This is probably related to the same errors I've seen in WOS, where objects above some size threshold seem to mis-interpret which polys should be clipped. So far as I know, there isn't any script-side method of changing how objects are clipped, other than changing its overall rendering distance (LODranges = 0, 2000, etc.).

Now, with that object... we're talking about one of DA's funny rings... I'd have to take a look at the 3DB, but I think it's fair to say that what's probably going on is that the model's LODs are clashing with one another at that specific distance.

FL's rendering engine uses SURs to determine a lot've rendering tasks. I found this out and somewhat-empirically demonstrated it with WOS, which has all manner of huge objects- some of whom, to be frank, don't render terribly well, under certain circumstances. For example, I've found that open polysurfaces will render OK (assuming that one is viewing the "out" side), but they suffer from some sort've clipping issues when near another huge object. This has been the bane of my early experimental islands, some of which suffer from problems rendering at certain angles. It's not something most players will see all of the time (these islands are scattered over a huge surface area), but it is a bit annoying.

At any rate... I've been working on WOS for the last 2 months and ignoring most've this stuff. I'm going to get back with Anton and Hcl and see if they've made any progress on a SUR exporter... which could radically change this situation along with making a lot've other things possible...

It's a planet's ring, as you can see. Those objects require no 3db indeed. The programm generates the 3d data itself from inoformation in an INI file and loads a texture froma txm file, that's all. The system file determines inner and outer radius, and the ring file determines how often it is subdivided (the "3D resolution" and colors, textures etc.

So far, no matter what I do for texture or resolution or whatever setting, this continues to happen. It seems to really have to do with rings at large scale, as my rings are all way larger than in the original game.

I can absolutely *garantee* you that it's using polygons somewhere for that thing, with an alpha-channel transparency bitmap over it. The reason why I say this is that I've done experiments with very large objects that are "auto-generated" and there are definately severe limitations on the number of polys it'll include... and when the engine hits that threshold, it just quits adding new polys. And distortions make it worse. For example.. try making a Nebula 200K on a side and 100K deep... it'll look ... downright funky

Again, as with the other issue... the solution is to implement your own custom CMP files. Doing alpha-channel transparencies in FL isn't terribly hard at all... so you could make the ring out've a pair of squares, for example... or get fancy and model the rings discreetly and then use alpha-channels to hide the poly edges...

Edited by - Argh on 1/27/2005 12:25:26 AM

Lmao, I think I will "just" downsize the whole Universe by 90% (talking seriously ).