ship invisible - LOD problem? plz help

Tue Aug 26, 2003 7:29 pm by nAv

I am almost sure this is an LOD problem and I did try to fix it but I can't find any solutions.

I textured my ship using some textured from freelancer. First I tried using DDS files then TGA but I still have the same problem. Which is:

When I buy my ship on a planet I can only see parts of it. Then I fly into space, I can see my ship fine, but when I come back it's completely invisible. I don't know what is going on. Here's my ship archetype:

On a second issue, how do u add strobe lights besides the docking lights on your ship?

[Ship
ids_name = 237033
ids_info = 66567
ids_info1 = 66568
ids_info2 = 66608
ids_info3 = 66569
ship_class = 1
nickname = fs_wasp
msg_id_prefix = gcs_refer_shiparch_Libhf
mission_property = can_use_berths
LODranges = 0, 9999
type = FIGHTER
DA_archetype = ships\firestorm\fs_wasp.cmp
material_library = ships\firestorm\fs_wasp.mat
material_library = fx\envmapbasic.mat
envmap_material = envmapbasic
cockpit = cockpits\liberty\l_elite.ini
pilot_mesh = generic_pilot
nanobot_limit = 82
shield_battery_limit = 82
mass = 150.000000
hold_size = 80000
linear_drag = 1.000000
fuse = intermed_damage_smallship01, 0.000000, 400
fuse = intermed_damage_smallship02, 0.000000, 200
fuse = intermed_damage_smallship03, 0.000000, 133
max_bank_angle = 30
camera_offset = 8, 34
camera_angular_acceleration = 0.050000
camera_horizontal_turn_angle = 17
camera_vertical_turn_up_angle = 5
camera_vertical_turn_down_angle = 25
camera_turn_look_ahead_slerp_amount = 1.000000
hit_pts = 14400
explosion_arch = explosion_li_elite
surface_hit_effects = 0, small_hull_hit_light01, small_hull_hit_light02, small_hull_hit_light03
surface_hit_effects = 150, small_hull_hit_medium01, small_hull_hit_medium02, small_hull_hit_medium03
surface_hit_effects = 300, small_hull_hit_heavy01, small_hull_hit_heavy02, small_hull_hit_heavy03
steering_torque = 43000.000000, 43000.000000, 143000.000000
angular_drag = 41000.000000, 41000.000000, 141000.000000
rotation_inertia = 8400.000000, 8400.000000, 8400.000000
nudge_force = 30000.000000
strafe_force = 20000
strafe_power_usage = 2
bay_door_anim = Sc_open baydoor
bay_doors_open_snd = cargo_doors_open
bay_doors_close_snd = cargo_doors_close
HP_bay_surface = HpDockLight01
HP_bay_surface = HpDockLight02
HP_tractor_source = HpTractor_Source
num_exhaust_nozzles = 2
shield_link = l_elite_shield1, HpMount, HpShield01, HpMount, HpShield02
hp_type = hp_gun_special_10, HpWeapon05
hp_type = hp_gun_special_9, HpWeapon01, HpWeapon02, HpWeapon03, HpWeapon04, HpWeapon05
hp_type = hp_gun_special_8, HpWeapon01, HpWeapon02, HpWeapon03, HpWeapon04, HpWeapon05
hp_type = hp_gun_special_7, HpWeapon01, HpWeapon02, HpWeapon03, HpWeapon04, HpWeapon05
hp_type = hp_gun_special_6, HpWeapon01, HpWeapon02, HpWeapon03, HpWeapon04, HpWeapon05
hp_type = hp_gun_special_5, HpWeapon01, HpWeapon02, HpWeapon03, HpWeapon04, HpWeapon05
hp_type = hp_gun_special_4, HpWeapon01, HpWeapon02, HpWeapon03, HpWeapon04, HpWeapon05
hp_type = hp_gun_special_3, HpWeapon01, HpWeapon02, HpWeapon03, HpWeapon04, HpWeapon05
hp_type = hp_gun_special_2, HpWeapon01, HpWeapon02, HpWeapon03, HpWeapon04, HpWeapon05
hp_type = hp_gun_special_1, HpWeapon01, HpWeapon02, HpWeapon03, HpWeapon04, HpWeapon05
hp_type = hp_elite_shield_special_10, HpShield01
hp_type = hp_elite_shield_special_9, HpShield01
hp_type = hp_elite_shield_special_8, HpShield01
hp_type = hp_elite_shield_special_7, HpShield01
hp_type = hp_elite_shield_special_6, HpShield01
hp_type = hp_elite_shield_special_5, HpShield01
hp_type = hp_elite_shield_special_4, HpShield01
hp_type = hp_elite_shield_special_3, HpShield01
hp_type = hp_elite_shield_special_2, HpShield01
hp_type = hp_elite_shield_special_1, HpShield01
hp_type = hp_thruster, HpThruster01, HpThruster02
hp_type = hp_mine_dropper, HpMine01
hp_type = hp_countermeasure_dropper, HpCM01
hp_type = hp_turret_special_8, HpTurret01
hp_type = hp_turret_special_7, HpTurret01
hp_type = hp_turret_special_6, HpTurret01
hp_type = hp_turret_special_5, HpTurret01
hp_type = hp_turret_special_4, HpTurret01
hp_type = hp_turret_special_3, HpTurret01
hp_type = hp_turret_special_2, HpTurret01
hp_type = hp_turret_special_1, HpTurret01
hp_type = hp_torpedo_special_1, HpTorpedo01, HpTorpedo02
hp_type = hp_torpedo_special_2, HpTorpedo01, HpTorpedo02

Tue Aug 26, 2003 10:28 pm by sodrak

Ithink the LODranges = 0, 9999
should be LODranges = 0, 99999

and for adding strobe lights, if you mean Running lights
add a hardpoint(s) HpRunningLight01

Hope this helps

Tue Aug 26, 2003 11:51 pm by nAv

Well the LOD didn't fix anyhting... This sucks.

