PROPER projects - game tweaks of all sorts

[manzilla 1]

In addition you may wanna try these two preloading addons:

* PreloadVegetationModels_Visuals_C_PROPER.7z

Seems to have no effect or does not work.

* PreloadVegetationTextures_Visuals_C_PROPER.7z

Might work yet freezes the game on world loading here.

Seems like it is unable to preload that many textures or is the problem

of not being able to preload some referenced in the model (see rpt).

So for the later you could try to remove some references to try to get it

to work.

_______

Alright sorry about this guys. This is an absolutely retarded question for me to ask as I should know the answer by now but what do you mean by preload? Do I just use the .pbo in a Mod folder(with it in target line obviously) or is there some sort of "preload" set up that I just never heard of before.

Sorry about this.

[randir14 10]

I just tried very high and all the trees are 3D until I get within a certain distance and they turn into 2D sprites. Is this supposed to be happening?

[xmongx 0]

Alright sorry about this guys. This is an absolutely retarded question for me to ask as I should know the answer by now but what do you mean by preload? Do I just use the .pbo in a Mod folder(with it in target line obviously) or is there some sort of "preload" set up that I just never heard of before.

Sorry about this.

I may be wrong but I think the goal is to preload all vegetation into memory. Nothing to do with how you load the mod.

[manzilla 1]

Thanks xmongx! That's what I was thinking but I tend to miss major concepts sometimes when it comes to AddOns and Mods. Not sure why. :D

[Binkowski 26]

I just tried very high and all the trees are 3D until I get within a certain distance and they turn into 2D sprites. Is this supposed to be happening?

Mine have always looked like that, even before using these modifications. So maybe it's built into the game?

[Alex72 1]

Mine have always looked like that, even before using these modifications. So maybe it's built into the game?

Yep. The horrible jagged weird 2D trees has been there since day 1. Not this addons fault.

[Maddmatt 1]

I just tried the "Very High" vegetation and I get what looks like the complete opposite - all low LODs. Maybe that's what's being reported above. I cannot reproduce the "2D trees" mentioned in the posts above with standard A2.

I double checked to make sure I wasn't running the wrong addon, and I'm definitely running the "very high" one.

Edit: I see your video shows the same problem. You sure something didn't go wrong with the files? Because that certainly isn't the highest LOD that's showing up.

Edited September 14, 2009 by Maddmatt

[Alex72 1]

I cannot reproduce the "2D trees" mentioned in the posts above with standard A2.

Wow. What version of ARMA2 do you have? :D

Seriously though the 2D trees are everywhere when your by these orange/red/yellow trees. Always been there since 1.00. Im playing normal textures & obj. detail though. Maybe is that.

[Maddmatt 1]

Wow. What version of ARMA2 do you have? :D ...

Running the build 59025 beta. My settings are all on 'Very High', except video memory on 'Default' and AA on 'Low' (don't need more due to 3D res at 125%).

I tried, and I couldn't get the trees to turn 2D.

Although I didn't see this issue when running on low settings with my old Geforce 7800GT either :confused:

[.kju 3244]

How about some screenshots or videos - otherwise no one really knows whats been talked about. :)

[Maddmatt 1]

Ok here's a pic:

That's the "Very High Vegetation" for me :confused:

[.kju 3244]

Compared to what?

[Maddmatt 1]

The mod is suppose to leave only the highest LOD according to the description, but all I see when I use it is a low LOD.

Without the mod:

With "Very High Vegetation" mod:

Isn't that the opposite of what it's supposed to do? And I checked to make sure I wasn't running the "low" version.

Using "Vegetation_VeryHigh_Visuals_R_PROPER.7z".

Edited September 14, 2009 by Maddmatt

[rome 0]

Same problem here.

When i use veryhigh lod, i have only very low lod everywhere.

.. Not nice effect atm ^^

[Alex72 1]

Ok here's a pic:

That's the "Very High Vegetation" for me :confused:

Ok i dont know if that was somehow directed to me and those who see 2D trees? But the flaw in that pic is that those trees are too close. The 2D trees are further away.

Will post screen when im fully awake.

[lee_h._oswald 0]

Same problem here.

I first didn't noticed it, because of flying all the time with helicopter & aircrafts and there are no trees near the runways.

