where are the buildings? graphics trouble

[{USI}_Zombie 0]

After comparing screenshots with a friend, I realized something is very wrong. Here is a screenshot

My squadmember is near the building with the red roof, 840M away. Now I don't try to play at these settings, but even at my usual settings it looks the same. There must be something wrong somewhere with my setup. I am using mods @buildings_low_visuals @sakulightfix @vegetationlow_visuals_r_proper. I have these start parameters normally -worldempty -nosplash -maxmem2047 from armalauncher 1.1.0 but I get the same results with no addons or start params.

my specs

winxp home

amd athlon x2 6000+ @3GHZ no overclocking

nvidia GTX-285 1g driver 191.07

monitor Dell 2208wfp(digital) display mode 1680x1050 (32bit) 60hz

4G ddr2 corsair ram

asus crosshair MB

arma2 v1.04.59026

any help greatly appreciated. I have gotten used to the buildings popping in to view as I get closer, but should I have to?

Edited October 16, 2009 by {USI}_Zombie
friend, not fiend, where's my coffee cup?

[-DirTyDeeDs--Ziggy- 0]

same location, high settings, aa normal, post low, 3600 VD ( mission parameter 'no grass' )

I am the 'friend' he was comparing to ;)

Edited October 17, 2009 by [DirTyDeeDs]-Ziggy-

[jw custom 56]

Could it be the Post Process effects causing it ???

[KeyCat 131]

Very interesting!

It's kind of hard to see if the screenshots are taken from the exact same spot? My experience are similar to Zombies, even if I pull up my VD to 3500+ it "feels" like there are missing objects/buildings in the distance (ArmA II stock, no addons) but I've been thinking thats just how ArmA II works...

Ziggy, are you using any addons? Maybe both of you can take another screenshot from exact same spot and use the "spacebar command thing" that measure the distance to objects/buildings on the screen for a better comparsion or even better make a simple testmission for me/others to run and compare?

What driver version are you using for your NVIDIA GeForce GTX 275 Ziggy, can't find out in your spec?

/KC

Edited October 16, 2009 by KeyCat

[-DirTyDeeDs--Ziggy- 0]

using 191.03 beta

xp32

1600x900 resolution, 100% 3D render

I might have been using mods @sakulightfix @sakusun and @vegetation_low_visuals_r_proper for that screenshot... not positive.

maybe it is the @sakusun that makes a difference? that affects lighting...

zombie and I will get together and provide more screenshots of the exact same environment, mods and no mods. ;)

[no use for a name 0]

I'm using the same mods and I don't see anything like that. Something definitely looks jacked with your draw distance. Check your Arma2Profile for "ViewDistance=xxxx" and make sure it's the same as in-game settings. in the pic it looks like it's drawing at <1000m when the slider is set to 10k.

edit: I just tried to see if I could replicate it by turning my VD down. The buildings/trees disappear right at the fog line so you can't see the pattern on the terrain like in yours. strange...

What do you normally set your VD at?

Edited October 17, 2009 by No Use For A Name

[{USI}_Zombie 0]

I'm using the same mods and I don't see anything like that. Something definitely looks jacked with your draw distance. Check your Arma2Profile for "ViewDistance=xxxx" and make sure it's the same as in-game settings. in the pic it looks like it's drawing at <1000m when the slider is set to 10k.

edit: I just tried to see if I could replicate it by turning my VD down. The buildings/trees disappear right at the fog line so you can't see the pattern on the terrain like in yours. strange...

What do you normally set your VD at?

Normally, I set it to 2500. Maybe Deeds and I didn't have weather synchronized because I tried again just now and with everything on normal and vd set to 2500 I see this

Fog or time of day maybe making a difference? At the time we may not have been synch'ed.

[no use for a name 0]

yeah but at 2500 you should still be able to see the trees on that distant peak (I highly doubt it's 2.5KM away lol). The objects and terrain should be visible right at the "fog" so you don't see past the draw distance very far.

Something still doesn't seem right. Have you tried the 101.07 WHQL's?

