[1.1.2][1-1-2] May 13-2016 EnvironmentalVisualEnhancements

[Kommitz]

Does anyone know a good way to generate bump/normal maps? They can be added into the config like the other textures, but i need to figure out how to make them. I only have gimp at my desposal.

GIMP isn't great at generating normalmaps, but there is a plugin for it.

https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Normal_Map_Creation_in_The_GIMP covers it and has a link to the plugin.

Alternatively You could download the trial for Crazybump or something similar, it's much more in depth and controllable.

How are you planning on using the normals though? They're very memory intensive.

[NathanKell]

Bump maps are just heightmaps. Normal maps, harder; don't know how to make them in a graphics package.

But for bump maps, here's my suggestion. Render your clouds filter (I assume that's how you made the cloud detail texture?) at multiple resolutions--1024, 2048, 4096, and so forth. Then scale the larger ones down to 1024 each. (If GIMP supports variable cloud size for the cloud filter, just do it that way; Photoshop doesn't.) Then paste the larger ones as new layers into your 1024 image, and set the layers for the new ones to multiply. That will give you a few octaves of fractal noise.

[rbray89]

Some new cloud textures, a bug report, and a suggestion.

Clouds: https://www.dropbox.com/s/yigd9ia740mq4ur/CloudsTextures.zip

It has two 2048x1024 (actually 1/2 the memory footprint of your textures, because of the upscale of non-power-of-two textures) cloud textures, and a new detail texture. (Although I don't see much affect from the detail texture in game...)

The clouds are from NASA's Blue Marble set; the detail texture was some more work in PS based on yours (a few more octaves of clouds).

Bug report: the way you currently handle texture offsets is just to constantly add to them on update. That means, once sufficient time has passed in any given scene, the UVs start getting precision errors. You need to do the equivalent of a modulus operator: check if offset > 1 and remove ((int)offset) from it, for each axis, after you add your speed to it.

Suggestion: Configurable scale for the citylights detail texture, just as there is for detail textures for clouds. I even wrote the code for it to make sure it works; you're welcome to use it if you like.

Ooh... I had'nt thougt of that... FP is annoying sometimes. Thanks!

Can't wait to check those texutures out,

Edited November 4, 2013 by rbray89

[rbray89]

GIMP isn't great at generating normalmaps, but there is a plugin for it.

https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Normal_Map_Creation_in_The_GIMP covers it and has a link to the plugin.

Alternatively You could download the trial for Crazybump or something similar, it's much more in depth and controllable.

How are you planning on using the normals though? They're very memory intensive.

Thanks! Ill look into that. The shader actully uses it already. I plan on tiling it to add some additional vriation to the clouds and to make sure they light up more relistically during sunrise and set specifically.

[Tw1]

Looks great. I'm really glad you came along with your city detail. Between you and 5thHorseman I think we have a great city-planning team

Yeah, I do like how so many have teamed together to make this a very cool mod, each adding some of their own expertise. It's working well so far

Here are some photos of my latest experiment, imagery shot but Lanlong Kerman in Starbug 1, on a Fast Reconnaissance (low and retrograde) Orbit.

High up view looks pretty great.

From here, I'm almost tempted to intensify them even further. Or perhaps a careful splattering of larger ones, as they're all very close in size.

Lower down, I'm not so sure, it looks kinda like the city is full of giant seeds.

Also, I think it would look better of the white areas were made more orangey or yellowish, as they look a little washed out when close up. Colour seems to be controlled by the city layout texture, rather than the Detail texture, so that's a suggestion for you, Mr 5thHorseman.

I'm using the standard size city layout texture, rather than the large one, 'cause I'm stingy with memory use like that.

Perhaps tilling the cities a bit smaller would be better, but you wouldn't want to reduce it by much.

Though the patterns I've grown to like will change, it may be worth it.

Any other thoughts or suggestions for the city detail texture?

