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

[Aknar]

Cool, I can't wait thanks for the update, I was really looking forward to it

[AndreyATGB]

rbray89, HUGE issue with the last PQS test. I can replicate the issue easily by putting 6-7 instead. My Moho station simply doesn't load in the game, instead spamming NullReferences like crazy. There are also a lot of:

[LOG 17:42:38.282] Skipped rendering frame because GfxDevice is in invalid state (device lost)

The NRE's look like this:

KeyNotFoundException: The given key was not present in the dictionary.

at System.Collections.Generic.Dictionary`2[system.String,System.Collections.Generic.List`1[OverlaySystem.Overlay]].get_Item (System.String key) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0

at OverlaySystem.OverlayMgr.UpdateCurrentBody (System.String body) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0

at OverlaySystem.OverlayMgr.OnDominantBodyChangeCallback (FromToAction`2 data) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0

at EventData`1[GameEvents+FromToAction`2[CelestialBody,CelestialBody]].Fire (FromToAction`2 data) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0

at OrbitPhysicsManager.setDominantBody (.CelestialBody body) [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0

at OrbitPhysicsManager.checkReferenceFrame () [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0

at OrbitPhysicsManager.FixedUpdate () [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0

(Filename: Line: -1)

NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object

at OverlaySystem.OverlayMgr.Update () [0x00000] in <filename unknown>:0

I can provide a save game but my save is full of mods so bear that in mind. This leads to the station not loading but it keep orbiting. The orbit line in map view is also absent, though it follows the correct path.

Wanted to add this happened in a 500k km Solar orbit first. I switched to it and it was gone. Happily this does not break save games or anything, simply replacing the mod with the older version makes everything load fine.

Edited January 28, 2014 by AndreyATGB

[rbray89]

rbray89, HUGE issue with the last PQS test. I can replicate the issue easily by putting 6-7 instead. My Moho station simply doesn't load in the game, instead spamming NullReferences like crazy. There are also a lot of:

The NRE's look like this:

I can provide a save game but my save is full of mods so bear that in mind. This leads to the station not loading but it keep orbiting. The orbit line in map view is also absent, though it follows the correct path.

Wanted to add this happened in a 500k km Solar orbit first. I switched to it and it was gone. Happily this does not break save games or anything, simply replacing the mod with the older version makes everything load fine.

Ah... I know what this is from. Ok, thanks!. I'll have a fix for it tonight.

[AndreyATGB]

Ah... I know what this is from. Ok, thanks!. I'll have a fix for it tonight.

Now this sounds insane, but with the test version my apoapsis and periapsis were rising by themselves. Just like that they were both going up at the same time, no thrust applied and in the same place, same ship and everything with 6-7 they are static as usual. Great to know you know how to fix, glad to help.

[rbray89]

Now this sounds insane, but with the test version my apoapsis and periapsis were rising by themselves. Just like that they were both going up at the same time, no thrust applied and in the same place, same ship and everything with 6-7 they are static as usual. Great to know you know how to fix, glad to help.

Yeah, I'm not checking that something exists in a callback from Squad's game engine. Haha... Squad should have better exception handling for us crazy modders.

[Superfluous J]

I can't imagine how the mod would do that... Can you post the log file?

Sure, here 'tis. It's not EXACTLY what I reported but it's the same thing. I selected a flag at semirandom from the tracking station to show you how "landed" craft are okay, and it had the problem. So I just exited from there. Note: It said when I went back to the Space Center that I couldn't leave because the flag was moving over the surface

[rbray89]

Sure, here 'tis. It's not EXACTLY what I reported but it's the same thing. I selected a flag at semirandom from the tracking station to show you how "landed" craft are okay, and it had the problem. So I just exited from there. Note: It said when I went back to the Space Center that I couldn't leave because the flag was moving over the surface

I assume the flag was on a body that didn't have any cloud overlay? If so, then I'm pretty sure I know where this is coming from.

[Superfluous J]

I assume the flag was on a body that didn't have any cloud overlay? If so, then I'm pretty sure I know where this is coming from.

Yes. It was on Mun. Are you thinking that I can only control ships that are in the SOI of a clouded body?

[rbray89]

Yes. It was on Mun. Are you thinking that I can only control ships that are in the SOI of a clouded body?

yes/no. possibly. The issue is happening in a callback, so if that callback occurs (which should happen every time you change dominant SOI body) it throws an exception, ruining whatever call tree called it in the first place.

[SnappingTurtle]

I've been experimenting with ray marching through 3D textures for volumetric looking objects. Do you think this would be feasible for clouds/auroras in this mod?

[NathanKell]

If you can do it all shader-side, then yes. The shader is very under-utilized in KSP. If you have to use CPU time to do it, not so much; it's already CPU-bottlenecked.

[rbray89]

I've been experimenting with ray marching through 3D textures for volumetric looking objects. Do you think this would be feasible for clouds/auroras in this mod?

If you can do it all shader-side, then yes. The shader is very under-utilized in KSP. If you have to use CPU time to do it, not so much; it's already CPU-bottlenecked.

I considered it, there is lots of room in KSP for GPU utilization. However, I'm not certain there is enough to do it fast enough. That, and a 3d Texture takes a LOT of memory. You would have to add Perlin noise in the shader to add detail. If you get it working really well, let me know. I'd be very interested.

