Atlas2 Problems

#1 You have to flip the texture vertically or possibly horizontally once.

Though I can't see why it would get so much blue, perhaps what we're seeing is the water texture blended with the detail map?

Anyway, I would try the above.

#2 I have no clue what the problem is.. but that terrain looks cool!

#3 In L3DT, make sure you create the texture without Water Effects. This option must be un-checked when you do the Lightmap, I believe. I'm guessing you want TSE to do your Water and not have a "blue spot" baked onto the texture.

#4 I'm fine with the texture as it is. The terrain_water_demo does this. Stefan, none of those worked. I tried every possible rotation.

#5 Are you running under debug mode?

#6 I have the same problem. In debug and release Mode. Texture seems to be mirrored trough a transveral axis (0,0 -> n,n), or rotation of 90 degree (don't know). it happens with ...LargeJPEG.

Colors are heavily affected. It seems Red Component disapear.

Another Problem : Atlas terrain doesn't render on client TSE

Another problem (minor) : Atlas file size is greatly greater than chu+tqt file size (more than twice)

Another problem : detail texture doesn't render.

A final problem : It seems there is a lot of new console functions that are not "wikied". Could we know a little more about these functions?

#7 Vincent, my .atlas file size is very close to my CHU + TQT size. This probably depends a lot on the Tree Depth(s) of the files. The Detail texture render is "disabled" right now, there have been other mentions of this.

I concur about the Console functions. atlasConvertTextureTOC, why do you exist?

#8 @Vincent - I've documented most of the new functions in the Atlas2 page on TDN. Have you read this page?

I should note that in Atlas2 I did significant revamping and unification of how I index data, and as a result some things have gotten flipped.

As I mentioned above, D3D expects data in a different format & a flip is misplaced somewhere. I have this problem on my to-fix list.

As I have mentioned elsewhere, detail textures are not currently active (but they are easy to turn back on if you want them).

You have already reported the client-side TSE bug, thank you.

The Atlas2 file size is a bit bigger, pending work to reduce it in size. I went with quick to read & fast to implement over optimal size in this instance.

@Matt/Vincent - As for atlasConvertTextureTOC, it converts from one image format to another, just as its console doc says:

bool atlasConvertTextureTOC(inFile, outFile, format) - Convert the single texture TOC contained in inFile to be format format, and write the results into new atlas file outFile. Options for format are: 0=JPEG,1=PNG,2=DDS.

This information is available both by calling it with no or wrong number of arguments, by console autodoc, or by reading the source code (specifically, reading the console function definition, which is where ALL usage strings or console functions are stored).

When in doubt, please check the source & the docs contained therein. I made a special point of trying to make those docs easy to follow.

@Everyone: Please try to make an effort to keep each problem you are encountering to a single thread, or if you're not sure what problems are what, just make one thread and keep a log of your progress there. I feel like I'm having the same conversation in three or four places - this is a sure fire way to get lots of inconsistent information and spotty troubleshooting from me, as well as confusing the heck out of future generations (and me!).

#9

Quote:@Vincent - I've documented most of the new functions in the Atlas2 page on TDN. Have you read this page?

Pffff... Ben.... :) Yes ... 10 or 20 times :)
I would like to speak of functions like atlasTest3dsExport and such... Does that mean we can export maps, remove some vertices to make holes in 3DS and then reimport them with holes?
I Also hoped more documentation about TOCs.

Quote:As I have mentioned elsewhere, detail textures are not currently active (but they are easy to turn back on if you want them).

Can I have a "where to seek?" (to avoid losting time on false ways).

Quote:@Everyone: Please try to make an effort to keep each problem you are encountering to a single thread

Sorry, I though having problems in a same thread would be better to find answers. So If you prefer, have a lot of thread... Let's go... As soon as we can do exactly what we did with MS3, I will create some new thread ;).

Edit : Another important question for me : Is their a way to load chunks from memory Stream instead of file stream? If yes... Where can I connect these streams?

#10 I'm sorry, but having some source files on the wiki would be fantastic. I'm having a lot of trouble with the texture issue.

#11 Detail Textures : Solved here : www.garagegames.com/index.php?sec=mg&mod=resource&page=view&qid=10882. Thank you Matt.

#12 @Matt: Some source files? Can you clarify?

@Vincent: The export code is for importing/exporting from Max, yes. It's not finished yet - you're welcome to hack on it but it won't compile, it won't quite work right, and it was written against atlas1. It's on the "to contract" list - which we're holding off on till we get some cash flow issues take care of (budgets are fun!).

For TOCs - are the docs sufficient in the source code, or could there be more detail? What questions are you looking to answer?

Having each question in ONE place is ideal - be it in one big thread, or in its own thread. The problem comes when you have problem solving happening in two or three places!

Chunks are already loaded from memory - the data is copied quickly from file to a buffer, then read from the buffer into the chunk. Or maybe you're getting at something else..?

#13

Quote:For TOCs - are the docs sufficient in the source code, or could there be more detail? What questions are you looking to answer?

Source code is very well documented. But I think a general overview of atlas architecture (including TOCs, Chuncks, render, and so on) will be great for dev. In this general overview should contains some quick references to source code.

Quote:The problem comes when you have problem solving happening in two or three places!

:o, you're teasing.

Quote:the data is copied quickly from file to a buffer, then read from the buffer into the chunk

My problem is to shortcut file read to implement "fractal read" for geometry. And I don't know where to seek. There is so much improvement in this release, and I don't want to waste my time for finding some data you allready know. This join the missing general overview.

#14 Vincent, you're kinda hijacking this thread you know. The original thread was about something else.

Solving Atlas2 bugs is probably far higher priority than documenting every function in detail or explaining *how* (not why) TOC's work.

We're here to test this stuff out and help GarageGames to iron out bugs, not to request more documentation based on our inability to modify an already moving codebase that is Atlas2. That's your stuff.

Myself, I'm staying away from Atlas modifications until it's more stable and final to save time and frustration when something changes.

#15 @ Stefan

I would agree with you if Ben didn't want a reply. Vincent has shown he understands Atlas since he supports a product for it. The better he understands the less questions Ben will have to answer since Vincent can step in from time to time.

#16 True, but still;

I'm not saying he shouldn't ask those questions. It's just that some of what he's asking for is out of scope of bugtracking, it's more like seeking guidance to implement a feature.

He should (IMO of course) be posting in a seperate thread, not in the bugsolving threads.
I respect his work and his Tools, they are great - it was merely a request to direct his questions to the correct topics.

#17 I am having the same odd texture problem. Sometimes my textures turn bright colors and are always out of place. The atlas file that is being generated looks nothing like my texture map. Hopefully this is just a slight bug and will be fixed soon.

#18 @Vincent: Hmm... ok. I'll see what I can do re: TOC/chunk docs.

Fractal read? Heh - you're brave. Have you looked at modifying the AtlasChunk read code?

#19 Ben, when I said source files I meant images used for the terrain in terrain_water_demo. I've been able to get blender terrains working but I still have the color issue. I assume you've gotten rid of the color issues looking at the terrain from terrain_water_demo.

Thanks,
-Matt Vitelli

#20

Quote:Solving Atlas2 bugs is probably far higher priority than documenting every function in detail or explaining *how* (not why) TOC's work.

YES! Solving bugs is Higher priority than documenting. But... When I had team (in other domain that video games), I noticed some very good engeeners blocking on some bugs. I also noticed that major release always goes with bugs. And I also noticed that when I asked to engeeners to write docs instead of wasting their times to solve bugs, they found answers. When I asked that, they didn't understand, that they suffer the "syndrome of nose in code". Most of time they started documentation, and solved bugs before finishing doc. After 14 Days of release, we can't reproduce the basic schema of Atlas : Taking a geometry, a texture typing some lines of code and having a terrain, Which is a major bug. So I think Ben is "nose in code" and doesn't see the evidence.

Actually I have this result :
Instead of (in MS3) from approx the same point :

after following this code

atlasOldGenerateChunkFileFromRaw16("tool.htc/data/terrains/ile.RAW", 4096, 2.0, 1.0, "tool.htc/data/terrains/geometry.chu", 1.2, 4);
importOldAtlasCHU("tool.htc/data/terrains/geometry.chu", "tool.htc/data/terrains/geometry.atlas");
atlasGenerateTextureTOCFromLargeJPEG("tool.htc/data/terrains/ile.jpg", 4, "tool.htc/data/terrains/texture.atlas");
atlasGenerateUniqueTerrain("tool.htc/data/terrains/ile.atlas", "tool.htc/data/terrains/geometry.atlas", "tool.htc/data/terrains/texture.atlas");

You can notice that texture seems to have red component vanish, and also seems to be mirrored trough a transveral axis. I think it's simple to solve but I don't know where to seek.

A final word to say, if I can Help, I'll do, but I need a minimum documentation. And I think also, some other peoples could help if they have sufficient documentation.

Quote:
Fractal read? Heh - you're brave. Have you looked at modifying the AtlasChunk read code?

Yes I think it won't work, But I want to be sure ;)

Edit : Since today we have Details Texture working (thank's to matt to showing where to seek).