Some wip projects

[AndreasFSC]

 

[AndreasFSC]

It should look like this (houses), I haven't even been able to find the trees texture yet

 

[AndreasFSC]

Fixed now...
One downside is that horizons (that accidentally was disabled) looks very bad in some replay cameras and in rain (same as with default shader, no difference here).
I might have to manually edit all of them, unless I find out some workaround

 

[AndreasFSC]

Adjusted some bumpmap settings, so it should work better again. Will upload new version soon.

 

[Incredible Hulk]

Could you please specify what changes on gmt files you are doing on track updates.
Some shadow/lighting mesh settings?

 

[AndreasFSC]

The most important thing is to set the lights settings in the gdb file, then some small adjustments to materials if needed.
I change to what I fell look right, but very little is needed, and many settings are disabled in my shaders version anyway.
Mipmap bias can also help. A lower value is better if the textures look very pixelated and bad when far away.
Then I change transparency from multiple to simple where it is possible for better drawing order. The game has a lot of problems knowing what material and object to draw first when handeling more than one material with multiple transparency.

 

[AndreasFSC]

Status Update

Released:
* Reloaded shaders
- I think most bugs are sorted now, but probably still a few left. Have added a road and a tree special shader, and plan to add animated (hopefully) water and a special horizon material to better handle weather and possibly fog.
Would also like to add built in shadows and self-shading, but it is not possible for the moment.

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WIP projects, descending priority:
* Updates to some TinyTweaks, and STCC2 tinytweak.
- Will most likely be transformed to miditweaks with things like talent files, updated normals and other minor things.
Nothing spectacular, just fixing things. Could also be some higher resolution textures. Focus is as usual at standard game contents.

* Super touring and BTC-T etc.
- Just fix some details and update for new shaders. No big plans for the moment. After track updates?

* Thruxton, Super Touring Track pack
- Just fix some details/errors and update for new shaders. No big plans for the moment. Next thing to do?

* Pit crew patch
- Trying to figure out why it doesn't work with some cars. I think it is related to how the game tries to find the wheel meshes for shadow. It seems these meshes needs to be named correctly (starting with same name as car files?) and be available in the same folder as the inccar file. This helped for Honda WTCC 07, but not for other cars, so investigation continues

* Misc mods
- Looking in the game code now and then. Still want to make safety car available.

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Long time/paused projects:

* Test track from Toca2.
- Might continue later, using new shaders and maybe other things I have learnt from Simbin tracks.

* STCC 2003
- Have to balance the performance of the cars and improve the visuals slightly for a more even look.
Haven't decided what to do about car ID's, but will probably reuse ID's, maybe from BTC-T mod.

* Fiesta cup 1998 (Toca 2).
- Exterior is about 90% done. No interior or physics yet, might have to install Toca2 to check for car specs and setup.

* GT3 Huracan
- some exterior details left, then it is time for interior(s) and physics.

* Super Touring Europe or WTC from Toca world Touringcar game
- add some of Markano's skins as addon series for Super Touring Seasons mod

 

[AndreasFSC]

Fixing some simple track related things. Long time since I worked on Knockhill now. Editing textures and emissive settings do the difference. Also editing uv mapping for grass and sand to smoothen some a little bit rough edges.
Trying to have the ST track pack updated next (or some wtcc 07 track maybe).

 

[AndreasFSC]

Got a report that Monza tracks didn't work as they should. But it seems opening, editing a few things and exporting in 3dsimed fixed that. I have missed some buildings a long time, but now they are back. Not sure about all track side objects (as I usually don't have the time to look carefully), but I think most objects are there. One strange thing is that some sponsors seems to be covered after the export. Can't remember it they were like that before...?
The track is usually not this bright, but camera is blinded by sun here.

These buildings are back now for me. Don't know if they were missing for anyone else?

 

[AndreasFSC]

Much of Knockhill updates are done now (there is a lot more that could be done, but will not do it all now). Also started working on Snetterton. One tricky thing that I have never got really right is grass color. I have an idea of how it should look, but somehow it is impossible to achieve...
Anyway, adjusted material settings, mipmap biases and some texture updates. Vill also try to fade in the mud/grass edges.

 

[AndreasFSC]

Experimenting with a little more brown track texture to look more like reference images.
Still hard to get the grass right.

 

[Incredible Hulk]

Just a page back, I was against postprocessors cause they "as we all know" often smudge image, destroy antialiasing etc.
But to my surprise, new Reshade doesn’t touch Race07/Gtr Evo builtin antialiasing if you use just basic filters!

