In-Game Model Viewer : Preview Ships At Shipyards (v1.2.0.3 - 26 Aug 08)

[Malakie]

galytest
Interesting Chinese patch, excellent work there.
I've got the viewer working with your .cat file, but just a couple of minor
extra chars (I think) turning up - which I'm sorting out now.
The reason it didn't work first time was because I forgot to decode XML UTF-8 3-byte codes
(all other languages only need 1 or 2 byte code).

Does this look anything like right ? :
[ external image ]


DIGSIN

Great!, thanks for that, makes me feel a sight more confident about this & Vista


Malakie

I suspect you're right about the extra cat files, any way to upload your cat file somewhere?
If you are using Ashley's as a normal mod, and XTM as a 'fake' or 'false' mod, this implies you've
added your extra ships into one or the other, if your added ships are integrated into the XTM cat file
then upload is almost certainly a no-go cos of the size.

I'm using X3 2.5b + XTM + Ashley 2.3, so I dont think Ashley's cat file itself is a problem.

Any possibility of trying it on a temporary vanilla install to rule out any system conficts?,
oops, beaten to it by your edit. The ReadTexts are only for your 'manually' added ships?

I can start a Vanilla. An update though... I just started a brand new clean game. It loads and displays the ships list window now. However in Terran space, ALL ships are listed as READTEXT errors. In normal space ships are listed although some are also listed as READTEXT errors.

If I look at the shipyards normally, all ships list as they should.. Readtext errors are only with your viewer.

[Malakie]

ok

Seems to work with XTM and Ashleys FABS 2.5. Once you add additional ships, the problem comes up.

My main game has 17 cat files. One is a false patch for XTM, one is a false patch for Ashleys, one is a false patch for salvager, one is a false patch for hud interface, one is a false patch for cockpits, Also a couple smaller ones for other addons/scripts. There is also a false patch created by Cycrows script installer that includes the ships added. This seems to be the issue.

If I remove the additional ships it works. Once I add more ships it crashes. Bummer is the ships I add are the ones I use and play with the most.

Your tool is the only one I use so far that is giving me problems... If I do not use your tool, the game and all scripts I have run great.... and that is over 50+ scripts, mods and ships added.

Hopefully we can figure this out because I have wanted to be able to see what I am buying for so long...

[exogenesis]

Sounds quite a complex setup you've got there.

Is the ShipCreator.cat (if that's the right name) of a small enough size to upload somewhere so I can try it out?

[Malakie]

Sounds quite a complex setup you've got there.

Is the ShipCreator.cat (if that's the right name) of a small enough size to upload somewhere so I can try it out?

Let me look at the size.... it is 91 meg in size. Probably half that if I zip it.

I uploaded it to a work address. It is 43 meg rar'd. I will post the link here once it completes uploading.

[Malakie]

Wasn't able to upload to work address... dam upload size limit..

So I used a online storage account.. Here is the link for the file...

http://www.4shared.com/file/33096895/69 ... Tfile.html

It will take a couple secs to initialize once you select the file.. It is the only file listed called X3DATfile.rar

It is 43 meg in size

Let me know if you get it ok... Thanks

[exogenesis]

OK, got it.

That's certainly a good mixture of ships, I'll take a look tomorrow
(later today) cos it's getting a bit late (early) here.....

[Malakie]

OK, got it.

That's certainly a good mixture of ships, I'll take a look tomorrow
(later today) cos it's getting a bit late (early) here.....

No prob! Thanks.. let me know if you need anything else.

[exogenesis]

Unfortunately there's no types/tships.txt in the 12.cat you uploaded.
I can load all the individual ship scene-files no prob,
but thats without the tships turret set-up & xml description reference tie-ins.

Actually I think the problem is possibly more likely to be in the xml file parsing,
the 12.cat had no xml (or pck) files in it - perhaps if you could zip up all your
X3\t\44*.xml (& pck) files I could try parsing them all,
or more specifically the xml file that is added/changed when you add-in the extra ships
(it also would be better if I could get a tships tie-in, what is your highest numbered cat-file that has a tships.txt in it ?).

[exogenesis]

Updated to version 1.2.0.2,

1 Player can now switch away from X3 & back without problems.
2 Supported Chinese lanuage patch (see above posts)
3 Fixed occasional 'black out' of X3 graphics & other minor oddities

MJALowe does the latter fix your black-out problem with this?

