MSFS20 LOD adjusts texture colors

[Nordscape]

I am working on a model where the texture colors are being automatically adjusted with the LOD setting within the sim developer mode, and I wonder how I can stop it from doing this.

When moving outwards from LOD1 the textures are darker than with LOD0.

LOD0

LOD1->

 

[GaryGB]

I currently have no info on why implementing LOD's causes glTF's to "Turn To The Dark Side" (possibly a risk of using Blender ?)


But, all joking aside ...perhaps this may provide some info on what you are observing ?

https://www.google.com/search?q=MSF...hUKEwjexezHtu2SAxXEDTQIHSkhBvEQrQIoAnoECBwQAw


Your 3D models shown above already look great, regardless of perceived shifts in color "Brightness".

GaryGB

 

[Nordscape]

I currently have no info on why implementing LOD's causes glTF's to "Turn To The Dark Side" (possibly a risk of using Blender ?)

Lol. Glad someone else have as dry a humour as myself

But, all joking aside ...perhaps this may provide some info on what you are observing ?

https://www.google.com/search?q=MSF...hUKEwjexezHtu2SAxXEDTQIHSkhBvEQrQIoAnoECBwQAw

I've tried to search for the issue, but I cannot really figure this one out. I asked ChatGPT and will try to work the problem, but so far no success.

Your 3D models shown above already look great, regardless of perceived shifts in color "Brightness".

Thank you. The new workflow takes a bit more time, but it is much more detailed. It requires some foresighting on what issues may arise when trying to adjust materials to texture sets. Currently the resolution is too low on multiple parts of the building, and I also get some texture issues here and there... . But I'm getting there....

 

[GaryGB]

...perhaps this may provide some info on what you are observing ?

https://www.google.com/search?q=MSF...hUKEwjexezHtu2SAxXEDTQIHSkhBvEQrQIoAnoECBwQAw

I've tried to search for the issue, but I cannot really figure this one out. I asked ChatGPT and will try to work the problem, but so far no success.

It may be that I insist on using FireFox and not a browser which Discord can 'snoop' ...before they are willing to show all 'rich' content.

Google quotes in a few linked threads containing posts by Federico Pinotti (aka "mamu") cited Metalness as suspect in dark LOD Materials.

But now I do not find "dark" in any of the Google quoted statements to that effect anywhere in the currently retrieved threads via FireFox.

Possibly Federico edited the original posts since Google crawled the website ?


It 'may' be a Blender or MSFS quirk; but if LODs were made via MCX, we can discuss that with Arno in MCX forum regarding LOD processing.


I consider Arno's MCX LOD Creator as a very promising option for LOD generation in MSFS development; we should help him fine tune it.


How exactly did you make the LODs ?

Did you use Substance to apply / re-apply Materials after the glTF 3D models were made for the LOD, or was Blender used instead ?

GaryGB

 

[Heermeyer]

Yep, looks like different shades of metalness or roughness channels. But its hard to tell from the screenshots.

 

[Nordscape]

ChatGPT suggest

It may be that I insist on using FireFox and not a browser that Discord can 'snoop' adequately before they are willilng to show all 'rich' content.

Google quotes in a few linked threads containing posts by Federico Pinotti (aka "mamu") cited Metalness as suspect in dark LOD Materials.

But now I do not find "dark" in any of the Google quoted statements to that effect anywhere in the currently retrieved threads via FireFox.

Possibly Federico edited the original posts since Google crawled the website ?


It 'may' be a Blender or MSFS quirk; but if LODs were made via MCX, we can discuss that with Arno in MCX forum regarding LOD processing.


I consider Arno's MCX LOD Creator as a very promising option for LOD generation in MSFS development; we should help him fine tune it.


How exactly did you make the LODs ?

Did you use Substance to apply / re-apply Materials after the glTF 3D models were made for the LOD, or was Blender used instead ?

GaryGB

I use Substance Painter to add all materials, and then final MSFS-specific attribues before exporting. The only thing I corrected within Blender before exporting was to add emissive lights to the building.

I see CGPT suggest not to use Decimation to manually create LODs, but rather use Limited Dissolve as it will contain the shader values better.

But to summarize from what you are saying; should I not use metal maps to my model to avoid this issue?

