens. The result is the worst if you have a white texture with a wooden grain: the white turns off-white and the grain texture goes all pixellated. But, like I mentioned before, adding a little hint of color to the texture image fixes a lot of it for some reason, like making the white just slightly bluish .
Lab Assistant
#958 Old 23rd Nov 2005 at 6:59 PM
XTS: I stumbled over the much alike nick myself - spelled her name with a y at first


IgnorantBliss & Numenor: I seem to have expressed myself missleadingly.
therefore here is in more detail what I'm up to and what I did so far:

I started to create my first windows - a set of round windows in 3 different sizes with the frame as a repository and recolorable glass. due to the diff designs almost each window is going to have the glass won't be a repository but requires to have a texture as its going to be stained glass.

so I went and created a stand-alone clone of the lafenetre 1-tile full-length (no shutters!). this clone comes with bunches of additional files including lots of 'shutter' files and files for the square-shaped lafenetre window. I deleted all these files.
then I went and added a glass TXTR. I deleted all the 'pane' files (GMDC, GMND, SHPE). and I added the 'glass' to the item list of the tsDesignModeEnabled blocks.

only ... it's not showing up properly ingame. I think I messed up s.th. with the glass but I cannot seem to figure it out myself...


and I have a couple additional question:

whats the 'pane' files for? if I leave them in I have my window twice on top of each other with the second one being on the wall above...

and while I do know JWoods definitions of the TXTR formats under which circumstances is it advantageous to use DXT5 instead of DXT3? I cannot quite make sense of what I've read I'm afraid.

thanx in advance!
Part-time Hermit
#959 Old 23rd Nov 2005 at 10:08 PM
chrissy, I'm not sure what exactly is wrong with the window, but in the Scenegrapher the Resource Node is pointing to some incorrect Shape files that have number combinations for name. The problem MIGHT have something to do with deleting those Geometric Data Containers to do with panes, the package still thinking they should be there, but I'm not quite sure, hopefully someone else can help you better. The "pane" is that bottom part of the window that's lined up a little differently from the rest of the window, like a separate piece of glass with its own wooden frame.
Inventor
#960 Old 24th Nov 2005 at 1:45 AM
DXT and Import
Chrissy : I'm glad to not be so alone on that lol. Least I know when we message that it's you, I'm learning your "numbers" to tell you apart

IgBliss: Thank you for that tidbit. I noticed it happened on bedding where 2 textures met. The trim that goes around the bedding (it's white on the blue bed) I'd turned it black and the pattern right next to it was pixelizing like you said. I'll test the theory on that one. I've got some pics of it and it's a fantastic set of sheets too! If I do say so myself.

Here's an image of dxt1 (or import, can't recall which of the two). (edit: Note the area at the bottom of the bed next to the "trim")



I'm willing to bet, now that I've learned dxt method that I can fix that.. Is this what you meant Ignorantbliss?

Numenor :Thanks for the link.. I passed it on to someone who was wanting to learn more about it.. :D
xts

(Quote) ~ "If it isn't one thing, it's going to be another. It is usually one thing. Oh man, is it a mother" (The Mother of All Things) - PB
Lab Assistant
#961 Old 24th Nov 2005 at 9:34 AM
IgnorantBliss: thanx for the hint with the scenegrapher! I totally missed checking there... so now I have done the following changes to the CRES:

I deleted the pane blocks:
window_0_pane_trans
window_0_pane_s
window_0_pane_n
I renamed the LGHT blocks and deleted the pane refs
the latter appears to be responsible for the scenegrapher to look right now.

only I haven't checked it out ingame yet...
The ModFather
retired moderator
#962 Old 24th Nov 2005 at 9:37 AM
Chrissy - The two wall-lenght Lafenetre windows are odd: I guess that the original Maxis idea was to let sims to open those windows; so a saparate "pane" part was added, in order to let the "pane" part to move up when needed. but now there aren't any animation for opening windows, so the "pane" part is just a static part of the original mesh.
In your case, you didn't need it, and you did well to delete the GMDC, the CMND and the SHPE; but - as IBliss has correctly noticed - all the SHPE files are referenced into the Resource Node, and removing them isn't simple, because you need to edit the CRES Hierarchy. Therefore, the easiest way to remove an object part is to delete GMDC and GMND, leave the SHPE in the package, and strip from the SHPE all the references in both the "Items" and the "Parts" tab.

The second problem was a silly one: the wallmask TXMT were badly renamed; in the wallmask name, there must be an underscore (and not a "minus") between the first part and the "0_0_0_n" part.

I've renamed the wallmasks and deleted all the references in the CRES; the fixed package is in the attachment.

EDIT: Oooops! I missed your last post: let me check that package, too.

EDIT AGAIN: OK, this attachment is still valid. Chrissy, you tried to do the same changes to the CRES as me, but you made a mistake; when you have deleted the block 0A (pane_trans), all the following blocks have "shifted" by one unit: the 0C has become 0B, and the 0B has become 0A. But the blocks 07, 08 and 09 still hold the original references to the blocks 0A, 0B and 0C: you have to edit "Child Node" list for the blocks 07, 08 and 09.

