[MOD] l3lessed Enchanted Compass

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l3lessed
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Re: [MOD] l3lessed Enchanted Compass

Post by l3lessed »

I promise I will drop the new version with all the fixes, optimizations, and added features by the end of this week. Let me cover the new repair and cleaning system before dropping it through. I hope this is my last pass on this mod; I want it to be pretty built, like it is, but I'm ready to move back to my other mods. This thing, as usual, turned into a much larger beast than I anticipated when I started.

NEW ITEMS
  • Magic Compass: The magic compass that, when equipped, will reveal your surroundings to you. Can be bought where any magic items are sold.
  • Repair kit: a standard small repair kit with all needed tools to repair your compass in the field. Use it anywhere, and if you have the spare parts, repair you compass on the fly.
  • Cut glass: This is precut glass used for general clocks and other house hold items. It can also be used to repair your compass if the glass breaks.
  • Mini-Dwemer Dynamo: This is a small version of the much studied Dwemer Dynamo. Used to power their much smaller contraptions, creations, and technologies. This is used to repair and power the compass enchantment.
NEW COMPASS ITEM & MECHANICS
Your compass now registers itself as an individual daggerfall item, like all other items. It's condition state is influenced by taking damage and can be reduced by wearing heavier armor and under clothing. As the condition goes down, the glass will break more and more and more magical distortions will appear in your view.

NEW CLEANING MECHANICS
When you are traveling about and using your compass, it will get covered in grime, dirt, dust, blood, and frost. To clean the compass up, merely put it away when it is dirty. At this point, you will begin cleaning it. For every dirty thing on the compass, it takes one second to remove it. The more you let your compass get dirty, the longer it will take to clean it.

NEW REPAIR MECHANICS
When you are traveling about and using your compass, it will get damaged in some way, usually through fights or falling down cliffs. To repair it, you either can take it to an item repair merchant and pay for it to be repaired. Or, you can get a repair kit, cut glass, and Mini-Dwemer Dynamo and repair it yourself. Merely buy the parts needed and ensure you have a repair kit, and then use the repair kit. At this point, if you compass is dirty, you will first clean it. After you clean it, you will begin repairing it.
Last edited by l3lessed on Wed Nov 10, 2021 9:05 pm, edited 2 times in total.
My Daggerfall Mod Github: l3lessed DFU Mod Github

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King of Worms
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Re: [MOD] l3lessed Enchanted Compass

Post by King of Worms »

:shock: Thats really complex, cant wait to test it out. If I can suggest, drop me a preview and I will finetune the textures if needed (just appearance, no changes in size etc) and maybe give some feedback. Id like to see the new items as well, and possibly create a HD version to go with the DREAM (as a patch) - but I dont want to stall your release.

l3lessed
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Re: [MOD] l3lessed Enchanted Compass

Post by l3lessed »

I just pushed the raw assets to the github. It hasn't been compiled, but you can copy the raw assets directly into your DFU 13.0\Assets\Game\Mods\Minimap folder.

If you do this, it will run as if it is a compiled mod.

Even if you don't run it, you can still view the new artwork I'm using for the magic effects and the broken glass effect.

I plan to drop it even without your passes. It is still playable and looking good. However, it will look stellar with your work.
My Daggerfall Mod Github: l3lessed DFU Mod Github

My Beth Mods: l3lessed Nexus Page

Daggerfall Unity mods: Combat Overhaul Mod

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King of Worms
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Re: [MOD] l3lessed Enchanted Compass

Post by King of Worms »

Ok but where to get the item ingame fast to test it fast?
Iv tried Daggerfall shops and failed
Than I tried to join mages guild but all my characters are warriors so I cant
Than I created a new char mage, run from 1st dung to daggerfall, found guild, joined but I need to level up the ranks to be able to buy anything and thats where I scratched it :lol:

Just want to test the item.....

Looked at the raw files and saw the main body GoldCompassGreen(red)Gem has again the reduced color count to 256 indexed color, resulting in a strange look. Is that intentional?
Untitled-1.jpg
Untitled-1.jpg (86.41 KiB) Viewed 833 times

Anyway, I think I will make my own textures when the mod is ready. Still I wanted to help, but this got me confused..

l3lessed
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Re: [MOD] l3lessed Enchanted Compass

Post by l3lessed »

The reduced color no. However, I did change the size of the image. I increase it to 1024 by 1024 I think so it matched the effect sizes; I changed all textures to a 1024 size, accept one effect I knew I could downsize to 512 without distortion issues when using it. When I saved it, the compass I must of accidently down reduced the colors again. Sorry.

As for testing, your issue may have to do with missing a few textures I added to the streaming texture folder for the magic effect and new broken glass effects. It's fine though. I'm going to release a compiled version by the end of today. I'm not 100% sure if I caught all the bugs, but I can't replicate a crash as of yet in the newest build I have done. So, time to let you guys break it.
My Daggerfall Mod Github: l3lessed DFU Mod Github

My Beth Mods: l3lessed Nexus Page

Daggerfall Unity mods: Combat Overhaul Mod

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King of Worms
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Re: [MOD] l3lessed Enchanted Compass

Post by King of Worms »

Hi, ok so the colors got smashed by that step. Not sure what editor you use.

