Problem Camera POV and meshes visibility problems

[N_Molson]

Hi,

I'm experiencing a nasty little viewing problem, with both DX7 inline client and DX9 external client. My rocket starts attached on the pad, which has 2 cameras :

First camera settings :

        SetCameraOffset (_V(200,0,10));
        SetCameraDefaultDirection(_V(-1,0,0), -PI/2);

Second camera settings :

        SetCameraOffset (_V(-48.79,-26.93,+107.38));
        SetCameraDefaultDirection (_V(0,0,-1));

The first camera is a "classical" side view of the pad, as would see it a standing observer. It works perfectly.

The second camera is located atop a lighning mast, and it supposed to give a view of the rocket clearing the tower. But, as you see in the pic, it doesn't work that way !



As you can see on the image, the rocket shows up only when it has "cleared" the launchpad mesh (in a screen 2D-perspective !). Somehow Orbiter thinks that the rocket is "under" the launchpad. Also notice, that in the same "logic", it looks like the rocket passes behind all the cables linking the four towers ; which obviously isn't the case.

Any clues on that one ? Thanks ! :tiphat:

That's not a critical feature to the project but it is frustrating... :beathead:

 

[Face]

A similar problem was reported in the AU beta test here: http://orbiter-forum.com/showthread.php?p=369012&postcount=7

A possible solution was mentioned here: http://orbiter-forum.com/showthread.php?p=369082&postcount=12

Although it did not completely remove our transparency problems there, it fixed the Z-buffer troubles.

regards,
Face

 

[N_Molson]

Well, I did add that line when the POV is set to "lightning mast camera" :

SetMeshVisibilityMode(0, MESHVIS_EXTPASS);

... and now the launchpad mesh is invisible in that view... Still with DX7 and DX9.

 

[Face]

Maybe MESHVIS_ALWAYS is getting better results then.

 

[Loru]

Seems to me that instead of separate wires connecting that towers someone used rectangle with transparent texture (edges highlited with crude arrows) . You can replace it by 4 narrow cylinders or boxes.

If something is below this rectangle it will not be visible as technically it's inside transparent mesh

---------- Post added at 06:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:31 PM ----------

and revert to default SetMeshVisibilityMode setting - that's dx7 and dx9 limitation and I encountered it during CSSC developement

 

[N_Molson]

Ah yes, the transparent rectangle thing makes sense. I guess it was a time (and poly count) saving to make a rectangle instead of a serie of cylinders. Thanks.

 

[Loru]

It doesn't affect custom meshes defined in "yourbase.cfg" but affects vessels and base primitives (hangars, rails, boxes, cylinders etc.) are also affected by this issue.

here is another example: custom meshed hangars are correctly rendered (defined in cssc.cfg) while you can see this on XR-5 and default hangars (here acting as warehouses)