[0.23] Squad Texture Reduction Pack - B9 and KW Packs also

[NathanKell]

Normal maps should look like, for instance, this:

http://www.hardworkerstudio.com/HWR2013/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/normalmap.jpg

(via google)

What's going on, I think, is those might not actually be normal maps--they might just be bump maps. Since sure enough they're gray as gray can be no matter how I try to open them. But I think regular normal maps should keep their fourth channel, if I remember my readings right.

Edited October 3, 2013 by NathanKell

[The Destroyer]

Uh, why is the download button "Buy now!" instead of Downlaod now.

[WinkAllKerb'']

;) (10 char)

[drtedastro]

wishful thinking.

[lvallen702]

This is a bug with .21. It happens to me all the time, especially when I tab to different windows.

Is it happening to you on restarts everytime?

A bit late, but I had this same exact problem, had to force quit multiple times as it happened everytime I loaded up a ship in orbit, wouldn't let me do certain keyboard commands either (like F5/F9). I followed the uninstall instructions, verified the local cache through Steam, it downloaded almost 170 files (I think, can't remember the exact number). I re-loaded my game and everything worked fine. Played with that for a bit to make sure, then re-installed the reduction pack and BAM..there it was again. Rebooted, reloaded and still happened.

As soon as I uninstalled and went back in, it all worked fine. I understand that this isn't a plugin, doesn't change any code, but it's not playing nice with something for some reason - at least on my PC. Love the project idea tho and hope it's a fluke on my part as any optimization is beneficial.

Current mods: MechJeb2, Kethane and TAC Fuel Balancer

[PolecatEZ]

Uh, why is the download button "Buy now!" instead of Downlaod now.

Happens to me also. If you're logged into spaceport, everything shows up normal. If you aren't logged in, you don't see the photo, download count, and it tells you to Buy instead of Download. I'll hold my breath and wait for the check to arrive.

A bit late, but I had this same exact problem, had to force quit multiple times as it happened everytime I loaded up a ship in orbit, wouldn't let me do certain keyboard commands either (like F5/F9). I followed the uninstall instructions, verified the local cache through Steam, it downloaded almost 170 files (I think, can't remember the exact number). I re-loaded my game and everything worked fine. Played with that for a bit to make sure, then re-installed the reduction pack and BAM..there it was again. Rebooted, reloaded and still happened.

As soon as I uninstalled and went back in, it all worked fine. I understand that this isn't a plugin, doesn't change any code, but it's not playing nice with something for some reason - at least on my PC. Love the project idea tho and hope it's a fluke on my part as any optimization is beneficial.

Current mods: MechJeb2, Kethane and TAC Fuel Balancer

Could you also tell me your OS and graphics card? I doesn't look like you're pushing your RAM very hard so that probably isn't the issue. If we could figure out what those having issues have in common, it would probably help. The only thing I can think of is that a texture isn't being properly overwritten, that maybe 2 textures exist for the same thing that are confusing the system. However, this already happens for the Mk1Cockpit in the stock game. Anyways, more info would be cool.

If you would be so kind as to post your save game also, that may help. I'll see if I can lock it up also.

Edited October 3, 2013 by PolecatEZ

[wasmic]

Looking at the batch file (because you should never run a batch file with looking at it), why delete the model files? Why not just overwrite them with the what's in the zip file?

Also rather than redownload the orginal squad files, you could just copy the squad folder out for safe keeping. I have a tempmod folder just for this sort of thing

Edit: Nevermind, I think i figured it out. The new models aren't the same format (.mu) These are .tga

What's the difference? Can't .mu files be debloated? Just curious.

You've actually gotten it wrong. .tga files are texture files that are easily editable, while .mbm are the texture files that Squad uses by default, which are not editable. I don't think this mod does anything to .mu files.

[amo28]

A bit late, but I had this same exact problem, had to force quit multiple times as it happened everytime I loaded up a ship in orbit, wouldn't let me do certain keyboard commands either (like F5/F9). I followed the uninstall instructions, verified the local cache through Steam, it downloaded almost 170 files (I think, can't remember the exact number). I re-loaded my game and everything worked fine. Played with that for a bit to make sure, then re-installed the reduction pack and BAM..there it was again. Rebooted, reloaded and still happened.

As soon as I uninstalled and went back in, it all worked fine. I understand that this isn't a plugin, doesn't change any code, but it's not playing nice with something for some reason - at least on my PC. Love the project idea tho and hope it's a fluke on my part as any optimization is beneficial.

Current mods: MechJeb2, Kethane and TAC Fuel Balancer

@lvallen702: You ran the batch file, then copied the Squad folder from the zip into the /Gamedata folder, right? Did you get any prompts to overwrite files or any failures? I wonder if you're not having a permissions issue during copying.

[sharpspoonful]

Any word on an update for us "Commie-Hipster box" users? I could really use the free RAM.

[rosenkranz]

You've actually gotten it wrong. .tga files are texture files that are easily editable, while .mbm are the texture files that Squad uses by default, which are not editable. I don't think this mod does anything to .mu files.

Yeah, that was my bad. I had ment the default texture but transposed the file types.

[EuSouONumero345]

Hmm, i found possible bug. After loading ship in orbit, and then returning to Space Center i can't click on buildings in scenery view. Only thing i can click on is 'Quit' button :/ And when i'm in the Main Menu screen i can't click on anything either. To leave the game i have to use alt+F4.

This occurs sometimes with me, even with my unmodded game

[AshRagnorok]

OP

Can you add pictures of the texture changes. I.E. before and after.

[sidfu]

would be good if u could make a tool that would help with other mods also. i was messing around with a old texture compressor for skyrim before used it on the novapunch pack it took off 20megs of its 90meg sized but it changed the files to dds so couldnt use it.

