thereaverofdarkness2

this post doesn't belong here, mods please delete

Only in 1.1? I've never not had this same shadow glitch. Seriously, I think you just never noticed it.

I'll keep that in mind! My brain is tired of dealing with this but maybe later I'll try looking that up, and if I find anything I'll post back here about it.

I'm not complaining, I'm explaining. Something seems wrong with KSP. You guys are free to disagree with me. Apparently many of you do. Maybe I don't have much of an argument. I thought I did when I posted this. I gained a lot from posting this topic and I don't regret it. If you don't have anything to add, then just don't post anything. There is no need to call me out when I have done nothing wrong!

Please read previous posts or the bolded edit on the OP. I've been over this point so many times by now I'm basically beating a dead horse. I'm well aware of the "fish-eye" "effect" and I put both terms in quotes for a good reason. You call it fish-eye because you do not understand it, a point made clear also when you suggested it might have had anything to do with the quality of the graphics card--this is similar to the others who suggested it was caused by real/curvilinear/barrel-distortion rendering. It is just more data being squeezed into the same size space. You can't get around it by simply rearranging the data in any fashion. Please, if you read nothing else I've said, read the bolded portion here: the fish-eye effect is already present in the game; how much you notice it is entirely dependent on your view angle and has absolutely no relation whatsoever to any other graphical or rendering effects. The "effect" -- and I put the word in quotes because it is a mental illusion and no such effect actually exists -- shows up strongly in the images I provided in the OP because they are all wide-angle views. It shows up in the KSP screenshots, too, although its specific shape is different. If you had your view angle at 75º, you would probably not notice any "fish-eye" "effect", or at 60º you surely would not. I am not trying to flame you, I'm just trying to get you to understand that these points have already been explained previously in this thread and that you're looking at this whole thing from the wrong angle. I already have a graphics card that is far greater than what I need for KSP. It makes no difference, for reasons described in detail above.

While in the R&D Complex, the scene does indeed look much more like what I expect to see. Perhaps it's more an issue of the content in KSP than of the rendering method. I'm willing to believe that. It doesn't explain why EVE: Online looks fine, but then again EVE doesn't look perfectly fine, either. It still looks far more dramatic though. EVE doesn't have planet surface rendering, but space looks spacey albeit far too colorful for realism, but the planets look big to me even though I can warp from one side to the other in a matter of seconds. Maybe the resolution has something to do with it, too. For some odd reason, when I have the settings turned all the way up, the planetary terrain still looks like trash from low orbit. It could be utilizing far more of my VRAM and GPU to make that planet look amazingly high detail, but instead it looks worse than the limited-resolution planets in EVE look from low orbit, and those are rendered with only one level of detail.

I am finding it difficult to point out concrete differences. It feels way different, but I can't put my finger on exactly what it is. Any words I use to describe it seem wrong. Any pictures I show seem to match up on the most basic level, except for graphics glitches that are unique to KSP, such as the craft, ground, or sky not being able to draw all the way and being clipped with the camera. Here's an image that shows all three clipping artifacts: In KSP when you increase the view angle, you become able to measure distortion on the sides of the screen, but it doesn't seem like it's there. The thing you're looking at doesn't change shape, it just looks like you're zooming in or out. In any other game, the whole environment seems to change shape as you adjust view angle, and it is especially noticeable at high view angles. Here is an album showing four images: KSP wide angle, KSP narrow angle, Minecraft wide angle, Minecraft narrow angle I feel like the subject in the center looks essentially the same in both views in KSP, but very different in Minecraft. But I can't really point to any specific differences between the images. Do you see what I'm saying? It feels like changing the view angle in KSP does about the same thing as moving the camera further from or closer to the craft, but in any other game, changing the view angle is completely dissimilar to moving the camera forward/back. It also seems like the visible curvature of Kerbin is too high at low altitudes--it's clearly visible at 20km for instance. At 20km altitude, it should have almost exactly the same curvature as the horizon of Earth at 200km altitude, but it seems to have much more, two or three times as much even. It makes Kerbin look small, and it makes space less dramatic...unimpressive, almost. Narrowing the view angle to 30º makes for dramatic screenshots, but it doesn't make for an immersive game experience. And don't be talking to me about Kerbin's size relative to Earth. Yes, it is small compared to Earth. But it is very, VERY large compared to your spaceship. Regardless of how huge the Earth is in comparison, Kerbin should seem very big when you're in low orbit. I mean no offense when I say this, but that effect is nothing close to a real camera image. It seems to be trying to cancel out what I referred to as the "British Flag" effect, by pulling everything out orthogonally and squeezing it all in diagonally. It turns stuff into a different kind of unrealistically distorted. I'd love to have a real-lens effect in KSP, though.

I didn't see it in the patch notes when I checked before. It would have been a lot easier for me to find it if it were on the known issues page!

I didn't catch it in the act of anything. Often Windows will run excess junk in the background which, according to Microsoft, helps your computer run faster, but it is clearly seen that shutting these processes off almost always has a positive effect on performance and causing no errors beyond minor annoyances. But in this case, the svchost process was using no CPU, only hogging (read: accessing) well over a gigabyte of memory. Shutting it off when it gets so large--same with shutting off Mozilla Firefox browser when it gets large--seems to allow the processor to run cooler because it's just one fewer thing running in the background, but it does not have a major impact on performance. As I understand it, these programs primarily access so much memory because it's available, not because they need it. In theory, having this memory pre-accessed should make the program itself run slightly faster. In practice, the negative impact on the system as a whole outweighs the positive impact on the individual program and is especially noticeable when you run several programs at once for long periods of time without restarting the computer. All in all the real problem is that Windows is poorly optimized for PC gamers despite the fact that it's our favorite operating system. We should all be on Linux but we don't seem to realize that.

My brother found that post and thought that may have been the issue. He says he disabled Windows Updater but it did not solve the problem. Ground crew movement could have easily been the problem--there are not little animated objects milling about outside of the VAB or SPH. However I'd like to point out that if this is indeed the problem, it needs to be fixed because 45% of my quad core CPU is far too much for models simple enough that they should, quite frankly, run fine on an old Pentium 1 processor with SVGA graphics card. I've been running the VAB for a few minutes now with the ground crew turned off, and my CPU usage is stable at ~13% usage from KSP. Seems to be an effective workaround but I'll be waiting eagerly for a proper solution! Is there a bug report on the tracker corresponding to this? I'd like to watch it.

It specified exactly where it intends to find the file. I've heard a rumor that Windows 7 won't show all files even when it's set to show hidden files, but it could also be a temporary file made when the game is running. I think it's out of my league at this point, but from what blowfish said, it sounds like Squad may be already working on the issue. As far as it being about memory allocation, it doesn't necessarily mean that it's due to the game not being able to access memory. It might be accessing the memory in the wrong way. KSP just migrated to 64 bit very recently, there are still going to be lots of bugs to work out. If necessary, you might try going back to 32 bit for a while, but this will probably get fixed eventually.

We've established this much earlier in the thread already. The topic is no longer about why the game doesn't render straight lines as curves. It is about why KSP renders stuff differently from other rectilinear games. Despite all the answers here, I have yet to hear anyone address this point beyond saying one of three things: yes it happens, and it's a good thing yes it happens, and it's a bad thing no it does not happen So far, nobody has offered any explanation for it, and most of you seem to disagree that it even happens.

EDIT: Please see sal_vager's post below mine and try that BEFORE you try my fix. His is most definitely more informed and very much more likely to actually work. Looks like your parts files are corrupted somehow, or else the game is looking for the parachute diameter in the wrong place. The parachutes seem to be slowing your craft down, but not anywhere near as much as they should. My best recommendation is to re-install KSP from scratch. I suspect this may have happened when you updated a previous installation. Keep your save files and your craft files, but get rid of everything else and put your saves and crafts into a new KSP install. That should fix the issue.

I noticed that the output_log.txt file mentions this: Platform assembly: C:\KSP_win\KSP_x64_Data\Managed\System.dll (this message is harmless) Platform assembly: C:\KSP_win\KSP_x64_Data\Managed\Boo.Lang.dll (this message is harmless) Platform assembly: C:\KSP_win\KSP_x64_Data\Managed\System.Xml.dll (this message is harmless) And then it repeats this: The referenced script on this Behaviour is missing! (Filename: Line: 1649) The referenced script on this Behaviour is missing! (Filename: Line: 1649) The referenced script on this Behaviour is missing! (Filename: Line: 1649) The referenced script on this Behaviour is missing! I am not sure what it's referencing. It says what line but it doesn't make it clear what file. My guesses were either it's referencing System.Xml.dll, listed above, or that it's referencing itself. Line 1648-1650 are as follows: Load(Texture): Squad/Parts/Engine/liquidEngineSSME/SSME_GLOW (Filename: C:/buildslave/unity/build/artifacts/generated/common/runtime/UnityEngineDebugBindings.gen.cpp Line: 64) So I would like to see two more files: 1.) C:\KSP_win\KSP_x64_Data\Managed\System.Xml.dll 2.) C:/buildslave/unity/build/artifacts/generated/common/runtime/UnityEngineDebugBindings.gen.cpp If you could please upload a copy of these!

