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P3D v4 Ground poly is flickering.

jtanabodee

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Hi Arno,
I am making ground poly with native P3d material. But I found the problem of flickering. It is my old project of VTBS, the file is in Gmax. So, I need to export as fsx mdl first. Then I change the material properties in MCX. Put Zbias to -1,-2-3 .... Then save it to p3dv4 mdl. I use GPW to make ground poly. Everything went well except the ground poly keeps flikering. I use the same zbias level more than once. Is that an issue? Since the position of the mdl's that I use the same zbias is not in the same place. I have been trying to solve this issue for at least 2 weeks, nothing changes. The airport is flatten in the same level as the airport height in ADE. Flatten polygon is one big piece cover all the airport. I will provide the files for you later to check if you wish.
Thanks,
Tic
 

arno

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Hi,

Do all polygons flicker or only specific ones?
 
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Just some idea that work for me try to put your poly 0.2 cm on Z above ground level (for p3dv4) on v5 no need
 

jtanabodee

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Just some idea that work for me try to put your poly 0.2 cm on Z above ground level (for p3dv4) on v5 no need
Will that cause the wheels sink to the ground? But the height is just 2 milimeter. I will try that.
 

jtanabodee

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I have changed the zbias to +ve value and it works, no flickering. How come? SDK said that it has to be -ve value. More -ve will be rendered first.
 
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arno

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Hi Tic,

I would have to double check the MCX code, but the GPW indeed enforces negative values from a certain P3D version. I can't remember from which one.
 
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Hi Arno:

Is there a way to see what FS SDK version a G-Poly MDL is compiled with by using a Hex viewer ?

Or can we examine a *.X file output by MCX as a intermediate work file before processing via SDK XtoMDL ...to find that info ? :scratchch


BTW: I recently did a search at FSDev which showed that you had added MCX support of P3D SDK Z-Bias level since July 2016.

P3D is up version 5.x (-nth HF power) now; was MCX support of P3D Z-Bias level NOT updated for all versions from 2.x to 5.x ? :yikes:


L-M's recent floundering P3D release process kinda' gives new meaning to what ACES' Phil Taylor used to call "FSvNext". :laughing:

GaryGB
 
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jtanabodee

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Did you use MCX G-Poly to output and place the G-Poly ?
Yes, I did. Nothing wrong with MCX, I think. Zbias can be set up by GPW. I did one mdl without zbias value and set the + value in GPW. It also work the same as setting in MCX and save as mdl the put it through GPW, the result is the same.
 
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Hi Tic:

Please do not think I doubt what you have said about your work-flow; I believe you. :)

But, I wonder if MCX G-Poly Wizard is working properly, because if you tell it to use the P3D SDK Z-Bias level and output to a P3D version 2.x/3.x/4.x/5.x MDL, MCX should only show the option to apply Z-Bia as negative values ...if it is truly compliant with P3D SDK. :scratchch

GaryGB
 

arno

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I did check the GPW code now, for FS2004 and FSX it uses positive layer values, for P3D it uses negative ones indeed. So that is in line with the SDK. When you enter positive values they will be inverted when the BGL file is saved automatically. That only applies to the GPW. If you just import and export the file with MCX normally you can use any sign (positive or negative) you want.
 
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I did check the GPW code now, for FS2004 and FSX it uses positive layer values, for P3D it uses negative ones indeed. So that is in line with the SDK. When you enter positive values they will be inverted when the BGL file is saved automatically. That only applies to the GPW. If you just import and export the file with MCX normally you can use any sign (positive or negative) you want.

IIUC, if we use MCX GPW to output a P3D G-Poly MDL using Z-Bias level, if we goof and request a + value, MCX automatically fixes it to - ? :scratchch

GaryGB
 

arno

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Yes, the GPW ensures the layer numbers are negative for P3D.
 

jtanabodee

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Hi Arno,
May I contact you via PM. I will send you the file to test. It is quite a long story.
 

arno

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Sure, you can send me a pm.
 

jtanabodee

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Just some idea that work for me try to put your poly 0.2 cm on Z above ground level (for p3dv4) on v5 no need
Hi rosdvd,
I found it finally. The problem is what you said. I need to raise ground poly 0.1 cm and the flickering problem went away. It does not cause by Zbias value either. I also found that GPW has some problem with PBR material. When using GPW, somehow it alter the PBR material to be darker.
 
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Hi Tic:

AFAIK, you stated P3Dv4 to be the version of FS that is the subject of this thread.

I assuming you are exporting native P3Dv4.x MDLs as G-Polys ?

Do I understand correctly that you infer P3D v2-through-5 SDK Z-Bias Level Material Functionality is not working native P3Dv4.x MDLs as G-Polys at run time ?


AFAIK, you do not need to physically offset a P3D native G-Poly AGL by using a change in BGLComp placement XML Altitude value to disable this anomaly. :scratchch


As P3D changed how Ground Shadows work
:

* Have you considered whether your "Negative Number" value used for Z-Bias Level impacts G-Poly shadow display ?

* If you enable display of ex: aircraft shadows on G-Polys based on a Negative Number" value used for Z-Bias Level, does it enable the anomaly ?

* If you disable display of ex: aircraft shadows on G-Polys based on a Negative Number" value used for Z-Bias Level, does it disable the anomaly ?


Thanks in advance for your more detailed clarification of what is taking place with your MDLs and tests. :)

GaryGB
 
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