[CalculusWarrior]

I apologize if this has been asked before (in that case just point me towards the answer), but is there any way to reduce the impact of this mod on my computer? I have downloaded the low-res version, but are there any settings I can tweak in the ALT-N menu which will improve performance?

[rbray89]

I apologize if this has been asked before (in that case just point me towards the answer), but is there any way to reduce the impact of this mod on my computer? I have downloaded the low-res version, but are there any settings I can tweak in the ALT-N menu which will improve performance?

Nothing that would improve performance I'm afraid. Does it run slower? It really shouldn't.

[CalculusWarrior]

I think it's my graphics card's chronic inability to actually display much. I get normal framerates when in the map screen and looking away from Kerbin, but it drops significantly when looking at the planet. I've adjusted the delta-time slider, which makes things tolerable, however.

[rbray89]

I think it's my graphics card's chronic inability to actually display much. I get normal framerates when in the map screen and looking away from Kerbin, but it drops significantly when looking at the planet. I've adjusted the delta-time slider, which makes things tolerable, however.

Ah... does it happen with/without my mod? The slowness when looking at Kerbin comes from the ocean. Someone found a workaround: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/59005-0-23-Release-1-1-Active-Memory-Reduction-Mod?p=853123&viewfull=1#post853123

[CalculusWarrior]

Ah... does it happen with/without my mod? The slowness when looking at Kerbin comes from the ocean. Someone found a workaround: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/59005-0-23-Release-1-1-Active-Memory-Reduction-Mod?p=853123&viewfull=1#post853123

Yes, I did have tremendous amounts of ocean lag before installing Visual Enhancements, but a combination of low graphics settings, the delta-time slider, and the fix you posted above managed to remove most of it. I'm guessing that the addition of a whole new layer of stuff to render is too much for my poor graphics card to handle.

[Cydonian Monk]

Yes, I did have tremendous amounts of ocean lag before installing Visual Enhancements, but a combination of low graphics settings, the delta-time slider, and the fix you posted above managed to remove most of it. I'm guessing that the addition of a whole new layer of stuff to render is too much for my poor graphics card to handle.

I can second CalculusWarrior's issues, though I expected it as I have a meagre little Intel HD4000 for a graphics "card." I accepted it as the cost of doing business... the game is better with this mod, even if it's a good bit faster without. EVAs on Kerbin are especially painful, but that's more of a 0.23 issue that's just amplified by your mod.

[Astronomer]

Yes, I did have tremendous amounts of ocean lag before installing Visual Enhancements, but a combination of low graphics settings, the delta-time slider, and the fix you posted above managed to remove most of it. I'm guessing that the addition of a whole new layer of stuff to render is too much for my poor graphics card to handle.

Turn off Shader Model 3.

[rbray89]

Turn off Shader Model 3.

Does the mod even work without SM3?

[NathanKell]

That "fix" for the ocean is...um. Not a fix, you're just turning the subdivision of the quadtree used for the ocean down. The issue is that for planets with oceans KSP renders two procedural planets, one land, one ocean. If you turn the subdivisions down, the ocean's surface level will be weird, since what happens with the PQS is (by 2D analogy) fitting a polygon to a sphere, and you know how much more gap there is between a square inside a circle, and an octagon inside a circle...that's why the water level appears to go "up" or "down" when you change max subdivisions.

[rbray89]

That "fix" for the ocean is...um. Not a fix, you're just turning the subdivision of the quadtree used for the ocean down. The issue is that for planets with oceans KSP renders two procedural planets, one land, one ocean. If you turn the subdivisions down, the ocean's surface level will be weird, since what happens with the PQS is (by 2D analogy) fitting a polygon to a sphere, and you know how much more gap there is between a square inside a circle, and an octagon inside a circle...that's why the water level appears to go "up" or "down" when you change max subdivisions.

Yes it changes the subdivisions... Do you think it is the shader that is so awful? If that is the case, we could try replacing it with something simpler.

[NathanKell]

It's the PQS. Planetary quadtrees are expensive, and they're doing basically all the work on the CPU. (They kinda have to, given how PQSMods work, but there are ways...). What really would be nice is if they could just render the entire ocean in the pixel shader, which I think should be possible (check if z-value of pixel is underwater from camera POV, render blue if so, etc).

[Superfluous J]

That "fix" for the ocean is...um. Not a fix, you're just turning the subdivision of the quadtree used for the ocean down. The issue is that for planets with oceans KSP renders two procedural planets, one land, one ocean. If you turn the subdivisions down, the ocean's surface level will be weird, since what happens with the PQS is (by 2D analogy) fitting a polygon to a sphere, and you know how much more gap there is between a square inside a circle, and an octagon inside a circle...that's why the water level appears to go "up" or "down" when you change max subdivisions.

While it's not a perfect fix, it is (to me) very much worth having a wonky ocean in order to (even in the stock game) get FPS above 5 when looking at the horizon in the atmosphere. Sure, the ocean looks wonky some times and (gasp!) I may land in the water a few seconds earlier or later. But other than that there is no functional difference between the two except the "fix" gives me an enjoyable play experience.

[NathanKell]

Oh, I'm not saying don't use it, I've used it myself at times. I'm just saying (a) it's not a "fix" because "PQS is slow" is not a bug, and ( it has issues.