Weird Render Issue ...

[Sven2157]

I am assuming that this is something I have have done( or not done ), but I can't seem to find out why I get this weird texture rendering. It seems to do it randomly, though I am sure there is some order there somewhere. The night textures render fine, but the Day light just covers a small portion to the whole model in green( see attached ).

*** EDIT ***
This is how ModelConverterX is loading and displaying them. This is not a 3ds Max, nor any other modeling issue. These are straight scenery BGLs loading into the program. I am just trying to view them and generate Reports, with proper images.

My system:
Asus P8Z77-V LK
Intel Core i5 3570K
eVGA GTX 560
G.Skill 32GB 1600MHz PC-12800
Kingwin PSAZ-1000A14 Titan 1000W 80 Plus Bronze

All OS and hardware drivers are up to date.

Love this little program, by the way Arno! Cheers!

Any suggestions?

 

[YohanNaz]

Looks like you're using some kind of green specular map?

What are the spec map settings in the material properties?

Excerpt from the FSX SDK regarding specular maps:

Specular Map and Specular Alpha channel (Falloff map)
The specular map controls the specular characteristics on a model’s surface. There are two components to the map; the RGB and the Alpha. The RGB component defines the color and brightness of the specular highlights and the Alpha channel defines the falloff for those specular highlights.

Falloff refers to the sharpness of the highlight. A light value in the specular Alpha channel will result in a sharper highlight, where a dark value results in a broader, softer-edged highlight. Combining the RGB and Alpha values in various ways will result in a wide range of surface specular characteristics.

* Note that this map will need to be specified in the map slot referred to in the 3ds max Material Editor as the Specular Color slot. Click the slot and define the path for the map.

 

[Sven2157]

Looks like you're using some kind of green specular map?

What are the spec map settings in the material properties?

I agree. The problem is that I am not using anything, nor am I modeling these! This image was generated by ModelConverterX, and this is how it loaded the stock BGL file ...

Depending on the BGL file, there are A LOT of these instances. Particularly on airport buildings: i.e. Chicago O'Hare( KORD )( or Atlanta( KATL )), terminal buildings. However, it is not limited to these buildings, I have just noticed it more with those.

I have narrowed it down to the 'light' that is 'spot lighting' the model in the viewer. Some of these I can rotate the model, and the 'focus' of the light will miss the model, and render the textures correctly ...

Very odd ... Maybe a DirectX issue?

 

[arno]

Hi,

Looks like an issue with the specular color indeed. ModelConverterX uses OpenGL so it can't be a DirectX issue.

Are these default models? Then I can try to see how they render here. And of course it would be interesting to see how FS renders them.

 

[Sven2157]

Hi,

Looks like an issue with the specular color indeed. ModelConverterX uses OpenGL so it can't be a DirectX issue.

Are these default models? Then I can try to see how they render here. And of course it would be interesting to see how FS renders them.

These are all stock BGLs. Found in "\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Scenery\Global\scenery"( or any of the folders in the main Scenery folder. ). I just re-installed Windows about a month ago, and FSX last week. I have a couple Add-on Planes that I have re-installed, but NO scenery.

In FSX they look fine; as far as I can tell ...

 

[Tejal Bernardo]

Have you set the path to the sdk folders correctly? just an idea.

 

[Sven2157]

Have you set the path to the sdk folders correctly? just an idea.

Yup!

If I use MCX to open the chicago.bgl( in "D:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Scenery\NAMC\scenery\" ), the first model loaded is chicw. It looks like the first image( attached ). The next model does, too. However, the third model, ldm_chi_wriglyfield, is only partially green; second image. The next 3 models, look like the first image, and then I get to the model( 7th one loaded ), Chicago_United. This one is not effected at all; third image.

...

 

[Tejal Bernardo]

really weird, as many things in Fsx, anyway be sure you get the last development version of MCX. only to be sure it's not the version.

 

[Sven2157]

really weird, as many things in Fsx, anyway be sure you get the last development version of MCX. only to be sure it's not the version.

Yup! Updated today; I am using Version 1.4.0.0r2324 DEV 5/11/2013.

I am beginning to think that, this must be an issue with my nVidia Drivers and Software( OpenGL ), as I seem to be the only one reporting this ...



I will try a clean uninstall of the software, and then a clean install and report back ...

Thanks for the replies, thus far!

 

[robystar]

Are you sure you have unchecked the" inspect normals render mode"?
I cannot replicate the problem.

 

[Sven2157]

Are you sure you have unchecked the" inspect normals render mode"?

