[Mission_bug]

Hello Mark, here is my attempt to portray a little diversity such as you've shown in the photographs.

I used two of the patties textures in the same area just to break up the single colour, it
looks a little better on the eye I think, what's your thoughts on the effect?



This shot shows your patties with other textures I've made, hopefully we manage to capture
the spirit of Vietnam.

Near Hue.



By the way just check your map if you added the patties text to the map .ini, when I looked at the map the patties textures appeared where I hadn't put them. :???: I think the lowlands entries use whatever line is added to Lowland 0, until you actually give each a unique entry, so it may be I've used Lowland 0 and one of the others to add what would be the same texture, once I added the patties text to it has replaced whatever I had previously used with the patties texture.

Wishing you all the best, Pete.

[Bombsaway]

I like the green but I could tone down the brown to where it could represent a dead grass effect. The one you have has a brown that looks more like fall colors.

[Mission_bug]

If you could do that it would be great, would probably look more like the natural landscape.

I still can't make up my mind as to which of the Greens I prefer.

All the best, Pete.

[Mission_bug]

Haven't done much with the map lately, been skinning the fairey Battle, but here is a change
I could do with an oppinion on.

I've removed most of the road bridges after akvadis said most of the photos he had seen showed
very few. So what to replace them with? I've read in some of the threads regarding China maps
that most things crossed rivers there on ferries, even trains!

This is my take on that, does it work or should I re-build the bridges?











I've had to use what few objects I could find to try to replicate a ferry crossing point,
these objects have been added in the map builder so will become a permanent feature.

Should I leave it like this, return to bridges or just leave the road to the water's edge
and let the campaign builders do what they will.

I've left the rail bridges in position because the general consensus is that is how the colonials
got about. Luckily ships just go right through them so there is no damage done leaving them
there. :???:

Wishing you all the very best, Pete.

[RealDarko]

River ferries are a standard feaure for the period, I willl keep them. You can populate the ferrier a lot more as the usual is that ferry points became more or less big villages that have markets, services...

[Mission_bug]

I think I'll do that RealDarko, the road bridges can't be used anyway so they wont be missed. Ferries are probably more nearer the reality for that period of time as a few have pointed out. Anyway there's always the rail bridges if someone really feels the need to damage something. :roll: They don't work either but I'll leave them in for effect. :wink:

Wishing you all the very best, Pete.

[akdavis]

MB, did you get the last e-mail and material I sent you?

[Hawkman]

I must say I've been enjoying this thread & your map immensely - lovely textures, and you've captured the ruggedness of the Truong Son (Central Highlands) beautifully

I am wondering if you have any plans for building objects for Saigon, Danang & other places. The French left their mark on Vietnam architecturally, and many of the old colonial buildings survive as landmarks today (in Saigon, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Old Post Office, Opera House, to name a few).

I am based here in Saigon and if I can help in any way, let me know. Maybe you'd be interested in some new buildings - I wouldn't mind taking on some things in 3ds Max, would make a nice break from my own ongoing project :wink:

Anyway, it's an absolutely cracking map, so far

Hawkers

[Mission_bug]

Hello Hawkers, glad you're enjoying the thread and the map. As far as populating the the map goes I've not really done much as yet, apart from a few airfield items and bridges. I still need to begin the process of researching how the towns and cities looked during the period the map covers, also the airfields. Akvadis has kindly helped by sending a number of items from US sources, maps of the period etc., but any help regrding photographs of the likes of Saigon, Hue and Tourane, as I believe Da Nang was known then would be most welcome. The fact you live in the region gives you a tremendous advantage to the rest of us as your're familiar with the places we only know as place names.

As far as making buildings goes, please feel free, you can populate the main cities if you like, as long as it doesn't distract you from that lovely Dornier. The sim has too few buildings that we can actually use to represent Vietnam, or other parts of the region for that matter such as China, your contribution would be most welcome, thanks very much for the offer.
All we have at the moment are the European buildings that could probably stand in for the French architecture of the region.

You could even build that appartment block you mentioned once, with the Skyraider we now have a precision instrument that would allow you to vent your frustrations on your former landlord without ruining the whole neighbourhood eh. :roll:

I've been mainly concentrating on the practical aspects of getting the map working and trying to make textures, so the Cities are merely represented by textures until I, or someone else can get around to populating things. I'm working my way down the coast at the moment with a rail line that roughly follows the main highway. This will not be an exact copy of where the actual infrastructure is, mainly where I can make them run and where I can blur the land to get a resonably flat roadway or track.

This is as good as it gets in places.



