Misc AcTools Cars Manager 0.3.63

[Ricky78]

Hello x4fab and thanks for this awesome application!

With the new v0.3.5.5 I have two new (and big) problems and an older one (so ATM I reverted back to v0.3.54):

- it crashes when I try to restore the default settings in the auto preview tab;

- it crashes when I try to update the previews (also in manual mode);

- it crashes when I click on "Update livery -> with custom showroom" with some specific cars and/or skins (this is an older bug present also on v0.3.49 and v0.3.54);

I hope that this errors report will help you!

P.S.: I'm on Windows 7 x64 fully updated.

 

[Paulaob]

Well, this is really makes me sad. So many (very simple to implement!) features which could increase user-experience and modding abilities (for example, I'm not talking about optional third axis, ability to create stuff like your own electronic differential or custom suspension using some Lua scripts or some scripting to dashboard — no, just, for example, proper animated analog clock, rear lights, smooth transition for enabling lights, special light for damaged engine, special light for not enough fuel, stuff like this, I'm sure very easy to implement). But no-o-o, let's make console version instead.
100% agree.

No, with pictureMode argument showroom finally uses values from showroom_start.ini, CUSTOM_CAMERA_POSITION, LOOK_AT and stuff. So Kunos just set this parameters once and now starting showroom with this argument.
OK.

No, sorry, showroom.exe doesn't have any python stuff at all.
OK.

Yeah, it's a problem (in pictureMode showroom doesn't look at any pressed keys and my app just starts it again and again for new and new skins). And I'm still not sure how to solve it best. I see two big options now:
1. Set a 500ms timeout between shots, user will be able to cancel whole process. But whole process will be even slower.
2. Set a global keyboard hook on ESC (or another) key. Easier to implement (because of all this stupid JS→C# stuff), but I'm afraid some antivirus software could go crazy. Maybe I'll add this in the next beta-version.
For now I went back to 0.3.51.0 as it works best for me. Also I noticed some errors when updating a single skin of a car but not when updating all the skins of the very same car. Weird!

It would be cool to have the possibility to choose in preferences between the new pictureMode and the old and less precisse mode. Like an option depending if you are on a hurry for having the updates done. Maybe for the new version you are working on?

 

[x4fab]

Hello x4fab and thanks for this awesome application!

With the new v0.3.5.5 I have two new (and big) problems and an older one (so ATM I reverted back to v0.3.54):

- it crashes when I try to restore the default settings in the auto preview tab;

- it crashes when I try to update the previews (also in manual mode);

- it crashes when I click on "Update livery -> with custom showroom" with some specific cars and/or skins (this is an older bug present also on v0.3.49 and v0.3.54);

I hope that this errors report will help you!

P.S.: I'm on Windows 7 x64 fully updated.

Thanks a lot for perfect reports, I'll fix all this errors (well, at least two of them, custom showroom one is a bit harder) right now!

Well, this is really makes me sad. So many (very simple to implement!) features which could increase user-experience and modding abilities (for example, I'm not talking about optional third axis, ability to create stuff like your own electronic differential or custom suspension using some Lua scripts or some scripting to dashboard — no, just, for example, proper animated analog clock, rear lights, smooth transition for enabling lights, special light for damaged engine, special light for not enough fuel, stuff like this, I'm sure very easy to implement). But no-o-o, let's make console version instead.
100% agree.

No, with pictureMode argument showroom finally uses values from showroom_start.ini, CUSTOM_CAMERA_POSITION, LOOK_AT and stuff. So Kunos just set this parameters once and now starting showroom with this argument.
OK.

No, sorry, showroom.exe doesn't have any python stuff at all.
OK.

Yeah, it's a problem (in pictureMode showroom doesn't look at any pressed keys and my app just starts it again and again for new and new skins). And I'm still not sure how to solve it best. I see two big options now:
1. Set a 500ms timeout between shots, user will be able to cancel whole process. But whole process will be even slower.
2. Set a global keyboard hook on ESC (or another) key. Easier to implement (because of all this stupid JS→C# stuff), but I'm afraid some antivirus software could go crazy. Maybe I'll add this in the next beta-version.
For now I went back to 0.3.51.0 as it works best for me. Also I noticed some errors when updating a single skin of a car but not when updating all the skins of the very same car. Weird!

It would be cool to have the possibility to choose in preferences between the new pictureMode and the old and less precisse mode. Like an option depending if you are on a hurry for having the updates done. Maybe for the new version you are working on?

Hmm, ok, I'll try to revert previous mode, of course.

