Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Terrain Editor => Topic started by: Diamax on June 15, 2005, 09:51:14 PM
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Hello guys!
Well today I open Cloud Editor that comes with TE. I was dissapointed, actually that program doesn't do anything, it only loads the .bmp file but nothing else, doesn't even load the whole user interface, I can only see the top menu, no other buttons.
Well, I said to myself, let's try the one on the Pokie's website, and that one worked, it loaded the whole user interface.
I opened up my bmp file and using the all the default values I adjusted the map size to fit to my bmp, and also adjusted the vector points A and V, so the clouds start to take shape right at the edge of the terrain, and dissapear at some distance past the other edge.
I saved the .awa file in the terrain folder as Pokie says, and now fired up AHII load the terrain in OFFLINE mode, and started to wait for some sunshade, but I was getting a sunburn and those clouds were nowhere in sight, no matter how log I was waiting, and now I treat myself with aloevera gel, darn clouds didn't come... and I look like roast beef now.
Is there somewhere a skilled weather man! someone who can make clouds appear out of the blue sky like rainman?!
If so, please shed some... clouds around.
Thank You!
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Diablomax the problem is you need to first set your monitor to 1280 x 1024. Then use the cloud editor that came with the latest release. I'm sure Poke's instructions will get you through from there.
I almost forgot, move the .awa file you'll find in your texsrc file to your game ahiiterr folder with your new terrain. I think there's a way to build it directly into the terrain, but hey, this will get you started.
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Hello Easy!
Yes, you were right about the resolution change, I finally got to see the Cloud Editor complete, with all the buttons.
I have the latest release of the TE, just downloaded it today.
I moved the .awa file to the ahiiterr folder where I also placed the .res file, but still no clouds appear on teh horizon.
I wonder if I can ask you a favour.
Well I'll ask away, and you tell me if it is possible.
I assume that you have a working awa file that I could use, I wonder if you could send that to me, or even better (if you don't mind) copy and paste its contents here for me to use them in my .awa file.
My awa file looks like this (like I said I used the default values):
72,3600,30,51670,1000,8,8,0,2,1000,1000,1000,3000,3000,3000,-115500,15000,74250,61380,0,0,0,0,53790,0.500
The map size is 64.
Thank You Easy!
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You need a little bit of patience, Diablomax... the clouds need to build, and it can take hours. The preview that the cloud editor gives you is extremely sped up.
I also wish there was a way to have "developed" clouds as soon as you load the terrain.
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Originally posted by Easyscor
I almost forgot, move the .awa file you'll find in your texsrc file to your game ahiiterr folder with your new terrain. I think there's a way to build it directly into the terrain, but hey, this will get you started.
Yes, the AWA file should never be in the TEXSRC folder... not sure why yours is, Easy. :confused:
Easy is right about building the weather into the terrain... just put it into your MYTERR folder with the rest the other file, like the MYTERR.OBA, MYTERR.TYP, etc. Make sure the weather file is called MYTERR.AWA. then build your terrain as usual.
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Originally posted by Dux
I also wish there was a way to have "developed" clouds as soon as you load the terrain.
There is, it's the "First Create Hour" box. a setting of 0.02 creates clouds 2 minutes after the terrain is loaded.
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Right Dux, like Nhawk said, the best you can do as far as I can tell is set them to start forming at T+1 or 2. I moved the front to form over the default airfield so I could watch them from there but it takes forever for the second row to show up.
My .awa file was put in the texsrc folder, I guess because I loaded the .bmp and hit Save instead of Save As. I’m a noob with this, it would have made more sense to save it in the folder with the .res file.
I see from the help files that you can’t build the weather into the terrain for Offline or H2H but I know ndisles has clouds after one minute, I don’t know how they did that.
Diablomax, check your "First Create Hour", set it for 0.01 and give it a minute to form in the game.
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Originally posted by Easyscor
I see from the help files that you can’t build the weather into the terrain for Offline or H2H but I know ndisles has clouds after one minute, I don’t know how they did that.
I don't know why your weather wouldn't work offline. It does for me. The awa file is in the same folder as all of the other source files for the terrain. And, it builds directly into the .res file when compiled. So, weather works offline.
