Quick Q.

Erom · Post by **Erom** » 14 Jul 2007, 01:57

Hey guys, what should I be trouble shooting if I've created a new unit with a working script, weapons fire, has an s3o model, but when I build it in game it is invisible? The engine effects and weapons spawn fine, but the model of the unit itself is totally absent.

FLOZi · Post by **FLOZi** » 14 Jul 2007, 02:08

1. Ensure your s3o has a radius and height set.

2. If using a second texture, make sure that alpha on it is blank.

It's more than likely 1.

zwzsg · Post by **zwzsg** » 14 Jul 2007, 04:24

Happened to me too, and afaik it was 1.

Erom · Post by **Erom** » 14 Jul 2007, 17:50

It was 1, thanks so much guys. Appreciate it.

EDIT: I got it working, but I've found a fun new problem. This picture demonstrates the issue nicely.

When zoomed in, I see the unit perfectly (the said unit is crap, I know that. It's just a test unit.) When I zoom out even slightly, it turns to two little tiny grey boxes (which were not present in the model). This occurs long before icons kick in.

Any advice?

rattle · Post by **rattle** » 14 Jul 2007, 19:04

Ditto 1, but I figured it out.

edit:
Yeah run settings and increase "Unit LOD" to some reasonable value.

KDR_11k · Post by **KDR_11k** » 14 Jul 2007, 19:12

It's probably so small the LOD kicks in.

Erom · Post by **Erom** » 14 Jul 2007, 21:06

I get it. Because the thing is only 4 polys, when LOD kicks in and removes a few points, the thing basically disappears.

Hmm. Even when I set LOD to max, the thing still goes plonk long before icons kick in. Oh well, at least I know how to deal with it now: either increase the polycount of the model or modify the icon to appear really early for these units. Thanks for all your help everyone!

KDR_11k · Post by **KDR_11k** » 15 Jul 2007, 07:27

Nope, polygon counts have nothing to do with it. Spring doesn't have a poly rweduction algorithm. It uses images of the unit drawn as a sprite, though I don't think it'll work with s3os.

Pressure Line · Post by **Pressure Line** » 15 Jul 2007, 14:59

KDR_11k wrote:Nope, polygon counts have nothing to do with it. Spring doesn't have a poly rweduction algorithm. It uses images of the unit drawn as a sprite, though I don't think it'll work with s3os.

it doesnt, not very well anyway. i notice it with my aircraft (which are at least as large as my tanks) that they turn into a shapeless grey blob when they get too far away, even though the tank sitting next to it looks fine. (the tank being about 400 polys, the helicopter being about 700)

Erom · Post by **Erom** » 15 Jul 2007, 16:14

For anyone else who has this problem later, the distance is proportional to the radius of the unit, I had mine set rather small, and making it bigger pushed the LOD threshold out past the iconization threshold. I'll feed the wiki.

Pressure Line · Post by **Pressure Line** » 15 Jul 2007, 20:51

thought so, my plane spheres are still quite small, they need a revisit

Spring RTS Engine

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