[Catsy]

This tutorial explains how to obtain the news maps or textures files (Kiev, Manchria, etc

[fly_zo]

thank you ,spaw ....


Z

[MiWa]

Wasn't this information allready posted :?:

(The link is inoperative)

[Catsy]

Wasn't this information allready posted :?:

(The link is inoperative)

I hadn't seen it and I think I wasn't the only if you look at this post :

(The link is inoperative)

Spaw

[ClockWatcher]

Road and railway textures, an easy method (Updated).

Rail and road use the following greyscale RGB values

Country roads, base RGB = 32
Railway, base RGB = 64
Rail on a sandy bed, base RGB = 96
Highway/main road, base RGB = 128
Highway/main road on a sandy bed, base RGB = 160
Rail on a highway and sandy bed, base RGB = 192

But these change value when they cross a texture of a different RGB value. I.e.

Country roads RGB = 32 when placed on a background texture of RGB = 0
Country roads RGB = 33 when placed on a background texture of RGB = 1
Country roads RGB = 34 when placed on a background texture of RGB = 2 etc

In other works,

Final texture value (RGB) = road or rail RGB + original texture RGB

This can make making a map more difficult. So we could do the following to make it simpler by making the texture and road/rail separately and then combining them with the final map_T file using Gimp. We will look at only the highways, RGB = 128 and rail, RGB =64. For all Road/rail types just use the appropriate RGB value listed above.

1. Open your map_T and set this as the background layer.
2. Make another layer with "Layer Fill Type" set to transparency, call this layer "Road".
3. Make another layer with "Layer Fill Type" set to transparency, call this layer "Rail".
4. Draw in your roads and rail network using the correct RGB values using a 1 (one) pixel wide pen. Ensure dither is OFF.
5. Save this file every 10 minutes or so, saving it as an .xcf file is best as it preserves your layers. This file is your work in progress.
6. When you are ready to test your roads you need to merge your layers.
7. Select the road layer, ensure that "mode" is set to "addition". Merge this layer.
8. Do the same for the "Rail" layer.
9. You should notice that the road and rail now use different pixel values for the Greyscale RGB, depending on the texture RGB value they cross and even when the cross each other.
10. Go to Layer/transparency/remove alpha channel. If you do not do this it will not save correctly.
11. Save this as a .tga, with no compression. Do not overwrite you original .xcf road/rail working files.

"But I want to amend this in FMB" as well you say "and still be be able to separate the road and rail from the map_T"

No problem. The easiest method I have found is this:

1. You should still have you original .xcf file, open it up.
2. Delete or turn off the original background layer.
3. Make a new background layer and colour it RGB = 0 (Black)
4. Merge you road and rail layers into it as described above and save as map_T.tga
5. Use this file in your FMB for your map, you will notice that the textures are all the same.
6. Amend your road/rail network as required and save often!
7. When you have finished in FMB, open the new map_T.tga file created by FMB with Gimp.
8. Using the "select by colour tool" tool select your road network. Copy and paste to a new layer or into your original .xcf file you were using for the road/rail maps.
9. You will notice that where road and rail cross, they make an RGB value of 192, copy this as well and paste onto the same layer as your road.
10. On the road layer you have just created, select these RGB = 192 pixels using the "select by colour tool" Change this colour to RGB = 128. Voila! Your road network back in a form you can easily manipulate in Gimp.
11. Repeat the same process for your rail network using an RGB = 64.

Why would you want to do this?

Well, sometimes it is easier to amend your road and rail in Gimp, sometime in the IL2 FMB and it is useful to be able to flip between the two.

It is also useful because you can use it easily for en_01/02 and 03.tga!

As always, any errors or additions, please get in touch.

CW

[ClockWatcher]

Using MicroDEM to make SRTM files for map_h and map_T.

I have posted my latest correction curves for MicroDEM. MicroDem (which is free) can be found at: http://www.usna.edu/Users/oceano/pguth/ ... emdown.htm

My correction curves at: http://rapidshare.com/files/80668059/Mi ... p.zip.html

It will change the greyscales of the SRTM files so IL2 will plot the heights properly, albeit with the limitations of the terrain engine. It also allows you to assign textures to the maps automatically and then tweak them later. Basic instructions are below.

Run MicroDEM, load your SRTM map, second icon, once loaded do the following:

To set the correction curves and display to greyscale:

menu:
"modify"
"elevation"
Select "colours from table"
Then select the "Elevation Table" button
Load the new table values I have sent
Select the "Missing" button
Choose red as your colour
Press "OK"
Ensure "Ocean Check" and "Lake Check" is not ticked
Press "OK"

You should now have a greyscale picture and possibly some red areas. The red shows missing data, to get rid of this do the following:

select from the menu:

"EDIT"
"DEM Holes"
"Interpolate across holes (Smooth)" (default value is “2”, I use “5”)
Select "OK"
select "Yes"

You may have to experiment with this. Choose a value, the larger the number the larger the "hole" is filled. I sometimes have to use up to 5 or 6 as the number.

Now to set the scale, go to menu:

"Modify"
"Map Area"
"Set Map pixel size"
since we are making a map_h, change the value to "200.0" and press "OK"

Now to save the map: go to menu:

"File"
"save image"

I always save as a BMP image then edit and crop in Gimp. For assigning textures etc , the principle is the same, just use the terrain textures colour scale instead.

You can open both files in a spreadsheet to look at and edit the values. You can also use MicroDEM to compile large maps very quickly by joining SRTM file together. I'll add a post on this if people are interested.

I also use it for making map_C files, I'll add a post on this later.

Fly-zo, not sure if this should be given a thread of its own or not.

[6S.Maraz]

Road and railway textures, an easy method.