Edited November 4, 2013 by Tw1

[NathanKell]

So should I post my code as a pull or do you want to do it yourself? Or are you not interested in allowing user-changed scaling for the citylights detail textures?

(It's kinda necessary for rescaled Kerbin, otherwise the roads are a kilometer wide...)

[jpinard]

Very little. KSP is CPU limited, and what does the GPU care if it renders a few more particles? Well, I mean, the CPU has to transform them (unless Unity is modern enough to do that on GPU, which I doubt), but that's cheap compared to planet quadtrees or part physics.

I mean, heck, I've regularly been playing with about 5x the emitters*, so just increasing a single emitter's lifetime won't do much damage.

*smoke looks much better when you copy-paste smoketrail_large about 5 times. Same with flame_yellow. I did that on the Realscale Gemini, if you want to try it and see if it impacts your performance.

Could you provide that as a mod if it would look good in the non-rescaled game?

[NathanKell]

I'm adding it to MFS. It'll be configurable.

[MOARdV]

Bug report: the way you currently handle texture offsets is just to constantly add to them on update. That means, once sufficient time has passed in any given scene, the UVs start getting precision errors. You need to do the equivalent of a modulus operator: check if offset > 1 and remove ((int)offset) from it, for each axis, after you add your speed to it.

Please make sure you handle negative values correctly as well. I found I prefer flipping the sign on the speed parameter.

[rbray89]

So should I post my code as a pull or do you want to do it yourself? Or are you not interested in allowing user-changed scaling for the citylights detail textures?

(It's kinda necessary for rescaled Kerbin, otherwise the roads are a kilometer wide...)

I'll be adding the config items in today probably. Reuse my code from the cloud overlay.

[rbray89]

Please make sure you handle negative values correctly as well. I found I prefer flipping the sign on the speed parameter.

Yeah, will do.

[Superfluous J]

High up view looks pretty great.

Lower down, I'm not so sure, it looks kinda like the city is full of giant seeds.

Those are with the low-res default lightmap that comes with the mod? Impressive! I'd love to see your detail texture that achieves that!

Also, I think it would look better of the white areas were made more orangey or yellowish, as they look a little washed out when close up. Colour seems to be controlled by the city layout texture, rather than the Detail texture, so that's a suggestion for you, Mr 5thHorseman.

Amusingly that's already on my list

One thing I noticed about your city texture (the one in the mod already but this one seems to have it too, you can see it especially in the first picture) is a dark vertical and a less obvious dark horizontal line. For tests I was making huge splotches of pure white areas, and the grids were (obviously) very pronounced there.

EDIT:

Oh, and I love the "seeds." Who knows? Maybe that's what Kerbals live in?

[Overlord]

Ok I decided to keep the clouds and I love it but is there any chance to get a higher res cloud textures, or volumetric clouds, now that would really be awesome

[rbray89]

Ok I decided to keep the clouds and I love it but is there any chance to get a higher res cloud textures, or volumetric clouds, now that would really be awesome

The cloud textures can always be replaced... Those were simply some I found on the internet from NASA I believe. Volumetric clouds are on my list next.

[rbray89]

Those are with the low-res default lightmap that comes with the mod? Impressive! I'd love to see your detail texture that achieves that!

Amusingly that's already on my list

One thing I noticed about your city texture (the one in the mod already but this one seems to have it too, you can see it especially in the first picture) is a dark vertical and a less obvious dark horizontal line. For tests I was making huge splotches of pure white areas, and the grids were (obviously) very pronounced there.

EDIT:

Oh, and I love the "seeds." Who knows? Maybe that's what Kerbals live in?

I like the look of the "seeds" too. I hadn't noticed that the texture isn't seamless before...

[NathanKell]

rbray: thanks!

Overlord: a few posts up I posted some higher-res clouds.

[TBryson2]

Perhaps I'm missing something? I downloaded the latest, and plugged it into my "GameData" folder. But I have no clue how to get to the menus (shown in the video) NOR do I have any noticeable cloud improvement.

