SS2 Four Hundred (400)

[66f9711eca2d9Salk]

Since I'm new around here and it's not in my plans to stay

Please do not say that. I've been waiting for such as you for years...

[66f9711eca600RocketMan]

I'm more confused by this statement than anything.  It's not like moving houses or getting a divorce or changing careers has any bearing on whether an account in an internet forum remains live.  You can always leave it and come back to say hi now and again when you have 5 minutes of free time kinda thing.

[66f9711eca8a7ACC]

I'm more confused by this statement than anything.  It's not like moving houses or getting a divorce or changing careers has any bearing on whether an account in an internet forum remains live.  You can always leave it and come back to say hi now and again when you have 5 minutes of free time kinda thing.

True. But I've got plenty of accounts here and there I don't use anymore. I registered to post these textures, when I have nothing else to post or get bored with it, I have no reason to log again. I'm not really a social kind of guy, I forget things very easily. That's what I mean when I say "it's not in my plans".

[66f9711eca9c8Marcelo]

I really hope to see more from this mod. I know a complete redo of all the textures is impossible but at least some improvements like for example the annoying discolored panels in training. Other than that I think this mod does a lot for the game and the fans owe you for that ACC. 

[66f9711ecaaa1Salk]

Let's just hope he won't "forget" too soon about this...

[66f9711ecadf1grittymodder]

Hello, i'd like to try to create some textures. I've created today a small utility to view the current modded textures and (possibly) add new ones. You can find some images here http://imgur.com/a/XVwPV
I developed it viewing how the files are organized in this mod. The program reads (and shows) all the PCX files in the original CRF file you specify (FAM.CRF or another if you want), then reads if there are mtl files with the same path in the mod folder you specify. Then through the path specified inside those files it retrieves the INC file. In this last one it searches for a texture definition and shows the image in the software. It also detects what has a new image and what not (red text on the left is of not modded textures).
The idea is to go to a not modded texture, click to create a template MTL file in the correct folder, click to create a template INC file in the correct folder (you can specify when you want to put those). Then you can edit the files directly there, copy to clipboard the PCX file (and, later as another option, save it to a PNG file with the same original name).
Currently i don't support INC files with multiple texture. To count the textures modded i check if there's the MTL and INC file for now, without checking if the image has been created.
I plan also to create a dummy texture (a colored checkerboard) if you want, so you can go around the level and detect where that texture is used. Probably you can find where that texture is used from the SS2 editor, don't know if this option could be useful.

I also plan to make some textures. Is there a guide to create a correct INC file? I'd try to create the images in the RTECH folder, but i see that displays have more complicated scripts (looking some similar textures in this mod). Do i need to replicate something found somewhere or those scripts are created from scratch?
I'll try to make those displays with vectors graphics (using the opensource software Inkscape) so they can be exported with higher resolutions if needed in the future (or you can add new highlights or shadows). I'll share also these SVG files.

If there are no similar softwares i can share the software, if you want

[66f9711ecaf19grittymodder]

Have you suggestions in what to write in this texture? Do you like the font used or is there one more similar (possibly not bitmap, so it remains good even with higher resolutions)


Image: http://i.imgur.com/NrVX63T.png

[66f9711ecb087Kolya]

The SS2 font that is used in pretty much all the monitor textures is available here.
And I'm sure that software would be useful to ACC at least and probably others as well.

[66f9711ecb186RocketMan]

Where in the ship is that texture most frequently used?  The setting should dictate the sort of text you put on it.  Right now, without knowing any better I'd think it was some sort of EKG

[66f9711ecb385grittymodder]

Probably these screens uses another type of font. See here the number one how is shaped (i remade the number by hand with lines here)

Image: http://i.imgur.com/wRaNOI4.png

Now see another screen i'm doing

Image: http://i.imgur.com/wwqmEZG.png

you can see the number one used (create with the font Square 721) below is different. Also you can see the j of "project" has kind a different curve in the lower part of the character (i know, the original is small to compare it..). Also i tried to change the spacing of characters but somehow i cannot find a perfect match
If it's not an issue i can continue with it.

Image: http://i.imgur.com/dkUHGCj.png

about the text, probably these textures contains random letters because with so low resolution you cannot even read them (easier for finish the job ). Looking the 3 screens i think it's some kind of targeting system but that "project 2501" seems to tell it's some kind of research machinery... 

[66f9711ecb5faZylonBane]

Where in the ship is that texture most frequently used?

The RTECH family isn't used anywhere in the game, though it was obviously intended for the Rickenbacker.