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Thanks NHawk, I'm just saying the Help files say it won't work. Like I said, my .awa file ended up in the texsrc folder by mistake and I didn't do a proper build if it's supposed to be in the folder with the .oba file. I'll try it again sometime.
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The .awa file will get built into the .res file as mentioned above. If you place the .awa file in the Aces High II/ahiiterr folder, it will override the weather that was built into the .res file. This gives you a way to test your weather without having to keep rebuilding your terrain.
Below is an example of a weather file for a 256x256 mile map. I'm going to insert some comments and there will be word-wrapping problems. You will have to re-assemble it in Notepad to actually use it.
72,3600,30,132000,1000,2,1,0,2,1000,1000,1000,3000,3000,3000,0,15000,0,132000,0,0,5280,0,491040,0.500
First line (Layer 1) is a "dead" line. Every time I start the Cloud Editor (CE) this first layer gets changed. I work with a copy in the CE, then open Notepad, delete this first line and then Save As myterr.awa.
0,0,10,132000,1000,8,8,100,100,1000,1000,1000,3000,3000,3000,0,16500,0,132000,0,0,0,0,316800,0.500
High altitude cirrus clouds that start immediately.
0,8928,15,160000,500,8,12,0,3,15000,500,10000,20000,800,15000,-176880,2250,143880,384120,0,-66000,20142,0,117080,0.800
0,8928,15,160000,500,8,12,0,3,15000,500,10000,20000,800,15000,219120,2250,79200,-250800,0,-300960,90838,0,-76563,0.800
0,8928,15,160000,500,8,12,0,3,15000,500,10000,20000,800,15000,-38280,2250,-231000,-135960,0,366960,-111385,0,-41313,0.800
The next 3 layers are low scud also starting immediately. They will restart as the rows in the finial layers are ending.
5400,5328,30,320000,4000,8,14,2,4,9000,3000,9000,11000,5000,15000,-161040,12000,236280,390720,0,-66000,64565,0,390701,1.000
5400,5328,30,320000,5000,8,14,2,4,9000,3000,9000,11000,5000,15000,274560,12500,33000,-260040,0,-295680,298223,0,-260536,1.000
5400,5328,30,320000,5000,8,14,2,4,9000,3000,9000,11000,5000,15000,-102960,12500,-261360,-135960,0,370920,-370989,0,-138503,1.000
These 3 layers are cumulus clouds designed to start as the first row of scud is disappearing.
14400,7128,45,480000,500,8,14,0,3,8000,1000,6000,18000,2000,16000,138600,14000,265320,134640,0,-370920,445665,0,164916,0.750
14400,7128,45,480000,500,8,14,0,3,8000,1000,6000,18000,2000,16000,154440,14000,-223080,-394680,0,26400,-31610,0,-474147,0.750
14400,7128,45,480000,500,8,14,0,3,8000,1000,6000,18000,2000,16000,-267960,14000,-38280,211200,0,331320,-400747,0,255376,0.750
The final 3 layers are altostratus and will begin to form as the first rows of cumulus disappear.
The entire process runs for 6 hours then starts again.
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I always make my 1st front a 'layer' instead of a numbered cloud type and the 1st front never get changed.
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Originally posted by NHawk
There is, it's the "First Create Hour" box. a setting of 0.02 creates clouds 2 minutes after the terrain is loaded.
That creates the very first row at 0.02, then they move over and the next row is made, and the next row.....
I mean it would be nice to open a terrain and have the complete system already developed... the sky full of clouds and ready to be played in.
Like if you could give the start time a negative number or something. :)
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Originally posted by Easyscor
I see from the help files that you can’t build the weather into the terrain for Offline or H2H but I know ndisles has clouds after one minute, I don’t know how they did that.
In Offline mode, you can drag a weather file into the HTC/AH2/AHIITERR folder (not the Editor folder, the Game folder) and if that weather file is named the same as a terrain in there (i.e., Ndilses.awa) it will replace whatever built-in weather that terrain has. But it only works for you, and only in Offline mode. I'm really not sure how H2H works. (oops, just saw that Machnix wrote the same thing.)
