NWN 1 Improved Graphics?

[Legacy_Rolo Kipp]

               <just an idle...>

Now that I understand how the texturepacks override...  is there anyway to hook into that mechanic (like the custom tlk files) with a custom texturepack that would allow image content to be improved *optionally* on the player-side? Anyone experimented in that direction?

<...thought>
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_WebShaman]

               ^ I really like your idea, Kipp!
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Shadooow]

               

Rolo Kipp wrote...

<just an idle...>

Now that I understand how the texturepacks override...  is there anyway to hook into that mechanic (like the custom tlk files) with a custom texturepack that would allow image content to be improved *optionally* on the player-side? Anyone experimented in that direction?

<...thought>

I did, my unofficial patch includes modified xp2_gui.erf where I added tintable heads from DeathFace. Those are PLT files and they didnt worked even in bif.

I guess my unofficial patch could also include better textures in optional installation, however I have no idea where to get them. Graphical improvements are Project Q domain.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Rolo Kipp]

               <nods at...>

Not exactly what I was getting at. The idea isn't particularly clear in my head, so please bear with me.

I'm talking about something more along the lines of what Webshaman & _six are saying, a player-side mechanic that will allow customizing the graphics in an Ad Hoc way, independent of mod or hak.

A lot depends on how the texturepacks are loaded.
Are *all* erfs in the texturepack folder examined and the "a", "b" or "c" versions loaded based on video settings?
Or are those *specific* named erfs the *only* files ever loaded?
What if an xp3_tex_tpa.erf was dropped in the folder with upgrades to all kinds of textures, including some tricky .txi upgrades?
What if a voodooshader_tpa.erf was dropped in with bumpmap upgrades?

Failing to learn any good news here, what about a run-time utility that pulls all upgraded textures from a Project Q type folder and generates replacement xp2_tex_tpa.erfs, allowing the individual player to just drag and drop graphic improvements as they find them, without screwing up anyone else's experience?

The idea fits into my recurring theme of divorcing resource content from story and from mods.  If I come up with some great enhancement to sparkly gems, and I don't want every mod-maker out there add my hak to their mod, why can't I have a mechanism where players could drop my Gem texturepack in a folder and get instant gratification ala the Override folder?

Another viewpoint: I really like TAD's GUI overhaul, but I keep my Override folder empty because I ran into some strange side-effects when creating stuff that cleared up with an empty Override. If he could package it up in an erf and drop it in the texturepacks folder, it would be a lot easier to manage and still keep my Override clean.

Just some more grist for the mill, here.

Odds are I'm just jumping at...

<...shadows>
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Zwerkules]

               As far as I recall you can make kind of a patch from several haks if you add their file names to the patch.ini file. Instead of listing the one with the highest priority first, list them in reverse order because that is the order in which they'll get loaded.
I don't remember in which folder the hak files have to be placed, because I haven't used this method yet. But I plan to in the future. I want to clean up my override folder and still have all the creatures override the default ones.

Pstemarie can certainly tell us more about this.

Another problem this method might solve is that you can use plts and dds files in the haks which do nothing if you place them in the override folder.

I was planning to add my Mines override tileset to such a patch and when it has roofs and windows also the interior override tileset.

I haven't tested this yet, but I think it might be possible to have several patch.ini files like patch_a.ini, patch_b.ini and patch_c.ini with different content and rename the one you want to use to patch.ini.

Again Pstemarie probably knows a lot more about this.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Dekinais]

               Recently, I reinstalled the operating system and obviously NWN. I wanted to try to improve the graphics of NWN, I installed NWshader+NWNCQ. It looks better, but there it's a problem: the in-game character creator no longer works. In other words, no longer appears on the right the image of my character. I can not choose the head, tattoos, hair color, etc, because I can not see them. The other functions are normal, I can choose the race, class, etc.
I do not want to use external character editors. Therefore I deleted NWNCQ and the problem persists. NWshader could be the cause, but I had no patience and wiped NWN entirely.
Now I reinstall NWN. It is better to install the 1.70 patch? Is it a good combination: NWNCX+NWNCQ?
Any advice is appreciated.
One caveat: I do not want to use Project Q or anything else using haks. I want something that will have a global effect, regardless of the installed modules. Therefore I prefer the override option.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_CaveGnome]

               @Dekinais:

Perhaps the "Neverwinter Nights facelift haks" made by Zwerkules could do...

neverwintervault.org/project/nwn1/hakpak/neverwinter-nights-facelift-haks
               
               

               

                     Modifié par CaveGnome, 07 janvier 2014 - 02:50 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Shadooow]

               

Dekinais wrote...

  Now I reinstall NWN. It is better to install the 1.70 patch? Is it a good combination: NWNCX+NWNCQ?
Any advice is appreciated.

