SkyGfx: PS2, Xbox and Mobile graphics for PC

[The Hero]

I don't think you did this right. I'm very sure that this fixes it because I'm not touching the shadows anymore with that ini switch and it worked for kkjj.

[Dominik_]

Did he even renamed .dll to .asi and pasted it in correct directory? hmm if not he should do it.

[Boulevardier]

1 hour ago, Noskillx said:

Did he even renamed .dll to .asi and pasted it in correct directory? hmm if not he should do it.

Thanks, it's working perfectly now

[Dominik_]

No problem, we'r here to help

[pawel86ck]

Thanks to @RegistaG I have found fix for that texture seam (it was VCMapFixes v1.2 mod)  

 

Guys I thought skygfx 3.0a works on my PC, but it turns out I have successfully run older SKYGFX version (2.8c), but on that 3.0a I'm still missing NEO reflections. So right now I can get NEO reflections working just by using 2.8c version of SKYGFX, but not the newest one (3.0a). I have followed guides in "skygfx" readme file, and gtamodding wiki but nothing works (these guides works for older skygfx version, but not for that 3.0a). I have tried many different gta_vc.exe so I dont think "exe" is the problem, SKYGFX 3.0a start's but I'm just missing NEO reflections. And BTW I'm using widescreenfix, and that mod also comes with d3d8.dll as SKYGFX mod. What should I do with it, just replace d3d8.dll because that's the same file?

 

And the last thing, @The Hero has included textures on the first page, but how to install them? There's only mentioned people can load it with "TEXDICTION", but what it really means? I know many of you spend years moding this game, so it may seem as simple question to you guys, but I really have no idea what to do with this files, I can only guess. Should I download lets say generic_vc_pc.txd and rename it to "generic.txd" and replace original ""generic.txd" file in models folder? 

http://gta.rockstarvision.com/workshop/hires_txds/

Edited May 20, 2019 by pawel86ck

[-Anti-]

On 5/16/2019 at 5:38 PM, The Hero said:

@-Anti- wow, that is weird. wonder why that is...

 

Too bad, I was actually hoping for a nice informative explanation about texblendSwitch from you

 

and just because why not a Glendale Harlekin (just using the material colors and texblendSwitch/PS2 of course)

[The Hero]

Is it really just the texblend switch? as in, you can switch between the two while the game is running? or is this something about not hooking anything in the first place? I'm just a bit surprised because applying material colors seems like a pretty basic thing...

[The Hero]

@-Anti- Looks like I figured it out. Noskillx gave me a model that showed the same phenomenon and it looks like it's a little bug that skygfx is showing the colors. The model has the modulate material flag off, so rendering the model *with* material colour is actually wrong. If you want to have the colors always, you should fix your model.

[pawel86ck]

Guys, I have found out how to run SKYGFX 3.0a

 

I have compared SKYGFX 3.0a and 2.8c ini's, and the thing is, in 3.0a there's a " ; " just before carPipe and worldPipe line. I have deleted " ; " and now 3.0a NEO reflections works

 

Edited May 20, 2019 by pawel86ck

[Shifaau9]

no offence but, that was just user error NOT SkyGFX or even the .ini file.

 

[pawel86ck]

Quote

no offence but, that was just user error NOT SkyGFX or even the .ini file.

Guy who build that mod, or people already familiar with GTA 3/VC/SA mods would of course now what " ; " means, but I'm using this mod for the first time so for me it's very easy to overlook what " ; " does. GTA mods creators should provide clear instructions how to use their modifications. Some mods have just folder with many different files and no readme instructions, so I had to spend many hours using img tool and try to modify various files, just to later find out I should use modloader from the start. And when mod creators include instructions sometimes they provide wrong information making things even more complicated. For exmaple I wanted to install mod for GTA VC, mod creator instructed (in the readme file) to find and modify gta3.dat file in data folder. The problem was there's no gta3.dat in VC data folder, and mod creator should ask to find "gta_vc.dat" file instead. Some moders will ask you to modify "txdstore limit" in order to use their mod, but how you should know where to find that line? Of course if you know how to use google search and when you are stubborn, you will find solution to all problems eventually, but it's time consuming and mod creators should provide correct instructions for normal people (not just for other mod creators). Now I have figured out how to run SKYGFX and many different GTA3/VC/SA mods I wanted to use, but I have spend many hours on that! Thanks god there are kind people like @RegistaG who prepared their own mod compilations and who offered help because otherwise I would be probably still wondering why I cant get SKYGFX or other mods to work.

