Jump to content

[Alpha|Test] SA Gfx


Recommended Posts

Current version (0.2a - 03/31/08):

 

http://www.3dhole.com/gtafiles/pipeline/sagfx02_a_rel.rar

Read the included readme.

 

If your computer nags at you about missing "d3dx9_31", be sure you are using the latest version of DirectX. If it still nags, use this;

www.3dhole.com/gtafiles/pipeline/d3dx9_31.rar

 

Previous versions:

3/14/08

http://www.3dhole.com/gtafiles/pipeline/sagfx02_rel.rar

12/19/07

shader model 2a version (use if your card supports shader model 2a, or above)

shader model 2.0 version (Only use if your card does not support shader models higher than 2.0)

 

Source (Only for 2a version):

sagfx01_sdk.rar - shader 2a

Source requires renderware graphics sdk to re-compile. Was built against rw 3.6.0.3 (It also works if you compile against the 3.7 sdk thats floating around, since only the headers are used).

 

More details are in this post

 

Legacy (outdated) stuff;

sagfx_prealpha

sa_vehgfx oct 2007 (pre-shaders)

 

DDS and Cubemap Stuff

DDS Convertor 2.1

Nvidia DDS Photoshop Plugins

 

Cubemap Explanation here and here

Paul Debevec Light Probe Gallery (contains cube images in cross format which need to be converted to work properly)

Cubemap gallery (I used the "Arch" cubemap on this page for the first version(s) of this gfx mod)

Ati CubeMapGen (Clean up, Convert, Blur cubemaps, etc)

Creating a cubemap in 3dsMax - my own tutorial!

 

Brief normal map info;

Here's an explanation of how a normal map is used, and tips for making an effective one:

http://www.katsbits.com/htm/tutorials/crea...from_images.htm

 

Old stuff from here down.

~~~

 

This post is NOT for VC, it is for SA. It does NOT concern realtime reflections.

 

Due to a misunderstanding, i'm releasing this a bit sooner than i had planned, but it's a significantly improved graphics hack-thingy for SA.

 

Download

READ the readme. I only tested this on a cracked, american 1.0 exe.

You may not redistribute, or re-release the file(s) in any way. Infact, if your ideas involve more than linking to this post, i don't approve it.

 

There are 2 textures you need to concern yourself with;

extra_textures\cubemaps\cubemap.dds

extra_textures\cubemaps\cubemap2.dds

 

Cubemap2.dds, will be used in every vehicle material that uses those goddamn uv2-reflections, with the "xvehicleenv128" image.

Cubemap.dds, will replace any other image that is used as a reflection map on the vehicles, most notably "vehicleenvmap128"

For consistency sake, both images are identical.

 

Feel free to replace these textures at will, infact i encourage it (please share your results!). These images were used mainly as a test for me, and while they are ok, i know much better results can be achieved.

Save your cubemaps as DXT1 compressed cubemaps, no alpha channel (or 1-bit if that's your only option), and no mipmaps.

 

Screenshots, showing both cubemap reflections and improved spec lighting:

user posted image

 

user posted image

 

user posted image

 

user posted image

 

user posted image

 

user posted image

 

user posted image

 

user posted image

 

~

 

sa_vehcubemap.asi

It replaces the textures vehicles use for reflections, with cubemaps. This could be done via a txd edit, but there is some work that needs to be done in memory to get the images to display correctly. and there isn't a txd tool out at the moment, that can import cubemaps, so this will have to do (REspawn's does import .dds files, but it is not importing cubemaps correctly at the moment).

 

sa_lighting.asi

The lighting asi file works the same way as its VC counterpart, where all the lights in the scene cast accurate spec, and not just the sunlight. The effect is mainly noticeable (obviously) at night, but i have noticed some occasional weirdness where only certain parts of a vehicle will get spec; say the bonnet and the boot, but NOT the doors, despite using the same material. i have no clue why this happens (besides the complete f*ckhole that is the SA rendering pipeline), and it isn't consistent. If you don't like the lighting, or it seems glitchy, simply delete the lighting asi file.

Link to comment
https://gtaforums.com/topic/303855-alphatest-sa-gfx/
Share on other sites

Dexx, great addition to the game. I cant describe how much it does change the game. I'll try to put some other cubemaps i have from HDRI maps. And see

 

For the moment, here's a picture so unaware people can see how it looks on a default SA car :

 

user posted image

Edited by ParoXum
Link to comment
https://gtaforums.com/topic/303855-alphatest-sa-gfx/#findComment-1057207314
Share on other sites

no; different, better reflections, but not realtime.

 

I told you in the other topic, the mirror system in SA cannot be used on cars. yes those reflections are real time, but there is no way to transfer it to vehicles. the game simply doesn't work that way. we would have done it already if it was possible.

 

As of right now, there is no way to get real reflections on cars, in SA.

 

@ parox - thanks for the feedback. lemme know when you get one of those hdri images converted, i'm curious to see how that would look.. happy.gif

Link to comment
https://gtaforums.com/topic/303855-alphatest-sa-gfx/#findComment-1057207394
Share on other sites

My game only works without the 2 asi files, if I install them I get an error as soon as I use the .exe, when the files are removed there is no visual differance but the game works. I have a EU 1.0 (Downgraded) .exe.

 

Any Help,

Thanks,

Cursed

Edited by Cursed
Link to comment
https://gtaforums.com/topic/303855-alphatest-sa-gfx/#findComment-1057207768
Share on other sites

As DexX said when posting the mod, at the moment it seems only the Hoodlum US is supported.

 

And for the GFX card problems, unlike VC, (method dexx just re-explained that was *realtime), is not present. Here the thing i like is it's nearly the same process for rendering as my 3dsmax refmaps i see. So, as i said, great, great addition to the game.

 

Remember i have an ATi x1800

Link to comment
https://gtaforums.com/topic/303855-alphatest-sa-gfx/#findComment-1057207836
Share on other sites

Ok, i tried to convert some of my HDRI, took some random ones, a forest one a hall one and a fair one.

 

 

Here is the fair refmap :

user posted image

Always hard to speak about someting realtime with pics.

Here are the dds files :

 

http://www.zshare.net/download/406709228e81d1/

525 Kb.

 

I might do more if i find maps that looks better ingame.. turn.gif

 

@DexX i tried them at full res (2052*768pixel dds map) but it was hardly playable. So i just followed your example doing 128*128. Although the game is really slowed down when you have more than 5 cars on screen. Is there any optimisation possible on the code ? moto_whistle.gif

Edited by ParoXum
Link to comment
https://gtaforums.com/topic/303855-alphatest-sa-gfx/#findComment-1057207965
Share on other sites

Wow, very nice ParoXum, Could the mod be used if the people with EU .exes used US ones instead, Id test it but I dont know of any US exes and Im not entirely sure if its legal to distribute part of GTA games (Like the .imgs). If any American would be kind enough to upload one it may work, I doubt it though, I did try with a forien exe my friend had. Anyway thanks if you can help, Im desperate to get this modification wow.gif

Link to comment
https://gtaforums.com/topic/303855-alphatest-sa-gfx/#findComment-1057207991
Share on other sites

 

Here the thing i like is it's nearly the same process for rendering as my 3dsmax refmaps i see.

hmm, i'm curious, do you use refmaps on any of your buildings ? i can put cubemaps on static objects too.

 

The cubemaps you uploaded aren't actually in cubemap format, they're just 2d images with a 6:1 image width/height ratio. I re-saved them in photoshop so you can note the differences;

Fixed Cubemaps

I like the forest one the best.

 

About the slowness, try the game without the speclighting asi file. I don't get any noticeable slowdown at all, with just the cubemap on, but i do get some with the spec lighting. Kind of a shame really, the lighting took far more effort to get working right >_<

 

@ Everyone: According to the rules of this site, we cannot give out links to exe's, as that would be considered warez. Plus what SteaVor said.

 

Ed;

Oh and yes, i will try to support more exe's in the next release.

Link to comment
https://gtaforums.com/topic/303855-alphatest-sa-gfx/#findComment-1057208750
Share on other sites

 

 

The cubemaps you uploaded aren't actually in cubemap format, they're just 2d images with a 6:1 image width/height ratio. I re-saved them in photoshop so you can note the differences;

Fixed Cubemaps

I like the forest one the best.

 

Oh, sorry didn't knew i had to enable cubemap since it was 2D when i opened them. Does it change anything rendering wise ?

 

hmm, i'm curious, do you use refmaps on any of your buildings ? i can put cubemaps on static objects too.

 

 

I used to, but not using vehicle128thingy. So, i have no idea wether it could work or not, sure thing it would rox if it was working on building, letting us do skyscrapper huge reflective glasses.

 

 

Link to comment
https://gtaforums.com/topic/303855-alphatest-sa-gfx/#findComment-1057208824
Share on other sites

 

Does it change anything rendering wise ?

Yes, it changes how Rw handles the image. If correctly saved as a cubemap, the image will be wrapped around the vehicle, as if it were actually in the environment where the image was generated.

Rw only does some of the work though, the texture handling. my cubemap asi handles the transforms so the image is projected correctly.

 

original forest cubemap:

user posted image

correctly-saved forest cubemap:

user posted image

Link to comment
https://gtaforums.com/topic/303855-alphatest-sa-gfx/#findComment-1057208859
Share on other sites

Correct cubemaps looks best, I'm loving Forest.

 

Dexx: Do you know if there is any way to sync the cubemap with zone.dat or one of those zones file in order to load a specific cubemap in a specific zone? like loading forest cubemap when you're in forest, or a city-ish when in city, etc.

Link to comment
https://gtaforums.com/topic/303855-alphatest-sa-gfx/#findComment-1057211868
Share on other sites

 

Dexx: Do you know if there is any way to sync the cubemap with zone.dat or one of those zones file in order to load a specific cubemap in a specific zone?

i'm pretty sure that's possible, although i hadn't thought of doing it that way. if there's another issue with compatibility like in the VC version i might revisit that idea.

 

I am working in the effect mirror for cars.

I wait to obtain.

 

I discovered some things!

and what did you discover ?

 

 

Looking very nice, now all thats left is to implement bump mapping

harder than it sounds. reflection mods don't take as much effort, since the code for them already exists. me and a friend got bump mapping (NOT normal mapping!) to work on vehicles in VC, but it just used the same texture for every vehicle. it was a hack and didn't look that good. i don't think i could implement proper bump mapping before gta4 is out.

Link to comment
https://gtaforums.com/topic/303855-alphatest-sa-gfx/#findComment-1057214528
Share on other sites

awesome mod dexx icon14.gif , but , i still have a problem with my gta confused.gif

 

here is the screens of somebody

 

http://www.gtapro.com/spykerc8/pix/files/5...b73d58cd873.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

and here is MY screens

 

http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/8384/sanstitre2mk0.jpg

 

http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/6461/sanstitrexg2.jpg

 

 

user posted image

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So i have a problem with reflections, do you where the problem might come from please ?

 

i have your last fixed cubemap with fair reflection... confused.gif

 

thank you

 

Edited by _6mik_
Link to comment
https://gtaforums.com/topic/303855-alphatest-sa-gfx/#findComment-1057214660
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • 0 User Currently Viewing
    0 members, 0 Anonymous, 0 Guests

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using GTAForums.com, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.