Weird bloom problem

[Ploddish]

After reading a topic on this forum about secret areas, I felt compelled to explore

So, I switched Penumbra on, and loaded up the Storage Room.

I started playing, but I noticed something weird on the screen, it looked like a superimposed zoomed image of what I was seeing now, like this:



Then, when I examined anything, the effect seemed to "fade in" and fade out again when I walked away, but then after fiddling more with settings, I found the only thing that turned the effect off was bloom.

Any ideas?

I've added the hpl log, just incase you need it.

Spoiler below!

-------- THE HPL ENGINE LOG ------------

Creating Engine Modules
--------------------------------------------------------
Creating graphics module
Creating system module
Creating resource module
Creating input module
Creating sound module
Creating physics module
Creating ai module
Creating scene module
--------------------------------------------------------

Initializing Resources Module
--------------------------------------------------------
Creating resource managers
Misc Creation
--------------------------------------------------------

Initializing Graphics Module
--------------------------------------------------------
Init low level graphics
Setting video mode: 1024 x 768 - 32 bpp
Init Glee...OK
Setting up OpenGL
Max texture image units: 16
Max texture coord units: 8
Two sided stencil: 1
Vertex Buffer Object: 1
Anisotropic filtering: 1
Max Anisotropic degree: 16
Multisampling: 1
Vertex Program: 1
Fragment Program: 1
NV Register Combiners: 0
NV Register Combiners Stages: 11
ATI Fragment Shader: 1
Creating graphic systems
Creating Renderer2D
Renderer2D created
Creating Renderer3D
Load Renderer3D gpu programs:
Extrude
Diffuse
Fog
Creating fog textures: Solid Additive Alpha
init sky box
Renderer3D created
Creating screen buffers size 1024.000000 : 768.000000
Creating programs
RendererPostEffects created
Adding engine materials
--------------------------------------------------------

Initializing Sound Module
--------------------------------------------------------
Initializing OpenAL.
Trying to open software device... Failed opening hardware device, using software
Device name: Generic Software
OpenAL Version Supported: 1.1
Number of channels: 32
--------------------------------------------------------

Initializing Game Module
--------------------------------------------------------
Adding engine updates
Initializing script functions
--------------------------------------------------------

User Initialization
--------------------------------------------------------
Trying to load vertex program!
Success!
--------------------------------------------------------

Game Running
--------------------------------------------------------
Loading collada for 'maps/level01_19_door_shaft.dae' took: 3981 ms
WARNING: Material '' was not found!
WARNING: Material '' was not found!
WARNING: Texture 'blinn1-fx' was not found!
WARNING: Parent 'group3' couldn't be found! Failed to attach 'artefact01_pointLight1' to 'artefact01'.Attaching directly to mesh.
WARNING: Parent 'group3' couldn't be found! Failed to attach 'artefact02_pointLight1' to 'artefact02'.Attaching directly to mesh.
ERROR: Couldn't create material '.mat'
WARNING: Could not load material ''
ERROR: Couldn't create material '.mat'
WARNING: Could not load material ''
ERROR: Couldn't create material '.mat'
WARNING: Could not load material ''
WARNING: Geometry for joint child '' is missing! Might be connected to bone.
WARNING: Geometry joint parten '' is missing! Might be connected to bone.
WARNING: Geometry for joint child '' is missing! Might be connected to bone.
WARNING: Geometry joint parten '' is missing! Might be connected to bone.
WARNING: Geometry for joint child '' is missing! Might be connected to bone.
WARNING: Geometry joint parten '' is missing! Might be connected to bone.
WARNING: Geometry for joint child '' is missing! Might be connected to bone.
WARNING: Geometry joint parten '' is missing! Might be connected to bone.
WARNING: Geometry for joint child '' is missing! Might be connected to bone.
WARNING: Geometry joint parten '' is missing! Might be connected to bone.
WARNING: Geometry for joint child '' is missing! Might be connected to bone.
WARNING: Geometry joint parten '' is missing! Might be connected to bone.
WARNING: No shapes for sub mesh 'propellerShape' with group: ''
ERROR: Couldn't find game element for entity 'propellerlarge01'
WARNING: No shapes for sub mesh 'propellerShape' with group: ''
ERROR: Couldn't find game element for entity 'propellerlarge02'
WARNING: No shapes for sub mesh 'propellerShape' with group: ''
ERROR: Couldn't find game element for entity 'smallpropeller'
WARNING: No shapes for sub mesh 'propellerShape' with group: ''
ERROR: Couldn't find game element for entity 'smallpropeller1'
WARNING: No shapes for sub mesh 'propellerShape' with group: ''
ERROR: Couldn't find game element for entity 'smallpropeller2'
WARNING: No shapes for sub mesh 'propellerShape' with group: ''
ERROR: Couldn't find game element for entity 'smallpropeller3'
WARNING: No shapes for sub mesh 'propellerShape' with group: ''
ERROR: Couldn't find game element for entity 'smallpropeller4'
Start Num Of: 175
End Num Of: 120
Start Num Of: 9
--------------------------------------------------------

