Detail numbers have no relation to pixel size

#1 Works perfectly here. Only difference is that I still use max 6.

#2 Hmmm. Are you using MultiRes or manually decimated models?

Me = manual.

#3 Using multires.

#4 I just tried an experiment using multires and the same model I was using before. I got slightly different results but still not what I expected. Using multires with SIZES = 100,50,20 the models switched at around 60 pixels and around 14 pixels. Same exact results with SIZES = 500,150,2. This makes no sense to me. Magnus (or anyone) are you sure you have exact control over this?

#5 Yep. My LODs are accurate up to +/-1 pixel in showtool. I use slightly lower values though, usually 128,64,32,2.

#6 Magnus, does it work if you set them to a value that isn't a power of 2 ? Set your 64 to 100 and see if it does the same thing.

#7 I'm off into the nice sun to barbecue now but I'll give it a try later tonight.

#8 Yeah, I've been trying crazy numbers just for the sake of testing.

I just went back to max 5 since I still have it installed, and tried a test sphere with both multires and manual detail sizes, and it worked correctly within 1-2 pixels. It appears this is a bug with the max 7 exporter.

Thanks for the help in diagnosing it, M. :)

#9 Sounds strange, it's the same exporter for both 6 and 7 isn't it? Anyway, now I'm really gone though and I'll still try it out when I get back.

#10 Jeff. have you tired the unmessdts utility to see if this changes anything?

#11 Joe, I just tried it, and that did the trick. Heh, after all this time I finally find a use for UnMessDTS. I always thought it was just for if your mesh comes out all crazy triangles.... a "mess".

I'm sure it'll get annoying fast to have to unmess everything I export, but at least it works. :)

Thanks, Joe.

#12 @Jeff
I created a rollout floater for Max that should ease your unMess burden. Check out this resource.

#13 Todd - Thanks for the tip... actually I found your resource when I was searching for the unmess.exe (not realizing I already had it on my HD :P), and I've been using it all morning. It really is a time saver! Thanks for putting that up for the community.

This community is really cool.

#14 Ah, yeah. I always run unmess on my models. (I use a script to export my current file to DTS and it automatically runs unmessdts.exe =).

#15 Oh yeah... and the script if anyone want it. I'd submit it as a resource, but right now I don't really have the time nor the energy. It's really quite simply though so it doesn't really deserve being a resource. =)

macroScript ExportDTS
	category:"WIT"
	internalcategory:"WIT"
	buttontext:"ExportDTS"
	toolTip:"ExportDTS" 
(
	fname = maxfilepath + getFilenameFile(maxFileName) + ".dts"
	exportFile fname
	DOSCommand ("unmessdts.exe \"" + fname + "\" \"" + fname + "\"")
)

Just put it on a toolbar or quad menu (and copy unmessdts.exe to somewhere where the system can find it, like your windows dir).

#16 Cool, thanks Magnus. I had to change it a little bit for my needs, but this is even faster now. :)

#17 Um, "re-opening" this issue. When I run my models through unmessdts the LODs display correctly in the TSTPro, but not in-game.

I have a model with 2 LODs, one at 150 and another at 32. Works perfect in show tool after unmessing, but in-game, the switch between the two models happends at about 500 pixels high, and the model never disappears, as it should when less than 32 pixels high.

I just re-downloaded the stock engine and tried it there with the same result. Can anyone confirm the accuracy of the LOD popping in-game? I did it by taking screen captures and measuring the pixel height in photoshop....

#18 Hmm, thats strange because I did the same testing by taking screenshots and testing the sizes in photoshop and they were pretty much dead on +/- 2 pixels.

#19 Hmm, well I just tried taking screen captures and verifying the pixel heights reported in the showtool pro. They're wrong as well. Not off by as much but still off. I tried measuring both the bounding box and the mesh, and neither matched the HUD's reported pixel height. Anyone know how that number is calculated?

#20 I have no idea. I tried measuring in showtool too and for me it's completely off (tried measuring everything, height, width, height+width, diagonal, you name it). Not sure what to say, but... well... I'm inclined to recommend what I do; screw it and don't worry about it. Just tweak your values until it looks right in the game instead. =)