[Mariskal]

Hi All,

I decided to give it a try to modding a map. I choose Truk lagoon as my first map. Not really because I'm big in the PTO, mainly because I didn't want to get bugged down with lots of railroads, roads and such.

I would like to give a BIG THANKS to Fly_zo and Skunkmeister, as they pointed me out in the right direction and gave me some really good hints.

The map is based on SRTM data. The atoll is about 75 km across. I'll be adding water tile around to make the map 300x300 km, for carrier operations from both the US Navy and the British Pacific Fleet.


The textures look kind of funny, I'm using the SRTM data as a way to give a rough head start to the texture work, but still looks a little bit weird.


Does anybody knows why the shore looks so dark? Also, I do not see the typical wave movement on the water by the shore.


Despite the funny looking beach I just gave it a try with a Hellcat.

I'll appreciate any hints on the dark shore.

[duffys tavern]

What a nice addition!

[Neil Lowe]

A nice start

For the dark areas....

Map_t.tga needs to be matched more closely to the land/sea borders. In the Maps discussion thread is all the RGB values to use that correspond to the texture references in the load.ini.

Only use non-antialiased selection and painting tools for Map_t.tga as any inbetween colours cause artifacts in the texture application to the meshes.

Hope this helps..

Cheers, Neil

[fly_zo]

..or to simplify ... your map_c and map_t doesn't match ... when no texture definitions for land area ( map_T) game uses default black . Copy your MWmap_c.tga over map_T.tga as layer ( resize it) set transparency so you can see through and look if they match exactly . If not make new layer over it and draw/paint missing land ( no blur).


Z

[spud]

What happens if you make the thinest line of land that barely breaks the surface? If you did this for the reef, it would be pretty cool since there would be surf at the interface, right?






tater

[Mariskal]

The non-matching of map_c and map_T is very likely to be the case. I mean, when I did the map_c work I applied some funny Bessel-T filtering -for the resizeing- as it created a smoother transition between land/water. But I never applied any filtering for map_T.

Thanks for the answers and I'll keep working with the map.

[Mariskal]

I've been thikning about the reef. Adding it implies a new map_c.tga, but I might try adding it... No promise, though!

[Skunkmeister]

I've been thikning about the reef. Adding it implies a new map_c.tga, but I might try adding it... No promise, though!

Shouldnt be that hard mate, I have made 6 of them for the Slot map. I go back and edit the land areas whenever I need to place an airstrip in it's proper place.

[Mariskal]

Small update: (no screenies, though)

Work keeps moving forward. I created a new map_c.tga with smoother coast lines and a map_T that actually matches the map_c.tga boundaries (no more black beaches!). I have not added the reef yet, but it is in the plan.

I have a few master files from which I can make changes and go back without worries. I also did some research on historical airfield locations and such. I'm thinking of having a '44 map and a '45 map as after the raids some airfields were abandoned and new were under construction (which prompted the '45 raids).

Work will stall until Friday, due to RL commitments. Hopefully during the weekend lots of progress will be done!

[Mariskal]

This is how most islands look like now, after some work on the map_T.tga and map_F.tga (I do not have a system capable of perfect mode).



This is the reef



A Hellcat in the prowl.....



And a destroyer... already half sunk???



Look at the waterline. If I get any ship (not stationary ship, moving ships) they just seems to be very heavy loaded and/or making water!!

When I was working with the SRTM data the sea level was -4 meters. Could that have been somehow transferred to the game?? If I recall correctly I set everything above -4 meters to be "White" (ie ground) and the rest "Black" (water) when I exported the tga file to be compiled by the map_c tool...

Any ideas of what is going on?

[Neil Lowe]

Looks to me like the sea area in your map_h.tga is not flat ie: RGB=0.

Cheers, Neil

[Mariskal]

Looks to me like the sea area in your map_h.tga is not flat ie: RGB=0.

Cheers, Neil

Not sure how I did it but you were right. Somehow the sea area in map_h was not set to RGB=0. Now is fixed and ships are "normal".

But this opens a new sceneario: Is it possible then to get a submarine to "submerge" by twiking the map_h?

[lowfighter]

Hehe, or maybe having half_sunken ship wreck on chosen places with shallow water.

Looks to me like the sea area in your map_h.tga is not flat ie: RGB=0.

Cheers, Neil

Not sure how I did it but you were right. Somehow the sea area in map_h was not set to RGB=0. Now is fixed and ships are "normal".

But this opens a new sceneario: Is it possible then to get a submarine to "submerge" by twiking the map_h?

[Mariskal]

Time for an update:


Taking off from Eten airfield


Climing over the Truk Lagoon


Patrolling over Dublon, with Eten, Fefan and Uman islands in the background


Small navy outpost in Falo Island


Coming to land in the bomber base at Moen

[RealDarko]

Looking forward to this one! Good work