Terrain Editor Documentation

[Easyscor]

Greebo, I suspect Hitech aleady knows what it is but rename this one at (1024) and see if it shows in your TE.

[Greebo]

Your map loaded into the TE fine Easyscor. I have another issue with the map in patch 88 but I'll transfer this to the TE thread rather than derail this one.

[Easyscor]

Hitech has advised to keep the CBM at indexed color when you upload it to server as there isn't much if any benefit to 32 bit color and it increases the res file size. We shouldn't have a problem with that and I'll include a note about it as you suggested earlier.

I'm glad the file worked for you, and I'm seeing the same make map issue that you and Hitech are discussing.

I'll have a look at writing an effects channels explanation once your next documentation version is ready.

That's terrific! I look forward to reading it myself.

[Easyscor]

I've been requested to work on the OE parts of the manual, which I've been very much looking forward to playing with, so this may be my last contribution to the TE part of the manual for awhile.

All contributors are welcome. Maybe the CM team would like to carry on starting with the Terrain Type Tab, or L3DT?

[Greebo]

I have attached an updated TE documentation file with my changes printed in red for clarity. It contains an explanation of the specular and normal maps as well as a few other changes. Feel free to alter anything you don't like.

[Easyscor]

I have attached an updated TE documentation file with my changes printed in red for clarity. It contains an explanation of the specular and normal maps as well as a few other changes. Feel free to alter anything you don't like.

Thanks Greebo,
I haven't read it yet, but I don't intend to edit any of it, not unless htc requests changes and for sure not before all the contributions are in. I think such meddling on my part would irritate contributors. Besides, if you decide to edit yours, IMO it needs to be the way you left it. The most I'll do is create an index to/into your writeup. If someone finds an error in another authors work, they should post in here if possible and let the original author make the corrections.

Also, the editors are a moving target as features continue to be added, and an author may know something the rest of us don't.

[Easyscor]

This is intended to encourage experimenting with the terrain texture system.

Mix and match terrain (texture) tiles.

There are three essential files at the top of Waffle's Terrain thread.
terrset00.zip - the brightly colored sample textures
htcterrsets.zip - the default set for ETO and PTO (it also includes the terrset00.zip so you get both)
terredit.pdf - describes the game's system

If you create a terrain for testing textures, say a terrain named "tiletst" and put the example terrset00 folder inside the tiletst folder, tiletst\terrset00, then when you open the TE you will see some very brightly patterned terrain textures.

Suppose you want to take some of the ETO tile textures, and some of the PTO tile textures, and for some reason, keep some of the bright sample tile textures and quickly pick from any of them.

You can* throw the whole catalog of bitmap textures into your terrset00\texsrc folder. Copy all the ETO and PTO textures and paste them into the folder with the sample "type##,bmp bitmaps.  (Remember, this is a learning exercise, you'd never leave the unused bitmaps.)

*It's critical to coordinate the color pallets whenever you make any bitmaps for a terrain.

Then, find the atlas0.txt file for the 508 bitmaps and the atlas1.txt file for the 1016 bitmaps.
Open the appropriate atlas text file and replace the names of the existing texture types with the ones you want to see i.e. replace type0.bmp with dunes.bmp, both are 508 textures.

When you open the TE, the dunes texture will replace the bright red patterned sample texture. You could have put the dunes texture at any of the slots by replacing the original type name.

So far so good. The in-game terrain will have the texture along with the ground clutter. It won't have any trees or building until you add those in the Object Editor, and you may want to create multiple sets but more on that later.

Ex. File: atlas0.txt in this example will read as follows:

atlas
512,ImageSize
4,ChannelCnt
4,rows
4,cols
texsrc/dunes.bmp < here's where I replaced type0 with dunes
texsrc/type1.bmp
texsrc/type2.bmp
texsrc/type3.bmp
texsrc/type4.bmp
texsrc/type5.bmp
texsrc/type6.bmp
texsrc/type7.bmp
texsrc/type8.bmp
texsrc/type9.bmp
texsrc/type10.bmp
texsrc/type11.bmp
texsrc/type12.bmp
texsrc/type13.bmp
texsrc/type14.bmp
texsrc/type15.bmp

You can see that you can quickly swap out any textures you like, even a single one.

[Easyscor]

btw, don't move the Terrain Tile Textures around if you start editing them in the OE. The Texture and the tile's objects will become unlinked. This will cause both the TE and the OE to crash requiring you to delete all the swa and swb files. There may be another way to fix it but you're on your own to figure that out.

[Easyscor]

I've started to document the Detail and Clutter systems. The section isn't finished, but I thought I'd post the progress for any that might wish to review it.

[captain1ma]

aren't you done yet??   

[Easyscor]

aren't you done yet??   

Way to kick a guy when he's down with a chest cold, going on two weeks now. Ouch!

This latest version, 07, continues the efforts to bring custom textures back into the Alpha terrains with the draft instructions for adding trees, bushes and buildings to a terr set. SEE The Object Editor.
Next up, the fun stuff.

[Chilli]

Easycor,

Take care, I had that same bug.  It wiped me out for a solid week.  Then it clung on for another 2 weeks, and really, really hurt when I coughed, and I had to cough a lot.  I suggest to see a doctor and get them to check you over thoroughly. 

I believe that thing was the closest to pneumonia that I have ever had. 

And although we both know Jaeger is bustin your nads,  still very appreciative that you have taken on the task and doing it up properly. 

[Easyscor]

Thanks Chilli, on both counts. You know it's bad when you fall asleep coughing and wake up the same way.

[Easyscor]

There's always a risk that Hitech will read the latest installment and make changes.

I had to delay the fun stuff writeup, and dropped back to include the discussion on using the Merge tool to achieve blending between Terrain Type Tiles.

In the index, click on Hand painting the Terrain Types and the following section, The "Keep Current Merge Type" tool.

This version is TE Easy008.doc at 12,970KB and of course includes Greebo's excellent terrain texture writeup from last month.

[Mano]

Question for you experienced terrain builders.

Would any of you be able to upload a video to YouTube for AH3.  That would really lower the learning curve.

Thank you.