Then, testing with ground units, I have this:

MfG Lee :)

[.kju 3244]

Good news is you are correct. Here is the fixed versions:

Vegetation_ExtremeHigh_Visuals_R_PROPER.7z

Vegetation_VeryHigh_Visuals_R_PROPER.7z

That bad news, at least for my testing, is that in my rather simple test scenario

it made the Res LODs of other units like tanks show in very low Res LOD unless

very close. It seems only highest Res LOD for vegetation adds a high strain

on the system - which makes sense.

Give it a try and report back.

So 2nd or 3rd Res LOD might be better to use.

The texture issue is still there though.

PS: I put bit of blame on T_D making opposite logic here and my failed reading skills of course. :)

[lee_h._oswald 0]

Downloading now, thank you!

MfG Lee

Edit:

It looks FANATASTIC, but it's unplayable. ;)

What ArmA2 should look like:

Edited September 14, 2009 by Lee_H._Oswald

[kuIoodporny 45]

Looks like BI made their shadow LODs incorrectly - they should be nonconvex so even lower LODs wont get hurt.

[lee_h._oswald 0]

Did some more testing.

Best results are:

- plants2_Bush_Low_Visuals_R_PROPER.pbo

- plants2_Clutter_VeryLow_Visuals_R_PROPER.pbo

- plants2_misc_VeryHigh_Visuals_R_PROPER.pbo

- plants2_Plant_VeryHigh_Visuals_R_PROPER.pbo

- plants2_Tree_Low_Visuals_R_PROPER.pbo

=====

LOD changings are visible for trees and bushes, that should be fixed.

I think we need some sort of "mediumhigh" LOD settings for trees and bushed, not too ugly but no frame killer like veryhigh but also with NO lod switching!

Tree with low pbo:

Note the half-missing trunk, could look better for infantry fighting.

I tested flying @3750m viewdistance on "high" arma settings and it worked like a dream! Stable fps even when piloting a chopper at ground level between the trees at ~250km/H.

==========

This addon could be THE KEY to a playable good looking ArmA2!

Support this guy, he is doing a HELL of a job!!

MfG Lee :cool:

[Mad-h 0]

Maybe keeping the highest res lod and one lower res lod would do the trick, it would work as the speedtree technology, but well thats not posible with T D-s tools, right? But my guess is BIS already tried all the possibilities, and they settled with this "many lod for one object thing", because this was the best in performance and image quality wise.

[kremator 1065]

Ouchie. My system is running at 3.9GHz and with the new VeryHigh visuals it is really slowed down. I think I would need to have a low VD to get the best out of it (which I'm not willing to do!)

[noobiewarrior 10]

my moniker tells it all and I am not embarrassed to appear (prove?) I'm an idiot: what folders do the pbos go in and how are they invoked?

[Alex72 1]

If your asking for how to simply use a mod then in the ARMA2 root directory create a folder named @Proper (for example that is. Call it what you want, but keep the @ in front as its easier to see the modfolders that way). Inside of that folder make another folder called Addons (< very important) and add the mod PBO's in there. So @Proper/Addons/the addon PBO's in here.

After you done that right click your shortcut that starts ARMA2. Properties and in the TARGET field where you see the path to ARMA2.exe make 1 space at the end of that path and add the command to activate mods. Add the addon you want to be activated so it looks like this: -mod=@Proper

Start the game and voila.

You might want to add -nosplash as well so that target field should look like this: "C:\Program files\Bohemia Interactive\ArmA 2\arma2.exe" -mod=@Proper -nosplash

EDIT: For more than 1 addon/mod you add a ";" (semicolon) between each mod like this: -mod=@Proper;@mod2;@mod3;@mod4 -nosplash

Alex

Edited September 15, 2009 by Alex72

[noobiewarrior 10]

thanks. I'm on my way

---------- Post added at 10:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:48 PM ----------

Fabulous! significant improvement in FPS with low visual vegetation without any decrease in quality of experience. Now if I can just find someone who has figured out how to reduce the grossly overstated effect of brighter light - in forest, if even a slight bit of sky becomes visible, the light dims so much in the the rest of the scene that it becomes very hard to see anything. this happens even with post-processing set on low (and kegytes says his blur and bloom tools are no longer necessary in 1.03). please excuse me if this comment violates some posting protocol - I would gladly post it in the appropriate thread if I could find one.