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[WxTech]

Thanks! I'll proceed accordingly. I did suspect the clamping action to have no performance impact, it being merely to bring outlying values into range. I would like to have the problem resolved at the source, but realize the difficulty of tracking all down and so am content enough to live with them.

[WxTech]

All is as recommended, and I get the "unexpected txr reload" error, with all three of ...Alpha, ...16Bit, and ...Degradation highlighted in brackets. Whichever parameter is set to zero seems to induce this. With this error, is there a performance hit? Surely the game cannot be working with two (or more) textures where there should be just the one, right?

[Helen-of-Sparta]

Thank you for this beautiful clouds mod, it is a special mod for sure and now my sky it is so beautiful 

[vpmedia]

I dont get these error messages. You only get them when the parameter isnt required in the mat file.
Make sure that you edit the Cloud4x4.mat file only.

This is how my Cloud4x4.mat looks:

Code: [Select]

[ClassInfo]
  ClassName TMaterial
[General]
  tfDoubleSide              1
  tfShouldSort              1
  tfGameTimer               1
  tfSpriteLight             0
  tfDropShadow              1

[LightParams]
  Ambient 5.0
  Diffuse 1.0
  Specular 0.0
  SpecularPow 0
  Shine 0.0

[Layer0]
  TextureName               clouds4x4.tga  //main clouds, visible into distance
  PaletteName               
  Frame                     1.0
  VisibleDistanceNear       1.0       //250.0
  VisibleDistanceFar        2000000.0
  TextureCoordScale         0.0 0.0 0.25 0.25  //images taken from a 4 by 4 matrix
  ColorScale                1.0 0.98 0.96 1.0  //slightly yellowish to balance with high clouds

  // Wrap Texture Flags (0/1)
  tfWrapX                   1
  tfWrapY                   1
  // Magnification / Minification (nearest on default)
  tfMinLinear               1
  tfMagLinear               1
  tfMipMap                  1
  /// BlendModes
  tfBlend                   1
  tfBlendAdd                0
  tfTestA                   1
  tfTestZ                   1
  tfNoWriteZ                1
  tfUpDateClear             0
  tfModulate                1
  tfNoTexture               0
  tfAnimatePalette          1
  tfAnimateSkippedFrames    0
  tfTranspBorder            1

  tfCompressMajorAlpha      1
  tfNoCompress16Bit         0
  tfNoCompressARB           0

  tfNoDegradation           0
These are my graphics settings I'm using.
Testing platform is DBW-1916.

Code: [Select]

[Render_OpenGL]
TexQual=3
TexMipFilter=3
TexCompress=2
TexFlags.UseDither=0
TexFlags.UseAlpha=0
TexFlags.UseIndex=0
TexFlags.PolygonStipple=1
TexFlags.UseClampedSprites=1
TexFlags.DrawLandByTriangles=1
TexFlags.UseVertexArrays=1
TexFlags.DisableAPIExtensions=0
TexFlags.ARBMultitextureExt=1
TexFlags.TexEnvCombineExt=1
TexFlags.SecondaryColorExt=1
TexFlags.VertexArrayExt=1
TexFlags.ClipHintExt=0
TexFlags.UsePaletteExt=0
TexFlags.TexAnisotropicExt=1
TexFlags.TexCompressARBExt=1

TexFlags.TexEnvCombine4NV=1
TexFlags.TexEnvCombineDot3=1
TexFlags.DepthClampNV=1
TexFlags.SeparateSpecular=1
TexFlags.TextureShaderNV=1

HardwareShaders=1

Shadows=2
Specular=3
SpecularLight=2
DiffuseLight=2
DynamicalLights=1
MeshDetail=2
VisibilityDistance=3

Sky=2
Forest=3
LandShading=3
LandDetails=2

LandGeom=3
TexLarge=1
TexLandQual=3
TexLandLarge=1

VideoSetupId=17
Water=3
Effects=1
ForceShaders1x=0

PolygonOffsetFactor=-0.15
PolygonOffsetUnits=-3.0


[WxTech]

vp,
Our .mat files are the same, as you're using the very one I modified.

Within the limits of my game version and graphics capability, our Render_OpenGL sections are largely similar. (I'm using trilinear Mip filtering, and a few other flags are set differently--which cannot be changed)

It's been so long now, I'm not sure if I'm in perfect mode, but I think not.

Errors are tanaciously being reported...

[Mick]

... in your OpenGL section you need at least:

HardwareShaders=1

... to get Perfect Mode ...

[WxTech]

Mick,
Yes to that. And in video options setup all fields are maxed, including landscape mode, it being "perfect." I suppose than means I'm in the vaunted prtfect mode, yes? I've had IL-2 since '03, and it's been a while since I concerned myself over these matters.

[Mick]

... then it looks like you are running your game in Perfect Mode, but then how come you are still running a 4.08 version ...?  ???

[vpmedia]

I reduced the mod to these 4 files:

\00_A_WxTech_big_clouds\effects\clouds\clouds4X4.tga   1 M // resized to 512
\00_A_WxTech_big_clouds\effects\clouds\Cloud4x4.mat   1 k // changed 3 parameters to 0
\00_A_WxTech_big_clouds\effects\clouds\DATA.cld    5k  // no change
\00_A_WxTech_big_clouds\effects\clouds\cloboard.tga   16 k // no change

The rest of the files wasnt required to run the mod imho.

Layer1 was commented out in the mat file so the clouds4X4A.tga is not being used, hence the readme isnt fully correct. I mean this part:

- Updated Clouds4x4A.tga. This is the 'extra' clouds which are drawn on top of
  those created by Clouds4x4.tga when you get to within a certain distance. I have
  made them by simply reducing to half-size the Clouds4x4.tga. Now when you get near
  to a cloud it will have its 'clone' drawn with it, as as a means to 'flesh it out'
  by boosting opacity.

Btw I had to revert to LandGeom=2 because the tops of the clouds were cut down with the setting 3. Fps is also better with 2.

[WxTech]

vp,
I did try clouds4x4.tga at 512 pixels, but found a gain of no more than 1-2 fps. Not nearly enough to compensate for the loss in resolution.

The inclusion of the topic of clouds4x4A.tga in my readme.txt was deliberate, and done for completeness. I did point out that if the user wished to revert to the usual employment of this auxilliary cloud, he/she need only remove the "//" preceding the deactivated lines in cloud4x4.mat.

[vpmedia]

I've found that theres less cloud flickering with a 512 resolution.
I wasnt saying that you should resize, I'm just trying to describe my exact setup, maybe it helps trobleshoot this txr reload thing.

I missed that part in the readme.txt about the option of layer1, thanks for the explanation!

Anyway, I'm gonna use this mod in DBW and DBW-1916 because this is the most realistic cloud mod I've seen so far.

[max_thehitman]

I really enjoy these clouds for those times I want extra volume in clouds and for taking dramatic photos with IL2-game aircraft.
Thanks for the tips guys. I was also getting a little flickering of light in some clouds. Perhaps it was just the cheer size of the clouds or
my computer was not rendering them at full speed. I am using  LandGeom=3. Perhaps I should test this cloud mod with  LandGeom=2.
I will test again.

I am also going to test them at some other resolution to see if I get better visual effects in my game.
With this new PC I hardly never encounter much problems with the game anymore, all around great FPS in all situations.
I have some excellent graphics resolution since the time VPmedia shared with me his game settings.
It does make for a better visual experience to have some good settings in your conf.ini.

Thanks guys, you make my day