Engine Limits and HD Art

[OG_RuDeE]

Sorry to go MIA, I have a couple hectic days coming up but hopefully I can check this out tomorrow afternoon / evening.

Edit: I do have some thoughts on the normal showing up on ground boxes, I know you use some as terrain in your own tracks, so it makes sense there, but on bridges and stuff not so much.

[Fila]

https://www.mtm2.com/~mtmg/misc/CP3_hotfix2.zip <--- ooops, _MASK leaking to other tracks

[Cale]

Can someone give me a 10000 foot explainer on what the normals are doing and how you guys are making the normal maps? I'm curious if I can forego shading the actual truck textures and use the normal maps instead to get a similar effect.

[OG_RuDeE]

Would a video suffice? I can also do a 10,000 word explainer, if you prefer. Messing with the normals is actually super easy, but I hate doing accompanying screenshots.

[OG_RuDeE]

On a separate note, the flippin' stock normal masks look so good on the stock tracks, it sort of makes HD textures optional.

Also, with HD textures, one should turn of "Smoothing" in the Graphics >> Hardware window. In fact, the stock tracks I've tried look good with smoothing off, even with no normal mask, in the new engine.

I'm going to try a flat grey normal mask on all of the stock tracks. If it looks how I think it will, I think the MaskArt folder should come with the CP3 with all stock tracks having a flat grey normal mask. The extra detail is incredible!Stock textures look great, and it makes HD textures look unbelievable.

[Fila]

That can be a pod instead. Just throw them into the pod but name the folder Art inside the pod (instead of MaskArt)

[Fila]

Since I don't want to spam the CP3 thread with a million hotfixes, I think this feature will best be added with the next beta patch. I know you want it for CP3 proper but it doesn't help if people have to keep checking for new downloads.

And this gives you more time to come up with a good mask. You most likely have until the weekend. :p

If the flat grey works fine on all the stock tracks, maybe it can be added as a universal for all the tracks, and behind a toggle so people can turn it on/off (and always overruled by a normal/mask that is specific to the track).

[OG_RuDeE]

Sounds good. I think it will end up being darker than 128, so less strength. Will keep playing with it.