Rail and road use the following greyscale RGB values

Country roads, base RGB = 32
Railway, base RGB = 64
Rail on a sandy bed, base RGB = 96
Highway/main road, base RGB = 128
Highway/main road on a sandy bed, base RGB = 160
Rail on a highway and sandy bed, base RGB = 192

Actually what you call "Rail on a sandy bed" is just a railway running over a country road (32+64=96).
The same is true for the "Highway on a sandy bed".

This is a nice graphical effect, but it can give unwanted artifacts when the rail is crossing a true country road.

Very useful tutorial, thanks

Maraz

[6S.Maraz]

My correction curves at: http://rapidshare.com/files/80668059/Mi ... p.zip.html

I cannot access rapidshare, please can you post the curves at another server (eg Filefront) or send them me via PM?
Thanks
Maraz

[ClockWatcher]

Making large maps using SRTM data and MicroDEM

Ensure you have downloaded the SRTM data you need from the following link:

ftp://e0srp01u.ecs.nasa.gov/srtm/version2/SRTM3

Start up MicroDEM
Click the “Data Manipulation” icon, it says IN/OUT on it
On the menu choose “Merge”
then “DEMS”
then “DEMs – pick multiple”

Using the file window pick the DEMs you want to join together, hold down the “shift” or “Ctrl” key to pick multiple files. Do not worry if you don't get all the ones you want, I'll show how to add others later. These will load, you will then be asked to save the file as a DEM, give it a name and save it.

Close the “Data Manipulation” window.

Open your new DEM by clicking on the second icon “Open DEM” and choosing it from the file browser that opens up. Your new terrain map is ready to be manipulated for use in IL2 as per my previous post above.

But what if you want to add to this new DEM so you can make a bigger map?

Close the map you have opened and click on the “Data Manipulation” icon. If you cannot select it, close MicroDEM and start the program again. Occassionally it is a little buggy.
On the menu choose “Merge”
then “DEMS”
then “DEMs – pick single”

Select the original DEM you saved in the file browser and click “open”

The file browser will open again, select either single or multiple SRTM or DEM files to add to the DEM map you started. Every time you select “Open” the file browser will load the file then start again to give another opportunity to add more files. Once you have what you, just click “Cancel” on the file browser to close it down. You will then be asked to give your latest map a name before it is saved. Do this and then close the “Data Manipulation” window. Open up you new map as before and then modify to your hearts content.

There may be other ways of doing this is MicroDEM, but I am still learning, so if you know more, please add your knowledge.

CW

[asheshouse]

Its all in this post, recently edited.

viewtopic.php?p=16246#16246

[Neil Lowe]

Hi Guys,

the link for MicroDEM is broken http://www.usna.edu/Users/oceano/pguth/ ... emdown.htm

Is there anywhere else to download this from?

Thanx in advance,

Cheers, Neil

[ClockWatcher]

Neil,

Link is still active, just checked it. There has just been an update posted so this may have been the reason you did not manage to download the file.

CW

[Skunkmeister]

I only recently started using MicroDEM, its much more useful for what we're doing than 3DEM is.

The options that you describe in your tutorials are most useful CW, thanks for taking the time to figure out how to work with this program.

[ClockWatcher]

Using MicroDEM to make map_C files.


I have been reminded that I promised to give a tutorial on making map_C files using this program. Apologies for the delay, but for some reason I became sidetracked

There are a couple of methods, and some may be better, but this is the one I generally use. I am assuming that you have finished making map_h and map_T, so the same map is still loaded with all corrections to missing data applied. If you are reloading then make sure you apply missing data corrections as shown earlier.

Now there are two ways to approach this.

Remember that for map_h and map_T we set the map size to 1 pixel = 200m because this is what IL2 uses. But for map_C, IL2 uses 1 pixel = 50m. It also uses RGB = 0 for water, RGB = 255 is land and the greyscales in between are shallow water/smooth shorelines.

Method 1, set the mapsize in MicroDEM to 1 pixel = 50m, but you wil have to Blur the edges in Gimp or a similar picture manipulation program to get nice water edges.

Method 2, set MicroDEM to 1 pixel = 200m and scale the image up in you picture program. In Gimp this will automatically give a greyscale/antialaised edge to the map_C.

Lets start at sizing the image:

Go to menu:

"Modify"
"Map Area"
"Set Map pixel size"
since we are making a map_C, change the value to "200.0" or “50.0” depending on the method you want to try and press "OK"

Go to menu:

"modify"
"display parameter"
Select "Reflectance"
Then select the "Vert Exag" to “0” (You have to click in the box and type “0”)
Click the “water” button, select black for water
The “colors” button, select “grey”
Ensure the following are ticked, “Sea Level Check”, “Lake Check” and Diffuse Reflectance”.
Click “OK”

The map should now be a black for water and grey for land image.

Now to save the map: go to menu:

"File"
"save image"

I always save as a BMP image then edit and crop in Gimp. If you are using Gimp, do the following to get a black and white image. But remember this will remove any grey areas in the map!

Menu:

“Colours”
“Threshold”
Adjust until you get a black and white image, press “OK”. If you are applying a blur or resizing from 200 to 50m per pixel to get "automatic" greyscaling of the water edges, do this now, then save.

All done apart from resizing to a multiple of 32 and using the tools supplied by fly_zo to make a map_C and map_C_table for IL2 as explained elsewhere in the forum.

If you come up with better or alternative methods, please add/post your info.

CW

[Neil Lowe]

Neil,

Link is still active, just checked it. There has just been an update posted so this may have been the reason you did not manage to download the file.

CW

Hiya CW,

Just tried again (both Firefox and IE) but no joy, page doesn't load.

Will try again later,

Cheers, Neil