New Release D3D9Client Development

[kuddel]

I am pretty sure D3D9Client (code) can not do much about it, as this is handled by Orbiter core oapiOpenInputBox resp. oapiOpenInputBoxEx function.
Why the cursor is white in Inline Graphics mode and black in D3D9Client, is beyond me

 

[jarmonik]

I noticed that, unlike in MOGE, when I zoom out "to the other side of the universe" and back, the vessel visual isn't destroyed and created... is this by design or one of those "unintended features"?
Using the latest version for Orbiter beta.

It's an "unintended feature". I have no idea where the problem lies.

 

[DaveS]

Any updates on fixing this problem: https://www.orbiter-forum.com/showthread.php?p=563865&postcount=4424

Just to get it out there, it seems this problem only affects the experimental "LensFlare" post-processing shader. "LightGlow" and "None" are unaffected.

 

[jarmonik]

Any updates on fixing this problem: https://www.orbiter-forum.com/showthread.php?p=563865&postcount=4424

The problem was investigated a while back and the shader seems to be working as designed. I guess we would need to implement a custom shader interface which would allow us to better address a problems like that.

Too dark (near black) appearance is due to diffuse surface attenuation that is applied to reflective surfaces. It prevents a user from over saturating a model but causes a diffuse color problems.

---------- Post added at 14:52 ---------- Previous post was at 14:46 ----------

Just to get it out there, it seems this problem only affects the experimental "LensFlare" post-processing shader. "LightGlow" and "None" are unaffected.

I have't done any work with the "LensFlare" shader and I haven't use/tested it much. It's more likely that a new (better) implementation of the "lensflare" effect is made rather than any pending problems related to current one are fixed.

 

[DaveS]

The atmosphere rendering, could of course stand some enhancements as we currently don't even have the proper sunset/sunrise effects down on ground level.

This video has a nice shot of Discovery at sunset prior to the launch of STS-103/HST-SM3A on Dec. 19 1999 at the 1:15 mark:

Also, is there anything that can be done on the D3D9Client end to address this issue with cloud microtextures?

 

[jarmonik]

The atmosphere rendering, could of course stand some enhancements as we currently don't even have the proper sunset/sunrise effects down on ground level.

Also, is there anything that can be done on the D3D9Client end to address this issue with cloud microtextures?

The sunset/rise issue is a little problematic. Current shaders can´t do it properly. So, we would need a complete rewrite/redesign of the shaders.
I would hope to avoid that and focus into a more pressing maters.

Missing cloud micro textures should be easy enough to fix. It´s on a todo list.

 

[Marg]

Recently I am seeing many games from 2011-2016 timespan...
Shadows are everywhere, DoF effects as well etc... and FPS's are good on my i5-4990, GTX760...
So vessel-vessel and vessel self-shadows these days would be very desirable.

 

[DaveS]

Recently I am seeing many games from 2011-2016 timespan...
Shadows are everywhere, DoF effects as well etc... and FPS's are good on my i5-4990, GTX760...
So vessel-vessel and vessel self-shadows these days would be very desirable.

Speaking of shadows, need'em on particle streams as shown by this photo of the exhaust trail of the STS-108 SRBs: https://www.dropbox.com/s/hshdyc0uesnwlcf/01PD1786.JPG?dl=0

 

[Ripley]

...I haven't had any luck getting the planetary labels to work in Inline nor D3D9. I might be missing label database files or something. It that publicly available ?

I don't know if you mean these (as Kuddel is already aware of that)...anyway I'll give it a shot:
https://www.orbiter-forum.com/showthread.php?p=564475&postcount=408

 

[DaveS]

It seems like the sunrise/sunset coloring effects on the ground are in-op. The effects work fine when in orbit. This screenshot shows the problem: https://www.dropbox.com/s/lv44f7hr08vcc1p/D3D9Client_R21_no_surface_sunset_effect.jpg?dl=0

Something else that could be implemented is surface light reflection. As you can see, the ground is very dark even with the sun still high above the horizon.

 

[jedidia]

I've got a bug:

Black (0,0,0) does NOT work as a keycolour for blitting operations.

It is ignored, giving the impression that keycolor blitting does not work at all.
In MAGE, black works as a keycolour, so this is unexpected behavior.