Are the "plugins" supposed to go in the "GameData" folder or the "Plugins" folder?

As it is, my folder structure is:

KSP\GameData\BoulderCo\CityLights( and Clouds and Plugins and common.cfg)

Thanks!

TB

[therealcrow999]

The menus in video is another mod called Hyperedit. It used to get in orbit fast to show off the mod. The mod goes in game folder. There shouldn't be cloud improvement, just clouds. You may be using a texture that has clouds in it already, like Universal Replacer.

Perhaps I'm missing something? I downloaded the latest, and plugged it into my "GameData" folder. But I have no clue how to get to the menus (shown in the video) NOR do I have any noticeable cloud improvement.

Are the "plugins" supposed to go in the "GameData" folder or the "Plugins" folder?

As it is, my folder structure is:

KSP\GameData\BoulderCo\CityLights( and Clouds and Plugins and common.cfg)

Thanks!

TB

[TBryson2]

Ok, thanks.

TB

[Simplicity]

Just a little pic of the city lights I snapped while heading for orbit

[therealcrow999]

I just notice something weird. I was trying to track down some lag in my game. I took out Universe Replacer. The only textures I had was for Kerbins, new skybox, and planets without clouds. After I just back in game, I notice Kerbin didn't seem to be as crazy cloudy as before. Something with Universe Replacer added extra clouds. Probably 4 layers, double of each. After I took it out, I got better fps.

Anyone using Universe Replacer, give it a try and let me know what happens.

[rbray89]

I just notice something weird. I was trying to track down some lag in my game. I took out Universe Replacer. The only textures I had was for Kerbins, new skybox, and planets without clouds. After I just back in game, I notice Kerbin didn't seem to be as crazy cloudy as before. Something with Universe Replacer added extra clouds. Probably 4 layers, double of each. After I took it out, I got better fps.

Anyone using Universe Replacer, give it a try and let me know what happens.

Hmmm? It could be that you may have been running with two of the clouds in different folders? The only other thing I can think of is that you actually had the universe replacer cloud pack installed. Did the clouds show up at low altitude?

[therealcrow999]

No, I didn't have any texture clouds running. Funny thing is it happened as I pulled the Universe Replacer folder out and put it right back in. I'm taking out UR, its sad but my game runs better, even loading game and in VAB. This happens when I put UR with no textures yet. The game doesn't like the plugin. I jumped 10 extra fps.

I Just seem to have had a planet that was really cloudy and couldnt see down to surface, even Laythe looked really cloudy, but now its fine.

[rbray89]

No, I didn't have any texture clouds running. Funny thing is it happened as I pulled the Universe Replacer folder out and put it right back in. I'm taking out UR, its sad but my game runs better, even loading game and in VAB. This happens when I put UR with no textures yet. The game doesn't like the plugin. I jumped 10 extra fps.

I Just seem to have had a planet that was really cloudy and couldnt see down to surface, even Laythe looked really cloudy, but now its fine.

Hmm... I took a look at UR's source a while back... I don't recall seeing anything that might do that... another possibility is that my plugin was somehow duplicated? That would probably cause what you are describing.

[Simplicity]

I just notice something weird. I was trying to track down some lag in my game. I took out Universe Replacer. The only textures I had was for Kerbins, new skybox, and planets without clouds. After I just back in game, I notice Kerbin didn't seem to be as crazy cloudy as before. Something with Universe Replacer added extra clouds. Probably 4 layers, double of each. After I took it out, I got better fps.

Anyone using Universe Replacer, give it a try and let me know what happens.

I use Universe replacer and don't have the problem, I have Celestial Bodies Revamped rev4 and Dreamscape_V.2 in universe replacer and have no problems like you are describing, I did have a cloud pack in it as well, but was advised to take it out as it was interferring with the moving clouds.