Virtual Textures (url gone, I know about the sticky :))

[srr]

Hi, im new to Celestia, and I have some questions. I figured out for myself how to use new texture files, how to use bump maps, normal maps, and alter the data files and everything, but I dont know how to get VTs working. Like, for example, if I downloaded a multiple level earth vt, then my clouds and nightlights dont work with it. I checked the VT sticky, but the dummies guide was a bad link. Thanks for your help, Celestia is pretty great

[selden]

It would help if you specified exactly what URL is failing for you.

As best I can tell, the VT documentation on the Motherlode site is still available. See
http://celestiamotherlode.net/catalog/d ... ation.html

[cartrite]

I find that my VT cloud maps must be in one of the celestia/textures folders, ie hires, medres, lores, and NOT the textures folder from the earth addon.
I put both the the VT cloudmap directory and the ctx file in the celestia/textures/hires folder. I'm not sure but the nightlights may work the same.

cartrite

[srr]

I tried the mars VT with the dummies guide, but I cant get my normal map to work with it. I removed the ssc file that made marshires an alternate texture, than I pointed the texture line in solarsys.ssc to the ctx file. I tried putting my normalmap in different folders, but it doesnt seem to work. Can you even use a normalmap under a VT?

"Mars" "Sol"
{
Texture "MarsHires.ctx"
NormalMap "normalmars.*"

BTW the bad link I mentioned was in the VT for dummies sticky, URL http://www.bobhegwood.com/

[selden]

You'll have to specify exactly what you're doing.
There are too many possible failure modes for us to try to guess what you've done wrong.

What files are you putting where? Be specific.
What are the contents of your .SSC catalog files?

[srr]

sorry, I edited the other post

[selden]

Celestia searches for a VT .CTX file just as it would a non-virtual .JPG or .PNG texture file when it's speciified in an SSC file.

It's best not to edit Celestia's own SSC catalogs. It's too easy to damage them so that Celestia doesn't work.

Instead create an Addon containing SSC catalogs and your new textures, defining them as AltSurfaces.

Code: Select all

AltSurface "MyVTs" "Sol/Earth" {
Texture "hires-surface.*"
NormalMap "hires-normal.*"
}


Put the .CTX files in the Addon's folder /textures/hires/
and put the associated image files in the folders within /hires/ that are specified in the .CTX file.

Clouds are not surface textures, so they have to be handled separately.

[srr]

I put the solarsys back to the way it was:

"Mars" "Sol"
{
Texture "mars.*"
NormalMap "normalmars.*"

and made a ssc in the extras folder called MarsHires that says

AltSurface "MarsHires" "Sol/Mars"

{
Texture "MarsHires.ctx"
NormalMap "normalmars.*"
}

the normal map is in /textures/medres and the ctx file for Marshires is in /textures/hires/. The alternate surface works fine, I can switch to the VT mars in right click, but I only get the normal map if I am using the original dds texture.

[selden]

Celestia's original solarsys.ssc specifies a BumpMap for Mars, not a NormalMap.

Once you've defined the AltSurfaces you also can use r and R to step between lores,medres and hires versions of those maps.

[srr]

I'm sorry, I'm not quite sure what you mean. I guess my question is: can I use a normal map in conjunction with a vt surface map? If so, how? Thanks for your help, and I did get the vt earth clouds working.

[selden]

The answer to your question is "Yes".
NormalMaps should work just fine.

Check Celestia's "console log" to see if it is reporting problems finding your NormalMaps.
Type a ` (backslanted apostrophe) to turn the console log on and off.

[srr]

Thanks, I was able to get everything working fine.