Feb18 update about TrainSpecEnvMask.fx (see p2)

I’ll have a look at glossiness vs specularity. I am still awaiting information from Kuju on various shader settings. Hopefully they will get back to me soon.

Hi Dom

Sorry should have made myself clearer

The RGB values are the colour shade I use in the alpha channel that sets the amount of glossiness when using the TrainSpecEnvMask Shader.

The reference to altering the spec, ambient and diffuse values are those that are listed in the GeoPcDx file after you have exported it into the sim.
Within the GeoPcDx file there is a value attatched to each texture for each of these parameters… It is quick and easy to make wholesale changes by using RSTools and using the find and replace tool included..

In other words I edit textures outside of 3DC which saves a lot of time exporting and running through the blueprint/Asset editor before you see results ‘in Game’

Sly

[BLOCKQUOTE class=’ip-ubbcode-quote’][div class=’ip-ubbcode-quote-title’]quote:[/div][div class=’ip-ubbcode-quote-content’]Originally posted by DOM107:

Why can’t we set glossiness in 3DC?
Furthermore, specular in 3DC has an influence but small.

I’m not convinced that the complicate process of creating a texture with specular, including the annoying need to lower light / contrast, is normal. I understand I could need to adapt the texture within a small range (say 10%), but not the huge light / contrast change that must be used now. [/div][/BLOCKQUOTE]

Glossiness is detemined by the lightness of the alpha channel, so this would be difficult to implement in 3DC. I’d agree that changing the specular setting has very little effect in 3DC.

I was a bit surprised at first, as to how much I had to darken some of my textures. If you look at the kuju textures, though, they are very dark so I guess it must be corect.

Cheers,
Kevin

[BLOCKQUOTE class=’ip-ubbcode-quote’][div class=’ip-ubbcode-quote-title’]quote:[/div][div class=’ip-ubbcode-quote-content’]Originally posted by Sly401:
Hi Dom

In other words I edit textures outside of 3DC which saves a lot of time exporting and running through the blueprint/Asset editor before you see results ‘in Game’

Sly [/div][/BLOCKQUOTE]

I realise that hacking a texture outside of 3DC may be a little quicker, but I’m not sure I’d really advise it as a long term method. It’s always better to do your mods as close to the source files as possible. Esp as it doesn’t really take that long to do these things in the ‘correct’ manner.

Cheers,
Kevin

[BLOCKQUOTE class=’ip-ubbcode-quote[/img]
[div class=’ip-ubbcode-quote-title[/img]
quote:[/div][div class=’ip-ubbcode-quote-content[/img]
Originally posted by Sly401:
The RGB values are the colour shade I use in the alpha channel that sets the amount of glossiness when using the TrainSpecEnvMask Shader.
[/div][/BLOCKQUOTE]
I’ll try your values.

[BLOCKQUOTE class=’ip-ubbcode-quote[/img]
[div class=’ip-ubbcode-quote-title[/img]
quote:[/div][div class=’ip-ubbcode-quote-content[/img]
Originally posted by Sly401:
The reference to altering the spec, ambient and diffuse values are those that are listed in the GeoPcDx file after you have exported it into the sim.
Within the GeoPcDx file there is a value attatched to each texture for each of these parameters… It is quick and easy to make wholesale changes by using RSTools and using the find and replace tool included..

In other words I edit textures outside of 3DC which saves a lot of time exporting and running through the blueprint/Asset editor before you see results ‘in Game’

[/div][/BLOCKQUOTE]
I tried yesterday to copy lines (in red below) from a Kuju model GeoPcDx file (right column in the image) into my GeoPcDx file (left column). I used RS Tools 3.1.31: copy the liens (I tried 1 change at a time, save GeoPcDx with RS Tools, preview in Assets editor; at the last try, every lines marked in red were copied).
… I noticed no change in the Assets Editor after selecting the preview Preview.
I have no idea what other values I could try (as far as I know, this part is undocumented).

[img:1rn82vd4]http://img233.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image2uy5.jpg[/img:1rn82vd4]
[img:1rn82vd4]http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/1559/image2uy5.th.jpg[/img:1rn82vd4]

(the image shows the line regarding my TrainSpecEnvMask.fx texture)

From the Specular changes I made in 3DC, I can tell the impact on the GeoPcDX file:

[pre class=’ip-ubbcode-code-pre’]
andlt;cHcEffectMaterialDx-cFloatParam d:id=’441502520’andgt;
andlt;Name d:type=’cDeltaString’andgt;SPECULARPOWERandlt;/Nameandgt;
andlt;Value d:type=’sFloat32′ d:alt_encoding=’000000403333EB3F’ d:precision=’string’andgt;0.8500andlt;/Valueandgt;
andlt;/cHcEffectMaterialDx-cFloatParamandgt;
[/pre]
The value is 0.8500 when Specular is set to 85 in 3DC.
The value is 0.1000 when Specular is set to 10.

What’s strange is that in BR101, the value is set to 6 (which would mean the impossible value of 600 in 3DC)!
What is the role, in a GeoPcDX file, of CUSTOMPARAM0, AMBIENT, EMISSIVE?

If I’ve time today I’ll try some changes in the GeoPcDX file (though I had little success so far).

I tried again to update the values underlined in red ([img:19oiztvl]http://img233.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image2uy5.jpg[/img:19oiztvl]
[img:19oiztvl]http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/1559/image2uy5.th.jpg[/img:19oiztvl]

) and it didn’t change anything in the display.