In any case, remember that:
- if you leave the SHPE in the package, as suggested above, you don't have to change anything to the CRES;
- if you delete the SHPE, you just need to delete the cShapeRefNode blocks from the CRES (adjusting the Child Node lists): there's no need to delete also the cTransformNodes that the cShape are attached to (i.e., there was no need to delete the block 0x0A)

I've finally started my Journal. Information only, no questions.

My latest activity: CEP 9.2.0! - AnyGameStarter 2.1.1 (UPD) - Scriptorium v.2.2f - Photo & Plaques hide with walls - Magazine Rack (UPD) - Animated Windows Hack (UPD) - Custom Instrument Hack (UPD) - Drivable Cars Without Nightlife (UPD) - Courtesy Lights (FIX) - Custom Fence-Arches - Painting-TV - Smarter Lights (UPD)


I *DON'T* accept requests, sorry.
Lab Assistant
#963 Old 24th Nov 2005 at 11:41 AM
Numenor: u mention the 'easiest way to remove an object part'. only u might have noticed that I tend to pick stuff thats not necessarily considered to be simple - not as a first attempt anyway. soooooo I'd rather do the same with regards to the technical stuff and do a complete clean-up of my package, i.e. get rid of all the traces of the 'pane'.

thus I checked out your attachment and did the following changes to my package:

corrected the wallmask MATDs and TXTR
edited the CRES hierarchy: there is now no ref with the 0x7, the 0x8 refs the 0xA and the 0x9 the 0xB.

is this all it takes or would I need to do anything else ?
The ModFather
retired moderator
#964 Old 24th Nov 2005 at 3:21 PM
Yes, the CRES is perfect. I appreciate you tried the less easy way: it's the only system to learn things
Anyway, remember what I've told about leaving the SHPE in the package: sometimes the CRES is so complex that removing a cShapeRefNode can be either too difficult or too long (think, for example, if the cShape is block 0x03 in a CRES with 20 blocks: you have to change the references for all the following 16 blocks...).

I've finally started my Journal. Information only, no questions.

My latest activity: CEP 9.2.0! - AnyGameStarter 2.1.1 (UPD) - Scriptorium v.2.2f - Photo & Plaques hide with walls - Magazine Rack (UPD) - Animated Windows Hack (UPD) - Custom Instrument Hack (UPD) - Drivable Cars Without Nightlife (UPD) - Courtesy Lights (FIX) - Custom Fence-Arches - Painting-TV - Smarter Lights (UPD)


I *DON'T* accept requests, sorry.
Lab Assistant
#965 Old 24th Nov 2005 at 5:10 PM
Numenor: cool ! I got it done ! *gives Numenor a kiss on his cheak*
as u mentioned complex cres hierarchies could u possibly come up with a couple of examples so I could have a try at some serious cres editing ? I love puzzling away

and now that I checked out my window ingame I noticed that on one side of the wall I can see the wallmask of the lafenetre and not my own one. why is that ? hmm ! I thought I got rid of all the refs...

EDITED to ADD: and yet another question: when is it advantageous to use DXT5 instead of DXT3 ? I do know JWoods InfoCenter thread but cannot quite make sense of this bit...
Screenshots
Part-time Hermit
#966 Old 24th Nov 2005 at 5:43 PM
Quote: Originally posted by chrissy6930

and now that I checked out my window ingame I noticed that on one side of the wall I can see the wallmask of the lafenetre and not my own one. why is that ? hmm ! I thought I got rid of all the refs...



Are both of the Material Definitions for the wallmask pointing to the wallmask texture in your package, and do you only have one wallmask texture? It only needs one texture that both the TXMTs point to (south and north TXMT for the wallmask). All the diagonal wallmask textures and TXMTs you can delete, SimPE keeps pulling them for no reason. (I haven't seen your most recent package, so I don't know exactly which files are there.)
Lab Assistant
#967 Old 24th Nov 2005 at 6:05 PM
IgnorantBliss: yup ! I have the base texture names in place. and yup I only have one wallmask texture...
pls see my previous post for the package

and yup I deleted the diagonal files as well...
Part-time Hermit
#968 Old 24th Nov 2005 at 6:24 PM
I don't think it's the wallmask that's the problem. If it were the wallmask of the original window, you'd see all the way through. This looks like a wallshadow problem. If you take a look at the wallshadow mesh, it's still the shape of the original window, so just importing a new wallshadow texture won't fix it. You can export the shadow to your mesh program and make it the right shape. (I think you can make a whole new shadow mesh, too, and uv-map it so it's easier to texture exactly for the round shape)

By the way, you should import the shadow texture as ExtRaw8Bit format, not DXT5. Build DXT won't work for that format, so you'll have to import the regular way, update all sizes and commit. That'll make the shadow file size smaller than with DXT5.

This is a very cool looking window, although the vertex count is fairly high when you combine the numbers for the north and south side.
Admin of Randomness
retired moderator
#969 Old 24th Nov 2005 at 6:27 PM
I don't know of the 'advantages' of using dxt5 over dxt3, but I found that when I was doing an alpha thing to make a banner have a different shape, that dxt3 for that banner left white fuzz around my banner in the smaller sizes, which meant as a zoomed away from the banner suddenly white junk appeared around the edge. dxt5 worked perfectly I have *not* noticed that happening on other objects I've worked with using dxt3.

I also try a variety of settings - for instance, when I import bedding, I tell it not to smooth at all, which prevents it from changing my graphic at all on import. I have usually stared at my beddings way close, but I did not notice any issues zooming in and out on them after using that setting. What I have seen recommended is to try different settings if the results are not satisfactory.
Lab Assistant
#970 Old 24th Nov 2005 at 6:34 PM
IgnorantBliss: ahhh ! very valid point there! I imported the shadow into milkshape and as I couldn't make anything show up I skipped doing anything about it... so I suppose I have to go and give it another try then...

the vertex count? well the mesh isn't finished yet. no proper mapping, no smoothing and no 'weld together' done yet. I intended to make the item show up properly ingame first b4 I proceed giving the mesh its final touches.

weld together would change the figures in milkshape to: polys: 984 and vertices: 644...
The ModFather
retired moderator
#971 Old 24th Nov 2005 at 8:21 PM
The DXT5 format, as far as I know, it's not used in Maxis textures. But Maxis didn't invent the DXT format: it exists and it's used in other environments; that's why the DDS utilities offer the DXT5 option, but in general it shouldn't be used. Mind that, as a rule of thumb, the same image in DXT5 has 4 times the size than in DXT1 and twice the size then DXT3.
If your DXT3 texture, when zooming in/out, looks distorted/pixelized, you can use this workaround, while keeping the DXT3 format.

I think that all the creators should at least try their best to keep the packages as small as possible, and avoid wasting resources. Then, if no other method is suitable, you can use the DXT5 format.

Chrissy - I didn't notice that problem with the shadow, because I had the shadows turned off. IBliss is absolutely right: it's a shadow problem. If you look into the two GMDCs, you'll see that there is a "wallshadow" mesh, that is still the original one. You should edit and remap it. And change the texture format to ExtRaw8Bit, as suggested by IBliss; you don't even need to reimport it: just select ExtRaw8Bit, Update all Sizes and Commit.

I've finally started my Journal. Information only, no questions.

My latest activity: CEP 9.2.0! - AnyGameStarter 2.1.1 (UPD) - Scriptorium v.2.2f - Photo & Plaques hide with walls - Magazine Rack (UPD) - Animated Windows Hack (UPD) - Custom Instrument Hack (UPD) - Drivable Cars Without Nightlife (UPD) - Courtesy Lights (FIX) - Custom Fence-Arches - Painting-TV - Smarter Lights (UPD)


I *DON'T* accept requests, sorry.
Test Subject
#972 Old 24th Nov 2005 at 10:46 PM
Default hello guys
right my mesh is working its just the textures wrong and you can see the screens when you watch them and also 2 of them arnt showing?
could someone please have a look!
Personally i think its just got to do with texture.
Screenshots
Test Subject
#973 Old 24th Nov 2005 at 10:47 PM
im sorry you cant*** see
The ModFather
retired moderator
#974 Old 25th Nov 2005 at 12:56 AM
EVO - There are several errors in the package.
1) the texture "screen_surface" is damaged: you have to reimport it.
2) the Resource Node name (that is used by all the other files, too) is simply "screen_cres": you must use a unique name, containing at least your name and a unique name for the object. Remember *not* to use underscores in the CRES name. This problem can be fixed running a Fix Integrity and assigning a unique "Model Name" (something like "Evo-SpaceTV-051125", where the last digits are year-month-day).
3) You are probably still following the old and outdated MeshTool tutorial: I see that you have clicked "Assign Hash"; you don't do that: the "Assign Hash" is not to be used any more. Instead, use the Fix Integrity. This problem, too, can be fixed running the Fix Integrity.
4) There's a problem with the mesh: if you look at the "preview", into the GMDC, you'll see that two screens are facing the wrong direction (they are facing inside. This can be fixed only editing the mesh.
5) The group name, in the GMDC, must be "screen", not "screens"; rename the group while editing the mesh in the 3D editor.

I've finally started my Journal. Information only, no questions.

My latest activity: CEP 9.2.0! - AnyGameStarter 2.1.1 (UPD) - Scriptorium v.2.2f - Photo & Plaques hide with walls - Magazine Rack (UPD) - Animated Windows Hack (UPD) - Custom Instrument Hack (UPD) - Drivable Cars Without Nightlife (UPD) - Courtesy Lights (FIX) - Custom Fence-Arches - Painting-TV - Smarter Lights (UPD)


I *DON'T* accept requests, sorry.
Test Subject
#975 Old 25th Nov 2005 at 10:03 AM
kk i thought so.. its not showing that message any more so it must be fixed!
thx
Locked thread | Locked by: Reason: Please refer to the ACTIVE THREAD (http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=82084). This is only an archive of old posts.
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