Anyway, I checked and the new resolution you are using is 1044 x 1344 - are you sure its the one you wanted? Looks like a typo to me. Original was 716 x 924
If I wanted to upscale it to your dimension - so 1044 - and keep the aspect ratio, the other dimension is 1347 (not your 1344)

I guess you changed the aspect ratio by 3px. That might mean its not round anymore.
Maybe the 3 pixel difference is not something too distracting

Either way, here are the images in the resolution you use, so 1044 x 1344 without the reduced colors. It would make sense to use these Id say.
GoldCompassRedGem.png
GoldCompassRedGem.png (495.19 KiB) Viewed 789 times
GoldCompassGreenGem.png
GoldCompassGreenGem.png (495.33 KiB) Viewed 789 times

l3lessed
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Re: [MOD] l3lessed Enchanted Compass

Post by l3lessed »

Thanks. What software are you using? Be nice if I could resize on the fly without screwing the color array up. Right now, I am using paint.net. I can technically set the color array manually so it doesn't downgrade to 256. I don't know if paint.net down sizes or up scales with good results versus gimp or other programs.

As for the mod, I was about ready to push it, when I did another playtest and noticed the game super sluggish. I opened up the stats and noticed I had lost almost 150fps with my compass equipped and mod/ui running. Yeah, that was not going to work, so didn't push it.

After digging into the profiler, refactoring all the code again to remove wasteful loops, wasteful calls, and unneeded objects/properties wasting script and memory overhead, and creating individual script to control each effect type, I was able to get a massive boost.

Now, the mod costs only about 10 to 15fps for base to most effects, which is a result of my choice to use 1024 textures to render each effect layer.

As a result of this choice though, the rain effect really eats the fps up, costing right now about 60fps. This is a result of how large each rain texture is, which is a result of how I setup the effect originally. At some point, each rain drop needs downscaled considerably to fit only the one drop effect, and the code created to randomly place the individual drops. This would stop the engine from rendering 60 individual 1024 by 1024 texture layers, and probably free up tons of fps.

In honest, the base mod could use some optimizing when it comes to scaling the ui and possibly downscaling the textures to 756X756. I know 512X512 I don't want as pixilation becomes noticeable when the compass is full screen. Anyways, going to do some more testing tomorrow, another pass on code, and then I'll push. But be warned, if you want rain effects enabled, ensure you have the spare fps to render the layers. Hopefully I can address this issue soon.
My Daggerfall Mod Github: l3lessed DFU Mod Github

My Beth Mods: l3lessed Nexus Page

Daggerfall Unity mods: Combat Overhaul Mod

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King of Worms
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Re: [MOD] l3lessed Enchanted Compass

Post by King of Worms »

Paint.net is ok SW, I use it as well, mostly I use photoshop tho. But the color issues were not caused by the paint.net but your settings most likely.

If there is a need for resizing textures, just send em to me I will do it.

Nice to hear you was able to improve the performance.

Listen - if u want, send me a preview build with a save which HAS the device, so I dont have to run around daggerfall looking for one. I will than try to look at the textures. I will test the rain textures in 512*512 - maybe it helps and the visuals will not suffer much. I dont think the drops need to be 1024*1024 if they cause the performance issues.

And I think scaling to 512*512 of the whole set will look different when you actually used true color and not indexed 256

Also, you did not reply on that 1044 resolution issue ;)

I just need to see it running on my pc, otherwise its shooting in the dark..

l3lessed
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Re: [MOD] l3lessed Enchanted Compass

Post by l3lessed »

Well, I rebuilt the rain system, so now it is super efficient. Costs only about 8 to 10 extra fps to render it with the default settings.

I downscaled the droplets to a 96 X 96 canvas from their native 1024 by 1024 canvas size and then setup code to randomly change the scale and position of each droplet when it is created. This reduces the render and memory overhead substantially for the rain effect without any hit to the current quality of the effect. I have it working with the first 10 drops I moved to a 96X96 canvas; once I add the other 50, the effect will really look stellar.

At some point, I will do this for the other effects too to help reduce their memory overhead cost. They can be reduced down canvas size wise to remove all the unused transparency space. It will help free up more memory and another fps or two.

I also added mod settings to enable and disable all effects, change most their effect values, and also I added an option for controlling the number for rain droplets can be rendered at once. This allows customizing the affect for your systems performance demands. More drops cost more and more fps. I default it to 30 drops for now.

This allows users to configure the system to whatever their system and play style is.

I also added in a little more detail to the frost system. Time of year, Time of day, and Climate have more settings that add more variations between where and how long it takes for the frost to start forming. Pretty much real life expectations. As an example, deserts have frost during night during winters, but not summers. However, if it is snowing frost will always start to appear and fast. The lower the elevation of the climate type and the closer to the summer season and the closer to mid-day, the less likely frost can form and, if it can, the slower it will form. Aka, colder times of days, weathers, climates, and regions will cause fast frost.

Every pass is paying off though, as I keep finding noticeable fps gains in refactoring code and UI systems. But, I think it is efficient enough now for release as the base compass is only about 7fps adding all other effects only adds another 2 or 3 fps, and then the heaviest effect, rain, cost about 15fps.
My Daggerfall Mod Github: l3lessed DFU Mod Github

My Beth Mods: l3lessed Nexus Page

Daggerfall Unity mods: Combat Overhaul Mod

Enjoy the free work I'm doing? Consider lending your support.

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King of Worms
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Re: [MOD] l3lessed Enchanted Compass

Post by King of Worms »

Great job on that!!

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