Shadow weirdness
by Richard Preziosi · in Torque 3D Professional · 01/29/2011 (8:51 am) · 12 replies
So I've got an interesting shadow problem. It might end up having to do with lighting, i'm not sure yet. Anyways, my shadows appear to pivot when i move or rotate my character. It's hard to explain, so here is a video of the problem in action.
Video
Video
#2
01/29/2011 (10:11 am)
Yeah it almost feels like the lighting direction is being changed as i move/rotate my character. 
#3
..was this from Vanilla T3D ?
What are your system specs ?
01/29/2011 (10:22 am)
could you give us an idea f what you have changed/done to possibly make this occur ? ..was this from Vanilla T3D ?
What are your system specs ?
#4
01/29/2011 (11:31 am)
And update DirectX, GPU drivers and general "stuff" that can be updated.
#5
1. C++ code
2. Anything in the game/levels folder
3. Drivers
4. Direct x
Where else is shadowing handled so I can get to checking. This does it on every computer we run our project on. I've copied .exe's and .dlls over to vanilla installs to see if i can replicate the problem. Atleast I know it's not my C++ source of my .mis files.
EDIT: I guess I should state, that it is only terrain and static meshes that are having this problem.
01/29/2011 (1:49 pm)
Ok, so I can now confirm that it is nothing to do with the following:1. C++ code
2. Anything in the game/levels folder
3. Drivers
4. Direct x
Where else is shadowing handled so I can get to checking. This does it on every computer we run our project on. I've copied .exe's and .dlls over to vanilla installs to see if i can replicate the problem. Atleast I know it's not my C++ source of my .mis files.
EDIT: I guess I should state, that it is only terrain and static meshes that are having this problem.
#6
Richard Preziosi, 'eb' had asked if this occurs in a 'Vanilla T3D', meaning any of the demo builds what come pre-compiled, specifically without any modifications. Steve Acaster mentions drivers and DirectX, because both of what may cause erratic behavior if out of date.
I reiterate what have already been mentioned because you do not list the scientific methods you have employed to rule out C++ code,Anything in the game/levels folder, Drivers,Direct x. Your 'bug' is not an issue reported by other Torque users, you may have an exceptionally rare system configuration, or accidentally doing something incorrect.
01/29/2011 (10:32 pm)
I have seen erratic shadow behavior in previous T3D betas, but nothing near that bad. Richard Preziosi, 'eb' had asked if this occurs in a 'Vanilla T3D', meaning any of the demo builds what come pre-compiled, specifically without any modifications. Steve Acaster mentions drivers and DirectX, because both of what may cause erratic behavior if out of date.
I reiterate what have already been mentioned because you do not list the scientific methods you have employed to rule out C++ code,Anything in the game/levels folder, Drivers,Direct x. Your 'bug' is not an issue reported by other Torque users, you may have an exceptionally rare system configuration, or accidentally doing something incorrect.
#7
First I ran our project on 5 different computers, each with vastly different components. The problem occured on them all. Direct X was up to date, drivers were up to date. I should not that this problem does not happen with a vanilla install of T3d.
I then took the level folder out of our project and dropped it into a vanilla install. The problem did not occur. My next step was to take the game.dll, game.exe, game.lib, game.obj and put it into the vanilla install folder. I ran these and tested the level, the problem again did not occur.
So that leads me to believe that the problem has nothing to do with direct x, computer components, graphics drivers, source, or mission files. The word "shadow" in torsion fines me about 3k results, so I was hopeing that someone knew some places to effect static shadows in script.
01/30/2011 (4:21 pm)
Ok, I'll outline what I have done so far to try and determine the problem. I'm almost positive there is a wrong setting somewhere in script.First I ran our project on 5 different computers, each with vastly different components. The problem occured on them all. Direct X was up to date, drivers were up to date. I should not that this problem does not happen with a vanilla install of T3d.
I then took the level folder out of our project and dropped it into a vanilla install. The problem did not occur. My next step was to take the game.dll, game.exe, game.lib, game.obj and put it into the vanilla install folder. I ran these and tested the level, the problem again did not occur.
So that leads me to believe that the problem has nothing to do with direct x, computer components, graphics drivers, source, or mission files. The word "shadow" in torsion fines me about 3k results, so I was hopeing that someone knew some places to effect static shadows in script.
#8
Consider the fact that by changing game.dll, game.exe to your project files, you are logically testing your source code modifications. Meaning if you were to take the "Vanilla T3D" build game.dll, game.exe into your project, and your project execute without this error, your C'code modifications are quite certainly to be the culprit.
Other things to experiment with; your hardware configuration (CTRL-O options panel), also check your \game\shaders for any type of left over edits, or experiments.
If you do not yet have a differencing tool, such as http://winmerge.org/, you may find it to be most valuable when seeking the origins of this type of error.
01/31/2011 (1:24 pm)
That is helpful. Notice the logic of a "Vanilla T3D" build working fine, yet your build is not? This dictates that the problem is indeed with your personal project modifications not, hardware, DX, or drivers, as you have also concluded. Consider the fact that by changing game.dll, game.exe to your project files, you are logically testing your source code modifications. Meaning if you were to take the "Vanilla T3D" build game.dll, game.exe into your project, and your project execute without this error, your C'code modifications are quite certainly to be the culprit.
Other things to experiment with; your hardware configuration (CTRL-O options panel), also check your \game\shaders for any type of left over edits, or experiments.
If you do not yet have a differencing tool, such as http://winmerge.org/, you may find it to be most valuable when seeking the origins of this type of error.
#9
01/31/2011 (6:08 pm)
It was a shader, I thought I had replaced them with vanilla install shaders, but it seems that I was replacing them with bad shaders. I didn't do any more research to see exactly what was wrong with the ones that were there, as I'm quite busy with other things. Thanks for the help all.
#10
01/31/2011 (8:05 pm)
Hurray! I am constantly introducing bugs leftover from experiments, so have intimate familiarity with the frustrations. 
#11
02/01/2011 (6:53 am)
Shaders are sneaky anyway.... 
#12
02/01/2011 (11:14 am)
And that's why I love this community, asking all the right questions to help others out. Glad to see you guys got it sorted out. Moving this from bugs to general discussion. 
Torque Owner Richard Ranft
Roostertail Games