replacement swirly image shown during character creation and MP login ?

[Legacy_MrZork]

               

There was a replacement or bypass for fog_genm.tga that is shown/animated while a character is being created and during MP login (and possibly elsewhere). It is referred to in this thread, but the given link is dead. Can someone please post a link to a replacement or perhaps describe how to change the image manually or how the game uses it? I found the original image in the data/textures.bif, but I am not sure how to modify it.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Shadooow]

               

just replace this file by a empty/null one

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_The Amethyst Dragon]

               

Here you go: No More Swirl at Character Creation

 

Just something I whipped up a while back for someone else asking about the same thing (except their reason was vertigo, rather than lag).

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_MrZork]

               

Thanks, guys. Both of those approaches are better than the default swirl, IMO. I think I prefer the flat black to the blank white, personally.

 

But, neither really cuts into the GPU load. Even in the empty fog_genm.tga file, one can see the white background transition in intensity. So, I suppose all of the computation behind the animation of fog_genm.tga is something that the client does regardless of whether that image file actually has anything in it. Not especially surprising, on consideration. Is there a setting or client hex that turns that off?

 

BTW, my purpose here isn't really related to the aesthetics of the swirl. I have a slightly older laptop that I sometimes leave on the login screen to PWs, so that I have some idea whether my teammates have logged in. But, that laptop starts to heat up a bit and I would like to minimize that, just to prolong the life of the machine and its components (especially the battery).

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Shadooow]

               

Weird. Ive made this modification for a first time for an user that had extreme graphic lags with it. My empty file (white screen) helped him...

 

(maybe you can find original thread, I believe it was at 2nd gen bioware forums in a first years...)

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Frush O'Suggill]

               

Have your tried just substituting a null model for pnl_fog.mdl? I think that's what Shadooow was getting at... The default one does has an animesh on it, and that might be what's causing your problems.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_MrZork]

               

That's a good idea. Is the null model the same one used for "invisible" things like hidden door triggers?

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Frush O'Suggill]

               

The easiest way to do it would probably be to extract the file "pnl_fog.mdl" from NWN Main Data > data/aurora_gui.bif > Models with NWExplorer as an ascii text file, and delete everything except the dummy node. Then save it with just the .mdl extension.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_MrZork]

               

Thanks. I will give that a shot.