Shelter from Magnus' Blaze 8 : III - Morrowind

» Tue May 08, 2012 6:30 am

If that shader's compatible with Windows Glow and doesn't kick my game's butt in terms of FPS hit, then I want it. I've been wanting brighter lights, but the mods I've seen that tweak that just aren't to my taste.

yes.. i would like to see how it fairs with TLM..

» Tue May 08, 2012 10:38 am

It's amazing how such a small thing can make a big difference.

» Tue May 08, 2012 8:00 am

Fantastic! The difference is huge. Perhaps we can say goodbye to green, red and blue interiors

» Tue May 08, 2012 5:08 am

So normals will be possible with this new lighting?

» Tue May 08, 2012 2:52 am

I'm speechless.

If there's one man whose work can never cease to amaze, Hrnchamd, it's you. Seeing you undertake one difficult task after another and succeed every time is like witnessing Creation. I can't imagine playing Morrowind without MCP and MGE XE anymore.

Thank you. You make dreams come true.

» Tue May 08, 2012 6:32 am

Would this also totally solve NPC lighting issue? Even with MCP, I get NPCs who's lights don't light them up when they walk, or flicker a bit.

» Mon May 07, 2012 10:09 pm

Tests using MGE SVN178:

Following your suggestion I tried to replace the d3d8.dll of MGE XE by MGE SVN178 d3d8.dll, but I get an error message: "Could not load world detail texture for distant land". So I had to re-copy all the MGE SVN178 files and relaunch MGE distant land wizard.

With MGE SVN178, I had no problem with loading cells when starting a new game (the prison-boat cell does appear immediately), and I had no crash during the chargen process in Seyda Nihyn. The average FPS in Seyda Nihyn is nearly twice superior with MGE SVN (average FPS with MGE XE: 6-7, FPS average FPS with MGE SVN178 is 10-12).

Next I deleted all the MGE SVN178 files and reinstalled MGE XE. The game crashed again just after the chargen process, with the same nv4_disp.dll error message. This time I could catch the error message before my laptop freeze completely:

AppName: morrowind.exe AppVer: 1.6.0.1820 ModName: d3d8.dll
ModVer: 0.0.0.0 Offset: 0000ac3e

» Tue May 08, 2012 12:32 am

If that shader's compatible with Windows Glow and doesn't kick my game's butt in terms of FPS hit, then I want it. I've been wanting brighter lights, but the mods I've seen that tweak that just aren't to my taste.

yes.. i would like to see how it fairs with TLM..

there are pics of both mods in hrnchamnds post, and they look awesome :biggrin:

» Tue May 08, 2012 6:55 am

Would this also totally solve NPC lighting issue? Even with MCP, I get NPCs who's lights don't light them up when they walk, or flicker a bit.

IIRC that has to do with the number of lights in a location. I often get that problem in Balmora, where torches just don't behave as they're supposed to because it has tons of other light sources in the same cell, but never in the wilderness.

» Mon May 07, 2012 11:40 pm

IIRC that has to do with the number of lights in a location. I often get that problem in Balmora, where torches just don't behave as they're supposed to because it has tons of other light sources in the same cell, but never in the wilderness.

I think problem PL reported is more a issue with how NPCs/creatures info is tracked than a general lightning problem. Giving player a light and giving a creature the same light, moving both by script in same area, creature flickers a lot, player does not flicker.
back on topic: love the new development on MGE lights, still I'd like more priority to have the problem with dynamic ripples solved: where static rocks/coast meet water, reflection does not work well, it is http://youtu.be/pznZSEFcnC4. At first I was thinking about some kind of incompatibility with reworked Taddeus' rocks or such, but this would not explain the same problem with pure land coastline.

» Tue May 08, 2012 2:44 am

@Mordicus: what is the version of your nVidia drivers?

» Tue May 08, 2012 1:42 am

@Mordicus: what is the version of your nVidia drivers?

Nvidia 266.58 (for laptop)
I've also tried the latest beta for laptop (290.53) and also to use an older version (provided by the manufacturer). The same problem happens.

» Mon May 07, 2012 9:28 pm

The new lighting looks great, I'll be looking forward to that.

» Tue May 08, 2012 12:30 am

The shader lighting will not be ready for a few releases while I make it handle every texturing combination (glowmaps, detailbumpmaps, etc.). There are still important bugs to fix first.

On my disappearing mouse issue I updated my drivers to 11.2 selected Morpological filtering as well as letting the applications chose settings and slid the Anti-aliasing mode to super-sample (there is no option to turn it off)

The standard method for anti-aliasing is multisampling. Super-sample is very slow, you should only use it for screenshots. I checked the catalyst drivers and found what you're talking about; it's possible to patch the game so that the cursor doesn't disappear with adaptive AA. It may take a while to figure it out.

It's amazing how such a small thing can make a big difference.

Lighting is actually the biggest deal in computer graphics, notwithstanding the effort of texture artists, modellers, and animators. Lighting is an important way to define surface curvature and the coherence of objects in a scene.

So normals will be possible with this new lighting?

Unfortunately not. Normal mapping requires the mesh to have tangent frame data, which gets passed to the shader. Morrowind has no idea what to do with such data, it wouldn't reach MGE XE.

Would this also totally solve NPC lighting issue? Even with MCP, I get NPCs who's lights don't light them up when they walk, or flicker a bit.

I'm not sure because there were several lighting bugs in the Morrowind engine. It probably is the 8 lights per object limit, though.

Tests using MGE SVN178:
...

I've found a serious error I made in a function near your previous crash report. This may be the cause of your crashes, some hardware might not handle it so well. Expect an update later today.

» Tue May 08, 2012 2:53 am

Unfortunately not. Normal mapping requires the mesh to have tangent frame data, which gets passed to the shader. Morrowind has no idea what to do with such data, it wouldn't reach MGE XE.

But Morrowind meshes has bump line, isnt this possible to use it as normal map?

» Tue May 08, 2012 5:28 am

Okay; I don't have time to answer on the forums these days sadly, but I absolutely had to say this: OUTSTANDING work my friend.
Keep it up

» Tue May 08, 2012 5:10 am

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=41102

- Probably crashes less, now that I've fixed an error.
- Fixed most water plane clipping issues with dynamic ripples on.
- Adjusted near water normals for a better water appearance.
- Main window and shader list window layout relaid to fix text cutoff when using large fonts.
- VWait renamed to VSync for wider recognition, now defaults to off.
- Updated localization templates a bit for caustics and the last set of tooltips. Please send the French version over when it's done.

» Tue May 08, 2012 4:58 am

- Fixed most water plane clipping issues with dynamic ripples on.

thanks for fixing this one! now i can make nice screenshots again.

- Adjusted near water normals for a better water appearance.

now the water surface flickers when you walk towards it, but it looks great besides that.

» Mon May 07, 2012 7:58 pm

Lighting is actually the biggest deal in computer graphics, notwithstanding the effort of texture artists, modellers, and animators. Lighting is an important way to define surface curvature and the coherence of objects in a scene.

I should have said a seemingly small thing. To the eye it can appear a small thing, but I can see why it could be more of a major thing.

» Mon May 07, 2012 7:30 pm

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=41102

Are the water plane clipping issues the reflection with statics issue that several people had noted previously? Things are looking good on my end so I assume that either it was that item, or that you fixed it independently.

"Sunlight Settings" now, huh? All the shadow-play from previous versions with "Magical Skooma Land" and "Sunglasses at Night," was it always leading up to this awesome new lighting system? :happy:

» Tue May 08, 2012 1:21 am

Reporting a problem with ALT+TAB compatibility.