Statistics
--------------------------------------------------------
Medium framerate: 42.953996
--------------------------------------------------------

User Exit
--------------------------------------------------------
Saving to config
Saving keys
Saving to config
Saving keys
Exit Player
Exit Button Handler
Exit Map Handler
Exit Game Message Handler
Exit Radio Handler
Exit Inventory
Exit Fade Handler
Exit Save Handler
Exit Trigger Handler
Exit Attack Handler
Exit Notebook
Exit Numerical panel
Exit Intro story
Exit Death menu
Exit Graphics helper
Exit Main menu
Exit Player hands
Exit Music handler
Exit Map Load Text
Exit PreMenu
Exit Credits
Exit Demo end text
Saving config
Exit Effect Handler
Exit Game
--------------------------------------------------------

Exiting Scene Module
--------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------

Exiting Input Module
--------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------

Exiting Sound Module
--------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------

Exiting Graphics Module
--------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------

Exiting Resources Module
--------------------------------------------------------
Done with tilesets
Done with fonts
Done with scripts
Done with particles
Done with sounds
Done with meshes
Done with materials
Done with Gpu programs
Done with images
Destroyed all textures
Done with sound entities
Done with animations
All resources deleted
--------------------------------------------------------

Exiting Physics Module
--------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------

Exiting System Module
--------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------

- Deleting lowlevel stuff.
Physics
Sound
Input
Resources
System
Graphics
HPL Exit was successful!
Saving last config
Deleting ATI shader to 0

(BTW, the HPL log is in the Incinerator, I was playing around with settings there)

Hope that helps

[Chaku01]

I have exactly the same problem, I will add that in presence of enemies the framerate slows critically down, turning post effects (off course bloom as well) off helps but the game stays very choppy. I'm playing in 1280*800 resolution. Other games (far cry) are much smoother even with 20 enemies and graphics turned on maximum, so I'm convinced this game could run much smoother on my system with all the details on...
My specs:

Turion ML-37 2Ghz
1G DDR 333
ATI X700 128mb
4200 rpm 100G Hard drive
Windows XP SP2
Original Graphic drivers from ACER as they havn't been updated, and other newer hacked versions gave me some problems...

[Thomas]

Ploddish:
Afraid this is something I have tried to create but simple cannot. Will see if I can figure something out, meanwhile try updating yuor graphics card drivers or simple turn of Bloom.

Chaku01:
The choppy when enemy approach is kind of an enigma to me. I will see if I can make a special exe for you in a day or to so I can try to narrow it down. Please check in here once a day and see if there is something.

[Ploddish]

^If its any help, my specs:

Intel Pentium 4 3.40GHz
ATI 9800 Pro 128mb
Windows XP SP2
2GB RAM
I've upgraded my drivers as often as I could though.

Im soon to upgrade my graphics card in preparation for Bioshock though, so that might fix it anyway.

Hope that helps

[eliasfrost]

I had the same problem but it was not the bloom effect that caused it, i don't remember what option it was...

[Chaku01]

I had actually a similar weird effect happening when entering the second tunnel full of spiders, the one where you need to put on fire in the middle to block them. Just as the weird graphical (zoom+translucent) effect sometimes appears when examining an object (even with motion blur off), it just decided to come and blur my vision in one of the worse and most intense moment I've had in the game so far... interesting to note that turning around makes this bug disappear, though I could not extensively experiment this as spiders were always close to bite my ass...

[WindexGlow]

When putting resolutions at a custom value (1400 x 900 example) caused the bloom to create some strange effects. Not sure if this could be your problem or not.

[Chaku01]

I play in 1280*800. I tried in 800*600 and the problem persists. Btw, I can't play with a lower shader, lowest and low crashes the game, medium completely changes the textures, they become very, very bright and no lightning effect is visible. I remember reading a post with someone who had a similar issue, but I didn't look too much into it because anyways, I play the game with the highest shader and it works reasonably well.

[Thomas]

[...], medium completely changes the textures, they become very, very bright and no lightning effect is visible. [...]

Could you take a screenshot of this? Also what graphics card do you have? And have you tried the latest patch?

[Chaku01]

My Specs:
Basically, Acer WLMi 5024:
Turion 64 ML-37 2.0 Ghz
1Go DDR 333
Ati Mobility Radeon X700 128m(Original drivers from November 2005, have not been updated by Acer and the newer Hacked versions create problems)
WinXp SP2

I wil try the latest patch tonight and take the screen shot.
Btw, how can I take a screenshot? Just press "F12" or "Prt Scr"?