As your shaders are “soft” in nature, they are perfect candidate for subtle Reshade Effects. And those basic filters are very light on FPS.

1-Knockhill-Reloaded-Shaders-DEFAULT (no Reshade effects )

2-Knockhill-Reloaded-Shaders plus Reshade custom LUT fx ONLY

3-Knockhill-Reloaded-Shaders plus Reshade LUT-Technicolor-Clarity-Vibrance

P.S. I don’t know why, but I always have cloudy weather with latest Reloaded Shaders beta 1.2.?

 

[AndreasFSC]

Quite happy with the new road shader and texture, so I think I'll add it in one way or another to all the ST track pack tracks.
Of course there should be some color variations between tracks so they don't feel too generic.

 

[AndreasFSC]

Just a page back, I was against postprocessors cause they "as we all know" often smudge image, destroy antialiasing etc.
But to my surprise, new Reshade doesn’t touch Race07/Gtr Evo builtin antialiasing if you use just basic filters!

As your shaders are “soft” in nature, they are perfect candidate for subtle Reshade Effects. And those basic filters are very light on FPS.

View attachment 507983
1-Knockhill-Reloaded-Shaders-DEFAULT (no Reshade effects )


View attachment 507985
2-Knockhill-Reloaded-Shaders plus Reshade custom LUT fx ONLY

View attachment 507991
3-Knockhill-Reloaded-Shaders plus Reshade LUT-Technicolor-Clarity-Vibrance

P.S. I don’t know why, but I always have cloudy weather with latest Reloaded Shaders beta 1.2.?

Do you use a skybox mod?
Then it probably use a different diffuse level.
It is very tricky to set transparency in the shaders. If you add code for transpacency (Out.Color.a = ... ) which is needed for many materials, with transparency the game can't set transparency of skyboxes, resulting in the one that is closest to the track (rain) is always visible.

 

[Incredible Hulk]

I think it was @Bjarne Hansen 4k skies and I miss them

 

[AndreasFSC]

It should be possible to rename and replace the sky textures. Maybe they also need to be rotated to match the sun position.

 

[AndreasFSC]

Donington has got the new road material too. Not very much sun reflection, just a little bit.
I will try to make something similar to be used for grass, so it hopefully looks less flat.

 

[AndreasFSC]

Just a little sun reflection from the grass material.

 

[AndreasFSC]

Silverstone also gets the treatment (track and grass) for consistency. Not perfect, but getting better.

 

[AndreasFSC]

Croft. Need to find a good grass color, and it is harder than it sounds
Grass color is sometimes a mix of green and yellow/beige, but that can easily result in a repeating pattern, that looks very bad. So I think I have to stick with green grass.
But over all happy with the results so far.

 

[AndreasFSC]

Little status update:

Working on super touring track pack for the moment and some minor shader tweaks.

Thruxton: some minor tweaks left, works well over all without much tweaks
Donington: visually updated grass and track, finished (for now) I think, just some aiw tweaks left for better ai driving in some places. Already fixed hairpins where some drivers went too wide sometimes
Croft: updated grass and track, a few other minor tweaks. Visually finished(?) Still have to tweak aiw pit exit where some cars sometimes collide with barrier.
Silverstone: updated grass and track, still need to fix some materials where grass meets other materials.
This track has a lot of grip bias, should be decreased, but will leave it as it is, at least for now.
Knockhill: a lot of minor fixes, some remapping and material replacements and tweaks. Also some track side building tweaks. Fixed flickering start lights. Garage positions and safetycar position should be updated, but don't know if I will do that for this release.
Snetterton: a lot of minor fixes. probably the track that I have worked on the most this time. Edited clip planes for less trees-appearing-from-nowhere experience. Still should replace spectators, but not likely this time.
Oulton park: updated materials, new grass and track and some fixes to some issues when using the new shaders. Also filling some track side holes that have been there all the time. Maybe add updated special water material if it gets finished in time.

When these things are finished I look forward to adjust some of my cars for the new shaders. I made the choice to optimize the new shaders for standard simbin cars, which resulted in some effects that I use for my own cars got too strong. But it should be quite easy to fix. I think TTA/STCC and V8 cars look a little bit too bright and too shiny.
Super touring cars is now less consistent, so I have to take care of that. BTC-T cars look OK I think.

I have to edit the reflection map colors to be the orange color of simbin cars instead of the more purple/pink that I use and maybe change back to more standard cubemaps.

There will probably be some more updated Simbin tracks too now and then, mainly WTCC 06/07 and STCC.