Custom ship randomly turns white

[StarTrader]

Oh dear, sorry you still have the problem.

If you can try again to upload your .cmp and .mat and .sur here in a .zip we’ll (at least I’ll) be happy to check it out for you?

[oZed]

Thanks!

I’ve uploaded the file to rapidshare.com, at least this time their isn’t any porn coming on your screen, sorry about last time. This includes both a normally textured version and a Detail Mapped version to look at. Both experience the problem, ignore the wiredata file, it was part of my feeble attempt at getting the Wire frame working. the v2 file is the Normally textured and the v3 file is the Detailed one.

So here’s the link

Thanks again.
Ozed.

[StarTrader]

OK, got them.

Immediate problem without opening them yet: Your .mat file is 27MB!!!

I’ll take a look and get back to you soon.

[oZed]

I am yet to optimize the textures yet so ignore the massive file size (their are two 2048x2048 textures for each ship so i definably can cut back on the pixels) Let me know how the ship comes up at your end.

Just a question on the side, when i was investigating detail maps i found something quite peculiar, in solar\ast_fragments.mat in detailmap_planet_frag the Bt flag is 80, 0. I’m not sure what any of the flag entries mean but my guess is that it tells the engine what sort of data is in the file (64 bit?) if so what could the extra 16 bits be used for? Just something thats been puzzling me.

Ozed.

[StarTrader]

Ok, I found some of the problems at least.

HardCMP v18 does have problems loading the .mat file, first time was OK but repeat opening the same cmp file and after one or two times it is dull grey and no textures are loaded. I also opened the v3 cmp file and had problems every time.

I opened the .mat file in UTF Editor v1.4 and the byte length of almost every field in the Material Library node is incorrect. And the Dt_name and Bt_name fields also were almost all incorrect.

How did you make your .mat file? It is faulty.

I checked each field one by one and copied the contents so I can show you. This is because when I fixed one field it changed the contents of other fields. So I read them out for you first and fixed them all at once after.

I also dumped the .mat file to XML (text) using UTF2XML project before and after the changes so you can see the difference using UTF2XML.

It is strange, UTF2XML is showing the Type field as a combination of “DcDt” or “DcDtBt” + the Dt_name field contents for each material node! This does not match UTF Edit v1.4 - it should!

So here are the problems found in the .mat file using UTF Edit v4:-

**Material Library

cobra_fighterv2_map
Type = “DcDt” (4 byte)
should be “DcDt” (8 bytes)
Dt_name = “cobra_fighterv2_map.TGArary” (23 bytes)
should be “cobra_fighterv2_map.TGA” (24 bytes)

detailmap_cobra_interceptorR_map
Type = “DcDtBt” (6 bytes)
should be “DcDtBt” (8 bytes) - fixed by Edit - Update
Dt_name = “cobra_interceptorR_map.TGA” (26 bytes)
should be “cobra_interceptorR_map.TGA” (28 bytes)
Bt_name = “cobra_interceptorR_detailmap.TGA” (32 bytes)
should be “cobra_interceptorR_detailmap.TGA” (36 bytes) - fixed by Edit - Update

detailmap_cobra_bomberR_map
Type = “DcDtBt” (6 bytes)
should be “DcDtBt” (8 bytes)
Dt_name = “cobra_bomberR_map.TGAap.TGA” (21 bytes)
should be “cobra_bomberR_map.TGA” (24 bytes)
Bt_name = “cobra_bomberR_detailmap.TGA” (27 bytes)
should be “cobra_bomberR_detailmap.TGA” (28 bytes) - fixed by Edit - Update

detailmap_cobra_bomber_map
Type = “DcDtBtbomber” (6 bytes)
should be “DcDtBt” (8 bytes)
Dt_name = “cobra_bomber_map.TGA” (20 bytes)
should be “cobra_bomber_map.TGA” (24 bytes)
Bt_name = “cobra_bomber_detailmap.TGA)” (26 bytes)
should be “cobra_bomber_detailmap.TGA” (28 bytes)

