Cloud Shadow casting

[antic81 57]

Hi All,

 

I have recently upgraded to P3D from 2.5 to the latest version, I have spent the last week updating all my addons (basically re-downloading them with the V3 installers) and all was going well.

I have added the final big one today - Pilots world Terrain mesh. Seemed to go fine, then I noticed that I didnt seem to have any cloud shadows on the ground, did a bit of research and people seemed to be saying that a possible cure could be deleting the shaders, in users/...so I gave it a go, but before I did I backed up the file, that turned out to be a good call, as although the sim rebuilt the folder, not low clouds were now showing up at all. Just high alt Cirrus. Although there would be rain and according to AS16 a storm.

I reverted to my old shaders and the clouds showed up again, now I have trouble shot this loads, re-installing my Rex 4 about 5 times (latest version...although waiting for them to come back to me about how I go about integrating with soft clouds)

So right now I am in a situation where I can't figure out what to try next, I even ran a Repair on P3D, no joy there either!

Does anyone have any ideas? Is it definitely a shader issue?

I have definitely got casting on and it was working, but somewhere along the line one of my many addons has done something, I will be honest though, if the only option is to reinstall again I think I will give that a miss, I don't feel like having to do it all again!

 

Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

Many thanks!

 

Anthony

[downscc 1,327]

You didn't delete the ShadersHLSL found in P3D root folder did you?  The only shader files you can safely delete are in users\local\...; which I now see you did reference.

 

Try manually setting weather with AS16..., I can't help with the REX product since my preference is ASCA.  Perhaps the cso files for the missing clouds are missing because that cloud formation has not been rendered yet.

 

Start with cloud shadows off and get things working with clouds before playing with shadow settings.  My preference is to keep the cloud casting shadows off because it looks fake, especially over water, and I'm above cloud bases most the time anyway.

[antic81 57]

Hi Dan,

 

Yeah I took her out for a fly yesterday after much frustration and actually thought its OK really, its more the frustration of not understanding how the devil I managed to break it more than anything!

Yeah it was the shaders folder in the users I deleted that made the entire low level clouds disappear...I was thinking of moving in the direction of ASCA...its a tough one - especially at the moment as I am sure something is amiss! Tried shadows off, on, ultra, and everything between! No idea what I did!

The clouds are now working because I replaced the shaders with the one I saved before deleting, but they just don't cast. What I like about the casting effect is the one on the aircraft themselves rather than the ground - but they don't do that either, interestingly though the aircraft shadows are fine as well as sunlight on the flight-deck.

 

Its taken me just over a week to install everything onto V3.3 - I just can't face doing it all again! I can't help but think its just one file that must be missing, if only I knew which one!

 

 

 

Cheers,

 

Anthony 

[downscc 1,327]

Its taken me just over a week to install everything onto V3.3 - I just can't face doing it all again! I can't help but think its just one file that must be missing, if only I knew which one!

 

Don't reinstall anything, which usually creates more problems than it solves.  Again, manually set the weather in AS16 and see if it renders in P3D.  See also the HiFi forum where much help is available.  If it isn't rendering it could be something like the ASConnect module..., you can run that installer to repair it if it is broken but P3D cannot be running at the time.

[antic81 57]

Well I had to go and tinker with it again - now I have completely lost my low level clouds again...this time the shader replacement made no difference.

I have tried running no AS16, and just used the P3D weather to show building storms - still no low level clouds, I have read a few people saying they have had the same issues with Rex and their soft clouds - but they all seem to have resolved their issues. I have posted on their forum though and I'll see if anything comes of it.

 

Cheers for the help!

[Forkboy2 27]

Just a guess, but are you waiting a few minutes for the shader files to regenerate?  When I've tinkered with shaders, it sometimes takes a good minute or two for everything to return to normal once the sim restarts.

[antic81 57]

Yeah mate - not only that but tried AS16 off and standard in siim depiction, still no low level clouds, interestingly turned on simple clouds and even they don't show up - only the cirrus. Not sure what else to try now - waiting for a response from Rex on their forum, I wanted to upgrade to their merged version with soft clouds, I was also tempted by ASCA - but the problem is I am not sure if that will help - it may be a REX issue...or it may be something else! I guess thats the chance we take with so many addons - you never know which ones aren't playing nicely together!

[antic81 57]

So I thought that maybe getting ASCA may help - turns out it didn't - I still have no low level cloud depiction, so what are the options - I have heard that re-downloading the client module may help? Does that seem like a good idea? I guess its that or the dreaded start all over again with a new full install...

[Mikelab6 89]

Yes good idea to uninstall the P3D CLIENT and reinstall it. It will do the trick I think...  Had similar prblem (no cloud shadows) and did it to solve the problem.

 

Mike

[antic81 57]

Hey Mike,

 

Don't ask me how - but I seem to have everything back to normal now! I figure it must have been a REX issue - I went with ASCA and initially it was still all the same - no clouds and then I decided to get rid of the shaders again as a last ditch effort and it worked!The only issue it could have been was Rex related - no idea how though as it was working and then suddenly stopped! 

Good tip on the client - did you have to reload all your addons after that though?

 

Cheers,

 

Anthony

[downscc 1,327]

 

 

Good tip on the client - did you have to reload all your addons after that though?

 

Nope... it was designed with that advantage in mind.  Somewhere on the LM website there is more information, probably in the downloads instructions if I recall correctly.