[MJALowe]

just tried it...and no *sigh* im going and finding an app to check my direct x codecs incase its that....

edit: ok....just uninstalled all my codecs and reinstalled the defaults + the k-lite mega codec pack (i do encode videos at home) re-installed dx9.0c nov 2007 version

same results

ran a system slowdown app to slow my comp down to 25% speed
when i toggle on the viewer (im using the "\" key) everything is fine for a fraction of a second then all the textures from x3 except the glow maps dissapear....and only the textures....i collided with something that had no glow maps to make sure (the rendering for the viewer still works correctly btw...its just the x3 stuff that disapears), i haven't tried the docking with shipyard part yet, but i dont see what difference it would make...gona try a few more things over here

edit2: tried by docking, still fails

note: all these attempts are with a new plot story line cause it starts you in a sector with a shipyard
note2: i've upgraded to 2.5 - same problem otherwise works fine

im gona turn on my crappier pc and install x3 on it....make sure a totally clean install (fresh OS too) doesn't fix this

[Malakie]

Unfortunately there's no types/tships.txt in the 12.cat you uploaded.
I can load all the individual ship scene-files no prob,
but thats without the tships turret set-up & xml description reference tie-ins.

Actually I think the problem is possibly more likely to be in the xml file parsing,
the 12.cat had no xml (or pck) files in it - perhaps if you could zip up all your
X3\t\44*.xml (& pck) files I could try parsing them all,
or more specifically the xml file that is added/changed when you add-in the extra ships
(it also would be better if I could get a tships tie-in, what is your highest numbered cat-file that has a tships.txt in it ?).

Would it be easier for me to send you the .xsp ship files I use and then you install and create the cat file using Cycrows tool? This would then give you all the relevant files specific to all the ships I use.

[exogenesis]

MJALowe

Looks like you're putting more effort into making this work for you than I did making it ,
Before you reinstall OS & stuff, could you try this test version:
http://www.Exogenesis.co.uk/X3_InGame_M ... weTest.exe
I've disabled the 'render-engine restore-state' bit, parts of which did seen to be causing some of the other probs.

Malakie
Yes, of course you're right, me trying the xsp file would be a lot more straightforward,
are you using Cycrow's XShipManager v1.91 or XPluginManager v2.12?

[MJALowe]

well...good news....it doesn't black out the screen
better news, it still works
not so good news, certain graphics do disappear(planets moons, some background galaxie effects, and some effects around stations and ships)
good news....they come back when it closes

really good news....while i got to this after i tested on my other comp i didn't have to reinstall the OS (that systems has a fresh install roll back point - its used for testing purposes and debuging, i use the rollback point before shutting it down for the day always...so it always acts like a fresh install w/ essentials....basically what i install on my comp right after a format - all the drivers and essentials, none of the apps or games)

more good news, its not caused by something i dont need.....if its a codec it essential to what i do normaly (converting vhs tapes and other region dvds to region 0 dvds)

[exogenesis]

Mostly good new all round then

Can you use it like this, or shall I do further test versions,
to see what parts of the restore-state code cause your original glow-only effect ?
(could easily be an dozen+ test versions, all at once though).

[MJALowe]

i can use it like this, but if you have the time lets track it down the rest of the way (good programmer practice if nothing else *grin*), i try to be logged into these forums alot...im on holiday atm (school bus driver)

[exogenesis]

OK, here are 16 test installer versions of 1.2.0.2 with various restore states disabled,
I've got a feeling one or more of these may be as good for you as the previous test version,
but possibly none of them may fix the disappearing planets thing ?

NoRestore_AlphaBlend
NoRestore_Blend
NoRestore_CullMode
NoRestore_FillMode
NoRestore_Fog
NoRestore_FVF
NoRestore_Lighting
NoRestore_Lights
NoRestore_Projection
NoRestore_SamplerMinMaxMagMip
NoRestore_SamplerUVW
NoRestore_ShadeMode
NoRestore_Shaders
NoRestore_Specular
NoRestore_ZEnable
NoRestore_ZWrite

[MJALowe]

well, the no fill mode one works....its a toss up as to weather its better or not....nothing dispears...but look happens with the textures of the planets (maybe some others but hard to tell), and it doesn't go away when the viewer is turned off...have to exit the game to fix it

[ external image ]

[exogenesis]

Interesting, there's more afoot than I though.
Not sure which way to hop though Dr Watson.

I won't update anything (at least until Malakie has more)
cos I'm not sure what that means.

Anyway, for the majority of cases I think it's a going concern.

Any more suggestions for extra functionality anyone?

[MJALowe]

extra functionality? the pHQ...its basically a shipyard too...and there is now the has blueprint command

[exogenesis]

Interesting idea, I'll investigate a bit.