A little problem with using references.

[shyguy]

I think I've found a glitch in jonwil's editor when using references. Each time you create an object that you want to reference to another's texture map, be sure there's not a file already loaded in the reference "queue."

What happened was I created "object 1" and loaded its texture. Then, I created objects 2 through 8, each using the same texture as object 1. So, each time I created the subsequent objects, I added the file name of object 1 into the reference queue. Every time I created a new object, the reference queue appeared empty, and I added the file name again. Towards the end of this marathon object creating session, I made a typo and needed to delete the file name from the reference queue. When I did that, the original file name appeared about 8 times. In other words, I was re-adding the same file over and over again, I just couldn't see each instance.

I didn't know if this was anything to worry about, so I just finished up and installed the set. It wasn't until later that I was fooling around with the set in the game that I started to have major crashing problems. Just placing "object 1" into an empty park in the scenery editor would cause a crash to desktop. I tried over and over again. A couple other items did the same thing. Then I realized it was the referenced items that seemed to be the culprit.

I went back and "un-referenced" objects 2 through 8 and the crashes stopped. So I'm pretty sure this was the problem. So just be careful you don't have multiple files loaded. The same goes for texture files. Once you load a texture file, it stays loaded, even if you don't see it in the "texture queue".

I'm not 100% sure this is causing the crash problems, but I thought I'd post this, just in case anyone else is having mysterious crashes after using the reference system. I'll experiment some more and let you know if I find out. Who knows? I could be way off track here. :bulb:

[computertech82]

Hope you can work it out. It would be a major improvement referencing one texture instead of many. Small file sizes would be awesome.

[shyguy]

Yes, I'm pretty sure that was the problem. The referencing system works, as long as you're careful not to add extra files. It seems the best thing to do is to close down the importer and re-open it each time you do a new piece. That way you can be sure there aren't extraneous hidden texture and reference files loaded up.

[jonwil]

I just tested and I cant seem to reproduce any issue with references (where they stay but are hidden), can you provide detailed steps to reproduce this (if in fact someone can reproduce it)

[shyguy]

I've listed the steps in my first post. As I stated, each time I went to convert an .ase file, I would re-add the reference file because there was nothing listed in the box. I also was referencing some other files and adding those reference files to the box. The box always started empty when I would begin this process, but when I went to delete a mis-typed file name, a whole list of file names popped up in the box. These objects later caused the crashing problems.

Since this happened, I now only add the file name once to the queue box. When I go to import another object using that same reference, I don't add it, even though the box appears empty. It is really still there, and the referenced object works fine when I open it in the game.

I've also found out if you type in the name of a texture and forget to add the reference file, the object gets a funny, green texture with a smiley face on it when it's opened in the game. I guess if the engine can't find the reference file, it chooses some default item to use in its place.