 

[Tonoppa]

I have bit of a problem with previews. All positions, angles and fovs are correct, I still can't get that fancy shine effect. No matter which filter I try. Like that sun position is completely wrong. I have to do it manually, position car as close as I can, then go to light and press+ for few seconds to get sunlight. And then it's all overexposured. I'm bit clueless. Do I need to edit showroom-file or is there some way to save exposure and sun position settings. You chaps showcase very excellent previews and I just cant get them like that. And it makes me sad. boohoo....

 

[AlleyViper]

Tonoppa, ingame try to set reflection quality to maximum and it's refresh to anything above static like "medium" (too high of a refresh setting can make your card crash, if it's not very powerful).
Also, boost up all graphic detail sliders on the first options screen, and set Post Processing to enabled. Then, test if the showroom can be launched ingame as such, even if fps are very low.
This tool can only load the correct PP showroom filter if PP has been set ingame, and will mimic all other settings in there (except position, showroom and filter choice, that should be left to recommended in app, and installed in the game).

Users with DX10.1 cards after having everything fully maxed ingame will see the app crash when launching the previews. But this is due to a current bug in the game that doesn't let them use the new fast approximate anti-aliasing (last option in PP settings), so untick it with an HD4800, etc.
Edit: Issue above was fixed in latest 1.4.2 patch.

 

[Tonoppa]

I have ingame everything at max/ultra/whatever is highest setting and runs smoothly at 150fps(to counteract screen tearing). Haven't really used ingame showroom option for previews since cars are rotating. But I try to fiddle with it that. I'll get back to you.

 

[Tonoppa]

Tonoppa, ingame try to set reflection quality to maximum and it's refresh to anything above static like "medium" (too high of a refresh setting can make your card crash, if it's not very powerful).
Also, boost up all graphic detail sliders on the first options screen, and set Post Processing to enabled. Then, test if the showroom can be launched ingame as such, even if fps are very low.
This tool can only load the correct PP showroom filter if PP has been set ingame, and will mimic all other settings in there (except position, showroom and filter choice, that should be left to recommended in app, and installed in the game).

Users with dx10.2 cards after having everything fully maxed ingame will see the app crash when launching the previews. But this is due to a current bug in the game that doesn't let them use the new fast approximate anti-aliasing (last option in PP settings), so untick it with an HD4800, etc.

YES!!!! It worked. Thank you awfully lot!! Happy days!

 

[AlleyViper]

Sorry if I wasn't clear. Those settings were to be set beforehand ingame. Actools Car Manager will then use those same correct settings to take pictures on it's own, because it depends on what the details/reflections the game has been set to.

The recommendation to test the showroom ingame with those details maxed was not to take pictures manually, but just to confirm if this tool will then also be able to launch it with current settings without a problem, so it can do it's own kunos-like screen captures.

 

[Paulaob]

Hi

I just tried enabling SweeFX on ACTools preferences to test the latest version of dxgi.dll 32 bits and found the SweetFX effects are seen on screen in the showroom but are not applied to the final jpg file.

This is how the showroom looks on-screen with SweetFX 32 bits on (I had to press the keyboard printscreen key to get this capture).

And this is how it really looks on the final jpg file. SweetFX was on but the image does not show the effects.

So, for some reason acShowroom.exe does not render the SweetFx effects on the final jpg image. In game it works OK both 32 and 64 bits, both acs_x86.exe and acs.exe can render the SweetFX effects on a screen capture file. Can you test it? Happens on 3.51 and 3.55 versions of ACTools with dxgi.dll version 1.1.0.962.

 

[x4fab]

Hi

I just tried enabling SweeFX on ACTools preferences to test the latest version of dxgi.dll 32 bits and found the SweetFX effects are seen on screen in the showroom but are not applied to the final jpg file.

This is how the showroom looks on-screen with SweetFX 32 bits on (I had to press the keyboard printscreen key to get this capture).

And this is how it really looks on the final jpg file. SweetFX was on but the image does not show the effects.

So, for some reason acShowroom.exe does not render the SweetFx effects on the final jpg image. In game it works OK both 32 and 64 bits, both acs_x86.exe and acs.exe can render the SweetFX effects on a screen capture file. Can you test it? Happens on 3.51 and 3.55 versions of ACTools with dxgi.dll version 1.1.0.962.

Yes, it's sort of feature. SweetFX only affects buffer which is rendered to screen, but for shots acShowroom use other buffer (or something like that). So, “Disable SweetFX” option has no actual affect on the result.

If you want to change result colors, I recommend you to use PP-filter. You can change contract, gamma, exposure, brightness, almost everything using it. But, of course, it's not as flexible as SweetFX.