I've only used this function once or twice since it was implemented, and it worked fine back then. When I tried it today the screen went completely black. I could still move around, but there were no models, textures or lights. Following the 'serious error' message, I'm posting my MGEXE.log:

Spoiler

MGE XE 0.9.7
MWSE dll injected
>> CreateD3DWrapper
-- CreateD3DWrapper calling Direct3DCreate9
<< CreateD3DWrapper
>> D3D Proxy CreateDevice
-- D3D Proxy Factory OK
<< D3D Proxy CreateDevice
>> CreateInputWrapper
<< CreateInputWrapper
-- Proxy Keyboard OK
-- Proxy Mouse OK
>> HUD init
<< HUD init
>> Distant Land init
>> Distant Land init BSAs
>> Distant Land init shader
-- Shader compiled OK
-- Shadow map shader compiled OK
-- Depth shader compiled OK
>> Distant Land init post shaders
>> Post Process shader init
-- Post shader Data Files\shaders\XEshaders\SSAO HQ.fx loaded
-- Post shader Data Files\shaders\XEshaders\Depth of Field.fx loaded
-- Post shader Data Files\shaders\XEshaders\Sunshafts.fx loaded
-- Post shader Data Files\shaders\XEshaders\Underwater Effects.fx loaded
-- Post shader Data Files\shaders\XEshaders\Underwater Interior Effects.fx loaded
-- Post shader Data Files\shaders\XEshaders\Bloom Soft.fx loaded
-- Post shader Data Files\shaders\XEshaders\HDR.fx loaded
-- Shader chain indicates HDR On
-- Shader chain replaces standard Morrowind sun glare
<< Post Process shader init
>> Distant Land init depth
>> Distant Land init shadow
>> Distant Land init water
-- Distant Land init dynamic water
>> Distant Land init world
>> Landscape Load
-- Landscape textures loaded
<< Landscape Load
>> Distant Land init statics
-- Distant static textures loaded, 1757 textures
-- Distant static texture memory use: 510 MB
-- Distant Land finished loading distant statics
>> Distant Land init grass
<< Distant Land init
>> Distant Land release
<< Distant Land release
-- HUD release
>> CreateD3DWrapper
-- CreateD3DWrapper calling Direct3DCreate9
<< CreateD3DWrapper
>> D3D Proxy CreateDevice
-- D3D Proxy Factory OK
<< D3D Proxy CreateDevice
>> HUD init
-- HUD reloading assets
!! HUD shader Data Files\shaders\.fx failed to load/compile
!! HUD shader Data Files\shaders\.fx failed to load/compile
!! HUD shader Data Files\shaders\.fx failed to load/compile
!! HUD shader Data Files\shaders\.fx failed to load/compile
<< HUD init
>> Distant Land init
>> Distant Land init BSAs
>> Distant Land init shader
-- Shader compiled OK
-- Shadow map shader compiled OK
-- Depth shader compiled OK
>> Distant Land init post shaders
>> Post Process shader init
-- Post shader Data Files\shaders\XEshaders\SSAO HQ.fx loaded
-- Post shader Data Files\shaders\XEshaders\Depth of Field.fx loaded
-- Post shader Data Files\shaders\XEshaders\Sunshafts.fx loaded
-- Post shader Data Files\shaders\XEshaders\Underwater Effects.fx loaded
-- Post shader Data Files\shaders\XEshaders\Underwater Interior Effects.fx loaded
-- Post shader Data Files\shaders\XEshaders\Bloom Soft.fx loaded
-- Post shader Data Files\shaders\XEshaders\HDR.fx loaded
-- Shader chain indicates HDR On
-- Shader chain replaces standard Morrowind sun glare
<< Post Process shader init
>> Distant Land init depth
>> Distant Land init shadow
>> Distant Land init water
-- Distant Land init dynamic water
>> Distant Land init world
>> Landscape Load
!! Could not load world normal map texture for distant land
-- HUD release

I tried it two times - indoors and outdoors - and the result was the same. I'll be glad to test more if necessary.

» Tue May 08, 2012 9:23 am

- Fixed most water plane clipping issues with dynamic ripples on.

Thanks! confirmed working beautiful :twirl:

» Mon May 07, 2012 9:41 pm

Approximately how close are they to version 1.0.0.0 (or just version 1) of MGE XE?

» Mon May 07, 2012 10:57 pm

Great work Hrnchamd!

» Tue May 08, 2012 7:40 am

Approximately how close are they to version 1.0.0.0 (or just version 1) of MGE XE?

0.0.3

also lol "they"