S3TC and "MyLevel" function

[Pitbull]

This is something I've been wondering about for a long time. When you install the S3TC textures in UT it clearly states that if your video card doesn't support them that installing the textures will have no effect. I currently do have the textures installed for UT and I just recently got them working. My question pertains to importing non default textures into Unreal using the "MyLevel" feature. I've been wondering if the new S3TC textures that are being made are the same way? The default S3TC textures in UT have compressed textures embedded into them. (That's my understanding ) I would very much like to use S3TC in any future maps I create and would still like to be able to embed them into the map. I like embedding files like textures, meshes, sounds. code, etc so I can avoid conflicts with existing files that are already out there. This also allows for modifying any file without creating future conflicts. If this is possible I could embed one texture file instead of two and S3TC users as well as non S3TC users could Utilize the same file. It would also cut down on the map size.

[Smirftsch]

easy to explain, its the core of the problem. The S3TC converter was made by kerilk just to change this. In UT the S3TC texture packages contain both texture sets- means the "normal" 256 bpp palettized colors and the S3TC textures. Unfortunately Unreal isnt able to handle those "merged" files, and the idea of the converter (maybe you could call it extractor as well) was born. I spent weeks to find that out, because no one did know it, and nearly no one even tried to use S3TC textures, not for UT and not for Unreal, even although UT supported it since the release (well ok, unreal too, but long time there was no support for it aside for S3 cards, and S3 is long dead you know). An embedding into the map is possible with uscript however, but then you would have to chose for S3TC or not, don't think it'll be possible to make Unreal chosing it for the right grafix card, would make a dependency necessary to the renderer- maybe it could done but by default it isnt possible.

[DieHard SCWS]

I made a page (though not finished yet lol, as many things) about mapping and S3TC textures.

http://www.celticwarriors.net/website/S3TC/S3TCandMapping/S3TCandMapping.htm

MyLevel is a great tool BUT........ the whole point about S3TC is keeping them clientsided for the same reason, so it will never cause missmatches on maps or players entering the server.

In other words: MyLevel prevents mismatches but so does S3TC clientsided :-/

But if you succeed on combining both normal and S3TC in MyLevel and it works, than i guess theres no problem , other than that, if you want it to be supported by S3TC than they should NEVER be added in MyLevel NOR uploaded to any server.


And thought the page is not finished, it already was an atempt from my side to create a workable standard for all. Meaning everybody will have the same setup for the zipfiles. That includes an extra folder named: S3TC_Textures and the txt file i already created that contains a warning and when and how to use the extra textures.


If people are to create S3TC textures for their maps, i would love to see if everybody would follow that standard to prevent confusements or problems..........
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[Smirftsch]

iirc i can make s3tc texture packages netcompatible again when they r ready...

[DieHard SCWS]

iirc i can make s3tc texture packages netcompatible again when they r ready...

Is that related to the quote below:

i think it has to do with the package id changed, unreal is very strict when it comes to file mismatches, i sometimes accidentally save original maps/textures/sounds without modifying them in unrealed, and the game refuses to connect me because it still recognises a difference.

but ofcourse i could try what you asked about the sky problem maybe later this day.


I took it from this topic :
http://www.oldunreal.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=S3TC;action=display;num=1114138987;start=15

Kerilk made a remark about the Hexeditor for the nameproblem, and this seems another problem.


Both the Hexeditor and irrc i have no clue what it is, but if its related to the quote above than i need both tools and some instructions.


I def want re-release JWSky, not to mention i am working on a package that will contain 177 new S3TC textures, which makes that package complete from top to bottom. I will have that package ready prob within one month from now, stuff like above needs to be solved somehow.
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