I was close to a nervous breakdown while trying to get color key blitting to work again in D3D9 client, because I knew that it worked before a rather significant refactor. After going through the diffs of my commits of the last six months, I figured that the only in any way related thing that changed was the default for the keycolor. Changed it, and it worked again.

 

[jarmonik]

I've got a bug:

Black (0,0,0) does NOT work as a keycolour for blitting operations.

It is ignored, giving the impression that keycolor blitting does not work at all.
In MAGE, black works as a keycolour, so this is unexpected behavior.

I was close to a nervous breakdown while trying to get color key blitting to work again in D3D9 client, because I knew that it worked before a rather significant refactor. After going through the diffs of my commits of the last six months, I figured that the only in any way related thing that changed was the default for the keycolor. Changed it, and it worked again.

Black should work as color key if given in 0xFF000000 format. Zero means that the colorkey is not in use. There was some technical detail on why it was done this way but I can't remember what it was exactly. It's been like this from the beginning.

 

[jedidia]

Ok, thanks. Is there any kind of documentation around to document differences in API behaviour to MAGE? that would have been quite a time saver in this case.

---------- Post added at 10:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:08 PM ----------

I'm getting a bit confused by your codeplex page... I need to get D3D9 client for the Orbiter2016 release version to test my code for backwards compatibility. According to the page itself, there should be a download tab, but it seems to be MIA.

 

[Ripley]

Yes, Codeplex has definitely changed its face, finally switching to read-only.

Meanwhile, get the D3D9 for O2016 from here
https://www.tuttovola.org/index.php?action=downloads;sa=view;down=1104


Let me just drop a reminder to Jarmo and Kuddel:
https://www.orbiter-forum.com/showthread.php?p=518816&postcount=3214

 

[jedidia]

Yeah, I think somebody should definitely update that link in the first post. Thanks!

 

[jarmonik]

The first post has been updated.

We would probably need some kind of wiki page possibly from orbiter-wiki to work as a front page for the project containing the client it-self and additional goodies, documentation (in pdf) and example projects and other stuffs. I have been too tired lately, so, I am not up-to the task right now.

 

[Face]

The first post has been updated.

We would probably need some kind of wiki page possibly from orbiter-wiki to work as a front page for the project containing the client it-self and additional goodies, documentation (in pdf) and example projects and other stuffs. I have been too tired lately, so, I am not up-to the task right now.

What about Github or Bitbucket? You can create a project there without actual code content, just Wiki, tracker, file download, etc.

 

[kuddel]

What about Github or Bitbucket? You can create a project there without actual code content, just Wiki, tracker, file download, etc.

Is that O.K. (legally according to their terms that is) to do this on github?
I thought that you have to put source onto github too when doing that...
But I am not an expert on those things.

I think I have to do some research...
/Kuddel

---------- Post added at 20:10 ---------- Previous post was at 19:30 ----------

...having tried the github approach.
But I don't like that, because of the inhomogeneous setup (SVN vs. github) and confusing distribution of information.

• (a) The releases github page always offers the Source Code downloads, which is confusing (at least). Anyone would expect the Source Code here, right
• (b) github changes the name of the binary package! This is -again- adding confusion.

I would like to use the OrbiterWiki for releases, but we still need a storage location for the binaries (ZIPs).
The source code is available at svn://mirror.orbiter-radio.co.uk/D3D9client , so this is not an issue at all.

Anyone having a (cheap ) idea where to put the binaries?

 

[Face]

But I don't like that, because of the inhomogeneous setup (SVN vs. github) and confusing distribution of information.

Well, a solution with SVN source code, OrbiterWiki info, and a third site hosting the files would be even more heterogeneous, wouldn't it?

Did you try Bitbucket as well? IMHO they have a cleaner interface than Github when it comes to simpler (i.e. no-code) projects.

 

[kuddel]

Well, a solution with SVN source code, OrbiterWiki info, and a third site hosting the files would be even more heterogeneous, wouldn't it?

Yes, sure! :thumbup:
But I meant "from the end-users perspective": Too many possibilities to click, ending up getting something that you don't really want.

Did you try Bitbucket as well? IMHO they have a cleaner interface than Github when it comes to simpler (i.e. no-code) projects.

No, not yet.
As I don't have any Bitbucket account (yet) I started with the other option first