[-DirTyDeeDs--Ziggy- 0]

yeah but at 2500 you should still be able to see the trees on that distant peak

I tried again just now and with everything on normal and vd set to 2500 I see this

its probably his 'normal' settings reducing his details at that distance ;)

Have you tried the 101.07 WHQL's?

nvidia GTX-285 1g driver 191.07

yeah , hes using it. :rolleyes:

until we sit down and make screenshots of the exact the same scene, I will assume this issue is weather/fog related. :16_6_8:

Edited October 17, 2009 by [DirTyDeeDs]-Ziggy-

[.kju 3245]

So both shots made in MP, same mission, same session. No automatically VD tweaking addons?

[{USI}_Zombie 0]

So both shots made in MP, same mission, same session. No automatically VD tweaking addons?

not yet, deeds and I will do it that way though and compare results. That will ensure we have eliminated as many variables as possible

[KeyCat 131]

not yet, deeds and I will do it that way though and compare results. That will ensure we have eliminated as many variables as possible

Looking forward to it Zombie. If possible please share your test mission so I/others can test as well...

/KC

Edited October 19, 2009 by KeyCat

[{USI}_Zombie 0]

the issue showed up on war-3 front by Qwertt, see this thread http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=82696 We tested it on Evo blue 392 and discovered the weather wasn't perfectly synchronized, like I would say it's raining and deeds would say "not for me", then about 15 seconds later he would get rain even though we were standing 2 feet apart. We haven't been able to try it on war-3 front again yet because we finished the mission, and it is a hard fight to get back to that location in the beginning. When the weather is completely clear I see what is in Deeds' screenshot, but when the weather isn't, I see what is in my screenshot. I think the whole "issue" is weather related and in our war-3 mission we were very "un-synchronized" with the weather conditions. When I try it in the editor, even if I set full sun and no fog, there is still some distant valley fog so it's hard to get consistent results. We are still hoping to replicated the results we first had.

[KeyCat 131]

OK, but why not first make a simple test in SP by using the editor and see if things looks different on different HW despite using the same view distance etc?

It seems kind of wierd it should and thats why I'm interested to test it... I whipped up a simple testmission where I just used "setViewDistance 3500" in the init field to ensure everyone is testing with same VD @ 3500 m.

Please grab the testmission below and post your screens of that same house and bush for comparsion...

A2_VDtest_3500.zip (1.2 KB)

Below you can see how it looks on my screen (SS size decreased). I and use the command thing (Spacebar) to measure the distance to the furthest small house (and tree) I can see.

I'm running on Windows XP Pro 32-bit

C2D E6850 @ 3.50 GHz

2 x 1 GB RAM @ 1066 MHz

nVidia GTX 260 with 191.07 WHQL drivers

ArmA II 1.04.59210 Beta Stock (no addons)

/KC

Edited October 19, 2009 by KeyCat

[{USI}_Zombie 0]

will give it a try using your test mission when I can. I have out-of-state guests so my playtime is limited for the next couple of weeks, hopefully I can try in a day or so

[KeyCat 131]

No problems mate!

And hopefullt you can get Ziggy to run it as well and post his sceen shots since it was on his machine objects was drawn further away (according to above posts)?

BTW, would be nice if someone using an AMD/ATI card could run it as well and post some screen shots for comparsion...

/KC

Edited October 19, 2009 by KeyCat

[{USI}_Zombie 0]

My results with your test mission, no addons, my normal setings except your vd setting, size reduced by imageshack and neopaint from original

click images to enlarge

[-DirTyDeeDs--Ziggy- 0]

click images to enlarge

@very high settings

@ normal settings

we appear to have the same results...good test

pp very high...ew:thumbsdown:

Edited October 20, 2009 by [DirTyDeeDs]-Ziggy-

[.kju 3245]

object details controls how many of the far objects are drawn.

Different VD setting influences it as well ofc.

[-DirTyDeeDs--Ziggy- 0]

its strange how BIS chose to allow some buildings to have far greater draw distances than most, like the large buildings, cranes, and smokestack as seen in the above images. why those particular ones and not others. :confused: