Author Topic: Secrets of clouds in AH Terrain Editor?  (Read 1383 times)

Offline hitech

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Secrets of clouds in AH Terrain Editor?
« Reply #15 on: November 18, 2000, 01:50:00 PM »
The MinTyp MaxType are fixed type of clouds
current we only have 3 so valid numbers are 0 1 and 2, if you wish all clouds to be the same set min and max to the same number.

Btw Ive been working on a full editor for the cloud banks to make them quicker to set up. It's just low on the list at the moment.

Also the are limits to how many cloud banks you can have total . And more importantly how many you can have active at once.

HiTech

Offline LLv34_Camouflage

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Secrets of clouds in AH Terrain Editor?
« Reply #16 on: November 18, 2000, 05:29:00 PM »
Oops, Ghosth?     Great effort, nonetheless! <S!>

HT, thanks for the valuable comments!

 
Quote
Originally posted by hitech:
The MinTyp MaxType are fixed type of clouds
current we only have 3 so valid numbers are 0 1 and 2, if you wish all clouds to be the same set min and max to the same number.

Excellent info, thanks. I will try it out.


Quote
Btw Ive been working on a full editor for the cloud banks to make them quicker to set up. It's just low on the list at the moment.
[/b]

Maybe even implement it to the CM/Host settings so that clouds could be changed for scenarios?  (Image removed from quote.)

Quote

Also the are limits to how many cloud banks you can have total . And more importantly how many you can have active at once.

I noticed something like this, when I set the seed time very short. The cloud spawning stopped at some point...  Thanks for clearing this up!  Anyway, when the cloud limit has been reached, fps is somewhere near 15-20 so it is nearly unplayable anyway...

Thanks!

Camo

CO, Lentolaivue 34
Brewster's in AH!
"How about the power to kill a Yak from 200 yards away - with mind bullets!"

Offline LLv34_Camouflage

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Secrets of clouds in AH Terrain Editor?
« Reply #17 on: November 18, 2000, 05:32:00 PM »
List of cloud parameters updated above.

[This message has been edited by LLv34_Camouflage (edited 11-18-2000).]
CO, Lentolaivue 34
Brewster's in AH!
"How about the power to kill a Yak from 200 yards away - with mind bullets!"

Offline Snoopi

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Secrets of clouds in AH Terrain Editor?
« Reply #18 on: November 19, 2000, 06:21:00 PM »
15-20 fps is unplayable ????

Man..that is what my  normal framerate is.  

For me that would translate to 3 fps.  



Offline LLv34_Camouflage

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Secrets of clouds in AH Terrain Editor?
« Reply #19 on: November 21, 2000, 06:42:00 AM »
Hi again!

I've managed to get pretty good results with my latest experiments.  Not surprisingly, my approach to setting up the clouds is very close to the way HTC did it.

I started editing the default AH cloud layer numbers, moved the clouds around the map and lower.  I also spread them around a bit more and reduced their size a bit.

Here's my latest .wca file.  If you want to try it out, please do.  I get decent frame rates with it offline, comparable to cloud fighting in the standard AH maps.  I will do some online H2H testing this week.

 
Quote

#CloudCnt);
#CreateSeedTime);//Hours
#CreateSpacing);//Hours
#MinType);
#MaxType);
#MinPnt.x);//Miles
#MinPnt.y);Feet
#MinPnt.z);//Miles
#MaxPnt.x);//Miles
#MaxPnt.y);Feet
#MaxPnt.z);//Miles

#Range.x);Feet
#Range.y);Feet
#Range.z);Feet

#MinSize);Feet
#MaxSize);Feet
#Vec.x);//Miles
#Vec.y);Feet
#Vec.z);//Miles
#Speed);mph


# Large cloud cover 8000ft.  Start: -25,5 ... 60,5  -> South 25 miles,  100mph

16,0.0001, 0.18,0,2,    -25,8000,5, 60,7000,5,    5000,1000,5000  ,4000,9000,  0,0,-25, 100
8,0.02,     0.18,0,2,    -25,7000,5, 60,9000,5,    4500,1000,4500  ,3000,8000,  0,0,-25, 100
21,0.04,    0.18,0,2,    -25,8500,5, 60,8500,5,    8000,2000,3000  ,4500,8000,  0,0,-25, 100
11,0.06,    0.18,0,2,    -25,8100,5, 60,9200,5,     5000,1000,5000  ,4000,9000,  0,0,-25, 100
4,0.08,    0.18,0,2,    -25,8600,5, 60,7700,5,     4000,1000,5000  ,3000,4000,  0,0,-25, 100
12,0.10,    0.18,0,2,    -25,7000,5, 60,8000,5,    5000,1000,5000  ,6000,9000,  0,0,-25, 100
14,0.12,    0.18,0,2,    -25,8100,5, 60,7900,5,    5000,500,8000  ,6000,9000,  0,0,-25, 100
6,0.14,    0.18,0,2,    -25,5000,5, 60,7000,5,    5000,100,5000  ,4000,9000,  0,0,-25, 100


