Effects (Bloom, SSAO, SSDO) and VR/TrackIR Installers

[Darksaber]

a dedicated printable comprehensive list of shortcuts would be ideal though, at the moment they are scattered between a couple of readme files

[BenKenobi]

...
* Headlights: Pressing Ctrl+H will now turn on an additional light centered on your craft. This may help in missions where lights go out, like the Death Star. The color and intensity of the headlights is configurable in SSAO.cfg.

Hi Blue,

Could you explain the settings for the Headlights?

Code: Select all

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
; Headlights -- Press Ctrl+H to activate it
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

; The direction of the headlights, (0,0,1) is forward
headlights_dir = 0, 0, 1.0

; The color of the headlights, (0,0,0) is black and will turn it off
headlights_col = 0.65, 0.65, 0.7

; To improve visibility the ambient component is increased by this amount when
; headlights are turned on (set it to a low value):
headlights_ambient = 0.0005

I'm not sure how I should read the direction setting, but it is also not that important for me.

I think the color is RGB where 0-1 translates to 0-255, Am I right?

I'm not sure what the ambient setting should do, I assumed the value would be added to the General Ambient Lighting value (default at 0.005) but it seems not to work like that. I've set it to a real low value but for example the inner cockpit still lights up pretty bright which I wasn't expecting.

Cheers.

[blue_max]

I'm not sure how I should read the direction setting, but it isn't also not that important for me.

This is the direction of the light, in viewspace coordinates. If you set it to (1,0,0), the light will face right, (0,1,0) will probably face up (or down, maybe ). I probably should remove this setting.

I think the color is RGB where 0-1 translates to 0-255, Am I right?

Yes.

I'm not sure what the ambient setting should do, I assumed the value would be added to the General Ambient Lighting value (default at 0.005)

This setting replaces the general ambient value when the headlights are turned on. Now that you mention it, I probably should've added both of them...

but it seems not to work like that. I've set it to a real low value but for example the inner cockpit still lights up pretty bright which I wasn't expecting.

That's because the headlights will still illuminate the cockpit. I thought people might still want to read DC instruments, shields, etc, so we still need illumination inside the cockpit and it comes from the headlights. At the moment, this light is directional, not positional.

[BenKenobi]

I'm not sure how I should read the direction setting, but it isn't also not that important for me.

This is the direction of the light, in viewspace coordinates. If you set it to (1,0,0), the light will face right, (0,1,0) will probably face up (or down, maybe ). I probably should remove this setting.

I think the color is RGB where 0-1 translates to 0-255, Am I right?

Yes.

I'm not sure what the ambient setting should do, I assumed the value would be added to the General Ambient Lighting value (default at 0.005)

This setting replaces the general ambient value when the headlights are turned on. Now that you mention it, I probably should've added both of them...

but it seems not to work like that. I've set it to a real low value but for example the inner cockpit still lights up pretty bright which I wasn't expecting.

That's because the headlights will still illuminate the cockpit. I thought people might still want to read DC instruments, shields, etc, so we still need illumination inside the cockpit and it comes from the headlights. At the moment, this light is directional, not positional.

Thanks!

I'd prefer the headlights to not light up the cockpit (or at least not this much) the mentioned elements are bright enough for me, I'm comfortable with using 0.005 for the General Ambient Lighting and that can be pretty dark on the static parts of the cockpit but no problem for the instruments.

[AngeI]

So after much playing around, it seems I can get the best visual fidedlity/performance balance by using SSAO rather than SSDO. With the latter I just get too many frame drops and for the larger scale missions I'm designing, its too much. But loving the dynamic cockpits, ambient lighting, its just gorgeous and having briefly played on the stock XWA graphics today as I installed the base game, its amazing how far you guys have come in 20 years!

[jyanjyanjyan]

I'm having trouble with TrackIR. The game crashes to the desktop at the end of trying to load a skirmish, or after leaving the hanger on a campaign mission. However, this apparently only happens if I have "cockpit_inertia_enabled = 1" in the CockpitLook.cfg. If that option is disabled, the game does not crash but I still cannot look around. In this case, also, if I try to move the camera with the number pad keys or the POV hat on my joystick, it only moves about one degree before stopping in any direction. If I use "tracker_type = None" in the CockpitLook.cfg then I am able to use the number pad or POV hat to look around like normal.

I installed XWAU Craft Pack v1.6 and v1.1.3 of this mod using the .exe installers from the main download page, making sure to select the TrackIR install option. I am using TrackIR software 5.4.2.27545 with the TrackClipPro. When I start XWA and the launcher pops up, the TrackIR camera's second LED light lights up indicating that a TrackIR game is running. But when I select "Play X-Wing Alliance" to launch the game, that LED light turns off.

Has anyone successfully gotten the TrackIR option to work? I've seen a couple of YouTube videos of it working but I'm not having any luck. Am I missing some steps?