 

[GaryGB]

This is what I have found thus far on Google and FSDEV websites (notice the query strings used)

https://www.google.com/search?q=site:+https://docs.flightsimulator.com/msfs2024+LOD+Metallic&client=firefox-b-1-d&hs=JXjU&sca_esv=f62ce894c4bd979c&biw=1200&bih=586&ei=IUubadDJOO-A5OMP26i4iAw&ved=0ahUKEwiQ3rm53e2SAxVvAHkGHVsUDsEQ4dUDCBM&uact=5&oq=site:+https://docs.flightsimulator.com/msfs2024+LOD+Metallic&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiPHNpdGU6IGh0dHBzOi8vZG9jcy5mbGlnaHRzaW11bGF0b3IuY29tL21zZnMyMDI0IExPRCBNZXRhbGxpYzIIEAAYgAQYogRIyyNQgxFY-x1wAXgAkAEAmAFeoAGSAqoBATO4AQPIAQD4AQGYAgGgAlyYAwCIBgGSBwExoAeKA7IHATG4B1zCBwMwLjHIBwKACAA&sclient=gws-wiz-serp


https://www.google.com/search?q=site:+www.fsdeveloper.com+MSFS+2024+LOD+Metallic&client=firefox-b-1-d&hs=2rOp&sca_esv=f62ce894c4bd979c&ei=IUybaZzdCZ3gp84Por3OmAs&biw=1200&bih=586&ved=0ahUKEwjc8ZOz3u2SAxUd8MkDHaKeE7MQ4dUDCBM&uact=5&oq=site:+www.fsdeveloper.com+MSFS+2024+LOD+Metallic&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiMHNpdGU6IHd3dy5mc2RldmVsb3Blci5jb20gTVNGUyAyMDI0IExPRCBNZXRhbGxpYzIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABMgUQIRigAUiCgAJQgwhY09MBcAF4AJABAJgBkgGgAbkUqgEEMjUuNLgBA8gBAPgBAvgBAZgCFaACrw7CAg4QABiABBiwAxixAxiDAcICFBAAGIAEGLADGLEDGIMBGIoFGI0GwgIREAAYgAQYsAMYsQMYgwEYigXCAgsQABiABBiwAxixA8ICFBAuGIAEGLADGLEDGIMBGMgD2AEBwgIXEC4YgAQYsAMYsQMY0QMYxwEYyAPYAQHCAhcQLhiABBiwAxixAxiDARjIAxiKBdgBAcICGhAuGIAEGLADGLEDGIMBGMgDGIoFGI0G2AEBwgIIEAAYgAQYogTCAgUQABjvBcICCBAAGKIEGIkFmAMAiAYBkAYUugYGCAEQARgIkgcEMTguM6AH4UWyBwQxNy4zuAenDsIHBjMuMTUuM8gHJIAIAA&sclient=gws-wiz-serp


https://www.google.com/search?q=site:+www.fsdeveloper.com+MSFS+2024+LOD+Metallic+dark&client=firefox-b-1-d&hs=gC49&sca_esv=f62ce894c4bd979c&biw=1200&bih=586&ei=Q0ybabaNOO7JwN4P-_PQqAY&ved=0ahUKEwj2ut3D3u2SAxXuJNAFHfs5FGUQ4dUDCBM&oq=site:+www.fsdeveloper.com+MSFS+2024+LOD+Metallic+dark&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiNXNpdGU6IHd3dy5mc2RldmVsb3Blci5jb20gTVNGUyAyMDI0IExPRCBNZXRhbGxpYyBkYXJrMgUQIRigATIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABMgUQIRigAUjPOVD8CljCI3ABeAGQAQCYAZsBoAH2A6oBAzQuMbgBDMgBAPgBAZgCBqACiQTCAgoQABiwAxjWBBhHwgIFECEYqwKYAwCIBgGQBgKSBwM0LjKgB7QZsgcDMy4yuAeGBMIHBTAuNS4xyAcLgAgA&sclient=gws-wiz-serp


In the last query, I added the word "dark".

GaryGB

 

[GaryGB]

Regarding "Limited Dissolve", here is what Google AI reports:

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-m&q=3D+model+geometry+Limited+Dissolve#lfId=ChxjMe



IIUC, an incidental result of this method is "N-gons".

https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/modeling/meshes/editing/mesh/delete.html


However, Direct-X / all versions of FS geometry requires conversion of sub-optimal / incompatible N-gon geometry to only Triangles.

I am not certain whether MCX and/or MSFS SDK FSPackageTool compiler converts N-gon geometry to only Triangles.


Done "properly", this is what Sketchup and some Ruby plugins (ex: thomthom Cleanup) do via Combine Textures and Merge coplanar Faces.


FYI: Arno has in the past adapted the internal default settings used during processing of FS 3D models based on feedback from MCX users.

If we see a trend for LODs and various methods of attenuating geometry complexity which show a pattern, we should share that with Arno so he can consider how to factor Material Properties to maintain consistent results for brightness / darkness / transparency etc. just as he already does in other processing settings used by MCX.

GaryGB