# 5000ft clouds east.  Start:  10,35 ...  21,35  ->  South 55-75 miles, 100mph

8,0.0101, 0.18,0,2,    10,5000,35,  21,4000,35,    5000,1000,5000  ,4000,9000,  0,0,-55, 100
6,0.03,     0.18,0,2,    10,5000,35,  24,5000,35,    4500,1000,4500  ,3000,8000,  0,0,-55, 100
11,0.05,    0.18,0,2,     13,5000,35,  23,5500,35,    8000,2000,3000  ,4500,8000,  0,0,-65, 100
6,0.07,    0.18,0,2,     13,3100,35,  24,5200,35,     5000,1000,5000  ,4000,9000,  0,0,-55, 100
8,0.09,    0.18,0,2,     12,2600,35,  23,5700,35,     4000,1000,5000  ,3000,4000,  0,0,-75, 100
9,0.11,    0.18,0,2,     11,5000,35,  24,5000,35,    5000,1000,5000  ,6000,9000,  0,0,-55, 100
7,0.13,    0.18,0,2,     12,5100,35,  22,4900,35,    5000,500,8000  ,6000,9000,    0,0,-75, 100
9,0.15,    0.18,0,2,     9, 5000,35,  24,5000,35,    5000,100,5000  ,4000,9000,    0,0,-55, 100


# 5000ft clouds west.  Start: -10,15 ... 1,20  -> South 25 miles, 100mph

8,0.0101, 0.18,0,2,    -10,5000,15,  1,4000,20,    5000,1000,5000  ,4000,9000,  0,0,-25, 100
6,0.03,     0.18,0,2,    -10,5000,15,  4,5000,20,    4500,1000,4500  ,3000,8000,  0,0,-25, 100
11,0.05,    0.18,0,2,    -13,5000,15,  3,5500,20,    8000,2000,3000  ,4500,8000,  0,0,-25, 100
6,0.07,    0.18,0,2,     -13,3100,15,  4,5200,20,     5000,1000,5000  ,4000,9000,  0,0,-25, 100
8,0.09,    0.18,0,2,     -12,2600,15,  3,5700,20,     4000,1000,5000  ,3000,4000,  0,0,-35, 100
9,0.11,    0.18,0,2,     -11,5000,15,  4,5000,20,    5000,1000,5000  ,6000,9000,  0,0,-25, 100
7,0.13,    0.18,0,2,     -12,5100,15,  2,4900,20,    5000,500,8000  ,6000,9000,    0,0,-35, 100
9,0.15,    0.18,0,2,     -9, 5000,15,  4,5000,20,    5000,100,5000  ,4000,9000,    0,0,-25, 100


# 25000ft cloud sprinkles.  Start:  -45,40 ... 45,51   -> Southeast 85 miles, 400mph

7,0.0001, 0.02,0,2,    -45,25000,40, 45,24000,51,    6000,5000,8000  ,8000,11000,  15,0,-82, 400


# Low local cloud cover.  Start:  -17, -5 ....  -12, 8   ->  South 5 miles, 10mph

8,0.0001, 0.501,0,2,      -17,5000,-5,    -12.2,4000,-8,             5000,1000,5000  ,4000,6000,  0,0, -5, 10
6,0.00012, 0.501,0,2,    -17.2,5200,     -8.5,  -12,5000,-9.5,    4500,1000,4500  ,3000,4000,  0,0,-5, 10
7,0.00014, 0.501,0,2,    -16.9,4900,     -10,  -12.1,5500,-11,    8000,2000,3000  ,4500,8000,  0,0,-5, 10


As you can see, there are basically 5 different cloud layers.  

The first is a large cover at around 8k that spans across the east side of the 128x128 map laterally. It is not too dense, but will provide cover for aircraft.  Great for middle-alt furballing.  

The second and third are low altitude clouds, pretty dense.  If they are below you when you try to bomb - tough luck.    These are excellent for low alt fights, since the lowest clouds are at 50ft.  Don't dive too steeply into the clouds, you might not get out of it alive.     These are also the life insurance of every pilot.  You can dive into these and get rid of your pursuers.

The fourth cloud group are high 25k clouds, spread across the whole map.  About one cloud per 15 miles.  They move fast across the map.

The fifth and last cloud group is what I will do more experimenting on.  It is a small local overcast, covers about 5x5 miles and is very dense.  It is currently at about 5k, with lowest clouds around 100ft.  I could take some clouds off the other layers and spread a few of these local overcasts over the map.  I think that would be a good way to do this...   These would be nice to spread over the strategic targets, moving across them slowly.  The bombers would have to wait for an opening in the layer to be able to bomb.  Or optionally come in lower.  Or send Jabos.    If you have a tank battle map, put these over the battlefield so the Jabos will have a hard time pinning you down.

Go ahead, try them out!  

Create a new text file into your aheditor/terrains/*** -folder, copy that above quote there and rename the file ***.wca, where *** is the name of your terrain.  Be sure to take a backup copy of your old .wca file first!

Have fun!

Camo


[This message has been edited by LLv34_Camouflage (edited 11-21-2000).]
CO, Lentolaivue 34
Brewster's in AH!
"How about the power to kill a Yak from 200 yards away - with mind bullets!"