From ‘4.07 Train Guidelines’:

[UL TYPE=SQUARE] Use the first box of the UV Arguments to set glossiness. As a guide use 64 for
train ‘skin’-� (CUSTOMPARAM0?).
Under Lighting Material you can set the Specular Power of the material, which
is the equivalent of MAX’s Specular Level. As a guide use 3.0 for train ‘skin’-�.
[/UL]

[pre class=’ip-ubbcode-code-pre[/img]

andlt;?xml version=’1.0′ encoding=’windows-1250′?andgt;
andlt;cHcEffectMaterialDx-cFloatParam d:id=’392137832’andgt;
andlt;Name d:type=’cDeltaString’andgt;SPECULARPOWERandlt;/Nameandgt;
andlt;Value d:type=’sFloat32′ d:alt_encoding=’0000000000000840′ d:precision=’string’andgt;3.0000andlt;/Valueandgt;
andlt;/cHcEffectMaterialDx-cFloatParamandgt;
andlt;cHcEffectMaterialDx-cFloatParam d:id=’392137844’andgt;
andlt;Name d:type=’cDeltaString’andgt;CUSTOMPARAM0andlt;/Nameandgt;
andlt;Value d:type=’sFloat32′ d:alt_encoding=’0000000000005040′ d:precision=’string’andgt;64.0000andlt;/Valueandgt;
andlt;/cHcEffectMaterialDx-cFloatParamandgt;
[/pre]

I tried to update the GeoPcDX with these values: no noticeable change.

There are other parameters in the documentation:
[UL TYPE=SQUARE]Set the Z-Buffer Mode of any textures which use a greyscale alpha channel for
opacity to TEST ONLY.
When using punch through alpha textures, set Transparency to TRANS.
[/UL]

With the help of the above posts, I managed to study further the 3DC to KRS export.

After looking into the BR294 directories (it has the metallic look I’m looking for), here are some of my findings:

1) Indeed textures have to be darkened. I use : Brightness -60 / Contrast -30 (in PaintShop Pro). The Brightness value was computed from comparing the BR294 TgPcDx file and the in game view. For the alpha texture, I started from BR294_1 alpha channel.

2) There is a match between 3DC parameters but they are not properly scaled:

3DC Specular is converted as SPECULARPOWER after / 100 in GeoPcDx file (maybe in IGS file)
3DC Diffuse is converted as AMBIENT after / 100
3DC Ambient is converted as Emissive after / 100

3) Another important parameter which has no match in 3DC: CUSTOMPARAM0 (It looks to me that it is the glossiness value).

4) It seems that when exporting, the matching directory in Rail SimulatorAssetsDeveloperAddonRailVehiclesElectricMyElectricEngineDefaultEngine is erased. I’ve not checked again because I want to live it as it so far.

So, for now, my recipe for export is:
1) After export from 3DC, if specular is needed, replace converted bmp textures used in 3DC by the darkened tga texture, use ToACE to convert mydarkenedtexture.tga to mytexture.ace in directory ‘Rail SimulatorSourceDeveloperAddonRailVehiclesElectricMyModelDefaultEngineTextures’ (overwriting the existing mytexture.ace created by 3DC export from mytexture.ace)

2) Export with KRS blueprint editor
3) Change GeoPcDx file with using Mike Simpsons RS Tools to update the above 4 parameters

[b:3g975667]So, please Richard, could you update the KRS export plugin:[/b:3g975667]
1) To avoid step 3 (Multiplying Specular, Diffuse and Ambient by 100 + allowing higher than 100 in 3DC? Adding CUSTOMPARAM0 / Glossiness)
2) Not erasing Rail SimulatorAssetsDeveloperAddonRailVehiclesElectricMyElectricEngineDefaultEngine (not sure about this, too late to check again…)

Here are in game images: first image changing only the texture file (step 1 above); second image using the complete recipe and parameters from BR294.

[img:3g975667]http://img222.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image4tg6.jpg[/img:3g975667]
[img:3g975667]http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/7014/image4tg6.th.jpg[/img:3g975667]

[img:3g975667]http://img88.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image5cd3.jpg[/img:3g975667]
[img:3g975667]http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/5651/image5cd3.th.jpg[/img:3g975667]

I hope I made not too many mistakes in this post… it’s kind of late.

[BLOCKQUOTE class=’ip-ubbcode-quote’][div class=’ip-ubbcode-quote-title’]quote:[/div][div class=’ip-ubbcode-quote-content’]Originally posted by DOM107:

3DC Diffuse is converted as AMBIENT after / 100
3DC Ambient is converted as Emissive after / 100

[/div][/BLOCKQUOTE]

And, logically, 3DC Diffuse should be mapped to KRS Emissive and 3DC Ambient should be mapped to KRS AMBIENT…

Excellent work DOM..
I have been experimenting but just copying default setups .. glad you have been able to get some quantification on this.

Hopefully if things are rescaled in 3DC we will be able to have a selection of example ‘finishes’ and recomended settings.

Sly

Edit Is the custom parameter not the shader you place in the Railsim Slot?

[BLOCKQUOTE class=’ip-ubbcode-quote’][div class=’ip-ubbcode-quote-title’]quote:[/div][div class=’ip-ubbcode-quote-content’]Originally posted by Sly401:
Is the custom parameter not the shader you place in the Railsim Slot? [/div][/BLOCKQUOTE]
I don’t see what you are talking about (I’ve no 3DC here).

What makes me think it is glossiness, are these Kuju documentationn extracts:
[BLOCKQUOTE class=’ip-ubbcode-quote’][div class=’ip-ubbcode-quote-title’]quote:[/div][div class=’ip-ubbcode-quote-content’]
The values used in the example pictures above (a glossiness of 32 and a specular
power of 3
Use the first box of the UV Arguments to set glossiness. As a guide use 64 for
train ‘skin’-�
[/div][/BLOCKQUOTE]

… and the values found for BR101 (64) and BR294 (32).

The glossiness is explicitely a parameter to be set according to Kuju documentation and I don’t see any other GeoPcDx parameter which would match.