Quake 3 Arena Skybox Rendering

didymus7 · Dec 25, 2003, 07:04 PM

I'm in late on this, had an Nvidia GeForce 3 (yeah, the original before all the suffixes!) and recently bought and installed an AIW 9600 Pro. Besides the fact that I got one of the slower boards, I still get a framerate increase in my main game, Quake 3 arena. Which brings me down to the problem: In some levels on Quake 3 Arena, particularly my favorite CTF level, BUBCTF1 (The Vast and Furious), the sky is badly rendered with the Radeon card. Inscribed in the sky is a black frame cube, like there is a gap between all the textures.

I've tried catalyst drivers from versions 3.7 to 3.10 which have no effect on the skybox. I've heard all sorts of reasons why this is happening, but the bottom line is: Is there a fix, or does nobody care about it? I've done extensive searching and can find little about it except the mention that it exists.

I would love it if someone could point me to where I'm going wrong!

Thanks...didymus7

cicotte · Dec 25, 2003, 08:02 PM

ya i know what you mean, i would like to know the same thing?

The_Neon_Cowboy · Dec 25, 2003, 10:27 PM

never seen this issue before on origional ati radeon or 9800 pro ... can u grab some screen shots please

RiP · Jan 5, 2004, 09:49 PM

Its an issue with every ati card. Its how the quake 3 engine renders the skybox. Its something that is not an ati driver or card issue, an engine issue with how the skybox is clamped. Actually ydnar's newest q3map program fixes or has a workaround for this problem. Unfortunately u have to re-compile every quake 3 map for the black lines to go away which is a pain. Try to ignore the lines and wait for a newer engine like doom3

Judas · Jan 5, 2004, 10:02 PM

....i've used many radeon cards... and never experienced this problem...

didymus7 · Jan 5, 2004, 10:59 PM

The skybox problem, as I mentioned in the first message (I hope!) does not show up in all maps. It happens to occur in my favorite CTF level, bubctf1, otherwise know as the Vast and Furious. I happens mainly in user levels, I've never seen it in Id levels. And, it only seems to show up in those levels where you can look down from a platform and see sky below your height.

Now I've picked up that this occurs because of the way the skybox is rendered. Nvidia has a non-standard gl command that avoids the problem unlike ATI who just made the command per spec. I had thought that maybe someone either had a hack or hacked drivers that would correct for this.

Now, if maps could be recompiled from the .bsp, then it would all be fine. Can they? I suspect not. Then you are left to the indulgence of the level creator to recompile the map. In this case the creator, ButterB is not interested.

didymus7

The_Neon_Cowboy · Jan 6, 2004, 06:38 AM

some sceen shots plz...

i've never seen this ueing orgional ati radeon/9600xt/9800pro useing 3.6 to 3.10 never seen the issue you talking about

i'm wanting a scrren shoot for one that it exists and for two so i know what the heak you talking about and what to look for becouse i'm not seeing anything worng.

and are u shure this happns on stock maps too isn't on some custom homemade masp were someone mabe made tha map wrong?

didymus7 · Jan 7, 2004, 12:02 AM

Unfortunately I've found that I can't post attachments, at least in this forum.

However, if you re-read my second message, I had said that I've never seen it in Id levels, only in User levels.

The screenshot puts all kinds of horizontal lines in the images, in Quake III, however, I'll stick an image on my website and mention the URL here.

didymus7

didymus7 · Jan 7, 2004, 12:19 AM

Okay, I've got a screenshot up of what I'm talking about. Ignore the horizontal lines, seems to be a defect in the Quake screenshot process, not in game. The cube-like vertex you see in the top center of the image is what I'm talking about. Since this is a platform level, you'll see vertexes below play level also, like a huge cube in the sky around you.

http://www.didymus7.com/skybox.htm

This is an isolated page with no links.....