[PolecatEZ]

OP

Can you add pictures of the texture changes. I.E. before and after.

I did take some shots while it was in development, but every time I found a major difference that would show up in a screenshot, I just upped that texture to the next level and it looked identical again. It would be a little strange to just show two identical screenshots. On anything but the highest graphic settings, they will be functionally identical to the originals.

If anyone has comparison photos of things that look different, feel free to post them.

[Psycix]

So far I've been doing this:

- Copy out the Squad folder.

- In that working folder, delete all files that are NOT of a specific size (4mb, 1mb, etc).

- Make a .tga template for that file size with the matching channels, etc. in Photoshop. File size should be close to identical.

- Open it with Hex editor, copy the first 18 characters to clipboard.

- Run through and paste over the first 20 characters on every .mbm file of the appropriate size.

- batch rename every file to .tga

- In photoshop, flip the red and blue channels (I have a saved profile for this), and kill the alpha channel. Then resize and save (no easy shortcut for this, but with practice I can do it manually while watching marathon Breaking Bad).

- Unless there's insane details, normal maps don't need to be bigger than 256x256

- Textures on small objects (.5m parts or smaller) can be 256 (512 with fine letters/writing)

- Medium objects generally are 512 or so.

- Highly detailed or large objects should stay at 1024, but this process still knocks them down 25%.

- Done.

It is possible to run through with Hexedit and change them back to .mbm's, but then its a PITA when you want to edit them later if you messed something up.

Its also possible to convert to .png's, but this makes the space savings a little obscure, as the game still re-bloats them to .tga sizes when it loads, and it may increase loading time (no idea). It also kills a bit of detail.

As you can see, its a lot of grunt work and not exactly skilled labor. I thought about drafting my 6 year old kid to doing some tedious parts but he started grumbling when I even mentioned it. Darn it, when I was his age I was losing a finger every week for 2 years in the textile mills...

Thanks for the answer, this reply has earned you my confidence. Going to install this soon.

[lvallen702]

Happens to me also. If you're logged into spaceport, everything shows up normal. If you aren't logged in, you don't see the photo, download count, and it tells you to Buy instead of Download. I'll hold my breath and wait for the check to arrive.

Could you also tell me your OS and graphics card? I doesn't look like you're pushing your RAM very hard so that probably isn't the issue. If we could figure out what those having issues have in common, it would probably help. The only thing I can think of is that a texture isn't being properly overwritten, that maybe 2 textures exist for the same thing that are confusing the system. However, this already happens for the Mk1Cockpit in the stock game. Anyways, more info would be cool.

If you would be so kind as to post your save game also, that may help. I'll see if I can lock it up also.

I'll see about figuring out a way to post the Save when I get home - or PM an e-mail addy and I'll throw it your way.

My rig is an Intel 4770k Haswell, 16GB RAM, SLI'd GTX 760's running on a fully updated Windows 7, couple terabytes free space on the install drive and runs off a 128GB Samsung 840 Pro SSD. Nothing is over clocked and don't have any other system issues.

All drivers are up to date, etc etc.

[lvallen702]

@lvallen702: You ran the batch file, then copied the Squad folder from the zip into the /Gamedata folder, right? Did you get any prompts to overwrite files or any failures? I wonder if you're not having a permissions issue during copying.

Yep, exactly what I did. Just got the notice that the Squad folder already existed and if I wanted to merge, said yes.. no other prompts when it copied it all over.

[PolecatEZ]

Update is UP. Thanks to Somnabulance's previous work, I figured out why the internals weren't responding to my romantic overtures in the form of MODEL command sets. Now they're mostly peachy and everything works fine.

Total shrinkage is now 400mb. I would be very hard-pressed to get it more than this. There may be room to squish it 20mb more or so, but the effort to benefit ratio on this is extreme. If someone else wants to tackle the 3mb .mbm files, I'll include them in the next release.

Enjoy in good health.

[NathanKell]

So....yeah. I'm pretty sure the alpha channel controls specularity on many of the color maps that are 32bit (ie 4mb vs 3mb, 1mb vs 768k, etc). So you really shouldn't be tossing that. :\

Check out the crew cabin. If you import it as four channel and the convert from CMYK to RGBA, you'll see that the alpha is white where things should be shiny (the gold foil top and bottom, the windows) and black where it should be matte (most of the rest)...and gray for the sides, which are painted metal.

So I'd really recommend against stripping alphas. Quite apart from the effect stripping them has on transparency.

[kyle.mk.howard]

Someone please nerf this for Mac so I can be profitable as well!!

[Ratzap]

Sweet free memory goodness. Thanks for this

[PolecatEZ]

Someone please nerf this for Mac so I can be profitable as well!!

Will dos-shell .bat files not run properly on MacOS? It seems simple enough, and they left the capability in Windows. If not, what would be the equivalent to do a conversion?

I would like to have alternative Mac and Unix installers up and running if anyone want to volunteer to do the .bat conversion.

-------------------

Next project is B9 texture redux pack. If anyone has any other requests, let me know.

Edited October 4, 2013 by PolecatEZ

[kyle.mk.howard]

If I knew how, I would be all over it!

[z0rt]

It would be relatively painless to adapt a bash script to perform the same task on macos/linux. I'd take a stab at it but I'm not home yet. In any case, you're a wizard Harry!

[Synthesis]

You have my gratitude, Polecat--anything to reduce crashing with my favorite mods (KOSMOS and K&W) and others. And if there's a discernible difference in gameplay without zooming right into the side of a tank, I can't tell.

I do kind of wish that there was an easier way to figure out if I ran the .bat file too many times (since it's always used to undo), but otherwise, it seems great.

Edited October 4, 2013 by Synthesis