Semaphore objects disappear

[GRLap]

I'm having an issue with a track - it's new, i.e. I only just noticed it and I'm certain it wasn't always an issue - where the AC SEMAPHORE objects disappear as the car gets close. So, e.g., as you can see in the images below, the start gantry lights are on and visible when the car is far away, but the lights disappear as the car gets closer. Those objects are behaving like a reverse-LOD, visible when far away but not rendering when close. This is my track and I know that I did not set any LOD IN OUT for these objects.

Any ideas?

 

[Rob Pawn]

I had/have similar problems with couple of objects. One fix was the scale apply for a object nearby. Somehow a object caused the disappearing from another object. But i still have a problem in a specific area where several things (roadpainting, surrounding cars) disappear when I look from a specific angle or come close. I applied scale on every object nearby but could not fix it yet.

Would be interessting to know: if you circle around your light object will it appear disappear from a specific view angle ?

 

[GRLap]

I had/have similar problems with couple of objects. One fix was the scale apply for a object nearby. Somehow a object caused the disappearing from another object. But i still have a problem in a specific area where several things (roadpainting, surrounding cars) disappear when I look from a specific angle or come close. I applied scale on every object nearby but could not fix it yet.

Would be interessting to know: if you circle around your light object will it appear disappear from a specific view angle ?

Everything is scaled to 1.0
What I do notice, in Blender, is that rotation of the AC SEMAPHORE objects are not set to [X,Y,Z] = [90,0,0], which is my normal course. I don't recall if I did that on purpose, if it matters, etc.

 

[Rob Pawn]

i forgot to mention that i always use apply scale & ROTATION. but like i said, it only solved once the issue and i guess that will not fix your problem. My normals seem to be ok. Its weird. So iam realy inquisitive...

Could you solve it by setting 90° on X axis?

 

[GRLap]

i forgot to mention that i always use apply scale & ROTATION. but like i said, it only solved once the issue and i guess that will not fix your problem. My normals seem to be ok. Its weird. So iam realy inquisitive...

Could you solve it by setting 90° on X axis?

I reset all locations to [0,0,0] and rotation to [90,0,0].
Does not solve the problem; the start lights disappear. I don't understand.
Where are all the experts here?

 

[Johnr777]

Did you try naming the object something else, not part of the semaphore system, to test and see if its a mesh problem?

 

[GRLap]

Did you try naming the object something else, not part of the semaphore system, to test and see if its a mesh problem?

Thanks John - I just tried your suggestion; after changing object names the issue goes away. So, the problem is with the semaphore system.
My semaphore.ini file:

[GROUPS]
DISQUALIFIED=0
READY=4
START=1

[COLOR]
INTENSITY=10.0

[OBJECT_0]
TYPE=1
NAME=AC_SEMAPHORE_RED_1
ORDER=0

[OBJECT_1]
TYPE=1
NAME=AC_SEMAPHORE_RED_2
ORDER=1

[OBJECT_2]
TYPE=1
NAME=AC_SEMAPHORE_RED_3
ORDER=2

[OBJECT_3]
TYPE=1
NAME=AC_SEMAPHORE_RED_4
ORDER=3

[OBJECT_4]
TYPE=2
NAME=AC_SEMAPHORE_GREEN_1
ORDER=0

[OBJECT_5]
TYPE=1
NAME=AC_SEMAPHORE_RED_5
ORDER=0

[OBJECT_6]
TYPE=2
NAME=AC_SEMAPHORE_GREEN_2
ORDER=0

INTENSITY=15.5

What's odd is it's only this track, i.e. it's not my installation of AC.

 

[Johnr777]

You have START=1 ... but 2 AC_SEMAPHORE_GREEN objects?
Should match... try START = 2

 

[GRLap]

You have START=1 ... but 2 AC_SEMAPHORE_GREEN objects?
Should match... try START = 2

The green start lights on the start gantry are a single object, "GREEN_1"
There are four red lights on the start gantry, each a unique object, "RED_1, RED_2,...,RED_4"
The pit exit has a red light, "RED_5," and a green light, "GREEN_2"

Perhaps you could help me understand the approach to coding these? I just pieced this semaphore.ini together by examining files from other tracks w/o knowing what anything means!

Under [GROUPS], what do "READY" and "START" refer to? For example, your recommendation of START=2 seems in reference to the number of GREEN objects (2), which seems non-obvious

Under [OBJECT_], what does "TYPE" refer to?

I understand "ORDER" for "RED_1, RED_2,...,RED_4," but I don't understand ORDER as it refers to the two GREEN lights (i.e. both are ORDER=0).

Any education on how this semaphore code works is much appreciated!

 

[Johnr777]

I don’t use the semaphore system, so I wouldn’t be the one to write up an explanation.

but to my limited understanding, whatever is under GROUPS refers to the existing number of objects present for the system.

so Ready (red) should be 5 as per your count
And Start (green) should be 2

 

[GRLap]

Thanks. I changed code to Start=2.
but the problem persists. Both the start gantry and pit exit lights disappear/stop-rendering when the car gets within a specific distance of the semaphore object.
Really strange.

 

[Johnr777]

Thanks. I changed code to Start=2.
but the problem persists. Both the start gantry and pit exit lights disappear/stop-rendering when the car gets within a specific distance of the semaphore object.
Really strange.

and ready = 5?

 

[GRLap]

and ready = 5?

Yes, start=2, ready=5
Far away they render, closer in they don’t.
And it’s definitely a function of distance because start gantry and pit exit render on/off at different times as car moves down track. Distance that triggers is the same. That’s why I say it acts like an inverse LOD

 

[GRLap]

John,
If you have an alternative approach to operating start lights and pit exit lights I’d be happy to implement it

 

[Johnr777]

John,
If you have an alternative approach to operating start lights and pit exit lights I’d be happy to implement it

Thats the easiest and correct approach really, anything else you'd need to do some LUA programming.

You checked the mesh? no accidental values added to LOD IN and OUT in kseditor?

 

[GRLap]

Thats the easiest and correct approach really, anything else you'd need to do some LUA programming.

You checked the mesh? no accidental values added to LOD IN and OUT in kseditor?

Yes, when I change name of meshes then there’s no issue with rendering

In KsEditor LOD IN and OUT =0

it’s so strange, only this track, my track, no issues on other tracks

 

[GRLap]

Thats the easiest and correct approach really, anything else you'd need to do some LUA programming.

You checked the mesh? no accidental values added to LOD IN and OUT in kseditor?

So, this issue is only happening with CSP 1.80-preview.
The problem goes away when I drop to 1.79
Thanks for making the effort to help, and sorry I didn't pick up on this (obvious) potential issue earlier.

 

[fughettaboutit]

So, this issue is only happening with CSP 1.80-preview.
The problem goes away when I drop to 1.79
Thanks for making the effort to help, and sorry I didn't pick up on this (obvious) potential issue earlier.

uff if its with newest CSP only, then just ignore it, sorry, i would have said to try with vanilla AC, but too late