[agracier]

There are never enough slots in the load.ini to use to assign textures.

There are usually 12 + 6 extra (3 each from city and airfield if you don't need much variety in these). But even so, sometimes 18 slots can be limiting.

And since lately I've found that dense forests or jungles can just as well be simulated by using appropriate textures, just as good if not better than the somewhat unreal looking 3D generated trees for forests, I was wondering if somehow it isn't possible to use the 2 extra woods slots in the load.ini as textures, WITHOUT having the 3D trees appear on them.

There would be an advantage in having 2 extra slots for use in assigning textures, but without the conical looking 3D trees.

2 slots is after all 2 slots extra ...

But is there a way to do this? I would be intrigued to fin out.

[dunkelgrun]

There would be an advantage in having 2 extra slots for use in assigning textures, but without the conical looking 3D trees.

2 slots is after all 2 slots extra ...

But is there a way to do this? I would be intrigued to fin out.

I'd rather find out how to use them so that we can show two (or more) different types of trees on one map but, as you say, 2 slots are 2 slots if only they could be used for something.

:cheers:

[redko]

+10

[Newy]

I agree, being able to use 2 different types of trees on the one map would be handy.

Also being able to use 2 different water textures to replicate say both sandy shallows and coral reefs on the same map.

there was this post below,

viewtopic.php?t=13422&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

But he doesn't tell you how.

Newy

[Blumax]

Probaly could be done but would take some brainstorming, i would like a dozen more slots and more trees, the only way to do this i think is to sacrifice the roads and railways which is unacceptable to most map builders, i had a look at this a few weeks back and cant find any other way........so left it!!

[Blumax]

I agree, being able to use 2 different types of trees on the one map would be handy.

Also being able to use 2 different water textures to replicate say both sandy shallows and coral reefs on the same map.

there was this post below,

viewtopic.php?t=13422&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

But he doesn't tell you how.

Newy

I've actually developed a method of getting 4 water textures on one map but it is such a painstakingly slow , tedious and complicated process that it took me 2 months to do just one small area of a reef, i seriously believe that any map maker who gave this a go would think 'nice idea but not worth the effort' and would only try it the once. So what i'm gonna do is try and develop a much better and simpler way but this will take time .....if i can do it.....when and if i get this done then i'll make a tutorial but believe me a tutorial on the current method would be as big as a phone directory..........trust me...not worth the effort! The trees on the other hand might be much simpler but i posted a thread on here a few weeks ago asking if it was worth sacrificing the roads and railways for more texture slots and the common oppinion from our top map makers was a resounding no........and in hind sight i agree!

Code:

[list][/list]

[agracier]

Another thought about the woods slots, is why are there 4 slots, but only two are used? What happens with areas that are made into Wood1 and Wood3?

Are they wasted slots and RGB values? and for that matter, what are their RGB values anyway?

Apparently Wood0 and Wood2 are both RGB 24 ... so what about the other 2 slots?

[Blumax]

Another thought about the woods slots, is why are there 4 slots, but only two are used? What happens with areas that are made into Wood1 and Wood3?

Are they wasted slots and RGB values? and for that matter, what are their RGB values anyway?

Apparently Wood0 and Wood2 are both RGB 24 ... so what about the other 2 slots?

That might be something worth delving into becaue i,ve noticed that if you eliminate all the possible wood and tree entries in the load ini or place a ' ;' in front of each entry to dissable them they do indeed disappear from the map but if you load another map previous to the one that you are working on then close it and open your own map you will find that your map is covered in trees despite the fact that they're all dissabled. Are these mysterious trees something to do with the woods 1 and woods 3 slots? if so then we could be onto something because there really shouldn't be any trees there!

[Guest]

For start why don’t combine woods layers like this? It breaks monotony (carpeting) and in combination with good under texture can look very good. Something like I used here:

[WOOD]
Wood0 = forest/summer/Jungle0.tga
Wood1 = forest/summer/sk_Wood1.tga
Wood2 = forest/summer/sk_Wood2.tga
Wood3 = Italy_DF/forest/summer/itawood4.tga
Wood4 = Italy_DF/forest/summer/itawood4.tga
WoodMask2 = forest/summer/ForestMask.tga
WoodMask3 = forest/summer/ForestMask2.tga
WoodMiniMasks = forest/summer/MiniMask.tga
SideWood = forest/summer/ForestSide.tga

I want to say (with respect to coleges modders) why go for more complicated solutions if simpler can be used. From my experience that problems with water and woods textures can be changed only with games engine programming. In modern games 30mb or 50mb for textures in one level is still too big (even in say Assassins Creed or similar).


Click on thumbnails to see them in full size. Damn Photobucket resized them, so they are not in quality that i wanted to show.

[agracier]

That's an interesting and useful tip, combining forest textures. What a bunch of permutations to go through trying this out ... it will be sure to deliver some useful results ...

I see that you have a 'jungle.tga' which I can't seem to find ... is it by any chance something that can be used as a stand in for palm trees?

[CzechTexan]

the Jungle.tga is found on the stock burma map. NOt sure if it has palm trees mixed in on the burma map though.

[agracier]

I think I've found a way to get 2 extra slots freed up for use as texture slots.

The woods slots always generate 3D trees when RGB 24 pixels are placed on map_t. In some cases, woods/3D trees are not really needed on a map and then it is a shame to let these slots go to waste.

I tried a method whereby I made one single transparent forest texture, and then placed it in the load.ini like this:

[WOOD]
Wood0 = forest/summer/transparent.tga
wood1 = forest/summer/transparent.tga
Wood2 = forest/summer/transparent.tga
Wood3 = forest/summer/transparent.tga
Wood4 = forest/summer/transparent.tga

The point is to make the forest texture truly transparent, so that even if the game does generate 3D trees on this texture slot, you won't be able to see them, only the underlying texture.

You only need one transparent forest texture. Here is one. Maybe others could try it out to see if I have it right ...

http://www.mediafire.com/?2wgj4tjmzjz

[dunkelgrun]

I think I've found a way to get 2 extra slots freed up for use as texture slots.

The woods slots always generate 3D trees when RGB 24 pixels are placed on map_t. In some cases, woods/3D trees are not really needed on a map and then it is a shame to let these slots go to waste.

I tried a method whereby I made one single transparent forest texture, and then placed it in the load.ini like this:

[WOOD]
Wood0 = forest/summer/transparent.tga
wood1 = forest/summer/transparent.tga
Wood2 = forest/summer/transparent.tga
Wood3 = forest/summer/transparent.tga
Wood4 = forest/summer/transparent.tga

The point is to make the forest texture truly transparent, so that even if the game does generate 3D trees on this texture slot, you won't be able to see them, only the underlying texture.

You only need one transparent forest texture. Here is one. Maybe others could try it out to see if I have it right ...

http://www.mediafire.com/?2wgj4tjmzjz

Invisible trees! New secret weapon - plaster then all over the enemy runway and they'll never figure out why they keep blowing up :lol:
Seriously though, use of textures with these transparent tree layers would prove a hazard when trying to belly-land or low-fly. It's easy enough to hit the visible tree layers low down, let alone see-through ones. I'm not sure it 'll be worth the extra textures.

:cheers: