[TimeCycIV] Tutorial

[jpm1]

ok , got it . what you told me didn't worked , but you sent me in the right direction . here's is what i did . seems quite simple in fact . in sky (atmosphere) for top put a very dark color (0,0,24 for example) , in bottom put the sky color you would like to have . then in visual effects , in additional sky options just put blue on 1 , and all other values set on very low values (see pics below) . then in atmosphere back again , in lights just put the colors common to that kind of weather (see pic)

 

 

 

according to your liking this may need minor tweaks , but this is globally the direction . thanks

 

[T-ru]

ok , got it . what you told me didn't worked , but you sent me in the right direction . here's is what i did . seems quite simple in fact . in sky (atmosphere) for top put a very dark color (0,0,24 for example) , in bottom put the sky color you would like to have . then in visual effects , in additional sky options just put blue on 1 , and all other values set on very low values (see pics below) . then in atmosphere back again , in lights just put the colors common to that kind of weather (see pic)

 

 

 

according to your liking this may need minor tweaks , but this is globally the direction . thanks

WOW great color man , now i recommend you to make brighter horizont on this, go in the "Other parametres" section, 5. Azimuth height and lower the number, when you lower the number you will get bigger horizont and opposite, i recommend you to make this because i think it's little unrealistic with all this blue color just like the LC is on too high altitude and one more thing, make the Direct color multiplier from "Atmosphere" with yelow or with orange tint to improve sun light.

This is only my suggestions

[PacketOverload_x64bit]

Awesome fellas. Keep it up. I'll post when I can with what I know as well.

[T-ru]

I have a question about street lamps.

Is it possible to control the time when they start lighting and stop lighting via Timecyc.dat?

Does anyone know something about that?

[PacketOverload_x64bit]

I have a question about street lamps.

Is it possible to control the time when they start lighting and stop lighting via Timecyc.dat?

Does anyone know something about that?

I'm no expert but to my knowledge no, but maybe that control is in the timecyc modifiers? It's not in visualsettings.dat, could be in visualsettings.xls?

[jpm1]

for the lights hours working service did you tried looking into maps ide . once i was browsing some maps ide and i saw lot of "corona" .??

[PacketOverload_x64bit]

for the lights hours working service did you tried looking into maps ide . once i was browsing some maps ide and i saw lot of "corona" .??

Not yet. I'll have a look. Maybe it's directly dependant on the amount of light cast in the timecyc? Like, if you have low-ambient lights and direct colors, or sky brightness, it's dark = lights come on automatically? My tweaked icenhancer cloudy or rainy works this way, not sure about others though. At noon, headlights come on for a bit. Dunno why.

[T-ru]

In the lamppost.ide file then in the 2dfx section i found a "corona" and "null" also there is a lot of numbers without any explanations, maybe there is the lights hours working service, but what number is responsible about that?

Also there is and windows.ide i think this's for the buildings lights hours working service.

I tried all lights values from timecyc, even did the nights like days and there is no results, all lamps start at 19:15 and stop at 6:45, without the windows they start in different times.

I want to do this because when is dark foggy or dark rain, drizzle i want the windows and the lamps to start at midday or at 15:00.

Edited August 29, 2012 by T-ru

[T-ru]

Light hours are set in WDR\WFT\WDD. All IV street lights are WFT, unfortunatly, you can't edit that. (zmod has wft support, but not proper, only for vehicles). Your best bet is to convert it to WDR* and edit the light settings with GIMS. But you can't turn on lights at 3pm, its either all day or evening\night time.

 

*You will loose the ability to break them.

WOW, so those electric Light hours are hard serious [email protected] i'm very motivated to chenge them because when is sunrise or sunset (most beautiful hours in IV) the lights from the str. lapms kill my perormance, i want to make them to stop earlier (like at 5) and start them at 20 no at 19:15.

Anyway, THANKS FOR THE ANSWER, MAN!!!

[PacketOverload_x64bit]

Thanks for the info Blaster_nl

 

Did anyone see that crappy mod on 4-mods with the "Sky." Apparently, the guy was able to input a texture name into one of the unknown value areas? Would be interesting to check out...

[PacketOverload_x64bit]

Does anyone have a ini for EditIV/TimecycIV with most of the unknown values fleshed out? Anyone know the "bloom inversion technique being done in the timecyc these days?

[T-ru]

I use ini from Blaster_nl from page 3.

 

I don't understand you Packet, what you mean to "bloom inversion technique"???

 

The only way that i know to get something else like bloom is by reducing the bloom and reducing to zero Deepth Fx then increase a little the exposure, this way create bloom only on lights, colorfull and brigth surfaces, also this way create sun flare on metelic surfaces and on windows.

