This originates from another thread (M7), and as I felt it became more general and could be interesting to some of you, I've created a separate thread... If it is used as intended, you'll have light texture BOTH in the lensflare texture and a single headlight texture- it would hardly make sense to turn off the lights completely with that option, as you could just don't turn them on the loco. It was meant for the effect. The option is INTENDED for the camera lens flare effect which not everybody likes. In fact, the lensflare contains 4 textures - lightbulb, camera lens flare 1, 2 and 3. This enables you to put optional lens effects on the light source too (like a star), on top of the original light texture. And if the light texture is not provided, the light will appear to be off when toggling HeadLight Flares. It's just that some developers did not keep to that standard and are just using that blueprint (which is the toggle!) So, some pictures of a "textbook" correctly done loco... the UP Turbine (DTG/Reppo) Headlight Flares ON Headlight Flares OFF - the "star" flare texture around the lamp also disappears, and the normal texture is shown. This is how it is done correctly following the developer docs. These are the textures, first with Flares toggled on, second the base light texture behind the lens flare. Theoretically these flares should have absolutely no impact on framerate, being just 4 images - and you do not actually HAVE to use the distant flares, you can setup the blueprint to only render the first flare for example. So to make it clearer: Underneath the toggable lensflare textures must be a separate single light texture, and many locos are modelled correctly in that way. This is all explained in the developer documents. If you don't see any lights when toggling Headlight Flares off - it is the fault of the loco developer relying on the extra texture to provide the ONLY light source texture. For a long time now, DTM for example puts the starry light flare image into the main light texture, so you can't disable them anymore, the only way is to edit the texture file itself. Quite ugly. And they knew how to do it ten years ago... Violation of design guidelines - these ugly flares are often "baked" into the model textures and can't be toggled off. And using these is bad for a second reason, as the angle of the spikes should always be 45 degrees no matter at which angle you're viewing it from (the same way you cannot ever view a rainbow from the side - note that correctly declared flare textures like the lense rings are not being squashed at an angle - DTG delivers all features that's necessary to create correct models and lighting effects - if the developer knows how to use them). And having one loco with and one without is even more strange. This is just a small example of the many things that are wrong with DTM locos, which are very amateurishly done in that respect. And very annoying, because you can't use the loco for screenshots due to that terrible flare.
"So, some pictures of a "textbook" correctly done loco (back when DigitalTrainModel was quite awesome... the UP Turbine!)" I thought that particular GTEL model was done by Dovetail themselves?
You're right, the other GTELs are from DTM - that "textbook" model was of course done by DTG and the great Ricardo "Reppo" Riveira. (Love the rumbling control stand when the turbine is running, and the fact you're not alone in the cab). I should have gotten a bit suspicious when writing the OP... Thanks for pointing that out, adjusted the post.
torfmeister There´s not much to react on. My clarification in previous post in other topic was about Headlight texture option and what is affected by it. You wrote that it affect only Lens Flare, but that´s not true, because it affect Primary Flare, too. That´s all. On contrary, I like those "starry light flare images" - simply because you can see them on almost every light source (maybe except some dimmed ones) when looking at it. But it must be used wisely, as a Primary Flare, where you can adjust its parameters like starting size, final size, intensity, fade start, etc... If correctly set, they will fade pretty soon as you increase the camera distance from loco, thus it won´t make your screenshots "ugly" anymore
You can only see them through a camera lens using Star4, Star6 or other filters, or some spectacles - not your plain eyes, because it is a glass refraction phenomenon. All I'm pointing out is, that if done correctly, we can choose to have flares or not - but not losing the lights altogether, which is a case of bad modelling. This is what I have tried to prove here.
torfmeister You have proved it, no doubt. And I have proved that Headlight Flares are not just Lens flares, but also a Primary flares, according to a headlight blueprint section. We both have right. For me - subject closed
I don't mind Headlight flares if they're done right (subjective what "right" is I know, but torfs DTM example above is very very wrong) but I absolutely do not want the lens flare effect. The two should be a completely separate instance in regard to the .TgPcDx the blueprints and checkmarks in the menu.
Yeah, I also had 749006 in mind when writing this, as he's avoiding any loco using headlight flares - but if it's done correctly the player has the choice to use them, they're not all unusable for you Peter
The thing I find strange with Peters dislike of them is it seems to be based solely on the frame drop, that frame drop for me is roughly 4 fps (on LIRR with a.i. at New York Penn), hardly a game breaker imo.
It is not solely on frame rates but the strange effects I get with the lights of some locos. I think the HRQ Taurus lights are strange when I have Light Flares Enabled. And the light of some locos/units that are coming towards you are distorted.
Ahh, fair enough, I thought I'd only noticed you comment on fps, yes visuals are a major issue if they're not done well.