Steve

Dec 25, 2003, 07:04 PM	#1
didymus7 DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 4 Rep Power: 0	Quake 3 Arena Skybox Rendering I'm in late on this, had an Nvidia GeForce 3 (yeah, the original before all the suffixes!) and recently bought and installed an AIW 9600 Pro. Besides the fact that I got one of the slower boards, I still get a framerate increase in my main game, Quake 3 arena. Which brings me down to the problem: In some levels on Quake 3 Arena, particularly my favorite CTF level, BUBCTF1 (The Vast and Furious), the sky is badly rendered with the Radeon card. Inscribed in the sky is a black frame cube, like there is a gap between all the textures. I've tried catalyst drivers from versions 3.7 to 3.10 which have no effect on the skybox. I've heard all sorts of reasons why this is happening, but the bottom line is: Is there a fix, or does nobody care about it? I've done extensive searching and can find little about it except the mention that it exists. I would love it if someone could point me to where I'm going wrong! Thanks...didymus7

Dec 25, 2003, 10:27 PM	#3
The_Neon_Cowboy HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: U.S.A. Posts: 16,009 Rep Power: 90 System Specs	never seen this issue before on origional ati radeon or 9800 pro ... can u grab some screen shots please __________________

Jan 6, 2004, 06:38 AM	#7
The_Neon_Cowboy HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: U.S.A. Posts: 16,009 Rep Power: 90 System Specs	some sceen shots plz... i've never seen this ueing orgional ati radeon/9600xt/9800pro useing 3.6 to 3.10 never seen the issue you talking about i'm wanting a scrren shoot for one that it exists and for two so i know what the heak you talking about and what to look for becouse i'm not seeing anything worng. and are u shure this happns on stock maps too isn't on some custom homemade masp were someone mabe made tha map wrong? __________________

Dec 25, 2003, 08:02 PM	#2
cicotte DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 7 Rep Power: 0	ya i know what you mean, i would like to know the same thing?

Jan 5, 2004, 09:49 PM	#4
RiP DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 1 Rep Power: 0	Its an issue with every ati card. Its how the quake 3 engine renders the skybox. Its something that is not an ati driver or card issue, an engine issue with how the skybox is clamped. Actually ydnar's newest q3map program fixes or has a workaround for this problem. Unfortunately u have to re-compile every quake 3 map for the black lines to go away which is a pain. Try to ignore the lines and wait for a newer engine like doom3

Jan 5, 2004, 10:59 PM	Thread Starter #6
didymus7 DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 4 Rep Power: 0	The skybox problem, as I mentioned in the first message (I hope!) does not show up in all maps. It happens to occur in my favorite CTF level, bubctf1, otherwise know as the Vast and Furious. I happens mainly in user levels, I've never seen it in Id levels. And, it only seems to show up in those levels where you can look down from a platform and see sky below your height. Now I've picked up that this occurs because of the way the skybox is rendered. Nvidia has a non-standard gl command that avoids the problem unlike ATI who just made the command per spec. I had thought that maybe someone either had a hack or hacked drivers that would correct for this. Now, if maps could be recompiled from the .bsp, then it would all be fine. Can they? I suspect not. Then you are left to the indulgence of the level creator to recompile the map. In this case the creator, ButterB is not interested. didymus7

Jan 7, 2004, 12:02 AM	Thread Starter #8
didymus7 DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 4 Rep Power: 0	Unfortunately I've found that I can't post attachments, at least in this forum. However, if you re-read my second message, I had said that I've never seen it in Id levels, only in User levels. The screenshot puts all kinds of horizontal lines in the images, in Quake III, however, I'll stick an image on my website and mention the URL here. didymus7

Jan 7, 2004, 12:19 AM	Thread Starter #9
didymus7 DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 4 Rep Power: 0	Okay, I've got a screenshot up of what I'm talking about. Ignore the horizontal lines, seems to be a defect in the Quake screenshot process, not in game. The cube-like vertex you see in the top center of the image is what I'm talking about. Since this is a platform level, you'll see vertexes below play level also, like a huge cube in the sky around you. http://www.didymus7.com/skybox.htm This is an isolated page with no links..... Steve