Celestia Forums

In my continuos search to obtain the smoothest movements when approaching planets surfaces, I use the preloadtex command in cel scripts, for all the images and big textures, and it works very well, but I have some problem with VT files.
I read in cel instructions that this command can be used with jpg, png and dds textures, so no problem to use it.
I used Jens Meyer's VT-tile-calculator.xls to obtain the file names at the various levels, containing the surface target whose approach was not as "fluid" as I like.
So I put the preloadtex lines in my cel script, regarding the surface maps, and was trying to do the same with normalmaps (the absolutely wonderful 64k set, obtained with Fridger's nmtools!), nightmaps and specmaps.
But the files have all the same name, even if with dds and png axtensions, whatever be the content.
So my first question: can them be renamed without adding problems?
E.g, instead of the same tx_1_0.png name for all four differnt textures, can I change it in A_tx_1_0 B_tx_1_0 C_tx_1_0 D_tx_1_0?
Second question: I probably missed in the Forum the explanation, if any, regarding the various steps of distance from the planet, at which the level changes.
Is there a fixed rule or not? If yes, as I suppose, what is it?
This because for every level from 0 to 5 I have preloaded only the central texture containing the object of interest, but I suppose that I should do the same for all the 8 tiles surrounding the one with the target, correct?
Thank you for your very appreciated help.
Bye

Andrea

I have the doubt that or my question is a very silly one, or that I had to put it in the "scripting" forum instead of here.
But if the option 1 is OK (silly question), what is my mistake?
Has it been told somewhere that this is absolutely impossible, or that this will spoil Cerlestia speed, or something else?
Please someone solve my doubt, I searched again but found nothing on this subject.
Thanks

Andrea

My understanding is that Chris has been working on the code which controls when VT tiles get loaded, so anything someone tells you now probably will be wrong for the next version of Celestia.

I think that if you need to control texture loading, you'll need to use a single large texture, not a VT.

Sorry.

Thank youn Selden, you've been very clear, as always.
Very appreciated.
Bye

Andrea