 

[Paulaob]

Yes, it's sort of feature. SweetFX only affects buffer which is rendered to screen, but for shots acShowroom use other buffer (or something like that). So, “Disable SweetFX” option has no actual affect on the result.

If you want to change result colors, I recommend you to use PP-filter. You can change contract, gamma, exposure, brightness, almost everything using it. But, of course, it's not as flexible as SweetFX.

Ok, fine then.

I also noticed with AC 1.4 that acShowroom.exe renders ppfilters different to acs.exe. A given ppfilter can look overexposed in-game and then, the very same ppfilter, can look dark in-shoowroom. Looks like the new reflections system, ppfilters, the in-game clouds textures and the showroom sun spotlight all have their own life and they are driving me crazy.

I had another idea for your newcoming ACTools. To have the option to save different custom camera positions XYZ. Like Preset camera 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and buttons like Save preset, Load preset, Delete preset, Rename preset. That way you can easily try different custom views on different cars without having to write them down and copy-paste all the time.

 

[x4fab]

Ok, fine then.

I also noticed with AC 1.4 that acShowroom.exe renders ppfilters different to acs.exe. A given ppfilter can look overexposed in-game and then, the very same ppfilter, can look dark in-shoowroom. Looks like the new reflections system, ppfilters, the in-game clouds textures and the showroom sun spotlight all have their own life and they are driving me crazy.

I had another idea for your newcoming ACTools. To have the option to save different custom camera positions XYZ. Like Preset camera 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and buttons like Save preset, Load preset, Delete preset, Rename preset. That way you can easily try different custom views on different cars without having to write them down and copy-paste all the time.

Nice idea about presets, but I think I'll try it later in WPF version, ok? This JS version is bursting at the seams already and for a long time (when I started, it supposed to be a little util which should add years to car's names and that's all ).

About exposure, maybe you forgot to adjust it in-game using PageUp-PageDown? It's the only suitable solution for now for crazy pp-filters (why, Kunos, why?!), but it works pretty ok.

 

[x4fab]

x4fab updated AcTools Cars Manager with a new update entry:

Auto-Update Previews mode improved, old modes reverted (optional)

• Old Auto-Update Previews modes reverted back (optional)
• Custom Showroom fixed
  • Added auto-update for selected skin, very handy for drawing a new one
• To exit from new Auto-Update Previews mode, press Esc, now app will handle it properly

Read the rest of this update entry...

 

[x4fab]

Well, this is really makes me sad. So many (very simple to implement!) features which could increase user-experience and modding abilities (for example, I'm not talking about optional third axis, ability to create stuff like your own electronic differential or custom suspension using some Lua scripts or some scripting to dashboard — no, just, for example, proper animated analog clock, rear lights, smooth transition for enabling lights, special light for damaged engine, special light for not enough fuel, stuff like this, I'm sure very easy to implement). But no-o-o, let's make console version instead.
100% agree.

No, with pictureMode argument showroom finally uses values from showroom_start.ini, CUSTOM_CAMERA_POSITION, LOOK_AT and stuff. So Kunos just set this parameters once and now starting showroom with this argument.
OK.

No, sorry, showroom.exe doesn't have any python stuff at all.
OK.

Yeah, it's a problem (in pictureMode showroom doesn't look at any pressed keys and my app just starts it again and again for new and new skins). And I'm still not sure how to solve it best. I see two big options now:
1. Set a 500ms timeout between shots, user will be able to cancel whole process. But whole process will be even slower.
2. Set a global keyboard hook on ESC (or another) key. Easier to implement (because of all this stupid JS→C# stuff), but I'm afraid some antivirus software could go crazy. Maybe I'll add this in the next beta-version.
For now I went back to 0.3.51.0 as it works best for me. Also I noticed some errors when updating a single skin of a car but not when updating all the skins of the very same car. Weird!

It would be cool to have the possibility to choose in preferences between the new pictureMode and the old and less precisse mode. Like an option depending if you are on a hurry for having the updates done. Maybe for the new version you are working on?

I've found a way to exit from new preview mode! Now you just have to press Esc in showroom while it's starting and preparing.

 

[Ricky78]

Thanks x4fab, the first two crashes that I reported (introduced with the 0.3.55) are now fixed!

 

[siba]

Is there a way to make the "update preview" procedure faster?
I mean it takes forever to shoot previews of cars with lots of skins. (v0.3.56)
And if you could please remove this flash thing in-between shots before someone gets epilepsy, that'd be great!

Also when i get by mistake to that screen there's literally no way to get out besides killing the task.

