Changing the shallow water textures- it's possible!
#1

hi all, I don't know if this is already common knowledge or not (I'm sure it is to some), but I was just playing around with the Pacific islands load.ini, and discovered that in the [water] section, the water2 line is what controls the texture that represents the bottom in the shallow water. this texture affects the color as well as the pattern of the shallows. Here are a few screens using random textures that I tried out, most of them are compans textures, but a few are my own custom ones that I made specifically to test this. oh, and ignore the blindingly white beaches- that was another failed attempt at revamping the default map.

This is the section in the load.ini; it's the last section in the file

Water0 = water/water.tga
Water1 = water/water.tga
Water2 = water/CoralCoastLine.tga
Water3 = land/summer/grnd/fields_proc013.tga

The line you want to change is water2

Original:
[Image: 1-7.jpg]

New textures: (most of them are from compans) I don't remamber some of the ones I used, but the names that I do remember are noted.
whitechalk.tga:
[Image: 10-1.jpg]
Some of my test textures:
[Image: 11-1.jpg]

[Image: 12-1.jpg]

[Image: 13.jpg]

[Image: 3-5.jpg]

One of compans, I think it was one of the airfield textures
[Image: 2-6.jpg]

Another unknown one:
[Image: 4-3.jpg]

Topmount.tga
[Image: 5-2.jpg]


bottommount.tga
[Image: 6-1.jpg]

[Image: 7.jpg]

gw_beach.tga
[Image: 8-1.jpg]

I don't remember the name, but I know it's one of compan't marsh textures
[Image: 9-1.jpg]

This could have some interesting potential if someone were to experiment more with it, especially for the pacific maps with large areas of shallows...
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#2

This would be interesting for the European style maps too. Much of the costal areas of Europe has very shallow sea continuing several kilometres out from the shore, riverbeds continuing underwater allowing ships to come in.
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#3

Looks like cold seawater. I'm getting shivers already. Smile I just know the NW European waters as murky blue-ish green, but I guess more Atlantic regions could be that colour. I think it would suit the Med quite well.
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#4

I used this quite extensively in my Crete map using a land texture to mimic the sea floor - IRL from altitude you can see to the bottom (terrain, seaweed, rocks etc.) through the crystal clear water.
You can see it pretty well here in this screenie - and the bonus is it gives you a texture slot that you can then use on land wherever you want.

[Image: 230520091-49-52.jpg]
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#5

Jaypack,

Can you post the relevant sections of the load.ini's for all those above screenshots? That way, we will all have a head start as to what certain combinations appear like.
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#6

last winter, we made our own for the NGNB map too

"Water2 = NGNB/NGNB_reef.tga,-2"
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#7

I don't remember all of the textures I used, but I've added to the original post the names I do remember. hope that helps a little...
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#8

Great catch on this shallow water line. Has many interesting possibilities ...

Now however this begs the question - how do we assign shallow water to the map? I suppose it would be on map_t, but then which RGB value(s) make shallow water?
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#9

Its actually on map c - and rgb values around 100 or so. -viking
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#10

viking4570 Wrote:Its actually on map c - and rgb values around 100 or so. -viking

map_c ? well, that would effectively put it out of the changeable list. I mean, there would not be a way to add shallow water where previously there was none ... you'd have to take it as it comes when map_c is created ...

Or is there a way to add shallow water anyway?
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#11

agracier Wrote:Great catch on this shallow water line. Has many interesting possibilities ...

Now however this begs the question - how do we assign shallow water to the map? I suppose it would be on map_t, but then which RGB value(s) make shallow water?


Have a look here: viewtopic.php?t=13422 ; it might give you some idea.

:cheers:

PS Midway is nearly finished; just sorting out the airfield spawn points (tricky - no space) and a few other little bits.

:cheers:
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#12

Interesting research you are doing...

I'm still hoping that this type of "work around" could lead to better "rice paddys". IMO the current way that the game represents flooded rice fields is insufficient in capturing an "Asian feel" in the game (maps).

How does it look with the field pattern underneath?

[Image: 140905203_65bc003e22.jpg]
[Image: rice_paddy.jpg]

Keep up the good work....
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#13

very cool looking. Nice. Big Grin
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#14

Fantastic :!:
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#15

Thrud has been experimenting with it in December 2008:

http://allaircraftsimulations.com/forum/...ef&start=0

By the way, if you fill out "Reef" in the search option you will get several experiments. Maybe you will find some useful information in it.
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