[lowfighter]

Asheshouse, I think you are working in excelent mode (not perfect mode)? In that case it is map_F which is used by the game to draw landscape in the distance. So you need to draw map_F yourself. In perfect mode map_F is of no use and you don't get in this kind of problems at all.

1.
The distant views on my maps are not displaying correctly.
The sea is white in the distance, and the corresponding land areas are mottled grey, with no colour displaying. -- Is this a map_F issue?



2.
What does map_r do? I haven't made one yet.
Does it use 200m pixels?
Any idea what it looks like.

3.
What is map_M for?

[asheshouse]

Yes you are right.

Map_F seems to be just a straight forward image file which is laid down for the distant view.
The selection of colour shade seems to be critical to get it to merge into the near view correctly.

Beyond the map_F area there is another dark band before the sky comes into view. Not sure how this is controlled.

--- My graphics card, ATI Radeon 9200 128MB, won't support Perfect mode, so I will continue to struggle with this.

[6S.Maraz]

The selection of colour shade seems to be critical to get it to merge into the near view correctly.

My adfice for getting a good map_F is starting from map_c, and then size down.

I have built my Map_c as separate layers: uniform black on one layer and white on land areas. White is shaded to transparent where land meets the sea. So I simply took the land (white) layer and colored it according to the pixels of map_T (scaled 4x), so I got transparent where water is, and the propre color on land areas. Then scaled to 1/4 size this image.

Beyond the map_F area there is another dark band before the sky comes into view. Not sure how this is controlled.

As I wrote before, you should test your map in game (not in FMB) and this dark area should not be visible. This happens to my system at least.

Maraz

[asheshouse]

6S.Maraz -- You seem to be right.

I have changed FMB back into mission building mode and the dark band on the horizon has disappeared. The map_F colour tone will need a bit of further adjustment but it looks not too bad already. Think I can sort that out now.

Another problem though --

In FMB I cannot save missions. An empty *.properties file is created but no *.mis file.

FMB works ok with my other mod map, ash_Ardennes, so the problem must be with the ash_NEFrance files.

I had to start with an empty actors.static to be able to edit the map in FMB.
texts.txt and labels.txt are both still empty. Are there some entries I still have to reinstate?

[Skunkmeister]

In order for the map to save a .mis file you must have an actors.static file that containes atleast a few objects. An empty one wont allow you to save your mission.

[asheshouse]

Thanks Skunkmeister. The addition of 3 houses was enough to get things working.
I only had 4 bridges before. They obviously don't count as objects.
--and the horizon looks ok "in game" with the new map_F. Minor colour correction to do.

Now does anyone understand map_r and map_m, both of which appear in the Singapore map?

This is the Somme Estuary

[asheshouse]

I have a lot of height editing to do.

Working in FMB the only way I have found to vary the height is to use Object/Height/Peek and then adjust using the mouse wheel.

Has anyone found other ways to do this?

I need to quickly adjust height points to zero to make river levels zero, which is the only level at which bridges can be set. This takes a long time working manually in FMB.

I have also tried editing the pixels directly in map_h but I prefer to be able to see everything in FMB to get the correct look for each area.

Any height editing tips?

Do more commands have to be set up in conf.ini?

[Skunkmeister]

As far as I know, the quickest way is to do it with gimp or photoshop and layer a downsized version of map_c over it to see where your rivers are.

Then you use a soft brush and blacken the rivers on map_h.

Other than what is already in the map FMB or directly altering map_h, there isnt much else you can use.

[JAMF]

...with gimp or photoshop...

Would Paint.NET work too?

[Skunkmeister]

As long as it supports saving to .tga I guess.

[ClockWatcher]

Asheshouse,

A variation on your method is to find an area at 0 meters, select "Object/Height/Peek", click on that point with insert selected, I use Ctrl MouseLeft=insert+ in my config. This is effectively a paste function of that height. Now go to where you want your height to be 0 meters, select "Object/Height/Fill" and use your insert function again. Voila! You have 0m!

I have not figured out an undo function, there may not be one except raise the height manually again if you get alter the wrong spot. I always keep plenty of backups of previous work in case it goes drastically wrong.

CW

[asheshouse]

Thanks ClockWatcher. I'll try that. I prefer to work in FMB so you can see the visual effect of the changes. Using the function you describe will speed things up a lot.
--------
Tried it now and it works fine. Much faster progress.
You can actually select heights within the Object/Height/Fill function.
Once you have "pasted" a height level if you then adjust it with the mouse wheel the new height level is memorised.

[spud]

Weird idea....

I was looking at the proposed Bouganville to Rabaul map and it got me thinking. I grew up watching Baa Baa Black Sheep (Black Sheep Squadron, whatever it's called now). So I was thinking about Vella La Vella to Rabaul. Looks too far to make it...

Back in the day, we were able to start aircraft "off the map" at sea, or over flatland. You can even build an island out of that big cliff object, test runways, etc, out there "off the map" by putting it together, then moving the position in the text file by X thousand meters.

What if we picked some crappy ground object that doesn't get used, and replaced it with a new object... and the object was a whole island.

Make a 3d object of an island (group of islands, even?) and use the "reserved" object number for it.

If you wanted the Bouganville to Rabaul map, but wanted Vella Lavella, you could make the mission and include the mod that replaces the "reserved" object with the island.

Possible?

tater

[VFS-214_Hawk]

Weird idea....

I was looking at the proposed Bouganville to Rabaul map and it got me thinking. I grew up watching Baa Baa Black Sheep (Black Sheep Squadron, whatever it's called now). So I was thinking about Vella La Vella to Rabaul. Looks too far to make it...

Back in the day, we were able to start aircraft "off the map" at sea, or over flatland. You can even build an island out of that big cliff object, test runways, etc, out there "off the map" by putting it together, then moving the position in the text file by X thousand meters.

What if we picked some crappy ground object that doesn't get used, and replaced it with a new object... and the object was a whole island.

Make a 3d object of an island (group of islands, even?) and use the "reserved" object number for it.

If you wanted the Bouganville to Rabaul map, but wanted Vella Lavella, you could make the mission and include the mod that replaces the "reserved" object with the island.

Possible?

tater

When the Balck Sheep flew to Rabaul they usually stoped over at Torokina. Also is a map I would love to have but it just might be to big.....the blue square. Posted on PF a while back.


Torokina Strip looking south

[asheshouse]

I have a recurring problem of squares of texture popping in and out of view at certain viewing angles.
This seems to only affect areas close to the map edge where the land/sea boundary is running off map.

Tried playing around with map_T land/sea boundary but cant get rid of it completely.

This screenshot shows the problem. You can see the squares in the distance. As you move the viewpoint around the squares disappear and reappear.