Elvas Tower: rail surface shine a lot - Elvas Tower

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rail surface shine a lot Rate Topic: -----

#1 User is offline   QJ-6811 

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Posted 11 February 2019 - 12:49 PM

For 90-95% I could adapt a route with better rails, railbed, etc.
However, some parts (such as points/turnouts) I still have to use the old existing textures. OK, some manual adjustments, should be work.

The only remaining 'problem' is that the existing rails (rail surface) often shine a lot, actually too exaggerated.
I now notice that if I use the same textures (Acleantrack1.ace and Acleantrack2.ace) on the new rails this problem does not exist ??? (a little gleam at 'backlight', but not so exaggerated).

My conclusion, the difference must therefore be in the a1xxxx.s files. (?)

Question:
Can you adjust this manually in some way or is this just impossible?
(already tried something, but without result ....)

Attached Image: exaggerated shiny top of rail.jpg



#2 User is offline   ebnertra000 

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Posted 11 February 2019 - 01:49 PM

There is a low shine texture mode, or is that the something you tried that didn't work?

#3 User is offline   ErickC 

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Posted 11 February 2019 - 10:06 PM

Remember that "low shine" and "high shine" work funky in OR. Low shine is diffuse and reflects from a wider number of angles (which makes it look brighter), high shine is extremely focused and reflects from a very small number of angles (effectively, it rarely reflects light at all). The overall effect is that "low shine" is high shine and "high shine" is low shine.

#4 User is offline   QJ-6811 

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Posted 12 February 2019 - 03:38 AM

Thanks for the information.
I understand the explanation, but I think I have too little knowledge what exactly is the "low / high shine texture mode"?
After a lot of experimenting today again (trying on error), I am pretty convinced that it is not the texture (ACleartrack.2.ace).

Ultimately, I think I have found a "solution" in the A1txxx.s



A block of settings is:

prim_states ( 4
prim_state Trackbed ( 00000000 1
tex_idxs ( 1 0 ) 0 0 0 0 3
)
prim_state RailSide ( 00000000 0
tex_idxs ( 1 1 ) 0 0 0 0 1
)
prim_state RailTops ( 00000000 0
tex_idxs ( 1 1 ) 0 1 0 0 1
)
prim_state Trackb#2 ( 00000000 0
tex_idxs ( 1 0 ) 0 0 0 0 3
)
)

If I adjust the "Railtops" setting to:

prim_state RailTops ( 00000000 0
tex_idxs ( 1 1 ) 0 0 0 0 1
)

the problem with the extreme shiny rail surface has disappeared.

OK, I still do not know what exactly this parameter contains (does not seem to work in opposite effect with the "new" rail type), but it gives hope for the next step. :sweatingbullets:
(or is this the "low / high shine mode" ??)) :ko2:

#5 User is online   scottb613 

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Posted 12 February 2019 - 03:43 AM

Hi Folks,

Wouldn't "Shape File Manager" help with this also - it allows your to play with the specular settings on any given shape ?

Regards,
Scott

#6 User is offline   QJ-6811 

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Posted 12 February 2019 - 04:32 AM

View Postscottb613, on 12 February 2019 - 03:43 AM, said:

Hi Folks,

Wouldn't "Shape File Manager" help with this also - it allows your to play with the specular settings on any given shape ?

Regards,
Scott


Yes, I use "Shape File Manager" to convert the file as A1txxx.s to the .txt file (and vice versa).
Are there any other options that you can use? I do not know?

#7 User is online   scottb613 

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Posted 12 February 2019 - 04:50 AM

View PostQJ-6811, on 12 February 2019 - 04:32 AM, said:

Yes, I use "Shape File Manager" to convert the file as A1txxx.s to the .txt file (and vice versa).
Are there any other options that you can use? I do not know?


Hi...

I don't have it in front of me - but - IIRC - one of the SFM screens displays all the specular (shine) settings for a given shape - so you can modify them by simply selecting the appropriate radio button - without having to dive into the text file...

Regards,
Scott

#8 User is offline   QJ-6811 

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Posted 12 February 2019 - 07:56 AM

View Postscottb613, on 12 February 2019 - 04:50 AM, said:

Hi...

I don't have it in front of me - but - IIRC - one of the SFM screens displays all the specular (shine) settings for a given shape - so you can modify them by simply selecting the appropriate radio button - without having to dive into the text file...

Regards,
Scott


Hi Scott,

I see what you mean. Now I also know why I never use this tool because (un)compress does not work. Probably a Windows10 problem or something?
But if I do it manually (ffeditc_unicode.exe etc.) and I notice that you have to call the ".txt" file as ".s" file (logical .....?), you can see the options in the Shapefile manager as you state.
The 'old' rails have two matrices 0 = 'normal' and 1 = 'hi shine' in option "texturesmode", the "new" rails have one matrix 0 = 'normal'.
However, the adjustment "1" or "0" in "tex_idxs " (as indicated above) has no effect on this setting in Shape file manager, but only visually as already indicated.
OK, somewhere a difference in the shape xxx.s files between the two rail types. For now, adjust manually .......... :sweatingbullets:


Regards, Roger

Ps: sorry my answer in the previous post. I have installed Shapefile Manager 2.5, but apparently I only use the manual way, not the tool. :sign_sorry:

#9 User is offline   Genma Saotome 

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Posted 15 February 2019 - 12:29 PM

View PostErickC, on 11 February 2019 - 10:06 PM, said:

The overall effect is that "low shine" is high angle shine and "high shine" is low angle shine.


Highlights are mine.

Erick, I take it that's the reverse of MSTS, yes? Is so, surely the action to fix this is in the shaders and not our models.

OTOH if MSTS was the same... well... then your explanation is very valuable.

#10 User is offline   Genma Saotome 

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Posted 15 February 2019 - 12:32 PM

View PostQJ-6811, on 12 February 2019 - 07:56 AM, said:

Hi Scott,

I see what you mean. Now I also know why I never use this tool because (un)compress does not work. Probably a Windows10 problem or something?


Gosh... that is a surprise. SFM is my go-to uncompress tool. I didn't start using it until, oh, 2 years or so ago... too many times other uncompress functions failed but then I tried SFM and it did the job. I've never looked back.

Does it rely upon any KUJU software?

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