Wed Aug 27, 2003 12:25 am by sodrak

Well I had part of my ship invisible all the time when I first made it.
I had some surface problem that I resolved in Milkshape by welding some faces together, also moved some groups around and back together. I don't know which fixed it but you could try same thing. Or maybe someone else could suggest something.

Good Luck.

Wed Aug 27, 2003 3:33 am by firebase

Well i have a similar problems but mine is a disappearing reappering problem. When my ship got too close in the screen ie. nose at front and off scrren and tail at back and on screen view, the model disspears and when viewed fully its fine. and i thought it must be my model 'cuz my model don't support LOD in my CMP file or maybe the i don't support destructible parts in my CMP.

So if there's anyone out there having the same problem as we have please post it here. so if anyone who has skills in modelling can suggest as something.

Working hard to earn... but too lazy to do something...

Wed Aug 27, 2003 4:12 am by parabolix

lol...my buddy dave, who i am working on a mod with, had the EXACT same problem...ummm...im not postive if this'll work...but try to add this line to your entry in shiparch.ini

LODranges = 0, 99999

Be sure to look out for the Epsilon MOD

oh...lol...i see someone already beat me to it...i'll ask dave what he did...and i'll get back to you

im making toast

Edited by - parabolix on 27-08-2003 05:12:38

Wed Aug 27, 2003 5:25 am by Glock36

Firebase, the dissapearing and reappearing problem sounds like a camera view problem

look at the line camera_offset = n, n

in shiparch.ini. That adjusts were the ship appears on the screen. The values
camera_offset = 0, 0 would put the ship at it's dead center on the screen. You can see this best by fooling with a nomad ship because they are transparent. If you set your ship to 0, 0 you won't be able to see anything because your ship is not transparent.
LOD ranges determine what you ship looks like to other ships at different distances. The microsoft ships have several views. Custom ships don't. So for custom ships the setting is 0, 99999

Thank You. Glock 36.

Wed Aug 27, 2003 5:36 am by fattytheking

i made a cruiser and got it ingame and its working but its always invisible, always. ive never seen it show up on planet or in flight. ive tried all this stuff and still cant make it work. this ship was my first modding project ever and i wanna see it finished and working! someone help me! ill send my .cmp or.ms3d files or something, i want my ship to work!

Wed Aug 27, 2003 5:42 am by nAv

The camera is definetly not IN my ship. I am not retarded.

I think I know what the problem is, but I still can't fix it.

I noticed that when the ship is loaded at close range it becomes invisible. This is how I reached my conclusion:

My ship is invisible at planets and bases. When I take off from a planet my ship becomes visible. Then I was traveling along when I decide to dock with Fort Bush. When I docked and and took off, the camera was at a distance from my ship, therefore I was able to see it. But then I docked with a German station somewhere. When I came out, the camera was positioned very close to my ship and it was invisible (it was not IN my ship).

Tonight I also tested my mod with my friend. When I showed him my ship he was waiting outside manhattan and I was coming from pittsburg. Therefore when my ship model was loaded it was far away. When he went to pittsburg to purchase the ship, I was waiting very close to the docking ring, so when he took off, the ship model was loaded at close range. I could not see his ship.

I hope you understand what I am trying to say.

Isn't there a way to change the LOD loading system so it only loads the best (highest poly) model? As for switching groups in milkshape, how do I do that?

Wed Aug 27, 2003 7:00 pm by Glock36

I did not mean to insinuate that you had your camera view set at 0,0. I was merely explaining the concept.

Thank You. Glock 36.

Thu Aug 28, 2003 1:37 am by harrier

Nav,

You may have the same problem I had and the view problem was fixed by playing with the lod values.
I made a custom model and when I first imported it it would dissappear mainly during docking sequences, so i looked looked at the matfiles and scale, when first imported it was huge - the size of a small freighter - so I re-scaled to a more appropriate size. The ship actually existed, just wasnt visible at all ranges, so I didn't think the problem was there. The problem was actually in the lod ranges.
It was suggested that I change the values to a higher number so rather than start high, I changed the entry to: 0,1001,1002,1003 to take up the same number of values as previously which were 0,75,125,1000. I have since experimented with different lod values of say 0,500,1001,1002 and this seems to work on fighters, on larger ships you may need to go higher but I would suggest you try incremental steps until the model is visible at all (or almost all) times.

Hope this will help.

Harrier.

Retreat[![! ---- I'm too badly messed up now[![!

Fri Aug 29, 2003 4:40 am by firebase

Glock is that the camera at the 3rd person view. if it was i already fixed it along time ago. i was wondering about the planetside cameras. i've been thinking. it must be that autoclipping thingy so that when you got to close to the camera the system will automatically clip your model so as not to interfere with the view. I think...

Working hard to earn... but too lazy to do something...

Fri Aug 29, 2003 4:43 am by firebase

Or it must be the model itself. cause it has no multiple objects attached to it. I think the FL Models don't clip or disappear, cuz they have more objects linked to them, ie. portwing etc.

Working hard to earn... but too lazy to do something...

Sat Aug 30, 2003 12:58 am by nAv

Bah.. I think Im' gonna give up on my mod. School is starting in 10 days and I will barely have enough time even for homework. Too bad.

Sat Aug 30, 2003 8:32 am by Kendo THM

Oh don't do that!!

C'mon, you gotta have hope...You can still work on it on weekends...

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