Shadow calculation and lightmaps explained

[ccx]

(NB : I uninstalled Steam TM², and installed again from the file "ManiaplanetTMStadiumSetup.exe".. The game always works, but no-recalculation problem remains)

Below some indications, if that can help some people.

(based on my own configuration (XP) My menus are french, maybe my english translation is not exactly the one you'll have).

1) Enter Editors within ManiPlanet TM game
2) Load a map
=> Game shows folder "My Maps\"
3) Click second icon (Folders)
=> That opens the folder in Windows. For me it's "D:\Documents and Settings\MyAccount\Mes documents\ManiaPlanet\Maps\My Maps"
==> This is where ManiaPlanet searches for the maps to encode, I imagine.

(knowing that, I try a last thing :
cd /d "d:\Documents and Settings\MyAccount\Mes documents\ManiaPlanet\Maps\My Maps\"
"C:\Program Files\ManiaPlanet\maniaplanet" /computeallshadows /collections=Stadium /Lm Quality=High /useronly
-> But that always does not work)

4) Come back in the Editors. Under the main folder (My Maps\) the TM1 maps you loaded here, appear.
5) Select one
6) Click Edit (If there is a password, you won't be able to edit) Else the map is now opened in TM² editor.
7) Just click 2nd icon like a floppy disk to Save the map
8) Message "You have to relaculate shadows before to play.." : Click OK
9) Choose a quality : (very fast is Disabled) / Fast / Default / High
=> A processing gauge moves .. wait until it's complete.
10) Then you can Save the map
11) A summary screen displays infos upon the map. You see original author name is not changed. Nor the validation, that it remains
12) You're back to map editor, you just have to exit. (First icon, like a Left arrow < )
13) Go back in Windows folder
=> Processed map is named "$f0fdrop down.Challenge.Gbx", and has not been replaced. A new file has been created : "drop down.Map.Gbx". However, the color ($f0f = Pink) still displayed in TM². The big difference is the size of the map : it goes from 2Kb to 260Kb ! (An other goes from 2Kb to 161).
14) In map Editors.. in the list of maps, "drop down" now appears twice. (Old + new one).

With those informations, I'll build a "Super Macro"

But before, I gonna try to encode my 1370 maps on my laptop with Win8.. maybe that wil work.

If somebody know where the problem is ... or at less how to go through the password problem ?

Thx,

ccx

[ccx]

I've tried with Win8 where I installed ManiaPlanet TM²... same thing
On both PC where I tried is also installed Trackmania United Forever.. the reason why ??

So I'm making a macro to calculate maps one per one I'm afraid there'll be many protected / password maps

ccx

[TMarc]

TMUF is totally independent of ManiaPlanet, and certainly not the cause of your issues.

Not sure if above you copied the string from the console or if you wrote it here by hand,
but the one switch is /LmQuality=...
Just try again the command line I posted recently above.

And as already mentioned, some maps that have excessive blockmixing can't be processed properly,
and custom blocks also might prevent shadow calculation.
If you did really a clean install and did not add all your own files again, it should work.
There were no reports that shadow calculation was not working with Windows 8 until now (unless no one tried that before).

Could you try the debug version? http://files.maniaplanet.com/debug_vers ... t_logs.zip
At least it will create a logfile and there we could perhaps find something that gives a clue.

[tombuilder]

Just tested this with the command in the cmd console:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\ManiaPlanet\ManiaPlanet.exe" /computeallshadows /useronly /collections=Stadium /LmQuality=High
and it works great, also on password protected maps (I tried to open it in the editor first)
It compiles for me all maps in the folder \Maps (not only \Maps\MyMaps) and the resulting file is still a challenge.gbx (the map is now much bigger ofc), but you only have to rename it to map.gbx and all is fine .

Using win7, no steam!

[ccx]

Not sure if above you copied the string from the console or if you wrote it here by hand,
but the one switch is /LmQuality=...

