FSSC macros and V1, V2...

[khaos_56k]

Hello All!

I'm confusing myself so I need your guidance to straighten me out...

PROBLEM: I have a GMax created LOD model that is partially textured. The LOD works perfectly and the textures look exactly the way I want but... As I move to within 10m or so of the object it disappears no matter which direction I approach it from. The model was doing this before I applied the textures and I had hoped that the textures would stop this from happening... but it hasn't. I vaguely remember something like this happening to someone else and most of the suggestions leaned toward V1 and V2 setting... but I'm not 100% positive of that...

I'm using GMax to create my models (with and without LOD); Export for library compiling with FSRegen; I place the newly created macros in FS9 with FSSC...

Now I've been trying to remember the use of V1 and V2 and their impact on macros. If I remember right... V1 is the farthest distance visible in front of the user? And V2 is the farthest distance behind the user?? Is there a "rule of thumb" to setting them? Do they really affect anything in FS9?

When placing the macros with FSSC I changed the default V1 from 10000m to 8000m and the default V2 from 100m to 80m. Mostly to decrease the range they are cached/viewable to keep FPS from any unnecessary degredation.

So.. am I correct about the uses of V1 and V2? Could they be the cause of this issue?

Thanks, in advance, for any input or suggestions.

 

[rhumbaflappy]

You shouldn't have changed the V2.

For that matter, why change the V1... didn't you say it was multi-LOD?

Your LOD usage should save the framerates, so leave V1 and V2 alone... unless you need to increase them.

Dick

 

[arno]

Hi Ken,

I think the v2 will be the problem here. If you export from GMax the v2 value is set to the optimal value (I am not sure if FsRegen reads tihs and puts it in the API as well).

So if you make it too small later on, your object will dissapear. The v2 value must be the radius of a circle from the reference point that the whole object fits in.

I agree with Dick that you can ignore the v1 if you have LODs (you only need it to determine when nothing is shown anymore). But it is still very important to set the v2 correct. Even if you have LODs, you want to prevent that something is drawn behind you and thus eating your fps for nothing .

 

[khaos_56k]

Thanks to both of you for your input. I'll increase the V2 and see what happens. I did an experiment last night and exported directly from GMax and the disappearing problem is gone...

So... if adjusting the V2 doesn't do the job... I'll just export directly from GMax.

 

[arno]

You might want to take a look at the macro FsRegen made for you. If the v2 value is hardcoded in there, it does not matter what you enter when you place the macro. So you might want to check the value in the API itself as well.

 

[khaos_56k]

OK, great thought! Since the API language is 95% gobble-de-gook to me... where would that be located? I see "v1" but no "v2"...

BTW, I haven't adjusted V2 in FSSC to see any results yet...

; --- Created by FsRegen v0.31b

mif (0)
Area( 5 %1 %2 1 )
RotatedCall( :symbol 0 0 %5 )
Jump( :endsymbl )
:symbol
RefPoint( 7 : 0.5 %1 %2 )
Points( 0
-7 0 -9
-7 0 5
6 0 5
6 0 -9
-1 0 -2
)
Poly( a 0 1 2 3 )
Poly( a 0 4 3 )
Return
:endsymbl
EndA
mifend

Area( 5 %1 %2 22 )
perspectivecall( :OBJ )
shadowcall( :OBJ )
jump( : )
:OBJ
mif( %11  )
refpoint( 2 :END %4 %1 %2 E= %11 v1= %10 %13 %14 )
melse
refpoint( 7 :END %4 %1 %2 v1= %10 %13 %14 )
mifend
rotatedcall( :ROT 0 0 %5 )
return
:ROT
callLibobj( 0 D2F2363F  4958916B  C6B063A8  357134E1  )
:END
return
EndA

 

[arno]

Hi Ken,

The %13 becomes v2= and %14 the value you assign to it. So as long as you provide it when you place the macro it should get the value you assign.

 

[khaos_56k]

Thank you Arno.

I've also been told that my "problem" may stem from not having every polygon of every model textured on the API. I'm going to continue texturing, return the V1 and V2 to their default values and see if this will solve it.

 

[arno]

With GMax models, I have indeed seen that they can suddenly dissapear if you do not apply a material (so just leave them at the default GMax color). To check if this is true you could enter slew mode, then they should reappear.