Yep. The attached images are: 1. - on load; 2. - with 'inspect normals render mode' turned on; 3. - night textures.

...

 

[Sven2157]

Well ...

I just went through the very daunting task of completely removing everything nVidia. I removed the Driver, Physix, HD Audio Driver - I deleted all the nVidia folders from the AppData( Local and Roaming ), ProgramData, Program Files( x86 ) and Program Files folders. I ran PC Tools Registry Cleaner, CCleaner( and its registry cleaner ); rebooted after every uninstall and install.

I then re-installed the nVidia Driver and software package; rebooted. I then opened MCX, received the message of a new update, downloaded it. I am now running Version 1.4.0.0r2332 DEV 5/12/2013.

Nothing changed! Except, every time I start MCX, it is back to telling me there is a new update( a problem being addressed in another thread ), on every start.

I am not sure what to do, nor what might be causing this ...

Again, thanks for all the replies, thus far.

Any further suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Sven2157]

Ok ...

It is definitely something with the Developer version. On a whim, I decided to download the 'stable' v1.3.0.0. See the attached image of the same building, from the same BGL file.

Please note that I have not done anything different here. I just used the version from the downloads section on the FSDeveloper.com site.

So, now the question is: What is different between the two versions; render-wise?

 

[YohanNaz]

Ok ...

It is definitely something with the Developer version. On a whim, I decided to download the 'stable' v1.3.0.0. See the attached image of the same building, from the same BGL file.

Please note that I have not done anything different here. I just used the version from the downloads section on the FSDeveloper.com site.

So, now the question is: What is different between the two versions; render-wise?

Which development version are you using when you get the green specular rendering? I have several of the most recent versions each in their respective folders and I don't get the green specular with the same file. All is fine here with the latest development releases. I would guess it is something on your end.

 

[Sven2157]

Which development version are you using when you get the green specular rendering? I have several of the most recent versions each in their respective folders and I don't get the green specular with the same file. All is fine here with the latest development releases. I would guess it is something on your end.

Yup! Updated today; I am using Version 1.4.0.0r2324 DEV 5/11/2013.

... I am now running Version 1.4.0.0r2332 DEV 5/12/2013.
...

Not sure why the stable version is working, while the development one is not. They have something different in them, and I suspect that is why one renders fine, and the other does not.

The problem with the stable version( 1.3.0.0 ), is that I encounter a lot of OOM errors with it. I have 1GB on my video card, 32GB system RAM and 20GB of allocated Virtual Memory. So there would appear on first glance, that I shouldn't get the OOM; but I do.

 

[arno]

Hi,

The biggest difference render wise between the stable and development release is that the development release uses shaders to show advanced features like bump mapping, specular map, etc. I think that is where these effects come from.

I'll test with the same Chicago objects tonight to see if I can reproduce the problem.

What you could do in the option is set the option forcesimpleshaders to true, then the advanced features are not shown.

 

[Sven2157]

Hi,

The biggest difference render wise between the stable and development release is that the development release uses shaders to show advanced features like bump mapping, specular map, etc. I think that is where these effects come from.

I'll test with the same Chicago objects tonight to see if I can reproduce the problem.

What you could do in the option is set the option forcesimpleshaders to true, then the advanced features are not shown.

Thanks Arno. I just tried with the forcesimpleshaders set to true and it displays them correctly now.

 

[arno]

Hi,

I just checked the same Chicago library here, but I can't reproduce your effects. So it might be something specific to your graphics card. What kind of graphics card do you have?

The third object, the stadium, does not have a specular texture and the specular color is also not green here. So I am not sure where the green color comes from .

 

[Sven2157]

...
My system:
Asus P8Z77-V LK
Intel Core i5 3570K
eVGA GTX 560
G.Skill 32GB 1600MHz PC-12800
Kingwin PSAZ-1000A14 Titan 1000W 80 Plus Bronze

All OS and hardware drivers are up to date.
...

Well ...

I just went through the very daunting task of completely removing everything nVidia. I removed the Driver, Physix, HD Audio Driver - I deleted all the nVidia folders from the AppData( Local and Roaming ), ProgramData, Program Files( x86 ) and Program Files folders. I ran PC Tools Registry Cleaner, CCleaner( and its registry cleaner ); rebooted after every uninstall and install.

I then re-installed the nVidia Driver and software package; rebooted.

...

I haven't done anything out of the ordinary with my video card. Bought it, installed it and keep the drivers uptodate.

Perhaps an nVidia driver version 314.22 thing?

 

[arno]

That card should be good enough to run OpenGL shaders without any problems. Weird....