Could you try the debug version? http://files.maniaplanet.com/debug_vers ... t_logs.zip

Thank you TMarc for your answers ! I spent a huge part of my night to create a macro .. impossible to perform

Yes, I past / copied your string "x:\myManiaPlanetFolder\\ManiaPlanet.exe" /computeallshadows /useronly /collections=Stadium /LmQuality=High" on a standalone PC Win8 having just TM1 (steamless). But that open ManiaPlanet / TM² just like the parameters were not there ?!

So I now try the debug version .. I will let you know the issue

Cheers

ccx

[TMarc]

One general recommendation is to open a cmd window and experiment the call there (with cursor up / down you can see the previous commands, and with quick edit enabled in the cmd window options, you can easily copy and paste).

Because if you use a batch, you have to additionally ensure it gets started from the right place ("execute in...").

So, first try to have the basic commandline correct, and only then try to put it into a batch.
Start the batch from the place where ManiaPlanet.exe is located, and only then try to start it from your desktop in a shortcut.

[ccx]

And Paste using Right click within Cmd I know that
Anyway.. hmmm I think I finally understood my problem : as I said previously, I have a huge quantity of maps to calculate (1370). I tried again to do just one in quality=Fast.. And again the ManiaPlanet window opens... and just stay blue, nothing happens. Task Manager says ManiaPlanet take few CPU (2 or 3% only).. but I wait some minutes before to close it.

Yeeaaaah : finally, the title moves (something like "Calculate shadows.. 1/1341") (I understand that it just don't look in "\Maps\My Maps" where there is one map only, but in the whole folder "\Maps".

So, sorry, I think I made you victims of my impatience But maybe that can help some people as stupid as me
I hope you'll enjoy my server (when released )with old classic maps (some are unknown, with Dedi possible, despite they are of great mappers )

Thank you again for your support, TMarc and others

[EDIT] I don't want a Fast encodage. So I broke the process and launch it again with Ultra... Nothing happened during 10 minute ! (09:55). So just have to be (really) patient before to say the does not work .
[EDIT2] Wow, 36 minutes to perform first map. I think this time includes the scan (+ pre compilation ?) of all maps of the folder. The name remains the same... will have to make a little script to rename !
That means people who want to keep maps for TM1 HAVE to work on a copy ! (Not sure new maps are compatible with TM1)
[EDIT3] Ultra would ask years on my laptop, it's very recent but I can't wait so long ! (2nd map at 36 min was at less than 20 % ). So I try High quality. I closed WiFi connection to disable Avast...
Result : Internet connection is necessary to perform calculation. (Maybe just for initial connection to master server).
I'll post again when 100 maps will be ready
=> 24h = 188 maps. Will take little more than 7 days for do all my list...

ccx

[Wabbitface]

Can't explain why this is a really complicated thing do to, but anyway here is my request:

I have Windows 8, 'Steam version' of Maniaplanet and I have a lot of maps in my folder but only wish to compute shadows from a specific folder.

Lets say in this specific folder, C:\Users\MyUser\Documents\ManiaPlanet\Maps\Downloaded\ESL Map pool


Is this possible with steam version of the game and without having to move all my maps in my folder?


Thanks!

p.s. I haven't read this whole topic posts as there is a lot to read so I'm sorry if I missed anything important.

[ccx]

Hello W.F. !

I were in same situation than you (Win 8 + Steam), so I'm afraid it's not possible. You have to move the only maps you wanna compute in the good folder, and others in a folder not seen by the "ManiaPlanet shadows calculator".

After that.. you just have to wait quietly

Cheers,

ccx.

[Zooz]

Does this still work in ManiaPlanet 3? For me, nothing happens after it finds the collection. It still uses 100%CPU of a core but only when it's selected (to display the menu I guess).
Command:
A:\Games\ManiaPlanet\ManiaPlanet.exe /computeallshadows /useronly /collections=Stadium /LmQuality=Default
(same with other quality settings or without /useronly)

Clearly it does understand some part of the command, because it complains if my settings are too low for the selected quality.