[WIP] Loading textures only as required

[SpacedInvader]

I'm really looking forward to the next version, Faark. It's absolutely essential for me now. No more running out of memory even when running with half the Spaceport installed at the same time.

I find myself recommending this a lot these days. It's really hard to argue with a 5GB GamaData folder and almost no crashes...

[Proot]

Update: Currently TR is only kinda supported. You currently cant use TR to replace part textures and you also have to disabled mipmap generation. Yes, thats not rly what you want and i'll think about how to improve compatibility. But so far even without the crash LOD cannot just simply load TRs textures, but i guess thats what it should aim for.

Many thanks Faark! I hope you can reach a full compatibility with TR in the future.

[Kolago]

This mod is so cool! Thanks a ton!

[Guest]

I've found a bug when using this with CoolRockets. It results in the transparency on FX being lost (or something like that), leading to them looking like squares instead of smoke. Could you look into it?

[Faark]

Are you sure it is caused by LoD? Looks like their effect models are in separate directories and shouldn't be touched by LoD at all...

Anyway, i've added it to my Todo list and will try to reproduce it once the stuff currently wip is done.

[Motokid600]

So I'm just really discovering this and it looks great. Few concerns before I give it a try. Sorry If they've already been covered. I use TR. Proots compilation. So can I have LOD ignore TR? And just focus on my part textures? I'm willing to give up the memory towards it.

And.. how is vessel loading when hitting the 2.1km load point? Lets say I'm docking with a fairly large station. What are the chances It'd crash and is there a load time?

[Faark]

Hey Motokid,

vessel loading is supposed to happen in the background while the game keeps running, so no freezing as KSP does when you come close to a vessel. You shouldn't even notice it in the optimal case.

But LoD isn't yet ready to be used with TR, at least / especially when TR is replacing part textures. I intend to get it compatible with the next version and hope you check back and try this mod once the update is available.

[titanecd]

Love the mod, helps a lot

Found an issue when using Kosmos R4.7.2.

1. Changing tabs in VAB/SPH while the textures get refreshed, it either hanges when it gets to one of the parts/when you select that part: both cause a crash

2. When I do select one of them, and i add it to the ship (esp if I add multiple one like 3 radial) it crashes.

When I remove the LOD.dll it works.

Don't know if it could be this or Kosmos, but I'd let you know just incase.

Tx

[Guest]

Are you sure it is caused by LoD? Looks like their effect models are in separate directories and shouldn't be touched by LoD at all...

Anyway, i've added it to my Todo list and will try to reproduce it once the stuff currently wip is done.

Well, it appeared after I added LOD. There's no other texture manipulation mod running. In fact, I specifically purged my install of such mods, because LoD has problems with them.

I really can't wait for the next version. I love the memory savings, but working in VAB is really tedious because of the crashes.

[Faark]

@titanecd

Thanks for your testing. Could you please be a bit more specific? Does it crash on a specific part or "random"? In either case, it would be great to have a look at your log files (KSP.log, KSP_data\output_log.txt, GameData\LoadOnDemand\LoadOnDemand.log) to verify what is actually going on.

[titanecd]

Sure np, when I get home.

[PolecatEZ]

Is there any way to set exceptions for alpha-layered textures? I'm running ATM (basic) 3.x along with this to test. The only issue I found is with the the internal windshields for the B9 cockpits. They use a dusty transparent texture and the game now loads them as solid. This also makes me suspect other shader applications may be missing.

I'll see if I can photoshop the transparency into the original texture and maybe that could be a workaround.

[Alewx]

Is it possible that the Mod could also replace the already loaded textures back again with some thumbs as they are no longer needed because you switched the spaceship?

[Guest]

Is there any way to set exceptions for alpha-layered textures? I'm running ATM (basic) 3.x along with this to test. The only issue I found is with the the internal windshields for the B9 cockpits. They use a dusty transparent texture and the game now loads them as solid. This also makes me suspect other shader applications may be missing.

I'll see if I can photoshop the transparency into the original texture and maybe that could be a workaround.

Hmm, that's probably what's happening with Dtobi's particles. There's also a part that used the launch clamp texture, and a transparency issue was reported with it, too (curiously, the clamps are fine). It might be that LOD screws up alpha-layering somehow.

[PolecatEZ]

Changing the .tga to a transparent-layered .png works decently as a workaround, just need to brush up on my photoshopping skills more until this gets fixed.

[Franklin]

I'd love to see this extended to planet textures down the road as well. The idea that I'm loading heavy 8K textures for planets I may not even see in a game session is somewhat silly.

