Input on Effects - Light Washout of Spec

[Vraciu]

My spec file is being washed out.  I know Skuzzy was talking about artificial lighting effects and not using them.   What do I need to do to correct these issues, i.e. what controls this?   See attached.

Some items that should be black/flat look gray.   Others that should be semi-gloss are overpoweringly reflective. 

[oboe]

Hey V,

Have you read Greebo's tutorial sticked at the top of the forum?  The effect you refer to is controlled by the Specular map file (ie, P51D_S.bmp).   

[Vraciu]

Hey V,

Have you read Greebo's tutorial sticked at the top of the forum?  The effect you refer to is controlled by the Specular map file (ie, P51D_S.bmp).

Yes.   But... 

What has changed?   I realize the skins now seem to reflect a LOT MORE light in AH3 vs AH2.   So what do I need to adjust?   Do I need to darken areas of the _S file or tweak something else?

[oboe]

Darkening the areas of the S map is one way.  As I recall on the P-51D I went in and darkened the actual texture of the metal in the primary bmp.  Its a balance between the two and you'll have to experiment to get what looks right to your skinner's eye...

[Greebo]

In order to get the effects like specularity to work correctly in AH III you first need to have a normal map. This can be made from the old bump map. First rename your p51d_b working file file p51d_n. Then open it, increase the colour depth to 8-bits per channel, save and then save as a bmp. Then convert this bmp to a normal map using one of the programs listed in my tutorial. Once you have the normal map bmp in your skin folder, the other effects bmps should start working.

[Skuzzy]

Like Greebo said, the normal map is the key to it all.

I am going to take the admin page down for a bit, until I can resolve why the file checker is not correctly identifying the bit count and type of the bitmap.

I have a couple of other things I want to get done as well.

[Vraciu]

Okay.  Thanks all.   Will start on this shortly.  I have a feeling I will be in for a bit of a learning curve...

[Vraciu]

So, after much hair pulling and options checking/uncheckimg I decided to try the default skin in-game (I still can't get my skin viewer to work which is maddening, but now Win7 Update is stuck in perpetuity checking for updates--UGH!).    The same issues with my skin show up on the default. 

Basically things that should be black while in sun shadows look gray, almost white (markings, tires, etc.).

Is this a setting issue on my end?

[oboe]

Just curious, V, but what is your gamma setting in the game.  Might be helpful to set your graphics setting to "default" so we can compare.

I'd be willing to look at it and take a comparison screenshot of the same skin on my end - just tell me what terrain, field, time of day setting, and runway spawn direction.

EDIT: Just realized this makes no sense if you are talking about a skin you are currently working on - I had the impression you were talking about a P-51D skin of yours currently in game...

[Vraciu]

Just curious, V, but what is your gamma setting in the game.  Might be helpful to set your graphics setting to "default" so we can compare.

I'd be willing to look at it and take a comparison screenshot of the same skin on my end - just tell me what terrain, field, time of day setting, and runway spawn direction.

EDIT: Just realized this makes no sense if you are talking about a skin you are currently working on - I had the impression you were talking about a P-51D skin of yours currently in game...

No, you're right.   You are making sense.   It happens with the default P-51 skin also.   Gamma crossed my mind but...in AH2 my setting didn't cause this effect so I haven't investigated.   Standby let me try it.

Edit In: Same issue.  PM otw so you can try my skin offline and see what it looks like.

[Vraciu]

I had Gamma at 1.5 and moved it down to 1.0 with no noticeable effect.

Here are some screenshots.   The default has the same problem as my custom skins do.  I noticed the control tower equipment on the desk does the same thing.  I must have something totally screwed up somewhere.

[Vraciu]

A couple more...

[oboe]

Here's what it looks like on my machine.  Greebo's CraterMA terrain, A55, 10:00 am, SW runway spawn:

[Vraciu]

Looks way better than mine.

I believe before my reinstall it looked like that so something has gone awry.  (Man I need to tone down that yellow!)

[Vraciu]

Oboe, on the down sun side (in shadow) do the black markings look flat black or do they turn gray?