CMs will have Skuzzy load replacement weather files into the server whenever they need different weather for an event or scenario.
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Hello guys!
Wow! nice, loads of info in here!
I like that example MachNix, even tough I don't understand all those numbers I likke that you provided some explanations on what they do.
Now guys I'll give you the run down of what I did the last time, maybe you can spot mistaches.
To start fresh I made a really tiny terrain, only three in line tiles, at each edge I placed an airfield. So two airfields, one for Bishops, and one for Knights.
I loaded the bmp file in the Cloud Editor, setup the map size to 64 to be same as the clipboard map.
Now the only values that I changed are the following:
First Create HR and Down Time HR.
I set them as follows:
First Create HR = 0.01
Down Time HR = 0.01
So these are the only ones that I changed from the deafult values that are in the editor.
Then I saved the awa file, and the Cloud Editor placed it in the Texsrc folder. I moved it from that folder to the same directory where all the other files are, the Clouds folder (that's the name of my terrain).
I build my terrain, so that means the weather would get embeded in the .res file (Clouds.res).
After all that done I took the .res file and the .awa file and place them both into the ahiiter directory that is in the game folder. Like I mentioned I also added the .awa file in there just to make sure the weather (clouds) would take effect and show up in the sky, even if they supposed to be embeded in the .res file.
Well I started the game, and put up a H2H host, I played for 40 minutes with few other guys, but I didn't see any clouds, still no clouds...
Now I'm thinking... I definitely remember playing terrains that had clouds long ago in the original AH, and also a while back in AH II, but latelly since I started to play again, couple of weeks ago I never saw a trace of a cloud anywhere.
To conclude this... could you guys give me the link to a terrain that has built in clouds, as many clouds as possible, just to to see those clouds??
Thank you!!
P.S. Same as Dux, I'd like to see clouds from the beginning.
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I made another awa file, this time
First Create HR = 0.00
Down Time HR = 0.00
Again these are the only values changed from default ones.
I'm testing it right now in offline mode, but no clouds yet!
After over an hour and a half still no clouds...
Maybe the clouds are too high up in the sky and they cannot be seen from the ground??
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Diablomax,
Is the sky a sold blue? If it is, you can have a format problem with your terrain's .awa file. AH2 will ignore the .awa file if there are errors. Try this:
1. In the game folder Aces High II/ahiiterr, rename your terrains .awa file (if it exsists) to 'terrain name'_copy.awa replacing 'terrain name' with the actual name of your terrain. (ex. myterr_copy.awa).
2. Open Notepad and copy/past the following:
0,0,10,132000,1000,8,8,100,100,1000,1000,1000,3000,3000,3000,0,16500,0,132000,0,0,0,0,316800,0.500
Make sure it is all on the same line and is the only line in the file. (Each layer lives in its own line.) You can have a line return at the end.
3. Click File > Save As, navigate to the Aces High II/ahiiterr, and save the file as 'terrain name'.awa
4. Start AH and see if the sky has changed. You should see a cirrus cloud layer somewhere between 16 and 17 thousand. It will start immediately and be visable from the ground.
GL
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Hi MachNix!
Well, I don't know what you've done, but now I can definitely see traces of clouds high up in the sky, yes! those are cirrus clouds, they appear faint from the ground, but the more altitude I get the better I can see them, nice clouds!
And yes, before my sky was clear blue, no trace of a cloud.
Yes, those are clouds! and I wish I could make them too.
I didn't see clouds in any terrain for so long, I like them, I would also like to see puffy ones like cumulus, and stuff like that.
Teach me, please!
Thank you!!
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Comparing the two files, the one that you made and the one that I made, I can see that there are formating differences, and I don't know squat about this, but the difference is very clear.
Hmmm or maybe not, in both files there are 24 commas, therefore 25 groups of numbers.
However my line is longer than yours, for some reason (digits), but is not a lot longer.
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I'm starting to get the handle out of it... still many questions but I start having a lot of nice clouds and soon is going to be totaly overcast... not raining though... just nice, cool, sunshade...
