AC Modding Questions Thread

[Ryno917]

I battled to get a chrome Lotus 49 for... about 6 hours, before realizing that the problem wasn't the map. No matter how hard I tried, I could never change the map to make it chrome-like, because the problem was in the fresnel properties of the material.

Here's my next question. Let's say I want to have a chrome (or matte, for that matter) finish on only one skin for a model, is there a way to do it? The way I see it, from CM, editing a material will change it for all skins, which isn't really practical. My stopgap is to create a child car, but yeah, I'm hoping there's a better solution.

One potential option is to install the custom shader packaged with Stereo's Dodge Monaco mod. It replaces the default carpaint shader. Details on how to use it to get a chrome effect are in the description for that mod.

Alternatively, you could use the CSP extensions to chromify the livery, but AFAIK you can't have non-chromed elements on the skin with that method.

 

[Stereo]

You can use a CSP extension to load the shader "stperpixelmultimap_specular" on a per skin basis and then that one lets you do pretty much whatever surface finishes you like, using the txmaps/txspecular file. I think the only documentation on it is in my Formula Ford mod. Since it's in a CSP extension you don't need to distribute anything extra with the file, chrome just won't work for non-csp users.

 

[67JTM]

What I have found out so far is, that an extension file directly inside the skin folder should override everything else- for just that one Car (I'm not entirely shure, that could depend on CSP version or the Car itself). Another option would be to place an extension file inside the Car folder, in an extra folder called 'extension'. That way you can still limit you shader replacement to some specific skins.
Look over here, that's propably alot of Information at first, but at the top of the page you see the code you need for this.

 

[Ryno917]

You can use a CSP extension to load the shader "stperpixelmultimap_specular" on a per skin basis and then that one lets you do pretty much whatever surface finishes you like, using the txmaps/txspecular file. I think the only documentation on it is in my Formula Ford mod. Since it's in a CSP extension you don't need to distribute anything extra with the file, chrome just won't work for non-csp users.

How does that work with the additional specular textures that your shader uses?

 

[Stereo]

[SHADER_REPLACEMENT_1]
DESCRIPTION = gauge cluster, needles
MATERIALS = INT_Gauges
SHADER=ksPerPixelMultiMap_emissive
RESOURCE_0 = txEmissive
RESOURCE_FILE_0 = gauge_illum.png
;SKINS = aspen_white

goes like this, you could replace txMaps too if you want a separate version, you can replace any number of the textures. Semicolon just means that line's not doing anything.

 

[Ryno917]

[SHADER_REPLACEMENT_1]
DESCRIPTION = gauge cluster, needles
MATERIALS = INT_Gauges
SHADER=ksPerPixelMultiMap_emissive
RESOURCE_0 = txEmissive
RESOURCE_FILE_0 = gauge_illum.png
;SKINS = aspen_white

goes like this, you could replace txMaps too if you want a separate version, you can replace any number of the textures. Semicolon just means that line's not doing anything.

If I'm reading this right, "RESOURCE_X" is for additional elements not present in the car's KN5 shader, correct? You just specify what the value is for (txEmissive in this case) and what the texture applied to it is (gauge_illum.png), put that texture in the skin folder, and all should work?

 

[Stereo]

RESOURCE_X just goes with the shader material slots, you can use it to replace ones that were already in the shader (so it changes with csp installed) or add new ones. I believe textures in the skin folder will be fine, I've done it in the car config folder so I don't need a bunch of copies of the texture.

 

[Ryno917]

RESOURCE_X just goes with the shader material slots

Does that mean the number assigned has to apply to the correct texture slot in the shader, then? Or is it just an index for the config to understand and doesn't correlate to the texture slot as seen in the list in order?

That question probably didn't make any sense.

I'll have to find some time to play around with it myself.

 

[Stereo]

As far as I know it's just to match texture name to slot name, doesn't have to match the shader.

 

[MohdTN]

hey

do you guys know what is making my textures stretch in ks_multilayer_fresnel_nm/4

there is no stretching in the unwrap

 

[Stereo]

multilayer only uses UV maps for txDiffuse and txMask, everything else is planar from above.

 

[MohdTN]

multilayer only uses UV maps for txDiffuse and txMask, everything else is planar from above.

that make sense, thank you

 

[ltcars]

Why does the subdivision modifier do this?
Only happens in Catmull, not in "simple"

 

[Ryno917]

Why does the subdivision modifier do this?
Only happens in Catmull, not in "simple"

Subdiv doesn't really like triangles. Looks like there might be some non-welded verts in there, too, maybe?

 

[ltcars]

Subdiv doesn't really like triangles. Looks like there might be some non-welded verts in there, too, maybe?

The other roundabout didn't have any issues, I just chose the simple subdivision modifier for now

 

[GT VIRUS]

The other roundabout didn't have any issues, I just chose the simple subdivision modifier for now

A subdivide does nothing but add triangles without adding detail, and is useless for smoothing a track surface. As others have said, you will likely have unconnected vert's in your mesh. Run merge vert's by distance at a very low distance level (0.001) and try again

 

[Ben O'Bro]

Is there an easy way to run a Vanilla AC one you have all csp/sol installed... ?
there isn't a simple on/off thing

i thought of having another game folder, would that work with steam putting its nose everywhere tho

purpose : testing in the track making process, see how things look by default

 

[Fat-Alfie]

I don't know about Sol as I don't use it (for the very same reason you want to deactivate it), but you can turn off CSP with a single tick-box:

I guess you could install Sol as a Mod, and then deactivate it from within Content Manager:

 

[AlleyViper]

When taking a peek at vanilla after disabling csp via menu, there's even no need to deactivate Sol, as it's dependent on csp's weather FX. Even if its apps are still active, they'll just error out.
Just remember to change the PP filter to a vanilla compatible one, and also a ks weather before starting the session.

PS: Changing weathers when comparing csp+sol vs vanilla can be avoided if you select something like original>mid clear, as it'll be mid clear under vanilla, but then points to Sol>few clouds if Sol+csp is running.

 

[Stereo]

If you have a certain older set of CSP apps, some of those will also crash with the patch disabled, if so figure out which apps and replace with new versions.