Some of the parts have been migrated to a new part file. This will cause ships with the old versions of these parts to contain defunct parts and it might be what's causing your bug. I know the Mk 1 Inline Cockpit is one such part but I don't know the others off the top of my head.

This is the Gyro Kraken eating your ship. It is attracted to larger ships. Part clipping will summon it quickly, but it can also be lured to SAS units that are misaligned from each other or even just by having more than one SAS unit on the craft. Trying to dock multiple units together can also make your multi-ship look very delicious, due to the modules sometimes not lining up perfectly. Generally speaking, what's happening to cause this effect is a self-feeding phantom force. Part A is attached to part B, part A starts to move and part B follows slightly later. Part A gets pulled back by part B but by then part B is in a slightly different position from where part A was getting tugged to. It creates a tiny wave that on small ships is harmless and not really noticeable, but on larger ships the wave can become self-feeding and gradually get stronger each cycle until it rips the ship apart. Here's some things for you to try: 1.) Turn SAS and RCS off. Sometimes it is the SAS causing the effect and turning it off stabilizes the ship. I have this happen most often on noodly rockets while in air. 2.) Try using fewer total docking ports, or avoiding making parallel docking circuits--make series-docking ships where possible. The wave can more easily feed itself when it loops around on itself. If you put all the modules in a line, it is less likely to be able to develop a self-feeding wave. 2.a.) If you do build a parallel circuit multi-ship, check the measurements VERY carefully. Try to make sure it matches up exactly by putting the exact same set of parts, attached only via attachment nodes, on all legs of the series circuit. If that doesn't work, try making them almost match up but be just barely off. Either one could work, all I know for sure is that the two will act differently. 3.) Check very carefully for part-clipping. Re-make modules if you have to. Parts that currently seem stable while the ship is partially built may in fact house the problem and may not show it until the ship gets larger. Pay attention to the way things fit together. Some parts clip very easily and willingly in the VAB or SPH. Watch your symmetry. Sometimes multiple parts in symmetry look like one part. 4.) Try to summon the Kraken by wiggling the ship. See if you can beckon it to come while the ship is smaller/has fewer modules on it. Maybe you'll find that it's only a matter of time before the ship starts to wobble. 5.) Try to use fewer parts, especially along the length of modules. The little bits hanging off the sides are generally fine, but use huge fuel tanks instead of big stacks of smaller tanks anywhere you can. 6.) Try using the Kerbal Attachment System mod to install struts between the most wobbly modules. If you increase the ship's rigidity, you might prevent the Kraken from eating the ship. It's also possible, though less likely, that adding struts will make your ship more delicious. 7.) Alter the part configuration files and make their connections stronger/more rigid. This is essentially cheating but sometimes makes the game behave in a more reasonable manner. It's really up to you whether or not you feel like you are cheating as well as whether or not you're okay with that. That's all I can think of. Hope one of these helps! If all else fails, build smaller. I know it's not what you want to hear, but KSP isn't built for what some of us are capable of dreaming up.