All three projects are compatible with each other (because each of them is doing something different), my patch also support NWNCX with a custom plugin for it.

RE patch: if you are going to use it take definitely the latest beta version.
RE NWNCQ: lately a Zwerk's facelift appeared which could replace NWNCQ. But that doesnt mean the NWNCQ is bad, I suggest to try both, you can even combine them (aka use NWCQ version of mines and Zwerk's forest] but its a but difficult because a NWNCQ is as a one pack (though I think henesua has there a version where you can select wich tileset you wants).
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_henesua]

               Honestly NWNCQ is a mixed bag aesthetically. By all means take it and put it in your override folder, but you should know that there are much better options available now.

My recommendation is to take all of the overriding content that you like and stick it in one or two HAKs. Then use the Patch HAK method to preload these HAKs. The content of Patch HAKs shows up globally and so it is best to only use overriding content in these HAKs. (Some reading on Patch HAKs.)

Zwerkule's Facelift Project
- Zwerkule's facelift is very very good, and a good place to start in using the Patch HAK method.

But I do not recommend using a ton of different HAKs via Patch HAK method. I'd just do one or two that you compile yourself and update as you see fit.

I stuck a ton of cool stuff in one for myself which all of what Zwerkules had done, some of my own work, some of Six's work, some work by Amethyst Dragon and so on. Amethyst Dragon put out the Reforged Weapons series which is worth putting in a HAK, but you'll also want to convert all the icons from TGA to DDS. Its a bit of work but worth it. Alternatively you could just dump all of his stuff in your override, but I prefer Patch HAK as its cleaner to manage, and easier to switch on and off if you wish.

With regards to NWShader, as far as I know it isn't supported anymore. Peachy Keen was working on a follow up project, but I never got my hands on that. Don't know what came of it. And because of that NWShader can be a challenge to get working.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par henesua, 07 janvier 2014 - 06:17 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Squatting Monk]

               The character creator not showing up is the fault of NWShader. I got that problem when I tried to use it. It's been a while since I tried using it, but I think the character creator was just shunted off to the side so far that it wasn't usable, not missing entirely. Not everyone seems to have that issue, though, so I'm not sure what causes it.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Master Jax]

               Oh no no no! The shader matter is not a "can" but a "will" when it comes to being a challenge. Hell, it never worked out at all for me despite following lots of different instructions by fellow gamers. As for the main topic, there is NO easy solution to making the game look better. Most facelifts and reskins are incompatible with each other, both in terms of installation/implementation, and aesthetically. The only way to go is model by model, texture by texture. It takes years to do so. Besides, everyone has a different taste.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_MrKWMonk]

               Don't use the latest version of NWShader, use the version before - sorry I can't check the details, I'm not at home. I found it easy to setup and use (I've always used nvidia cards plus have messed around with quite a few 3rd party shader apps though). Turning it on and off requires a simple file rename in the NWN program folder. That being said I'm not using it for much these days, I used to run with bloom and depth of field but mainly use it for increased view distance now.

Re making NWN look better with replacers/overrides I use a mix of NWNCQ, some of the face lift HAKs, the reforged weapons and a few others.  I'd suggest starting with just NWNCQ, use it for a while and then mix and match as you find things you like or want to change.  My override folder and morphed a lot over the years.

As a suggestion, managing the override folder can indeed be a pain. Using something like JSGME (Jonesoft Generic Mod Enabler) can make things a lot easier should you be concerned about adding, removing stuff or checking for conflicting files.


Good luck:)

ps - what's up with edit function dropping edits made to the text, annoying.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par MrKWMonk, 09 janvier 2014 - 02:49 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Wall3T]

               I use NWNCQ quite often. its the only system that was made so readily available to everyone and gave me what i always wanted: roofs '>

As for overrides go these days, i find because of nwncq and nwshader i dont ever use them anymore, i recommend MrKWMonk advice. youd almost wont need extra overrides because of those two. unless your looking for different Bioware creature overrides
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_T0r0]

               JSGME (Jonesoft Generic Mod Enabler )

You use this like an override switcher then ?
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Gruftlord]

               i also switched to a patch hak setup recently. full Project facelift in one hak, vast selection of creature override in another. a third for weapon and shield overrides and one for minor things like skyboxes, icons, ground objects and the like.

i stopped using nwncq, because the artistic style seemed too inconsistent, and the textures prone to tiling and/or introducing unrest (hard to explain, but try a catacomb with and without nwncq and you will see what i mean.), especially once i saw the difference compared to Project FL.
nwshader i stopped using when i got a screen with a good contrast level. it's post-processing mostly anyway, so everything was vibrant enough with my new screen. don't like DoF personally, and the bloomshader was just meh.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Gruftlord, 10 janvier 2014 - 03:11 .