 

[Vindsole]

Modders can explain in detail every little step, but not all people care, you have to be self taught, or might as well just play a clean game or modpack.

 

I'm right here trying to get The Hero's Xbox VC map to work without being absolutely buggy lol.

Edited May 21, 2019 by Vindsole

[Shifaau9]

.

Edited May 21, 2019 by SHIFAAU9 / SHIFAAH9

[pawel86ck]

18 minutes ago, SHIFAAU9 / SHIFAAH9 said:

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

Look @pawel86ck,  @The Hero did provide info about the ";" in the readme file, see:

SkyGFX 4.0 for SA by aap/The Hero
=================================

How to install, requirements, notes:
- In the ini a ; will cause the rest of the line to be ignored

that was the 14th line from the readme! so u technically can't say he did tell u about it in the readme file.

[spoiler/]

You are quoting me GTA SA 4.0 readme, while I'm talking about SKYGFX 3.0a for GTA 3 and VICE CITY, and there's no mentioning about that in 3.0a readme file.

[Igor Bogdanoff]

>open skygfx.ini
>literally third line is "; IMPORTANT: everything after the first ';' in a line is IGNORED"

[pawel86ck]

2 hours ago, George Costanza said:

>open skygfx.ini
>literally third line is "; IMPORTANT: everything after the first ';' in a line is IGNORED" 

That's not readme file with instructions, and it's still very easy to overlook info from a separate configuration file, and especially if previous SKYGFX version didnt reguired to edit or delete anything in order to use NEO car reflections (all I had to do is copy SKYGFX into scripts folder and press F6 key). You guys are clearly familiar with GTA moding (and probably coding as well unlike me), so you know already " ; " means something, but obviously you have no idea on how it's like to use these mods for a first time from a normal guy perspective. That particular sign ; is very small, and it looks like someone would put it by accident in that "carPipe" line. On steam forums there are people who have said there were so overwhelmed by the amount of informations needed to run these mods, they dont even want to bother installing these mods individually but prefer to use already prepared mod packs.

 

Right now I know how to run SKYGFX 3.0a and on top of that I have also found perfect mod pack for GTA3 pepared by a guy who obviously know what he was doing, but I still wonder how to install textures The Hero has prepared

http://gta.rockstarvision.com/workshop/hires_txds/

 

Quote

You can load it with TEXDICTION from default.dat or gta_vc.dat after generic.txd

What's texdiction? Even google search engine cant answer that. There are no more informations in regards to these textures, so I can only assume I should edit gta_vc.dat (file in the "data" folder) and add new line of code there, but based on my current knowledge I think just pasting "generic_vc_pc.txd" is not enough, and I should add "CDIMAGE" before that, I'm right? Also it would be great If someone would tell me how to load these textures in "modloader"? I should edit some file in modloader and add the same line "CDIMAGE GENERIC_VC_PC.TXD" somewhere there, or modloader will load these textures by itself?

 

BTW- you guys should realize by now, if The Hero would provide CORRECT and CLEAR instructions in the readme file how to install SKYGFX and his textures, then people like me would not spam this thread with questions

Edited May 21, 2019 by pawel86ck

[pez2k]

2 hours ago, pawel86ck said:

What's texdiction? Even google search engine cant answer that. There are no more informations in regards to these textures, so I can only assume I should edit gta_vc.dat (file in the "data" folder) and add new line of code there, but based on my current knowledge I think just pasting "generic_vc_pc.txd" is not enough, and I should add "CDIMAGE" before that, I'm right?

Add TEXDICTION before it, not CDIMAGE. The instructions are telling you to use the TEXDICTION keyword in gta_vc.dat to tell the game to load the file.

[Shifaau9]

 

 

1

2 hours ago, pawel86ck said:

still, wonder how to install textures The Hero has prepared

http://gta.rockstarvision.com/workshop/hires_txds/

 

What's texdiction?

I'm gonna try and explain that:

1. IF your gonna use the "generic_vc_pc.txd" and NOT  "generic_vc_diff.txd" (from the site/link above in your post) then forget about "TEXDICTION"!

2. just rename "generic_vc_pc.txd" to "generic.txd" and put the file inside a folder in modloader folder.

