[BillSwagger]

I've tried using both and they have similar capabilities but i'm more familiar with photoshop.

I was wondering if there were any key differences that would favor the use of GIMP over Photoshop for modding or creating TGA files.


On another note, I've followed the tutorials on map modding and i still haven't been able to get my maps to load.
I've used both Gimp and photoshop to create my map files. I am able to extract existing maps and make changes but for some reason getting my own template into the game has not been successful.
I've done this several times over, making sure they are the appropriate pixel sizes, proportions, and in gray scale where needed.
I think i'm missing something that isn't covered in the tutorial or there is a problem in formatting my Map_C to get them in the game.
I'm using Redwulf's Coast Align and Map C tools.

When i test the new map in FMB, i get a java, load.ini error. So at least its recognizing the map, but my experience with load.ini tells me something is out of place or a file should be where there isn't one. I am using a working load.ini from another map.

I've noticed the Map_r.tga, and the Map_m.tga which aren't covered in the tutorials.

Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.


On another post, i read the Map_R is possibly for water reflection, and usually 512x512 no matter what size of the map.

As for Map_M.tga there was a flurry of posts that popped up when i entered it in the search but nothing really going into this subject.

There are also the actors.static.ini files. Do i need a new one for the new Map_C or can i use another actors file?

Bill

[GerritJ9]

I use both Photoshop and GIMP as I find some things more easily done in Photoshop, others in GIMP. However, other mapmakers probably use just one programme.
If you get a load.ini error, chances are there is something wrong with (one of) your files- some require saving as copy for instance. If you press the combination "Shift + Tab" (from memory, haven't been able to do much work on my NEI maps lately) you will be able to see which file(s) is (are) causing the problems and set about correcting any faults.

[agracier]

Not to make things more difficult to choose, but I have found that Paint Shop Pro (ver 7 as being simple and fast and very very stable) is far easier to use than Photoshop. PSP7 has only one drawback and that is that it cannot save tga files in the correct format. That work has to be done in GIMP ...

[Skunkmeister]

When in the FMB loading your map and you get the error, do shift+tab and you will see what file the game has troule reading.

[agracier]

When i test the new map in FMB, i get a java, load.ini error. So at least its recognizing the map, but my experience with load.ini tells me something is out of place or a file should be where there isn't one. I am using a working load.ini from another map.
______________________________________

java load errors as such doesn't mean very much. To find the specific error, hit shift + tab in the FMB when you get the java.load error message. Then the screen will display a long line of text and somewhere in there will be a more specific explanation of what that error is.

Often it can be a missing texture, or an error declaring a wrong size or type of map (RLE compressed tga maps for instance) ...

If you don't find the specific error with it will be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Even one single letter or comma out of place in the load.ini and you're in trouble with the java's ...

Also check if you are making your maps in the correct multiples of 32 pixels. That particular aspect took me more than 3 weeks of failed efforts to overcome. And even then it was my wife who pointed out my mathematical shortcomings and set me on the right track.

[BillSwagger]

cool thanks,

the only hang up was the F map, so i fixed that and it loaded but now i see these mesh marks, and i cant save and play. I figure there's more i need to do to the map so i can use it in a test flight, but at least its loading properly now.


To help avoid confusion with pixel size, i just multiplied a number by 32 and used that as height, and then multiplied another number by 32 and that was my width.

[agracier]

cool thanks,

the only hang up was the F map, so i fixed that and it loaded but now i see these mesh marks, and i cant save and play. I figure there's more i need to do to the map so i can use it in a test flight, but at least its loading properly now.


To help avoid confusion with pixel size, i just multiplied a number by 32 and used that as height, and then multiplied another number by 32 and that was my width.

You also have to make an actors.static file, labels and text.txt files before you can fly in a newly made map.

Generally it is considered necessary to put in an airfield (anywhere, doesn't matter, it's just for test purposes anyway).

When you want to put in an airfield, go to a map-maker version of Il-2, load any map, copy an existing airfield, then load your new map and paste it somewhere. Save your map, find the 3 newly saved files in ...

[map-maker version Il-s]/maps/[your map]

and then put them in your flyable version of Il-s

Be certain that you first make a new, empty folder in your map-maker of the same name as your map. The folder should be in a folder called 'maps' which is the root of your map-maker

[BillSwagger]

I have a static file in place, but what would cause the meshing of roads to appear over the textures??

I dont have any roads on the map, its hard to describe so here is a pick.






Bill

[agracier]

Somewhere you probably have an RGB value mixed up on one of your terrain types.

RGB32 and also certain higher values (can't be very specific as I've had this a few times only when making shallow water) will have the map-maker automatically make secondary roads. Which is what you're seeing here.

Check your texture map - which I hope you are making in a layered (psd) format, with each RGB value having a separate layer - you may have inadvertently filled in a wrong RGB value somewhere, or you may have flattened a file with alternatives other than 'normal'.

If this persists, then start with a new texture map. It will take less time to make a new one than it often takes to keep on looking after a solution to a stubborn problem.

[Thrud]

the NGNB map is built all in photoshop. make sure you're not blending or feathering RGB vaules together and anti-aliasing if off when you are placing your RGB greys everywhere. also, open a stock map T or any other map T and diesect it. look at the construction differences.

[dunkelgrun]

I have a static file in place, but what would cause the meshing of roads to appear over the textures??

I dont have any roads on the map, its hard to describe so here is a pick.






Bill

I get this problem when saving greyscale map_T's in Photoshop, which does not seem to handle the 256 shades of grey on a map_T when a it is reopened and then saved. I now work greyscale maps exclusively in Gimp. I also find Gimp easier to use regarding the alpha layer ( I don't know much about alphas but I have no trouble with them in Gimp).

:cheers:

[kapteeni]

I have a static file in place, but what would cause the meshing of roads to appear over the textures??

I dont have any roads on the map, its hard to describe so here is a pick.






Bill

I get this problem when saving greyscale map_T's in Photoshop, which does not seem to handle the 256 shades of grey on a map_T when a it is reopened and then saved. I now work greyscale maps exclusively in Gimp. I also find Gimp easier to use regarding the alpha layer ( I don't know much about alphas but I have no trouble with them in Gimp).

:cheers:

LOL that is a nice net of railroads there1 I use photoshop and i once had similiar effect, because i did use help layer and i forgot to delet it before flatten image. And of course no backup copy anywhere. I'm not familiar with Gimp because i hate it's zillion window system, but what i've heard, it should be as good as PhotoShop for hobbyist's
kap

[BillSwagger]

as it turns out it was an improper shade.
I'm working off another T map so know which colors are what on my new map.

[agracier]

as it turns out it was an improper shade.
I'm working off another T map so know which colors are what on my new map.

It's handiest when you work in a layered file - one layer = 1 RGB value.

If you make one layer for every texture value from RGB0 through to RGB24 and assign each a color value, then you can more easily keep track of what you are doing AND more easily correct mistakes. And you can later on add extra layers if necessary, or delete unused layers ...

.psd is the format almost by default.

When you're done tweaking the .psd map_t file, then you can flatten easily in GIMP to the right type of tga format.

But best, if you have to make any corrections or additions or just wish to change your terrain, then it's easy to do so in a multi-layered file.

[Skunkmeister]

the NGNB map is built all in photoshop.

No it wasnt.

I use Gimp to make alot of the first map files. Photoshop doesnt handle grayscale very well, so the map_h and map_t are generated with Gimp.

Gimp however does not manage large files well, so the Map_C has to be made and managed with Photoshop.