KotOR II: Trouble with colours - but affecting mods only!

[Korto Vos]

Problem has been solved; thanks!

------------------------------------

 

{Not really sure whether I got the correct subform for such a problem, but as my problem only affects the mods I'm using, I thought I'd give it a try.}

 

I have only recently started to add a few mods to my TSL game, but I found myself confronted with a problem right away ... TSL seems to have trouble to depict the colours correctly. It looks as if the colour depth the game is able to depict were lower than that of the (new) textures - not sure if that actually is the root of the problem, but it does remind me of how my computer desktop looks like when it is suddenly reduced to e.g. 256 colours.

 

Another (probably related) thing I encountered is that alpha channels (not an expert, but I think that's what it's called) are messed up, too - Comma's Exile Robes v1.1, which should look ragged/tattered, have a metallic look where the holes should be.

 

Here are two screenshots depicting both problems I spoke of:

 

One

 

Two

 

You may to have look closer for that "colour depth off" problem, but the messed-up alpha channels should be quite plain.

 

(As I guess it might be helpful, I'll "attach" the contents of my swinfo.txt at the end of this post, too. For graphic card info etc. It's a bit on the long side, but clueless me would probably leave out important things if I were to cut parts out ...)

 

Mark you, it's only textures that haunt my Override folder that are screwed up, nowhere else in the game have I noticed such problems! (In case it's important: character portraits, even from the same mods, are not affected. They do show up as they are supposed to.)

 

I would be very grateful for any help ... you're my only hope! Nah, it's not that desperate, but still, after seeing what mods are gathered here, I would very much regret not to be able to enjoy them!

 

Thanks in advance, and before I forget: Merry christmas and a happy New Year all around!

 

Korto Vos

 

 

 

[sWKotOR]
ReportDateTime=26.12.2006 22:36:09
SysInfoVersion=v1.00.60
GameExists=1
GameVersion=v2.10.427
GameInstallLocation=C:\Harlequin\Games\Knights of the Old Republic II\

[OS]
Name=WinXP
Version=Windows XP v5.1 build 2600 Service Pack 1
Service Pack=Service Pack 1
Status=Pass

[swapFiles]
C:\pagefile.sys=1536

[CPU]
CPUCount=1
CPUSpeed=2992
CPUFamily=15
CPUModel=2
CPUStepping=9
CPUVendor=Intel
CPUName= Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.00GHz
Status=Pass

[Memory]
RAM=1024
Status=Pass

[Disk Free Space]
C: (NTFS), UNICODE=1.63GB
Status=Pass

[CD-ROMs]
DriveLetters=D:\,E:\
Drives=HL-DT-ST DVD-ROM GDR8162B,TEAC DVD+RW DV-W58E

[Video]
Video Card Name=RADEON 9800 PRO (Omega 3.8.291)
Video Memory=256
Desktop Resolution=1280x1024x32 @ 75Hz
DirectX=DirectX 9.0c (4.09.00.0904)
OpenGL Version=2.0.6067 WinXP Release
OpenGL Vendor=ATI Technologies Inc.
OpenGL Renderer=RADEON 9800 Pro x86/SSE2
ATI Driver=6.14.10.6635
Vid Card Status=Pass
Vid Card Driver Status=Pass
GL Status=Pass
DX Status=Pass

[Audio]
Sound Card Name=Creative Audigy Audio Processor (WDM)
Status=Pass


;Game Options from swkotor2.ini

[Display Options]
FullScreen=1
Disable Movies=0
Disable Intro Movies=0
Sort Modules=1
Width=640
Height=480
BitsPerPixels=32
RefreshRate=60

[sound Options]
Music Volume=49
Voiceover Volume=100
Sound Effects Volume=90
Movie Volume=100
Number 3D Voices=59
Number 2D Voices=64
2D3D Bias=1.50
EAX=3
Sound Init=0
Disable Sound=0
Force Software=0

[Graphics Options]
Anisotropy=16
Frame Buffer=1
Grass=1
Soft Shadows=1
Shadows=1
Brightness=57
EnableHardwareMouse=1
FullScreen=1
RefreshRate=60
Width=1024
Height=768
V-Sync=1
Texture Quality=2
Anti Aliasing=6
AllowSoftShadows=1

[Game Options]
UnlockedPlanetSongs=71
Enable Tooltips=1
Keyboard Camera Deceleration=2000.000000
Keyboard Camera Acceleration=500.000000
Keyboard Camera DPS=200.000000
TextureVariation=63
BodyVariation=9
AppearanceType=671
PCGender=1
GameCompleted=0
CurSithLord=2
Hide InGame GUI=0
Use Small Fonts=0
Hide Unequippable=0
Tutorial Popups=0
Subtitles=1
Mini Map=1
Floating Numbers=1
Status Summary=1
Enable Mouse Teleporting To Buttons=1
Mouse Sensitivity=8
Difficulty Level=1
Auto Level Up NPCs=0
Mouse Look=0
AutoSave=1
EnableScreenShot=0
Reverse Mouse Buttons=0
Reverse Ingame YAxis=1
Reverse Minigame YAxis=0
Combat Movement=1
TooltipDelay Sec=1
Disable Movies=0
EnableCheats=1

[config]
firstrun=0

[Keymapping]
Action286B=8
Action286A=7
Action285B=10
Action285A=9
Action284B=19
Action284A=17
Action283B=54
Action283A=51
Action282B=69
Action282A=73
Action281B=16
Action281A=14
Action280B=12
Action280A=18
Action268=11
Action265=76
Action264=69
Action263=62
Action262=85
Action261=84
Action260=83
Action259=82
Action258=81
Action257=80
Action256=79
Action255=78
Action254=77
Action253=31
Action245=75
Action244=32
Action243=33
Action242=74
Action241=23
Action240=56
Action239=88
Action238=82
Action236=83
Action234=81
Action232=80
Action230=22
Action228=106
Action226=108
Action225=70
Action224=90
Action223=31
Action222=25
Action221=24
Action220=29
Action219=29
Action218=67
Action217=87
Action216=65
Action215=63
Action214=60
Action213=66
Action212=51
Action211=53
Action210=59
Action209=55
Action208=15
Action207=72
Action206=30
Action205=35
Action204=34

[Autopause Options]
End Of Combat Round=0
Mine Sighted=1
Enemy Sighted=1
Party Killed=1
Action Menu=1
New Target Selected=1

[Movies Shown]
Movie10=0
Movie 9=0
Movie 8=0
Movie 7=24
Movie 6=0
Movie 5=2
Movie 4=8
Movie 3=160
Movie 2=15
Movie 1=246
Movie 0=252

[Darkkender]

the alpha transparency issue is likely caused by a conflicting entry in the appearance.2da file. Also have you downloaded the robe collar fix by svosh and installed it?

 

As to the dark image situation some graphics cards in particular of the ATI variety have known issues with textures looking dark or off in TSL.

[stoffe]

You have to force the Texture Quality setting of your graphics card drivers (in Catalyst Control Center or ATI Tray Tools) to High Quality, otherwise you get those strangely miscolored textures. At least that worked for me.

 

The reason it only happens with mods seem to be that it's related to using uncompressed TGA textures. The DXT-compressed TPC textures used by the standard game does not suffer from this problem.

 

As for the transparency, if you are using the Twi'lek Exile mod I made (which it looks like from your screenshots) then that appearance has a forced CM_Baremetal environment map set in appearance.2da to make the belt of the robe and gold details on the leather attire look more metallic. If you want to get rid of that you'll need to change the value in the envmap column back to DEFAULT. Be warned that some portions of the Exile Robe and Clothes/Underwear appearance may become transparent if you do so though, so you'll have to choose what type of robes to use.

[Korto Vos]

You have to force the Texture Quality setting of your graphics card drivers (in Catalyst Control Center or ATI Tray Tools) to High Quality, otherwise you get those strangely miscolored textures. At least that worked for me.

Just had my first look at those Tray Tools - and found it, under OpenGL; was at Quality. (Under Direct3D were Texture Preferences as well, but those already were at High Quality, so I didn't change anything there.)

 

And after booting up the game, I can only say: That works for me as well! Yay! Thank you!

 

 

As for the transparency, if you are using the Twi'lek Exile mod I made (which it looks like from your screenshots) [...]