[66f9711ecb8cbgrittymodder]

Oh good, so i've redone unused textures? 
So to review the work done and "special" folders:

• tech, hyd_tech and st_tech are done already in other mods
• waterxxxxx are done already in other mods
• skyxxxxx are done already in other mods
• shared should have some textures probably already recreated for the objects in other mods, isn't it?
• test is not used, isn't it?
• opsnew is not used, isn't it?
• rtech is not used
• msgtest and opstest are used?
• shodan has system shock 1 textures, do we recreate also those ones? 

[66f9711ecba0eZylonBane]

Recreating the Citadel Station textures at higher res seems a bit counter to the spirit of the level. Though even Irrational redrew several of them to look more realistic.

[66f9711ecbb6cMarcelo]

You're doing a great job so far GrittyModder.  I'm patiently waiting for someone to finally redo the annoying grey pigmented panels in Training Facility.

[66f9711ecbc82ZylonBane]

Grey is a pigment?

[66f9711ecbd99Marcelo]

Just giving a bit of moral support for GrittyModder.  ZylonBane.

[66f9711eccdc7ACC]

I also plan to make some textures. Is there a guide to create a correct INC file? I'd try to create the images in the RTECH folder, but i see that displays have more complicated scripts (looking some similar textures in this mod). Do i need to replicate something found somewhere or those scripts are created from scratch?

The scripts are created from scratch, you can get tons of infos about the different functions in the documentation provided along with the patch.
(From the top of my head) to be perfectly fair, I think I rejected all recommendations about the INC & MTL files organization (if I recall correctly, they expected the artist to keep both MTL and INCluded files in the same directory). As far as I know, INC files and MTL files uses the very same syntax, I don't think the engine makes any difference but will only search for existing MTL files (so if you want to use an INC file, you must include it with the INCLUDE function). In shot, theses extensions are only there for organization purpose.

Like I posted before, a few functions doesn't seem to work at all, there's a synchronization problem (so don't try anything fancy with multiple layers), and finally, check out for the engine's log if you noticed anything strange (like memory corruption kind of artifacts): the engine has no fallback values and safe checks if you ever mistyped a filename.

[66f9711ecd0eaZylonBane]

there's a synchronization problem (so don't try nything fancy with multiple layers)

Fancy things with multiple layers have worked fine for me. What is this supposed synchronization problem?

[66f9711ecd21aLarkSS]

Confirming. I've done different timings across multiple layers without any synchronization problems. I have however had many problems getting SPIN and ROTATE to behave as expected. SCALE does seem to respond to the default pivot though, but not being able to disable the repeating pattern behavior kinda stinks.

[66f9711ecd2eaZylonBane]

uv_clamp

[66f9711ecd3f9LarkSS]

My attempts at using uv_clamp would cause the render_pass it was applied to be ignored (nothing rendered). It doesn't seem to apply globally for me either. I've only been playing with materials for a few days now though, so perhaps I'm not going about things correctly yet. If you have an example with uv_clamp you've personally used successfully, I'd be happy to see it.

[66f9711ecd6d5ACC]

Confirming. I've done different timings across multiple layers without any synchronization problems.

My bad, it's not about the layer but about the functions:

Just to explain what I tried to do: one picture, two offset functions. The first function would push the texture to the left by 25% the size of the picture every .5 seconds (500ms). The second func would push the pictyre down by 25% the size of the picture every second (1000ms). So, while the picture moved 4 times to the left, it should also go down twice AND both moves should be synchronized:
1- go left
2- go left AND down at the same time

Unfortunately, one of the function would always react a few frames before the other...

I suspect the timing is not frozen for the whole rendering pass, might be CPU dependent (or GPU dependent, I have no idea how it's handled)

[66f9711ecd801LarkSS]

I just tried this:

Code: [Select]

uv_mod VOFFSET_WAVE SAWTOOTH 0 0.0625 0 500
uv_mod UOFFSET_WAVE SAWTOOTH 0 0.0625 0 1000
rgb func WAVE SAWTOOTH 0.25 1 0 500

Everything seems to be syncing up exactly on-the-nose on my end, even with a second render_pass doing the same thing but backwards. If you still have code left over of when things weren't behaving correctly, I could try them out on my end if you'd like.

[66f9711ecd986grittymodder]

The program i've created lets you define where to put INC files. The default paths are the ones used in this mod, but one can set a different folder, for example to save the textures in another location to separate ACC textures to the ones created by others.
I've to finish a couple of things and fix a problem that occurs sometimes reading the PCX files, then i'll release it.
About the textures, i see that many are variations of the ones already done by ACC. They could be done quite easily but maybe it's better to have ACC do them (i think probably some are not 100% done and would be wasted effort).
I am currently studying some kind of workflow for creating hard-surface textures (like these ones in SS2 with panels, scratches, etc) for a game i intend to create (not as a hobby but with a fulltime focus, i dediced this after 10 years of on and off studying and experimenting). The idea is to have some self-made tools and SS2 textures is a good reference to test them on