 

[x4fab]

Is there a way to make the "update preview" procedure faster?
I mean it takes forever to shoot previews of cars with lots of skins. (v0.3.56)
And if you could please remove this flash thing in-between shots before someone gets epilepsy, that'd be great!

Possible options I see to make it faster:

• Switch to old mode (and lose stable camera position)
• Switch to custom showroom mode (it's not very good, not very nice, but it's the fastest one)
• Ask Kunos to make their showroom faster, for example, make pictures of several skins at one launch
• Find somebody who knows how to decompile and improve assembler code and ask him to improve Kunos showroom

To remove flash thing, I'm afraid, only options #2, #3 and #4 could help.

Also I can send you console app which could make a lot of previews at once. With it, you'll be able to set list of cars which need to be updated and leave PC for processing them.

 

[siba]

Possible options I see to make it faster:

• Switch to old mode (and lose stable camera position)
• Switch to custom showroom mode (it's not very good, not very nice, but it's the fastest one)
• Ask Kunos to make their showroom faster, for example, make pictures of several skins at one launch
• Find somebody who knows how to decompile and improve assembler code and ask him to improve Kunos showroom

To remove flash thing, I'm afraid, only options #2, #3 and #4 could help.

Also I can send you console app which could make a lot of previews at once. With it, you'll be able to set list of cars which need to be updated and leave PC for processing them.

Thanks for the fast reply and for the app as well, always appreciating your efforts.

 

[lin2009]

hi I have a problem？ Cannot start Custom Showroom？
Here is the error message
Cannot start Custom Showroom.DXGIException: DXGI_ERROR_INVALID_CALL: The application has made an erroneous API call that it had enough information to avoid. This error is intended to denote that the application should be altered to avoid the error. Use of the debug version of the DXGI.DLL will provide run-time debug output with further information. (-2005270527) at SlimDX.Result.Throw[T](Object dataKey, Object dataValue) at SlimDX.Result.Record[T](Int32 hr, Boolean failed, Object dataKey, Object dataValue) at SlimDX.DXGI.SwapChain..ctor(Factory factory, ComObject device, SwapChainDescription description) at AcTools.Kn5Render.Kn5Render.Render.Form_DxCreate(Int32 width, Int32 height) at AcTools.Kn5Render.Kn5Render.Render.Form(Int32 width, Int32 height) at AcTools.Kn5Render.Utils.Kn5RenderWrapper.StartDarkRoomPreview(String carDir, String skinName) at Error (native) at Function.ctor.(anonymous function) (C:\Users\Ke\AppData\Local\Temp\nw3920_11690\node_modules\clr\lib\clr.js:188:32) at MenuItem.menu.append.gui.MenuItem.click (file:///C:/Users/Ke/AppData/Local/Temp/nw3920_11690/main.js:8618:49) at MenuItem.handleEvent (menuitem.js:200:12)
at IDWeakMap.global.__nwObjectsRegistry.handleEvent (node.js:786:26)

 

[x4fab]

hi I have a problem？ Cannot start Custom Showroom？
Here is the error message
Cannot start Custom Showroom.DXGIException: DXGI_ERROR_INVALID_CALL: The application has made an erroneous API call that it had enough information to avoid. This error is intended to denote that the application should be altered to avoid the error. Use of the debug version of the DXGI.DLL will provide run-time debug output with further information. (-2005270527) at SlimDX.Result.Throw[T](Object dataKey, Object dataValue) at SlimDX.Result.Record[T](Int32 hr, Boolean failed, Object dataKey, Object dataValue) at SlimDX.DXGI.SwapChain..ctor(Factory factory, ComObject device, SwapChainDescription description) at AcTools.Kn5Render.Kn5Render.Render.Form_DxCreate(Int32 width, Int32 height) at AcTools.Kn5Render.Kn5Render.Render.Form(Int32 width, Int32 height) at AcTools.Kn5Render.Utils.Kn5RenderWrapper.StartDarkRoomPreview(String carDir, String skinName) at Error (native) at Function.ctor.(anonymous function) (C:\Users\Ke\AppData\Local\Temp\nw3920_11690\node_modules\clr\lib\clr.js:188:32) at MenuItem.menu.append.gui.MenuItem.click (file:///C:/Users/Ke/AppData/Local/Temp/nw3920_11690/main.js:8618:49) at MenuItem.handleEvent (menuitem.js:200:12)
at IDWeakMap.global.__nwObjectsRegistry.handleEvent (node.js:786:26)

Hmm, sorry about it. Do you have DX11 and stuff?