True enough - I stumbled over her while hunting for male faces for my character, and I just couldn't resist; she's great!

 

 

[...] then that appearance has a forced CM_Baremetal environment map set in appearance.2da to make the belt of the robe and gold details on the leather attire look more metallic. If you want to get rid of that you'll need to change the value in the envmap column back to DEFAULT. Be warned that some portions of the Exile Robe and Clothes/Underwear appearance may become transparent if you do so though, so you'll have to choose what type of robes to use.

Aha, I see ... shouldn't prove a problem to choose between them, as I seem to be stuck with playing two characters anyway: A male (who'll get those ragged robes) and the Twi'lek lady! May mean a bit of file swapping when changing between them, but that's not much of a worry.

 

 

Also have you downloaded the robe collar fix by svosh and installed it?

Yes, I did - I just in time noticed the warning in the mod description and quickly downloaded it as well.

 

 

Thank you very much, folks, that was very quick and very helpful!

 

Korto Vos

 

 

P.S.: Thanks for the (implied) tip to use the [ code ] tags for stuff that long, stoffe -mkb-; looks a lot better!

[stoffe]

True enough - I stumbled over her while hunting for male faces for my character, and I just couldn't resist; she's great!

 

Thanks.

 

Aha, I see ... shouldn't prove a problem to choose between them, as I seem to be stuck with playing two characters anyway: A male (who'll get those ragged robes) and the Twi'lek lady! May mean a bit of file swapping when changing between them, but that's not much of a worry.

 

It shouldn't require any swapping if you use different robes for two characters with different appearances. The environment mapping is set only for the Twi'lek Exile appearance type, all other character appearances choices should be unaffected by that.

 

Thus you should be able to use the ragged robes for other characters without transparency problems (unless their appearance has another environment map texture set as well).

 

Since the Exile Twi'lek appearance type (in at least the last two versions released) has a new, slightly modified robe model it shouldn't conflict with using svösh's robe collar fix either. The collared robe model wouldn't be used for the Twi'lek Exile appearance (which is good since its texture isn't adapted for use with the collared model), but should work for everybody else.

[Korto Vos]

Thanks.

Hey, I'm the grateful party here! After all, I get to enjoy the result of your hard work!

 

 

 

It shouldn't require any swapping if you use different robes for two characters with different appearances. The environment mapping is set only for the Twi'lek Exile appearance type, all other character appearances choices should be unaffected by that.

Ah, that's good to know! Thanks!

 

 

Since the Exile Twi'lek appearance type (in at least the last two versions released) has a new, slightly modified robe model it shouldn't conflict with using svösh's robe collar fix either. The collared robe model wouldn't be used for the Twi'lek Exile appearance (which is good since its texture isn't adapted for use with the collared model), but should work for everybody else.

At first I somehow got v1.1 (probably from http://knightsoftheoldrepublic.filefront.com/, I'm not sure), but I shortly afterwards found out about v1.5 and upgraded to it. And true enough, it does work flawlessly with (or rather, next to) Svösh's robe collar fix!

 

Good thing, too ... I would probably have been stumped at first, had I added the collar fix to my game while still using v1.1 ...

 

 

Thanks for the tips!

 

Korto Vos

[stoffe]

At first I somehow got v1.1 (probably from http://knightsoftheoldrepublic.filefront.com/, I'm not sure), but I shortly afterwards found out about v1.5 and upgraded to it.

 

If you downloaded 1.1 recently it was probably from filefront since the latest version should be on LucasFiles. Those of my mods that I've updated recently only have old versions on kotorfiles@filefront since I can't update the mods uploaded there to the latest versions. I can't add a link to the latest version in the file comments there either since linking to other sites is against their rules, so people will have to find it for themselves.

[Korto Vos]

Updating is against their rules? Now that's a useful policy ...

 

Btw, just remembered something that you probably already know about, however: At least in my games, the robe textures do not show up when I am upgrading the robe at the workbench, the model is purely white. (Well, maybe that's because she's become a definite lightsider ... ) Just wanted to let you know in case it is a bug and not merely my computer's creativity!

 

And: Happy New Year, even if that's a bit early still!

 

 

Korto Vos