[PLUGIN][ALPHA-10] City Lights and Clouds on Kerbin/Others

[rbray89]

A favor: Could you replace radius, in the config file, with km height offset, and then calculate the actual radius ingame? If you needed the scalar, it'd be as (body.radius + offset * 1000) / body.radius

Then this could be just "dropped in" to work with real-size Kerbin, rather than having to change the radii to 1.00038 and 1.00076.

Regarding the layer issue and rescaling--is that related to the render order post you made directly afterwards, or a different layer problem? I wouldn't have thought render order would change the _scaling_ of the clouds...

It's an issue with the camera that the camera I created is parented to. I need to parent to a different transform. It affects Tracking view only.

[rbray89]

The clouds need a better texture for the ground, as well as the sky.

Is that an offer? Haha, I'm not an artist, I'm a programmer. If the community want's to supply a better texture, so be it. Until then, the texture that is there is the one that will be used. A few good people have already put forward nice textures.

[rbray89]

A favor: Could you replace radius, in the config file, with km height offset, and then calculate the actual radius ingame? If you needed the scalar, it'd be as (body.radius + offset * 1000) / body.radius

Then this could be just "dropped in" to work with real-size Kerbin, rather than having to change the radii to 1.00038 and 1.00076.

Regarding the layer issue and rescaling--is that related to the render order post you made directly afterwards, or a different layer problem? I wouldn't have thought render order would change the _scaling_ of the clouds...

I'll have to think about it. Not sure how that would work with planets like Jool.

[KerbMav]

It layers it on top, so yes, it is visible from orbit.

Meaning does your mod "only" add clouds and lights or does it also provide a higher resolution ground texture?

[NathanKell]

I'll have to think about it. Not sure how that would work with planets like Jool.

Ah, right. For Jool I guess you _want_ the clouds farther off the surface.

Hmm. This is an interesting question, actually.

Though I should point out, Jool is smaller than Earth.

[rbray89]

Meaning does your mod "only" add clouds and lights or does it also provide a higher resolution ground texture?

It does nothing to alter the ground texture. It is therefor (completely Compatible with universe Replacer)

[KerbMav]

Indeed.

[Carneiro]

Thanks!

I installed, but the game became weird, the crafts in orbit of Kerbin became transparent, and when I try to get to vehicle Assembly Building, the game crashes.

Did you install from this link? https://github.com/waka324/VisualEnhancements/releases/tag/Alpha-6 Are you running .22?

Yes, I'm running on .22 and installed from this link. The crashes of the game stopped after remove this mod, but the transparent rockets continue, I think is other mod or game bug that is causing this.

Edited October 25, 2013 by Carneiro

[rbray89]

Yes, I'm running on .22 and installed from this link. The crashes of the game stopped after remove this mod, but the transparent rockets continue, I think is other mod or game bug that is causing this.

hmmm... I just double checked, and the VAB is fine in my build. Did you do a clean download of .22 or an update from .21? I found I had issues with a .21 to .22 build.

In any rate, there is a new MUCH improved build ready on the first post soon.

[rbray89]

Alpha-7 is ready! Next up: exposing more config params and fixing polar UV warping.

[ymir9]

New version looks beautiful! Stratosphere-level clouds look much more natural now.

[Lack]

The new build is great.

I noticed the clouds still being visible if another planet is in the way, but strangely don't find myself minding in the slightest. Also, which new config values are open now? I had a quick poke around but nothing jumped out.

[Superfluous J]

I'm still noticing a jaggy line between hemispheres in the clouds. The lights look great from both low and high, though. Nicely done!

However, you seem to be letting the lights come out into the water now. I was actually utilizing the fact that thre was a hard cutoff between land and water on my new map, by cheating the splotches out into the water a bit to give a nice hard cutoff at the shore line, like a harbor city would be. Not sure, though, if I liked the effect so not being able to do it isn't that big a deal.

Edited October 25, 2013 by 5thHorseman

[Lack]

I've had to play around with my .cfg edits and textures for these planets a bit, but it really does look great. Lower altitudes especially.

Unfortunately I crash landed when I went to make a cup of tea. Attempt two did much better and actually landed (mostly thanks to landing gear)

And Jool just looks plain scary.

Edited October 25, 2013 by Lack

[XNerd_Bomber]

I'm getting a weird bug with the newest version of this. After I go to the map screen, exit it, and go back, the lines that show my trajectory no longer show up. It goes away after I uninstall this mod.

In future release, could you possibly try making the layer of clouds more circular, if that makes any sense?

Also, thanks for making such an awesome mod!

[Superfluous J]

Just in case anybody was wondering if they should give this mod a try or not...

[ThesaurusRex]

Okay, I'm a bit of a noob here when it comes to mods, but I'm not exactly sure how to install this. According to search, I'm simply supposed to put the folder into my GameData folder and everything will work itself out...but when I launch the game, nothing's changed. Is there some sort of additional instruction I've missed?

[XNerd_Bomber]

Okay, I'm a bit of a noob here when it comes to mods, but I'm not exactly sure how to install this. According to search, I'm simply supposed to put the folder into my GameData folder and everything will work itself out...but when I launch the game, nothing's changed. Is there some sort of additional instruction I've missed?

The mod works, but the effects don't show up in the menu, just start a game, and launch a rocket; you'll be able to see that it works.

[ThesaurusRex]

Nope. Loaded up a game, launched a rocket, used map view etc, nothing. Do I just have an odd copy of the game?

[XNerd_Bomber]

Nope. Loaded up a game, launched a rocket, used map view etc, nothing. Do I just have an odd copy of the game?

What version of the game are you running?

Make sure that the folder that was placed in GameData was BoulderCo.

[rbray89]

The new build is great.

I noticed the clouds still being visible if another planet is in the way, but strangely don't find myself minding in the slightest. Also, which new config values are open now? I had a quick poke around but nothing jumped out.

Hmmm... I hadn't thpught of that... Ill look into solutions.

[ThesaurusRex]

0.22, it's in GameData.

...I wonder if it makes a difference using the launcher instead of going straight to the .exe...

[rbray89]

I'm still noticing a jaggy line between hemispheres in the clouds. The lights look great from both low and high, though. Nicely done!

However, you seem to be letting the lights come out into the water now. I was actually utilizing the fact that thre was a hard cutoff between land and water on my new map, by cheating the splotches out into the water a bit to give a nice hard cutoff at the shore line, like a harbor city would be. Not sure, though, if I liked the effect so not being able to do it isn't that big a deal.

Yeah, I can't seem to figure that one out... Probably an atmospheric effect.

[MOARdV]

Alpha-7 looks much better than Alpha-6 - clouds are visible during flight through the mid/upper atmosphere, and the detail effects on the city lights helps them out a lot (instead of big, pixelated blocks). The only visual glitch I'm seeing right now looks like its probably related to texturing the cloud layer, and it's relatively minor. I can see some of the triangle edges showing up as brighter, straight lines between vertices. Are the cloud textures sampled per vertex or per pixel? It looks like interpolation of a couple of whiter / higher alpha vertex samples along the edge between them.

One config question: Right now, the clouds appear to move at a drastically different speed than the planet below (this is obvious when warping in a higher orbit). I see a "speed" setting in the cloud config. What's that value mean? I'd like to change the speed to something closer to the length of a day, so the clouds aren't moving so rapidly relative to the surface.

[rbray89]

Ah, yes, that is probably due to the layer I chose... Does anyone know if there are any free layers in KSP that can be used? I need at least two.