[dRuPpI]

I always get this on start up : "load on demand has detected a problem and has disabled. the requested feature is not implemented"

what do i wrong?

[dRuPpI]

I always get this on start up : "load on demand has detected a problem and has disabled. the requested feature is not implemented"

what do i wrong?

ok reinstalled Visual C++ solved it ....... This tool is amazing have now no Activ textur compression anymore it looks so clear now

[MK3424]

I'd love to see this extended to planet textures down the road as well. The idea that I'm loading heavy 8K textures for planets I may not even see in a game session is somewhat silly.

Planets rendered from a long distance are using low res textures, only when you are very close, then they are being rendered with high res textures.

[dRuPpI]

I took out Active Texture Management so that isn't an issue. I went back to a stock only folder and the mod works/loads the game fine. I have the files in my dropbox to share if you have one as well

EDIT: Yeah, I'm pretty sure this has the potential to be the best mod ever. ATM is good, but it takes the length of a presidential term to load the game, and the texture reductions make KSP look like crap. This thing lets you run full res textures, and the game loads faster than a greased jackrabbit on crack

EDIT (part 2): Ok, TextureReplacer is absolutely incompatible, using it WILL cause a crash 100% of the time. This is big because even stock only players like to replace the hideously ugly default skybox. Also, the texture swapping feature for StretchySRB does not work. Oddly enough, the texture swapper used by FireSpitter works (sort of).

Yeah Stretchy parts brings crashes, any solution for this possible?

[Kyros]

So this mod would take advantage of a SSD?

[PizzaMore]

Faark,

This plugin is fantastic! works like a trooper! Thank you for putting in the hours to get this out to the community!

Ok, now for the nitty-gritty.

Hm, TextureReplacer doesn't seem to replace part textures, so that shouldn't be a problem. But it does try to compress all textures... likely including the ones this mod wants to handle. You might want to try turning it of in your TextureReplacer.tcfg (isCompressionEnabled).

with my install, this is semi-accurate.

• TextureReplacer.tcfg is located in '\GameData\BoulderCo\ActiveTextureManagerConfigs\' on line 7: 'TextureReplacer/EnvMap/' I had to change compress = true and give a false value.
  
• isCompressionEnabled is located at '\GameData\TextureReplacer' inside a file called @Default.cfg
  here, line 10 holds the isCompressionEnabled value and that is change from auto to never.
  

Basically one value within two files are changed to false. The application still has abrupt crashes which make me , so quick that KSP/Unity doesn't even register it and thus no crash logs from them. although i do have the Windows Event Viewer entry(ies) and can send it to you on request. (got them 7zed and in evtx format. 3kfile/compressed) The entries state that the errors are an "Event 1026 .NET Runtime" whatever that means. ..

anyway, thanks again and hope this is help .. i love this mod, keep up the good work!

Edited May 11, 2014 by PizzaMore

[raxo2222]

Hi Faark

I'm running into crashes on VAB - I have 32 bit Windows 7 with 4 GB RAM, and I crash at ~1800 MB - when I still have around 1000 MB of free space.

Here is mod folder:

It loads fine, when I remove KWRocketry, B9, Firesplatter and Novapunch, but it still crashes in VAB.

Here are logs of crash, when trying to load all listed mods: http://www.megafileupload.com/en/file/528639/KSP-crash-logs-rar.html

Edited May 10, 2014 by raxo2222

[BananaDealer]

Hi Faark

I'm running into crashes on VAB - I have 32 bit Windows 7 with 4 GB RAM, and I crash at ~1800 MB - when I still have around 1000 MB of free space.

Here is mod folder:

http://i.imgur.com/RjHt0Yx.jpg

It loads fine, when I remove KWRocketry, B9, Firesplatter and Novapunch, but it still crashes in VAB.

Here are logs of crash, when trying to load all listed mods: http://www.megafileupload.com/en/file/528639/KSP-crash-logs-rar.html

The actual amount of RAM you have doesn't matter as KSP can only ever use about 3GB at most.

By the looks of your GameData folder, I'm guesstimating that you're hitting about 2000 textures, probably more. The mod in general has issues with over-loading textures in VAB. Having more than 2000 textures makes crashes even more often. I don't know of a work-around to this unfortunately... We'll just have to wait until the mod is made to handle loading and unloading of textures better...

[Guest]

The next version will be able to disable loading texture in VAB inventory, which should fix your issue (VAB icons will look ugly, though). It has a problem with flipping through pages in VAB now.