512 textures in D2

DBR_Dodgy · October 13, 2004, 08:27:05 PM

ok i have an FMX that has objects with 512 textures, i hear that D2 cant handle them yet.
not a problem but i also have transparant water which APM cant handle,

so when will either one be updated ? ?

Ian.

mcm2boys · October 14, 2004, 02:04:34 AM

I have been doing a little work on D2 recently and it can now handle textures as big as your gfx card can take, but i wanted to add a few more things of my todo list before i release anything.

Laurie

MotoX395 · October 14, 2004, 04:26:23 AM

Just a question... if you have a high end gfx card and bundle a track with some huge textures... what about someone who try to play it with a low end gfx card?

mcm2boys · October 14, 2004, 04:50:58 AM

I agree Simon, it is something i have said many times. But it's not my place to be texture size policeman with D2, that really is a decision for the track creator to make. I also believe that there are not many objects that will benefit from using 512 texs over 256 but people keep asking for this and model makers are putting bigger textures on their models, so... The track creator can always reduce the texs to 256 it isn't a hard process but many choose not to.

Truth is there aren't too many gfx cards left out there that are not capable of larger texs but it could make the game very laggy for some people and put some of the racers off using it maybe, but that's the creator choice..

Laurie

cR · October 14, 2004, 04:57:35 AM

I think 512 textures are very comon these days, but yea it depends on gfx cards mostly... but most people are kinda up to date and should be able to handle it, but object creators need to keep some bounderies in mind to... like a 256x256 texture would be fine for a bale... 128x128 even maybe but that might make the logos a bit blurry,... for stadiums 512x512's are great, cause such a big object whit 256 textures just dont look good (IMO) oh well... it is up to the object creators... and make objects to every once in a while and i can say only this... please get the new D2 here soon! well dont rush it man

VMX_SKYmx99 · October 14, 2004, 05:07:08 AM

What are your other ideas for d2 laurie?

mcm2boys · October 14, 2004, 09:49:15 AM

256x256 for a single bale you got to be kidding me,

the Rainbow bales are something like 4 to a 256x256 tex and they look great in game. I have to disagree with you cR on 512 texs being common, i think game designers keep their texs as small as possible and you won't find many 512s in something like MXU i bet. Something like CMR4 uses lots of small texs between 64 - 128 if you check them out, the only ones bigger are those that are right in your face like the back of the car or the dashboard, but either way it's for the creator to decide how big the texs are they need to use. For the stadiums you could use more 256's in place of 1 big 512.

Sky - ideas for D2 i have plenty, but right now i have a few things started in development that need to be finished (cos i don't want to take them out again) before it can be released - like better display resolution (user selectable) and custom tree sets (by creating your own billboards to avoid the invisible tree syndrome they suffer from now), fix the bug that cause dirt particles on objects and improve the bale placement aid from the last beta. I'd also like to have it recover DirectX after you switch back from Dillo/MCM2 but that might have to wait until next time. It's not that much the problem is just finding the time to do it.

Laurie

metal_miracle · October 14, 2004, 01:21:07 PM

well the 512 disp will help alot as i often have to use 3-4 tex maps for some of the houses i make..

cR · October 14, 2004, 01:38:22 PM

CMR4 meybe does use alot of small textures, but there sand or grass etc. and they are tiled easaly... and well... the graphics off mcm2 basicly suck if you ask me...the stock bales look like *#*#*...but thats just my opinion...

mcm2boys · October 14, 2004, 02:40:42 PM

cR - i guess we're just going to have to disagree on this one then.

Laurie

MotoX395 · October 14, 2004, 04:21:26 PM

Wow, splended news about your ideas for d2 Laurie. Really good to hear

AMA_DirtTwister · October 14, 2004, 05:51:02 PM

CR, you may not like the looks of the stock bales, but that has nothing to do with the resolution of the textures.

Bruce

cR · October 14, 2004, 06:03:26 PM

Hmmm then what is it? At 1280x960 at full graphics I think it should show it as good as it can, and I think bigger tex resolution on the bales do make big difference, there can be alot more detail put on it etc..

btw I dont wnna start a fight or something, just giving my opinion

metal_miracle · October 14, 2004, 11:15:43 PM

Is there a way to add perimerter texture if not thats a good idea too

mcm2boys · October 15, 2004, 02:45:22 AM

Sure you can add a perimeter texture (you mean in D2 right), under the Terrain tab just select the Perimeter radio button (to show the perimeter texture) then Import texture like you do for the track. IMHumbleO D2 does a better job of slicing the texs up than Dillo, if you Import the Perimeter tex first then the Track tex it should be possible to have totally seemless track/perimeter edges, - IF your perimeter and track textures tile against each other perfectly.

cR i'm not saying that you won't necessarily see some benefits from using bigger texs just that it really isn't worth the gfx memory (or render engine hit) for the small improvement that you usually get, especially on something like a bale. Part of the art in creating a good environment is putting the extra detail in the right place, just adding bigger texs all over because bigger must equal better is really a bit of a cop out, IMO.

I know gfx cards are getting better and better but i think we are still at point where we have to be very careful how much data we try and push through them in every frame.

A discussion isn't a fight and everyones allowed an opinion, it's what makes life interesting.

Laurie

VMX_SKYmx99 · October 16, 2004, 03:12:27 AM

Will we ever see a disp map import in d2?

mcm2boys · October 16, 2004, 12:30:38 PM

I would love to put a disp map import into it, even a Leveller style editor was on the cards at one point, then i found i couldn't build all of the terrain data the way Rainbow does and so it couldn't go any further, until i understand more about the TRN file. By that time we will be riding custom tracks in MXU4 for PC.

Laurie

VMX_SKYmx99 · October 16, 2004, 04:35:42 PM

LOL! Well.... all I can says is thanks so much for what you have done. You have made things so much easier and better for us track makers. Thanks again Laurie.

AMA_DirtTwister · October 24, 2004, 03:32:19 PM

For CR's sake here are two random stock Rainbow bales with the game running at 1280x1024. I don't see where they wouild be improved at all by using a higher res texture. Now if you used a higher res texture and then used a different more detailed design, but then it would be a different bale.

http://dirttwister.com/images/bale1.jpg
http://dirttwister.com/images/bale2.jpg

Bruce

JvdL · November 10, 2004, 07:56:05 PM

The res of textures is just a fact. But what might be posible, is that people or D2 bundle 2 versions of the track. A low res texture and a creator's choice res version. I know that this sounds easy, but i bet it'll be a pain in the ass if D2 has to handle it (that is for Lauri, since of all the coding and stuff.)

And for the 512 or 256 res textures test, i would be more then happy to show u the diffrences. Ill create a 512 and 256 res maybe even 128 res object. Ull all be able to c how big the diffrence is between em.

Anyway, Lauri.. Keep up the great job, peeps like u really keep MCM2 rollin'

John