Ever since I installed version 1.1.3 I have been having all 4 cores of my CPU running up to around 45% while in the VAB or SPH regardless of what I'm doing or how many parts are on screen. It's making the processor heat up and the fan spin wildly. I have been unable to find a solution to this problem--apparently not very many others are experiencing it. I have already reinstalled the game and that did not help. I have also restarted my computer, tried going out of fullscreen mode, tried exiting other programs, but nothing works. I seemed to have it briefly solved once when I ended the largest svchost process on my computer but the bug came back later. I've tried adjusting the graphics settings all the way down and the game performs about exactly the same as with them turned all the way up. I recognize that I might need to get my heat sink worked on, but there is no reason the game should be using so much CPU in the VAB/SPH while I'm not doing anything and have no craft loaded, when it doesn't use half as much during flight with a large vessel with all the graphics settings turned all the way up. I'm using: Kerbal Space Program - 1.1.3.1289 (WindowsPlayer) OS: Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (6.1.7601) 64bit CPU: Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU W3520 @ 2.67GHz (4) RAM: 16382 GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 (3072MB) SM: 30 (Direct3D 9.0c [nvd3dum.dll 10.18.13.6510]) RT Formats: ARGB32, Depth, ARGBHalf, Shadowmap, RGB565, Default, ARGB2101010, DefaultHDR, ARGBFloat, RGFloat, RGHalf, RFloat, RHalf, R8 (copy+pasted from KSP.log) I am not running the Steam version of the game. https://www.dropbox.com/s/f2mr67evzzqvj8c/output_log.txt?dl=0 link to output_log.txt If you want to download the file without visiting Dropbox, change the "dl=0" at the end of the URL to "dl=1".

Please don't start an argument about eyes. I know plenty about how eyes work but if you want to debate me on the subject, send me a private message.

Our brains don't turn our eye image over, we simply have always seen it upside down and thus we don't know any better. It's not the same as when our brain pretends peripheral distortion doesn't exist, and neither one is the same as the way our retinal output wiring doctors the image to make the blind spot seem to not exist. But more importantly, as I have stated multiple times here (and I'm getting tired of re-iterating the point), the fish-eye effect doesn't happen at lower view angles and it isn't dependent upon the style of rendering. KSP still does the "fish-eye" effect, it just does it differently.

Focal length isn't a measure of field of view. Our eyes have a field of view close to 180º which is utterly immense for any camera. You can't do it with just a lens, you have to curve the CCD plate to get that effect AFAIK. Comparing the focal length of our eyes to that of a handheld camera is useless without other data because they have a different lens size.

But KSP really does look strikingly different from Minecraft or Quake at high FoV angle. I can turn KSP's view angle up to 120º and without studying the edge of the screen while rotating the camera, I can't even tell that the FoV is turned up. But in Minecraft the distortion is readily apparent even at 90º. And there is a huge difference between 90º and 120º. I turned it up to the max in KSP which by my rough estimation is somewhere near 150º and it looks about as distorted as Minecraft at "Quake Pro" 110º. More importantly, it doesn't produce the "British Flag" effect as I turn the camera. It has a different effect, something I'll call the "Space Odyssey" effect. It's like this image, but if you turn it on it's side: As best as I can describe it, it seems to be distorting to a flat horizon, almost as if the game were drawn onto two flat plates and we were standing between the plates, with one above us and one beneath us, and we're looking off into their vanishing point. Minecraft doesn't do this and Quake doesn't do this. But then Quake doesn't quite do the "British Flag" distortion either, but it looks much more like Minecraft and much less like KSP.

I already did that. That's how this post got started. I'm starting to think you might be right. When I compare KSP to Minecraft, they do seem to render the same way. Why, then, did it never bother me in other games? Maybe it's because they don't send you off into space, or because they have a horizon that's actually flat.

I don't actually know what barrel distortion is, it just sounded like it might be what I was referring to. They have what I like to call "British Flag" distortion. It seems to stretch outward at the diagonals and pull inward (or just stretch less outward) at the orthogonals. This rendering style keeps everything in straight lines, as you explained above. KSP does not do this. I don't know what it is doing, but I know it's doing it differently. KSP has straight lines, too, but with a different rendering method.

It wouldn't look fish-eyed at a normal view angle. I was showing an extreme to point out the difference. Please read the post before you try to discredit it, people! Not even close, and if you turn up the view angle (something you can do in the settings in Minecraft and Quake), you will see something completely different from when the view angle is turned up in KSP. But don't take my word for it. I want you to go try it yourself so you can really see what I mean. When you turn up the view angle in KSP, nothing seems to change. Maybe this makes it look "correct" to the untrained eye, but it also more or less eliminates the potential benefit of having the view angle increased in the first place. Why even have the option to do it? It doesn't really work in KSP. This is one of many unwanted effects from the way KSP renders, and these bugs only happen in KSP.

Yes, it does. As I explained more than once already, our brains pretend it doesn't happen. Don't just assume it didn't happen because you didn't notice it. If you actually watch your peripheral view, you can see the "distortion". But it happens less in our eyes because our retina is curved, unlike our flat computer screens. The only way to present a wide field view with no apparent distortion is on a dome over the player's head.