[tab_flettner]

After some testing by Zo and Lowfighter, and am pleased to describe the "random trees" method I have discovered. This will allow exact placement of random trees, and make things like demarcating cultivated fields under snow now possible:



For other types of maps, there is , I think, huge potential .With a little bit of messing around I have achieved a large number of random trees wherever I wanted. I am not saying this is the perfect solution, or even the right one, but it does work and is scalable based on what you want to see on the map, and it works for all maps I have tested. Basically just manipulating map_c.tga with the addition of a gradient, in this case R196 G196 B 196, achieves the result. Just airbrush it anywhere you want trees, and there they are.

[Skunkmeister]

Does adding these trees in have an effect on frames?

[tab_flettner]

Well, yes, just like adding anything else. I have noticed no serious reduction, however. The key thing is that map makers now have the ability to do it if they choose.

[Bee]

Interesting. How do you create this gradient in photoshop?

[ClockWatcher]

tab_flettner,

Just tried this, works a treat. And even better, it "avoids" placing trees on airfields so you can have the whole of map_c land as RGB 196 yet have no wooden obstacles on your runways! Cracking find! How did you discover this?

CW

[MiWa]

OK, can someone please enlighten me:

1) If you use some gray color on map_c and in map_h the area is ABOVE ground you choose the number of auto generated trees
2) If you use some gray color on map_c and in map_h the area is AT SEA LEVEL you get something like shallow water, underwater reefs, etc...

Is this correct?
Another question is does that increase the size of compressed map_c (in bytes)?

[Skunkmeister]

I have yet to experiment more with this MiWa, but map_c will create shallows in water up to a certain point. After your RGB is higher than a given value, land starts to appear. Not all land is pure 255 RGB.

The reefs I created for the Slot are actually very low in RGB value on map_c. If I brought it up above a certain point it would break the water surface.

[MiWa]

So it seems that map_h is irrelevant in this case.

Now, where is the boundary for breaking the surface? Powers of 2 seem like good candidates: 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128.

What happens when you have 'underwater' value in map_c, but map_h value corresponds to some above sea level value? Transparent hills? I remember having those a while back...

What about map_t? Does the texture needs a corresponding texture.tree.tga? Or those texture.tree.tga always spawn trees in the same place and this is a completely different feature?

What about stock maps? I looked at a lot of those and can't remember seeing much more that shore and rivers blocks... Why haven't they used this feature? I'm afraid it will come down to the size of compressed map_c. OTOH, computers are much more powerful than several years ago...

I wonder how many of these questions have been answered in other threads.

[Neil Lowe]

Great find !! Thanx

Does the texture needs a corresponding texture.tree.tga? Or those texture.tree.tga always spawn trees in the same place and this is a completely different feature?

Dunno yet, gonna have a looksy what the limits are of this method.

The other feature creates predictable placing of trees based on white areas in texture.tree.tga as you expected. Although, if an object is placed amongst the trees (in the extended FMB) and saved to the actors, it seems to make a wide clearing of trees around the object when next loaded. A few objects wipes out most if not all of the trees in an area. Placing objects amongst the trees in the normal FMB and saving a mission, the trees are not removed.

Cheers, Neil

[lowfighter]

It's a very very nice discovery this! I tested painting RGB 196 on map_c of New Guinea on places with lowland_1.tga texture. No need of .tree.tga with this method!

[spud]

What is the smallest pixel size (in meters) for this?

The clutter trees actually have some that are tall enough, might also be cool to demark the forest edges, problem is resolution.

[MiWa]

What is the smallest pixel size (in meters) for this?

The clutter trees actually have some that are tall enough, might also be cool to demark the forest edges, problem is resolution.

map_c pixel is 50x50 meters.

[lowfighter]

It's 50 meters. Try see what happens if you paint on map_c a region which have forest on map_T. Will the random trees appear inside and at the edge of the forest? The random tree density is maybe not that high to suit your purpose though.
Ah, about FPS drop, these random trees are very miraculous, I can't percieve it. If I'd place instead the FMB trees with the same density then I would see a drop.

[Neil Lowe]

The amount of trees displayed in extended FMB seems to be alot more than in the normal FMB I've noticed. Seems to be this way for both methods. Good idea to check results in both.

Cheers, Neil

[spud]

Near airfields and other targets of minimum alt attacks (Empress Augusta Bay, Buin Harbor) heavily filling the forests nearby would certainly help. Even if it requires FMB trees, the mixture of the two will greatly help!

tater