 

I doubt that there is something about bloom in Other section, there is only sky parametres, i think.

 

Maybe there is someting in Timecyclemodifiers.

Edited September 22, 2012 by T-ru

[PacketOverload_x64bit]

I'm only going by the information and wording that DKT70 used at the time. Perhaps something was lost in translation because I believe he's polish, and the French guy told me, so...

 

I do know that DKT edits mostly manually, in notepad rather than in EditIV / TimecycIV afaik. I don't understand either, thought I'd pass along the dialogue I was told incase it helps.

[jpm1]

for tropical rain night lightning playing between exposure (visual effects) and luminosity (luminosity) gives pretty cool stuff

 

Edited October 9, 2012 by jpm1

[T-ru]

@jpm1

Good find

 

 

[jpm1]

@ T-Ru : thanks buddy

 

someone knows if it's possible to slow down sun day course . i would like to have dusks at 21h not at 20h

[T-ru]

 

someone knows if it's possible to slow down sun day course . i would like to have dusks at 21h not at 20h

I think that this's impossible, you should change the shaders, but i doubt that will work, it's hard coded.

 

Otherwise you can by increasing exposure from timecyc, by increasing Multiplier of Direct color, by change the sky color like 20:00 o'clock and by sun stuff from Other section, if you get overbright surfaces put some BT threshold.

 

ED: The best way is to copy the the timecyc line from 20h and replace it with 21h and because every next hour influence on previous hour, you must replace the the timecyc line from 21h with 22h, like this you'll remove 22h setup, the only thing that you can't change is a sun position.

 

Edited October 9, 2012 by T-ru

[jpm1]

i know that but on a realism point of view that's not great a sunny days sky with no sun . when i have few time i'll try to investigate that local timecyc thing myself . i know local timecycs can be done but what i would like to know myself it's if it can be applied to sea . if yes i would be able to do real key west stuff man

[sama92]

Hi guys, i was thinking about editing my timecyc file to give me more water reflections on the road but do you think i need to change it?

 

heres some screens:

 

drizzle weather at noon: http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/1546/30975885.png

 

drizzle weather at night: http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/4945/22608770.png

 

Randoms:

 

http://img841.imageshack.us/img841/9006/61239159.png

 

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/4371/50211842.png

 

http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/3645/35103898.png

 

http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/3650/34723952.png

 

Im trying to get a realistic look but am a bit lost tbh, would you say from those screens that looks good?

 

What would i need to tweak to add more reflections?

Edited November 8, 2012 by sama92

[T-ru]

Hi guys, i was thinking about editing my timecyc file to give me more water reflections on the road but do you think i need to change it?

 

heres some screens:

 

drizzle weather at noon: http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/1546/30975885.png

 

drizzle weather at night: http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/4945/22608770.png

 

Randoms:

 

http://img841.imageshack.us/img841/9006/61239159.png

 

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/4371/50211842.png

 

http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/3645/35103898.png

 

http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/3650/34723952.png

 

Im trying to get a realistic look but am a bit lost tbh, would you say from those screens that looks good?

 

What would i need to tweak to add more reflections?

If you was took a time to read the first pages, you'll have the answer without asking.

[sama92]

Hi guys, i was thinking about editing my timecyc file to give me more water reflections on the road but do you think i need to change it?

 

heres some screens:

 

drizzle weather at noon: http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/1546/30975885.png

 

drizzle weather at night: http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/4945/22608770.png

 

Randoms:

 

http://img841.imageshack.us/img841/9006/61239159.png

 

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/4371/50211842.png

 

http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/3645/35103898.png

 

http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/3650/34723952.png

 

Im trying to get a realistic look but am a bit lost tbh, would you say from those screens that looks good?

 

What would i need to tweak to add more reflections?

If you was took a time to read the first pages, you'll have the answer without asking.

Ive read every page so far, doesnt mean i understand it. I tried changing global reflections which works but then my car reflections are too bright.

[T-ru]

Ive read every page so far, doesnt mean i understand it. I tried changing global reflections which works but then my car reflections are too bright.

Yes, global reflection, but this's for all maps objects, unfortunately you can't tuning separately only car's reflection from the timecyc file.

So there is 4 kinds of reflection in timecyc:

 

1. Refl. From Water from Atmosphere section - this control the fusion of the water with the sky in the far horizont.

2. Water reflection from OTher section - this is for reflection of water, but not for rain water.

3. Suncolor R,G,B from Other section - for sun haze size and for reflection of the sun on the roads especially on the metalic and windows surfaces.

And Global reflection.

[sama92]

Ive read every page so far, doesnt mean i understand it.  I tried changing global reflections which works but then my car reflections are too bright.

Yes, global reflection, but this's for all maps objects, unfortunately you can't tuning separately only car's reflection from the timecyc file.

So there is 4 kinds of reflection in timecyc:

 

1. Refl. From Water from Atmosphere section - this control the fusion of the water with the sky in the far horizont.

2. Water reflection from OTher section - this is for reflection of water, but not for rain water.

3. Suncolor R,G,B from Other section - for sun haze size and for reflection of the sun on the roads especially on the metalic and windows surfaces.

And Global reflection.

Right thanks, ive tried changing them all but i cant get the more reflective rain without brightning things up to much. Is there a cure for the brightness? except turn the game brightness down.

[T-ru]

Right thanks, ive tried changing them all but i cant get the more reflective rain without brightning things up to much. Is there a cure for the brightness? except turn the game brightness down.

There is several parametres that control the brithness: gamma far; exposure; luminosity and Direct color multiplier.

About brithness of reflection try gamma far.

 

[sama92]

Right thanks, ive tried changing them all but i cant get the more reflective rain without brightning things up to much. Is there a cure for the brightness? except turn the game brightness down.

There is several parametres that control the brithness: gamma far; exposure; luminosity and Direct color multiplier.

About brithness of reflection try gamma far.

Thanks i'll give that a try.

[jpm1]

 

...Is there a cure for the brightness? except turn the game brightness down.

for roads reflection you need to lower Mid grey value (visual effects) , but you'll get a dark atmosphere too . so you'll have to play with gamma/exposure/luminosity (visual effects) to compensate . this will give you realistic reflection according to where the camera is , a bright reflection from an horizontal angle of view , and less bright from a vertical angle of view

 

from an horizontal angle :

 

from a vertical one

[PacketOverload_x64bit]

for roads reflection you need to lower Mid grey value (visual effects)

Thanks for that. I've done alot of TC "messing" and never noticed that. Will give it a try.

[T-ru]

for roads reflection you need to lower Mid grey value (visual effects)

Thanks for that. I've done alot of TC "messing" and never noticed that. Will give it a try.

Definitely NO, the roads and buildings reflections is from Additional Sky Options from Visual effects section and from Sun (r,g,b and reflections) from Other sections, if these numbers are too high (Additional Sky Options and Sun r,g,b and reflections) then the reflection will be more.

[jpm1]

 

for roads reflection you need to lower Mid grey value (visual effects)

Thanks for that. I've done alot of TC "messing" and never noticed that. Will give it a try.

Definitely NO, the roads and buildings reflections is from Additional Sky Options from Visual effects section and from Sun (r,g,b and reflections) from Other sections, if these numbers are too high (Additional Sky Options and Sun r,g,b and reflections) then the reflection will be more.

this is not exactly that T . this is not reflection properly said but more the "dazzle intensity" . i tried several times and by playing between mid grey value and exposure you can create violent dazzle or smoother dazzle . you know like if you are in a very sunny place and you look to an area where there's lot of sun then the eyes need time to come back to normal . by doing this you can get rid of constant reflections and make them fade away (more or less fast)

Edited December 22, 2012 by jpm1

[PacketOverload_x64bit]

for roads reflection you need to lower Mid grey value (visual effects)

Thanks for that. I've done alot of TC "messing" and never noticed that. Will give it a try.

Definitely NO, the roads and buildings reflections is from Additional Sky Options from Visual effects section and from Sun (r,g,b and reflections) from Other sections, if these numbers are too high (Additional Sky Options and Sun r,g,b and reflections) then the reflection will be more.

this is not exactly that T . this is not reflection properly said but more the "dazzle intensity" . i tried several times and by playing between mid grey value and exposure you can create violent dazzle or smoother dazzle . you know like if you are in a very sunny place and you look to an area where there's lot of sun then the eyes need time to come back to normal . by doing this you can get rid of constant reflections and make them fade away (more or less fast)

Very interesting. There are 100 ways to accomplish a particular goal between the FX, the INI and the TC. I found that you cannot use too much exposure even with low sky values because you'll rarely be able to compensate throughout the set. It would seem that median values across the set work the best while bringing settings just a little out of spec brings unique look.

 

I tried for a month or so to retain the look of my set, while trying to get icenhancer 1.25 cloud formation and skies but just wouldn't work. Any more experience on cloud making / tweaking? Information about say, 1.25's skydome, clouds.fx, ini cloud settings, texture and how they tie in together?

 

These were amazing but don't seem possible in a "bright" set...