Shader refactoring

[DmitriSkif]

How about some tweaks in coming RWE 2 ? 

1. Re-compile terrain shader to adopt textures of resolution higher than default 256x256 px at 8 meter grid ? That parameter is the weakest thing in TS since 2008 till nowadays. That's guilty to build a modern, high-detailed scenery and tracks, with awesome textures - and place all of them on blurry, pixelated surface, that has no even bump map support.

2. Add shading capability for TrainFacingFlora.fx . I have a giant collection of low-poly trees possible to adopt to TS and make it look modern and beautiful, but it's impossible to shade their fronds without tweaks. Tweaks look bad at some sun beams angles, and also need extra geometry to cast shadows.

3. Fix procedural grass to be lit by light emitters. Really. So useful feature, not worse than TurfFX in Trainz, which can greatly improve terrain appearance (at least, mask low-res textures under the grass carpet) - and it doesn't work well at night, making all look bad. 

 

I'm ready to donate the job, but as a part of the payware TS utility like RWE only. I don't like the idea people that play for free will take a feature that I've been dreaming for years. Any thoughts? 

Edited December 9, 2021 by DmitriSkif

[DmitriSkif]

So, I see there's no any interest. 

Okay. I will follow Trainz and outcoming Simrail on Unity now. I see no future in Train simulator as there're no any ideas of radical graphical improvements.

[Lus0rius]

Hi,

I don't want to extrapolate or speak for the developer, but I think that for the three suggestions you give, it is unlikely that a third party software like RWE could ever achieve them. RWE modifies what the game developers have made freely editable by a third party. If some of the shader mechanics are coded in the game core, it is impossible to touch them without accessing the source code or reverse engineering (which is illegal). What you're suggesting is, in my opinion, of such a low level that it cannot simply be handled by the editable shader files, but I might be wrong.

And yes, it is unfortunate that the game developers abandoned the development of the game engine long ago. But it is my personal opinion that the interest of a game does not only lie in its graphics, but above all in the ability of the community to make it evolve through modding, and TS is well equipped in this regard (I'm sure Trainz is too, but it depends on the gameplay experience you want to get).

Have a nice evening !

[DmitriSkif]

Shaders in RW can be totally recompiled from scratch as all of them lie in the source folder together with a compiler.

But if there's no interest, I see that nobody cares same game aspects as me. If 256x256 textures are OK in 2021 - I have nothing to say more. 

 

Close the thread please.

[RW Central]

While the source code of the shaders can be accessed and compiled you can't change or choose the data that is transmitted to those shaders so you can't do everything your want. There is a lot of limitations due to the fixed set/quantity of data sent to those shaders.

[DmitriSkif]

Could You please share the info how did You taken data for your own Control state dialog window without launching the built-in one ? 

I'd like to use this data to upgrade my virtual control desk project to allow it work without script injections. I can take needed values directly from this window, not from my own log file.