detailmap_cobra_fighterv2_map
Type = “DcDtBt” (6 bytes)
should be “DcDtBt” (8 bytes)
Dt_name = “cobra_fighterv2_map.TGA” (23 bytes)
should be “cobra_fighterv2_map.TGA” (24 bytes) - fixed by Edit - Update
Bt_name = “cobra_fighterv2_detailmap.TGA•” (29 bytes)
should be “cobra_fighterv2_detailmap.TGA” (32 bytes)

material count = “5, 0” (8 bytes)
should be “5” (4 bytes)**

I have uploaded the fixed .mat file and the two xml.txt files in a zip here…
http://downloads.rrjds.com/oZed Fixed CobraMat.zip

Sorry but I can’t comment on the flags, I have only seen 64,0

[oZed]

Thanks a lot, just want to say when i was looking through the MAT for the errors you say i couldn’t see any of them with UTF 2.1, so i said thats strange, so looking at the MAT in UTF v1 and what do you know their are errors galore. I’m surprised it worked at all with the amount you found.

Sigh this means i’ll have to go through all my MAT files for errors.

Thanks for the help
Ozed.

[StarTrader]

OK, it’s UTF Edit v1.4, the latest one.

But how did you make your mat file?

I always use only MilkShape and msMATExporter01.dll

Did you download the zip OK? I changed the server, the one I tried first stopped working!

[oZed]

I manually created mine through UTF 2.1, which as you saw gave buggy strings. I downloaded it fine and everything seems to be working great. I’ve tried using the MAT exporter with milkshape but never got a working MAT (probably my fault). So lessons learnt i will be using UTF v1 for now on.

Ozed

[StarTrader]

Nope!

Use v1.4 !!

I’ve not seen 2.1, only 1.3 and 1.4

[oZed]

2.1 is in the forge, its pretty good at viewing models and such, with other good features. but i think ill be shying away from it from now on.

heres the forge page http://forge.the-starport.net/projects/utfeditor

So lesson learnt, i think ill tell cannon that there are problems with 2.1

Ozed.

[adoxa]

Sorry, no help for this specific problem, but after writing a texture viewer for UTF Editor, I have some things to say.

“1. I always save dds textures as DXT1 no alpha like my pal Gibbon, never used DXT3. Remember FL is not 100% reliable with all its functions, some may work sporadically - but keep to the basics and you have a better chance of something working well.”

“Also remember that dds textures need to be square.”

The vanilla DDS textures contain everything -
16-bit RGB (e.g.: SOLAR\PLANETS\DETAILMAPS\detailmap_ocean.txm),
16-bit RGBA (e.g.: SOLAR\PLANETS\DETAILMAPS\detailmap_city.txm),
24-bit RGB (FX\rtc_scene02_e.txm),
DXT1 (e.g.: BASES\RHEINLAND\rh_bizmark_equip.cmp - everything except that mentioned below),
DXT3 (e.g.: BASES\RHEINLAND\rh_bizmark_equip.cmp - the doubly-named textures) and
DXT5 (e.g.: SOLAR\PLANETS\earthlike.txm).
There’s also one set of rectangular textures (BASES\RHEINLAND\rh_bizmark_equip.cmp - germaneqvip_0*).

The Targa textures also contain a bit of variety -
24-bit color-mapped (e.g.: BASES\RHEINLAND\rh_01_bizmark_cityscape.cmp - animation),
16-bit RGB (e.g.: FX\animated.txm - sparks1anim_0_0),
24-bit RGB (e.g.: BASES\RHEINLAND\rh_01_bizmark_cityscape.cmp - dtl_grid_tile) and
32-bit RGBA (e.g.: BASES\RHEINLAND\rh_01_bizmark_cityscape.cmp - snow_dirty).

[oZed]

Thanks both of you, you will both be getting a hidden easter egg in my mod although adoxa you didn’t get to help me much in this problem your utilities more than make up for it.

Ozed.