Entire car goes dark going through shadows

[Shovas]

Okay, GTR233 and Bjarne helped me out over here:

https://www.racedepartment.com/threads/what-software-are-you-using-for-track-and-car-modding.204401/#post-3400791

But I'd still like to get to the bottom of this because my favourite mod cars have this problem and it really detracts from the enjoyment.

Easy fix is to set shadows on HIGH instead of FULL and you will get much higher fps

This does work but then there's no shadow effect at all on the car when driving through shadows. It's as if the sun is shining right on your car. If I have to do it I will but would be nice to have a fix.

3Dsimed can also be needed in this case for modded cars.

Some mods have the Windows GMT included in the Chassis Cpit GMT .... so that windows will not appear in the .cas file as only the whole chassis cpit will be there.
Using ShadowReceiver=True => ShadowReceiver=False should then be applied on all parts included in them.

I tried this it's the same as setting Shadows to High so same issues

So does anyone have a fix that doesn't require 3DSimEd? I'm sure that would probably work but would require a lot of effort on my part to learn and figure out.

Thanks

 

[GP STONER]

As far as i know shadows are directx thing could it be that some shadows on mods you like are directx 8 or 7?
Maybe if you convert them to other settings (not the low high or off in gtr2 it self)

There are some mods out there that have in there manual/readme that it uses directx 7 or 8.

Yesterday i read while downloading all the stuff at one track that it was build for lower directx

But i cant remember that track i saw it in the readme.. i have downloaded yesterday 3000 mods.

 

[GP STONER]

What mods are causin this btw?

 

[Zipdrive]

Some of eSR's mods had this issue and it is exactly as Jempy mentioned. The window mesh is part of the xxxxx_cockpit.gmt so when you have ShadowReceiver=True everything within that cockpit mesh has the shadows applied.

2 ways to fix it:

1. In the CAS file set ShadowReceiver=False for the cockpit entry and live with no shadows in cockpit view.
2. Using 3DSimED edit the cockpit mesh by removing the window polys and making it a separate mesh.

 

[Jempy]

And in the 2nd solution the window mesh needs to be added in the .cas file to appear on the car ingame
But there too 3Dsimed is needed to separate the window mesh.

Anyway I have a doubt about something: many windows mesh have no shaders ( just T1 Diffuse ) some other ones have.
I'm not fully sure that this ShadowReceiver=True makes the same problem in both cases.
I think that if those windows have shaders with specular maps en cube maps ... the result is not the same and is much better.

 

[Zipdrive]

Anyway I have a doubt about something: many windows mesh have no shaders ( just T1 Diffuse ) some other ones have.
I'm not fully sure that this ShadowReceiver=True makes the same problem in both cases.
I think that if those windows have shaders with specular maps en cube maps ... the result is not the same and is much better.

I'm not too sure about the shaders/no shaders on the cockpit glass either. Never tried comparing the two. Also I think that the way the polys face (back/front) in 3DSimED might also contribute to the issue.

When it comes to doing the cockpit glass I just have it set to T1 if I use any glass at all. The only time I've used shaders and cubmaps on the glass is for the Chassis mesh so that the exterior glass picks up any reflections and what not.

If memory servers me correctly, most if not all the stock GTR2 cars have no front cockpit glass just the dirt and rain screens. Some models have a "cockpit_windows.gmt" in the CAS file but they are actually the cockpit mirrors. The Corvette and Mosler are like that.

 

[Jempy]

As you say, for sure GTR2 original cars have no cockpit windows. ( I already checked it long ago )
They only appeared since Race07 but many more recent mods have cockpit windows and some are very well done.

I already tried to add shaders to cockpit glass .... as no windshield at all in cockpit view is not really a realistic view but the choice of the base color ( nearly at full alpha ) and the values for the specular map ( and its realisation ) and Cube Map are not easy to find for a good result .... something with light reflections or brilliances, the most transparent possible and something a bit "alive".

I nearly found one but the problem is at night ... the windows seem illuminated on track ! ... and moreover the result is always different according to the 3D properties it seems.

 

[Vadara]

Okay I'm glad someone else mentioned this because I thought I was going insane. I just added a bunch of mods to my GTR2 and they nearly ALL have this issue where the car goes insanely dark the moment a shadow touches them. It's so distracting it makes like 90% of my my mods unplayable:

GTR 2 2021.11.06 - 15.55.48.28.DVR-00.00.13.669-00.00.24.036 GIF | Gfycat

Watch and share GTR 2 2021.11.06 - 15.55.48.28.DVR-00.00.13.669-00.00.24.036 GIFs on Gfycat

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The fact that I need to mod the meshes themselves to fix this is just way too much work for me. I dunno how these mod makers didn't notice when testing their own mods.

EDIT: Okay, at least for that C7 corvette up there, going into the .cas file and setting the cockpit.gmt's ShadowReceiver setting to False does fix it and it doesn't even look that bad (the cockpit still darkens when going through shadows, funnily enough, or at least the wheel does) so I guess I'll go manually fix all of these...

 

[Shovas]

The fact that I need to mod the meshes themselves to fix this is just way too much work for me. I dunno how these mod makers didn't notice when testing their own mods.

EDIT: Okay, at least for that C7 corvette up there, going into the .cas file and setting the cockpit.gmt's ShadowReceiver setting to False does fix it and it doesn't even look that bad (the cockpit still darkens when going through shadows, funnily enough, or at least the wheel does) so I guess I'll go manually fix all of these...

Agreed. Very annoying.

The easiest fix currently is settings Shadows High using the in-game graphics options. I believe it's the same change as editing the ShadowReceiver.

 

[Bjarne Hansen]

The easiest fix currently is settings Shadows High using the in-game graphics options. I believe it's the same change as editing the ShadowReceiver.

Not really as shadows high stops shadows from being displayed in the cockpit.
While editing the cas file only removed the shadow cast on the windscreen/ windows.
But yes easier but easier is not (always) better!

 

[Shovas]

Not really as shadows high stops shadows from being displayed in the cockpit.
While editing the cas file only removed the shadow cast on the windscreen/ windows.
But yes easier but easier is not (always) better!

I tried the cas file edit and I thought it removed all shadows. I'll try again.

Would much rather edit a few mod files than lose proper shadows.