[blue_max]

if I try to move the camera with the number pad keys or the POV hat on my joystick, it only moves about one degree before stopping in any direction. If I use "tracker_type = None" in the CockpitLook.cfg then I am able to use the number pad or POV hat to look around like normal.

If you have any type of tracker enabled, that will override the POV hat because the tracker is supposed to take over the camera.

But when I select "Play X-Wing Alliance" to launch the game, that LED light turns off.

You mean the XWA Launcher? Just run xwingalliance.exe directly.

Has anyone successfully gotten the TrackIR option to work?

Yes, definitely. I'm not a TrackIR user myself; but if the built-in option isn't working for you, you might try this too:

https://xwaupgrade.com/phpBB3/viewtopic ... 33&t=12515

Are you running the 32-bit or 64-bit version of TrackIR?

[Driftwood]

Can confirm Track IR enabled install using current version of DC/AC cockpits, effects, backdrops works fine.

I'm using 64bit Track IR5 install. I do not have to use the work around to get it to function, it just works.

[jyanjyanjyan]

You mean the XWA Launcher? Just run xwingalliance.exe directly.

It works! Running the .exe directly fixes the problem (I could have sworn I ran the .exe directly in one of my tests... guess not). I am using the same v1.1.3 I tried before from the download page. It runs perfectly.

Both green LEDs on the TrackIR camera now stay on while playing the game to indicate that it works. Things were only failing when I used the launcher. It also does not crash anymore with "cockpit_inertia_enabled" enabled.

I am running a 32-bit version of TrackIR (it was installed to Program Files (x86)).

This is awesome. Thank you and everyone else for their hard work on this!

[keiranhalcyon7]

but it seems not to work like that. I've set it to a real low value but for example the inner cockpit still lights up pretty bright which I wasn't expecting.

That's because the headlights will still illuminate the cockpit. I thought people might still want to read DC instruments, shields, etc, so we still need illumination inside the cockpit and it comes from the headlights. At the moment, this light is directional, not positional.

Thanks!

I'd prefer the headlights to not light up the cockpit (or at least not this much) the mentioned elements are bright enough for me, I'm comfortable with using 0.005 for the General Ambient Lighting and that can be pretty dark on the static parts of the cockpit but no problem for the instruments.

Seconded. All the DC textures should be illuminated anyway, since they're representing display screens & indicator lamps, so lighting shouldn't have much impact on instrument legibility.

[Vince T]

Agreed, the headlight's shouldn't have any effect on the cockpit interior, but really only be directed forward, if that's possible.

[Trevor]

Agreed also for the same reasons.

Trev

[Vince T]

BTW, I've just noticed an old bug has made its comback:
WIth the current version (May 13) the light from suns comes from the wrong direction again. I.e. the side of an OPT facing a sun is dark, while the other side is illuminated. See screens:

sunlight.jpg

[Bman]

GT, for pic on the left, does your sun corona/"spikes" have any moving animation? I just see static sun images during flight.

[Vince T]

Yeah, that part does work lovely.

[Vince T]

BTW, I've just noticed an old bug has made its comback:
WIth the current version (May 13) the light from suns comes from the wrong direction again. I.e. the side of an OPT facing a sun is dark, while the other side is illuminated. See screens:
sunlight.jpg

OK scratch that bug, I noticed a few more shading bits on that old model so ran it through XWA OPTer again. Works like a charm now.

[Darksaber]

When your running an opt through XwaOpter. you first get a pop up stating

Mesh Index:
-1 means the whole OPT

It's set to -1 so you press ok

Next Popup

Normals Threshold, it's set to 51.4285714285714

what do you set this to? I set it to 0

Just curious what your setting it to

Thanks

[Vince T]

I usually leave the default value

[Darksaber]

Try setting to 0

[Vince T]

Not much of a difference as far as I can tell

[Darksaber]

Best way to tell is to open a before and after in XWAOptEditor

[Vince T]

The good thing about having a 35" monitor is that the concept of "before" and "after" no longer exists
Left: 51.xxx setting
Right: 0

See any difference? I don't

vsd1.jpg

vsd2.jpg

[Trevor]

The "Normals Threshold" (default 51) is the angle between 2 faces to be considered "Smooth".

If you set this to 0 then ALL faces are considered disconnected and flat.

I agree that 51 is too smooth and I ran the shuttle through it at 21 to fix the shading on the wings (the wings were trying to be "smooth" despite being slabs)


left is > 10, right is 0

Trev

[Darksaber]

Thanks Trevor

So what would you consider the ideal number should be?

[blue_max]

So what would you consider the ideal number should be?

Personally, I don't think there's an "ideal" number as it depends on how the mesh was modeled, how the meshes are split, etc. From my *very* limited experience, I controlled the normals directly in Blender (which BTW uses a value of 30 degrees).

But... I'm still learning how to OPT, so I'm also curious to hear what others use.