The issue with making the awa file with the Cloud Editor seems to be positioning, maybe is just my fault, and I don't position the front nicely, but now I position them using the values inside the awa file. I fiddle with them until I get them right.
Thank you guys!
Thank you MachNix, your examples helped me a lot, and the explanations (comments) as well.
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I wonder if there is a way to put comments inside a .awa file, cuz that would be really handy, especially until I get more familiar with this stuff.
Thank You!
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Glad you got it working. I start with the CE to get the layers placed and pointed in the right direction, then work inside the awa file to getting the timings set. As a last step I go back to the CE to check the maximum cloud count. I read somewhere that the limit is 900.
If you have not already figure out the awa file, here are the fields:
First Create (sec)
Down Time (sec)
Speed (MPH)
D from A (ft)
Alt Variance
Cloud Rows
Clouds per Row
Min Cloud Type
Max Cloud Type
Min Width (Direction of Row)
Min Height (Vertical)
Min Depth (Perpendicular to row direction)
Max Width
Max Height
Max Depth
Ax (ft) Center of Map is 0, right side is positive.
Mean Layer Alt (This alt +/- 1/2 alt variance.)
Ay (ft) Center of Map is 0, top is positive.
Wx from A (ft)
Wy from A (ft)
Vx
??? (0)
Vy
Transparency (Between 0 and 1)
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Hello MachNix!!
Well I figured some of awa file out, I think about half of it (13 entry values).
Now that you posted all that info above, I am going to go figure out the rest of it, and when I'm done figuring out I will come back and post my understanding of it.
So far what I didn't figure out completelly I got somehwat of an idea, so using your info I should be able to get all or most of them completelly figured out.
Thank you MachNix!
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...ummm.... ???
You guys know that you can open the AWA file with the Cloud Editor, don't you?
It beats trying to interpret the text file. Just sayin'.
Not really sure why you seem to be doing it the hard way. :confused:
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Very dangerous to manually manipulate that file as there are boundaries in many of those fields and if you are outside of them, or not on a boundary, it could get wonky.
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Hello guys!
Here it is what I came up with.
I tried to make it as clear as possible, so if anyone else needs help understanding these awa files... well here we go anyway.
If there is any mistache, well just shout it out, I was very tired when I was doing the second half of it, putting it toghether.
Be aware that there might be formnating errors, due to the nature of the posting system, so you would have to copy/paste into notepad the following, and put it all in one piece there.
0|0|30|132000|1000|8|8|0|2|1000|1000|1000|3000|3000|3000|0|4500|0|132000|0|0|0|0|316800|0.500
-+-+--+------+----+-+-+-+-+----+----+----+----+----+----+-+----+-+------+-+-+-+-+------+-----
A|B|C | D |E |F|G|H|I| J | K | L | M | N | O |P| Q |R| S |T|U|V|W| X |Y
A - Start Time Delay of cloud Front, in seconds, When the Cloud Front first appears. A zero value puts the clouds in right
from the start.
B - Restart Time Delay of cloud Front, in seconds. When the same Cloud Front reappears, after it dissapeared.
C - Clouds Moving Speed in MPH. If you put a zero here, the clouds won't show up/move unless you are in the Layer setting.
D - Distance of the "D" from "W" - on the y-axis. This is the depth or length of the Cloud Front.
E - Altitude variance between the min and max altitude in feet.
Example: If the average altitude is 4500 feet, and the altitude variance is 1000, then min alt of the clouds will be 4000 feet, and the max will be 5000 feet. It goes up and down 500 feet from the average altitude, which makes up for the 1000 value of the altitude variance.
F - Number of Cloud Rows.
G - Number of Clouds Per Row.
H - Min Type of Clouds (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 100, 101, 102). 100 is thin layer, 101 is medium layer, and 102 is heavy layer.
I - Max Type Of Clouds (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 100, 101, 102). 100 is thin layer, 101 is medium layer, and 102 is heavy layer.
If any layer is selected, then same number is placed for H and I values (100, 101, 102).
J - Min Width of Clouds (Direction of Row) in feet.
