[asheshouse]

Following Lowfighters suggestion I've pulled these posts into a new thread.
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Based on the Singapore map template this is the area I intend to begin work on.



This provides coverage for all of the Battle of France - Phase 1, May 1940
Dunkirk scenarios, including cross channel RAF support.
Dieppe Raid scenario
Ardennes - "Battle of the Bulge"
Maybe if I shifted it north a bit I would pick up Arnhem? - Operation Market Garden
-- but want to keep a good coverage around Sedan for the Meuse bridgehead area.

I don't imagine for a minute that it will be possible to fully populate the map due to processing contraints however if key areas are detailed and the remainder is limited to principal features it might work. Only one way to find out.

For the technically minded -- Singapore map_c.tga is 8000x5408 pix. which at 50m per pix is equivalent to 400km x 270.4km which is what I've based the map on.
Anybody care to check my figures?

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Rough draft of coastline done.
All loads in FMB ok. So needs detail added now.
map_F overlays the old Singapore view in the distance at the moment but easy to change that.
New coastline has no default texture yet. -- Needs some work on map_T to resolve that.

The rivers shown are from the old Singapore map. They will all change.

[fly_zo]

yup, Lowfighter is right .... it definitely deserves its own thread!

great job you doing here m8

[RealDarko]

If exist any way I can help, let me know

[lowfighter]

Hehe, RealDarko, your way of constructing a phrase is pretty weird, but I concur to the message, we help if we can

If exist any way I can help, let me know

[asheshouse]

Thanks for the offers of help.

I think at the moment map_c.tga is a one man job, but once that is fairly complete it will provide a template for others to work on if they want to.

My master file is a *.psd set up in layers within Adobe Photoshop Elements
At present I have two layers. Base Layer is map_c and layer 1 is Area_Map, which I am tracing.
For import into FMB I am saving as a 24bit *.tga . This seems to work. Must do a trial with 16bit to see if that works. Should be a smaller file.

When I start on the other map files I will set up similar layered *.psd files so that for example, on map_T.psd, roads, rail and land pixels can be kept on separate layers.

On map_F.psd the trees can be on a separate layer to the background to make editing easier.

I intend to leave the height data until the end since it has little effect on anything else.

In terms of information, I currently have very little and am putting it together as I go.
Any historical info is obviously invaluable but I would not want anyone to spend time on this until it is clear that any problems have been solved. I am going to assume that all RN roads were existing in 1940 and that all A roads were not. RN's will be "highway" standard. I will also assume that all rail except the modern high speed network was present. Subsequent editing of some parts may be required, but this is not a problem.

There are a number of things that I don't know how to do but I will shout if I get stuck, which I will.

I guess its still not known how to setup a default airfield on a new map?
In FMB the Singapore bridges and airfields appear as symbols. What affects this?
Are town and industrial textures defined in map_T.tga?

[Trooper117]

This is great... Can't thank you and guys like you that are working hard on these maps!

[Balto]

This is great !!!

But i would highly suggest you to cut the map on east so taht you can create more english land.
You dont have London on the map and this is a must i think.
Plus : more english land enable us to create more great missions with many more english airfields.

In case of multiplayer wars more english lands is a must if one want to create a BoB scenario.
Else, the english pilots will have only few land to protect.

But whatever you will do will be good, good job !!

[asheshouse]

Balto -- Thanks for the comments.

But I don't want to do BoB with this map.
The Battle of France is a great campaign but there has never been a proper map for it.
Now we have flyable Ms406 and Ms410, Blenheim and others, this will be an ideal map to use them on.

Followed by Dunkirk

---- then BoB -- which another bigger better more professional team are working on.


The map extends east to provide complete coverage of the Ardennes for 1944 scenarios. The existing Ardennes map is too small and only covers a tiny bit of the area.

[duffys tavern]

asheshouse, I agree with everything you've said, keep up the good work.

[RealDarko]

I will try to keep my "funny" phrases as serious as possible :evil: but I'm with you asheshouse, a BoF map will be lovely to see and we will be able to represent the Dunkirk evacuation pretty well.
So keep up the good work!

[Hot Space]

Can't wait for this one m8 8)

All the best

[Thirdeye]

Someone please make accurate Escort campaigns with this. We can replicate the deep bombing missions into Germany.

[asheshouse]

Someone please make accurate Escort campaigns with this. We can replicate the deep bombing missions into Germany.

Please dont get too far ahead of us on this. There is a long way to go with the map yet, and we do not know at what point processing problems will kick in. Since the Singapore map is being used we know that it will work at a low level of detail but to populate all of Northeast France may not be possible.

If processing power is a problem then maybe different versions of the map can be produced with the detail concentrated in different areas.

There will be some trial and error in this.

I am working on refining the coastlines at the moment and have completed most of Britain using 1:250000 scale base maps. I have some 1:300000 which cover France.

[lowfighter]

I think this can be a good idea. Something similar, once the big map_c and map_h created, work can be divided to several people, say if there's 4 people each modifies map_T for his portion of the map and also maybe place objects on that part. Then it's a matter of minutes to assemble the final map_T from the variants provided by the 4 people. Provided it's a good coordination, it might speed up map release obviously.

[quote="asheshouse
If processing power is a problem then maybe different versions of the map can be produced with the detail concentrated in different areas.

There will be some trial and error in this.

[/quote]

[whiskey111]

Any link for download, please ?