3. and done vola

[pawel86ck]

1 hour ago, pez2k said:

Add TEXDICTION before it, not CDIMAGE. The instructions are telling you to use the TEXDICTION keyword in gta_vc.dat to tell the game to load the file. 

Thanks @pez2k , your have explained very clearly what I supposed to do and now it works.

 

So creator of hi-res texture mod should instruct people to copy this line below into default.dat file (right after GENERIC.TXD line)

TEXDICTION MODELS\GENERIC_VC_PC.TXD

This way I would know what to do from the start, although I have no doubts The Hero instructions were clear enough for you guys, meaning people who have experience with mods (next time when if I would read similar instructions then I would know what to do too)

 

 

1 hour ago, SHIFAAU9 / SHIFAAH9 said:

I'm gonna try and explain that:

 

  Hide contents

1. IF your gonna use the "generic_vc_pc.txd" and NOT  "generic_vc_diff.txd" (from the site/link above in your post) then forget about "TEXDICTION"!

2. just rename "generic_vc_pc.txd" to "generic.txd" and put the file inside a folder in modloader folder.

3. and done vola

Your method also works, thanks

 

Have a nice day to you all guys , for so many years I have played GTA games on xbox classic, but now with mods it's just crazy how much better PC version looks

Edited May 21, 2019 by pawel86ck

[-Anti-]

On 5/20/2019 at 11:49 PM, The Hero said:

@-Anti- Looks like I figured it out. Noskillx gave me a model that showed the same phenomenon and it looks like it's a little bug that skygfx is showing the colors. The model has the modulate material flag off, so rendering the model *with* material colour is actually wrong. If you want to have the colors always, you should fix your model.

Great.

modulate material flag is the [prim] and [sec] tag in zmod materials name right? If I set these flags, the material color is ignored and the vehicle uses the colors from carcols.dat (with and without skygfx).

So I dont really understand how I could use the material color once you fix that bug.

Sorry if I got something wrong and thx for explaining.

 

On 5/20/2019 at 7:31 AM, The Hero said:

Is it really just the texblend switch? as in, you can switch between the two while the game is running? or is this something about not hooking anything in the first place? I'm just a bit surprised because applying material colors seems like a pretty basic thing...

I have never tried to switch anything in game. I'll check if it works later.

[The Hero]

No, [prim] and [sec] in zmodeler take care of the editable (= carcols) materials in a mesh. They have to be specific colors for the game to recognize the colors is to come from carcols.dat. I don't know how zmodeler sets the modulate material flag, but RW's exporter sets it when the material colour is not pure white. The flag just tells RW that the material colour should be used, if it's off it should be ignored.

Edited May 22, 2019 by The Hero

[MISSINGSTRING]

[Vindsole]

That's not the case, there is a clear lack of information in the readme.

[MISSINGSTRING]

There's no lack of information. Readme + ini info is more than enough for the average user. if you dont know something even after reading everything proly should investigate then, every function is explained.

[Vindsole]

Mostly, but some like TEXDICTION have no explanation about it, as he said, not even a google search provided information.

[The Hero]

I don't disagree that my explanations could be better - I'm usually very bad at presenting my work - but there are literally lines like

TEXDICTION MODELS\GENERIC.TXD

in the file. I thought it was pretty obvious what to do...

[SilverRST]

I see some talks about [prim], [sec], zmodeler2 and modulate. Which bug are we talking about and is there a fix?

I used to use zmodeler2 a lot back some years ago and now I use it once in some time now but modulate things, I think that never worked for vehicles except the normale modulate. I mean there are many other modulate options like modulate x2, x4 and so on. Some intensifies colors/materials too strong and other makes it very weak. I tried modulate x2 to make the gauges glow like they should be but can't remember that much if it was working or not.

Edited May 23, 2019 by SilverRST

[Blood Tiger]

Is it possible that system from GTA 3 and GTA VC that generates rubbish on surfaces will appear as optional feature in next SkyGFX releases or like separate plugin? I would be very grateful if someone would do something like this.

[Ash_735]

As been mentioned before, it's been done for SA via VCS PC (and GTA Underground), the issue is that you'd need to add the correct textures into the txd or else the game would crash, which is getting into harder modding as people would have different particle and effects files.

[Vindsole]

Couldn't it be possible to make it look for a different file for the texture? e.g rubbish.txd.