K - Max Height of Clouds (Vertical) in feet.
L - Min Depth of Clouds (Perpendicular to row direction).
M - Max Width of Clouds.
N - Max Height of Clouds.
O - Max Depth of Clouds.
P - Position of the A point on the horizontal plane (clipboard map), in regards to the center of the terrain, which is zero, on the x-axis.
Positive numbers move the A point in the right side (east) of the center (zero). Positive x-axis.
Negative numbers move the A point in the left side (west) of the center (zero). Negative x-axis.
The numbers represent distance in feet from center (0) to the A point.
Q - Average Altitude of the Clouds (Min+Max/2)
R - Position of the A point on the horizontal plane (clipboard map), in regards to the center of the terrain, which is zero, on the y-axis.
Positive numbers move the A point in the upper side (north) of the center (zero). Positive y-axis.
Negative numbers move the A point in the lower side (south) of the center (zero). Negative y-axis.
The numbers represent distance in feet from center (0) to the A point.
S - Position of W point in regards to the A point. Default position of W is 132000 units (feets) east of A ( on the x-axis).
This is the width of the Cloud Front. It's recomended that this number is always positive, so W stays to the right of A.
T - Position of W point in regards to the A point. Default position of W is 0 units (feets) same as A ( on the y-axis).
U - Position of V point in regards to the A point on the x-axis. Default is 0, it is recomended that it stays that way.
V - ??? Changing this number didn't seem to make any significant difference, if any.
W - ??? Changing this number didn't seem to make any noticeable difference, if any.
X - Position of V in regards to the A point on the y-axis. It's recomended that this number is always positive, so V stays above (north) of A.
When the Cloud Front reaches the V point it dissipates. The V point shows the direction of the clouds.
Y - clouds Transparency/Opacity (0.000 - 1.000)
P.S. I did this because my CE doesn't really work the way it should.
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Dux,
There is a Cloud Editor? Just kidding. I use it to first setup the layers but cant set distances to the nearest foot using the mouse. Precision is needed to get the layers timed properly. The example that I posted above uses 960 clouds that have a peak of about 379 that settles out to between 300 to 340 clouds visible at any given time. As a row of clouds disappears, they reappear somewhere else on the map keeping the cloud count relatively constant.
Diablomax,
The only thing I see different from my findings is Item E, Altitude Variance. If you have a mean altitude of 4500 feet with a variance of 1000, then the layer will be between 4000 (4500 – 1000/2) and 5000 (4500 + 1000/2) feet. At least, that is what it would say in the Cloud Editor – what actually happens in the game could be different.
Also, heed Skuzzy's warning about things getting "wonky." The CE does, for example, keep you from mixing the single digit cloud types with the 100s, and I'm sure there are other perils so horrible they are beyond mention. Of course you might want to try it just once to see what "wonky" means.
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Hi MachNix!
Well about the Altitude Variance... you are right, now after looking again into it, I discovered my mistache...
I am going to correct it in my earlier posting. THANK YOU for pointing that out!
Yes Skuzzy is right in his warning, but well as long as you keep everything tidy, should work. Of course editing the file like this there are more chances to make mistaches, but at the same time you have more control, especially when you are like me and have no control over the cloud front position while using CE, for some reason. Everything is fine when using CE, but positioning the front cloud. Besides for me is a real pain as CE is slow, and buggy, and I have to change my screen resolution everytime I use it, otherwise the controls won't show up (bad programming of GUI), not to mention that the front postion never adjusts itself to the map size, I have to do it manually all the time, and it leavers trails on the editor, that stay there until I close the editor.
Taken all these, in consideration I mostly use editing of the awa file, a lot more than I use CE. I would say that for the making of an awa file I use CE for 10% of the work, and the rest manual editing of the file, until is completelly done, and many times I don't use CE at all, especially now that I figured those things out.
I would like to use CE more, but it would have to be a better working editor, a much better than it is now. It has very nice options, but is not functioning properly for me. If CE would work as well as TE that would be great.
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Originally posted by Diablomax
If CE would work as well as TE that would be great.
Amen!