To be honest the map was never intended to be a scale replica, the intention is more to capture the feel of the area, I guess judging by your comments that myself and those who have been contributing in anyway to this map are close enough, a very special thanks for that should go to Bombsaway who continues to do wonders with any textures that have anything to do with water, I think he's a fish on the quiet. :wink:

Once I've finished the railway line to Bien Hoe and Saigon I will upload a further update so those of you who have been following the progress can again download the WIP and see it for yourself, the next update will have the Bombsaway Patties texture so you will be able to give us a first hand account of how it compares to the real thing Hawkers, also please feel free to add your thoughts as to how best certain areas could best be represented in textures.

Wishing you all the very best, Pete.

[Bombsaway]

Hi Pete, I sent you a link for the latest paddy texture over on your pm at the SAS. I addded some brown like you spoke of. I hope you like it.
Cheers,
Mark.

[Mission_bug]

The new texture is tremendous Mark, as always, thank you very much.

Here it is in game.



The Brown you've added allows the texture to blend in much better with the other
colours of the existing textures, I can now just use this one rather than two to create
the effect I wanted.



Work at the moment is progressing with the rail line to Bien Hoa and Saigon so not much
else is getting done. I have made time though to alter the ed maps. I've used White for
the borders which shows up much better on both versions of the ed map in use.



I've also changed the name of Da Nang to Tourane so it is much more in keeping with the
French colonial period that the map is aimed at. Da Nang is in smaller text and in brackets
under Tourane. Corrected a few spelling errors also.



I also occasionaly take the Jeep for a spin along the coastal road to see how things are.



Sad I know, but it makes a change from flying the map. :roll:





Wishing you all the very best, Pete. :wink:

[Mission_bug]

It is now getting late into February and having a week off work has given me some time to work
on the map, so here are some pics of the progress.

I've added a number of new airfields and finally brought road and rail to Bien Hoa and Saigon.

This is the airfield at Bien Hoe.



The rail line running by the airfield.



Akvadis sent me a number of maps that had sufficient detail to enable me to add a number of airfields,
Bien Hoe being one of them, although the orientation is based on Google images. The same map gave
road and rail details also. Thank you very much Alan for the maps, I greatly appreciate your taking the time and
trouble to help with this project, the info encouraged me on.

Two airfields have been added in Cambodia, this is Pakxe.





This airfield is Kratie, my information indicates it was used by the Japanese during their
occupation. It was also used by the Cambodian Air Force.



Apparently it also had a seaplane base so I added one to the nearby river.



Also included in the maps Akvadis sent to me were details of Cam Ranh Bay and the
surrounding area. This allowed me to move my roads and rail lines to exactly where they
should be and also showed two airfields, thanks again Alan, you're a star.

Aproaching Ba Ngoi airfield, CamRanh Bay.





The airfield.




This is a little further along at Nha Trang.



This airfield is only really usable by the earlier aircraft such as the MS 406, it's no go for
the P-63's and Corsairs. I managed to get a C-47 and a JU-52 to land but only
from one direction, and that is rather precarious. There are a lot of hills around the field
which the AI doesn't like, so it is probably better used for trainers and such. The airfield
orientation is again from a Google image.

Tourane, (Da Nang), now has a seaplane base in the harbour, but again because of the hill
there it is only operational from one direction, although to aid taxying this is set up as any normal
airfield with two waypoints.



The info I have also shows the land runway here to be much smaller, and with two runways, not
sure whether to leave it as it is or try to replicate the original. :???:

I hope to upload another WIP to my 4Shared soon so those who are following progress can
try things out and make any reccomondations. I'm just waiting for a reply from Bombsaway
at the moment regarding a texture he made for me, so if your reading this Mark could you
please check your PM at SAS.

Wishing you all the very best, Pete.

[Mission_bug]

This is the new airfield I've made at Tourane, (Da Nang).



The layout is based on one of the maps Akvadis sent to me.



I made landing and taxi points for each end of both runways, unfortunately you can only
take off and land in two directions. Either there is a conflict with the runway points being
too close, or I've set them up wrong. Thoughts on this anyone please. :???:



Ten aircraft can be landed and parked on each runway.



The runways are a little longer than the map indicated but this allows a larger variety of
types to use the field. :wink:

Wishing you all the very best, Pete.

[Mission_bug]

I've further improved the airfield at Nha Trang, it now has a runway and taxi strips.



The airfield was opened in 1949 by the French to train new pilots using the French
built Storch, Ju 52's and C-47's also operated from there.



I've used the blur option to reduce the hills around the airfield so the field can be
used from both directions.

Me taxying in, well you have to test don't you. :roll:



I've also now added a proper runway to Bien Hoe.





I'm in the process of adding runways and taxi strips to all the airfields done so far,
Tan San Nhut is next on the list.

Wishing you all the very best, Pete.

[Anatoli]

:loveeyes: :loveeyes: :loveeyes: :loveeyes:

Woah !! You made a lot of improvements on your map since last time I read this topic !!!!!
What an atmosphere on this map !!!!!!!!!!! Wonderful work !

I like very much the textures you use for this Indochina map.
:loveeyes: :loveeyes:

check MP...
:wink: