Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Terrain Editor => Topic started by: Bogie603rd on July 18, 2006, 03:13:13 PM
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This is to all the people who wish they knew how to use the Terrain Editor.
http://603sqdrn.collectivelyspaced.com/ah2te2083.zip
Finished 3 hours ago.... Wee, that was one tough request by a new guy.
And for those of you not talented enough to know what it is.... It's a new tutorial on the Terrain Editor.
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Yes Thanks, I want to revise my old map now. Is there a way to re-name the files ? without having to start all over ! its a 250 map that took three months for my first try wheeew. This map now is DLsFiji and I really do not want to start all over with it, just a lot of add to space for a nice revision is in order.
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Yes there is, it's quite simple. Go into your map's folder (Usually: C:\ Program Files\HTC\ah2editor\mymapname\ ) And look for your map's files. Re-name all those files with the new map's name. Just incase, im not sure, but I think the name is "case sensitive". So if any part of the name is capitalized, it has to be renamed with those capitalizations. So, just re-name all those files with the new name. And if you have some files in the texsrc folder with the map's name on it (Such as the bitmap image) I suggest you re-name that as well with the new name.
Good luck!:aok
EDIT: I forgot to mention, the folder you go into to locate those files you re-named. It too has to be re-named with the new map name. Afterwards load the TE, go to: File>Open. Look for your new map's name, open that folder, and then open the .oba file from the list.
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And don't forget when renaming that map name must be under 8 letters
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Bogie, one correction. Everything should be group master except CV groups.
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Yes I know NHawk, but after testing it, Ports werent named ports! They were all airfields.
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Bogie... do a little reading in the TE help file about the Object Data property. Hopefully that will shed some light on your misunderstanding.
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Okay, I know its not flawless, but im just teaching it the way that I know works for me. Excuse me if my terms are logically incorrect.
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Bogie, I'm trying to help you here by pointing you in the right direction. It's not a matter of "what works for me"... it's a matter of what is correct, period.
Unless, of course, your tutorial is ONLY intended for the construction of H2H terrains, and it does not matter if it is built correctly... then you should make a disclaimer on the front page of it. If that is your only intention, then I apologize and will lay back.
In short... Yes, you absolutely assign VHs and Ports as Group Masters, and in the Object Data box you type in 0 for airfield, 1 for VH, and 2 for port. These code numbers provide the correct icons on the map, which is what you were trying to do (incorrectly) by assigning them the VH Type and Port Type.
This is all in the TE Help file.
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Okay. Now that I know, I will get into it. Should have the new one available tommorow on the same link. Thanks for the heads-up.
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Alright, I changed everything I saw. Didn't do a complete "read-through" of the document to make sure I got it all. I am pretty sure I got it all though. Anyways, if you guys find something I didn't, let me know.
Well I replaced the old one with the new one, still the same link. And yes, i'm gonna make it easy for you and give you the same link:
http://603sqdrn.collectivelyspaced.com/ah2te2083.zip
:aok
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Also review entry points.
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Review HQs also. They should be group masters also.
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What needs to be changed on the entry points? Okay NHawk, does HQ require a specific "Object Data" value to be known as "HQ"? Or what needs to be done? Because im used to just assigning it as "HQ".
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HQs are Group Masters... you don't need to specify anything further than CO1/Z1, CO2/Z2, or CO3/Z3.
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Okay, just checking to make sure they dont require any special "Object Data" values etc...
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One thing I did notice. Although I made "Group Master" HQ's. Since they are so close together only the bishops have an HQ. The Knight's and Rook's HQ icons won't show up although they have the same settings as the bishop HQ, except for a different country assigned and different zone assigned.
I will however edit the tutorial to make the necessary changes about the "HQ".
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Alright, I edited the tutorial and made the necessary changes based on your and my findings.
It's the same link but once again I will provide it for "Easy access". Let me know if there's anything I missed or need to fix.
http://603sqdrn.collectivelyspaced.com/ah2te2083.zip
:aok
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i made 3 maps using our directions:D
took me hours
found them on my com. But didn't know where u where coming up with "test.bmp". So i didn't get to see wat any of them look like. :furious :cry :furious
i didn't get that part of the instructions. :confused:
i don't know but will my map be a flat plain? :confused:
if so
how do i put trees, barns, hills, ect.......? :confused:
-68slayr-
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I am so sorry, I meant to include that. The trees are part of the terrain tile "Tree" or "Forest". The farms are also a terrain tile named "Farm". These arent objects you can place, they are terrain tiles and scenery. And to raise terrain, go to the "Terrain" interface and look for: Set Alt. Which is under the list of terrain tiles. The number inside that box by default is "1000". If you want a particular part of your terrain to be higher than "1000" feet, you can change that number.
NOTE: Terrain is only increased by "100" feet. So you cant type in: 1245 Feet. It has to be done using hundreds!
(Use "Grid" for this.) Now, click on the area of the terrain you want to raise. It doesent matter if it's a blue or green arrow, just as long as you have some terrain selected. Then, right-click on your mouse to raise the terrain to the specified altitude.:aok
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Originally posted by Bogie603rd
NOTE: Terrain is only increased by "100" feet. So you cant type in: 1245 Feet. It has to be done using hundreds!
Huh? :huh Guess again!
You can increase terrain altitude 1 foot at a time if you want.
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Too bad when I tried what your mentioning, it never increased altitude in AH. I tried to raise the terrain by 50 feet to make a "runway bridge" a year ago. The terrain never raised itself even when I set "Y" of the rwy to "50" and un-checked "Set to Terrain Alt".
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Trust me... it works. :)
Runways are only textured on the top side. You can be under it and not know it.
Try placing a runway the way you said 1 mile away from a base. Go to it and drive across it. The go back and about 1/2 way through drive off the side, you'll fall 50 feet. Drive under where it should be and you won't see it.
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I trust you on that part. But the thing i'm mentioning is that the terrain raising of 50 feet didnt work for me. The ground was 100% level. And everything around the "50 foot raised" tiles was level. So there was no difference.
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I followed your tut. and made a working map exelent work on the tut.
What I'ld like to know now, is there a way to import a
topigraphical map of a continent into the TE to make a map,
or does it all have to be done from scratch.
Middog
332nd Flying Mongrels
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Remember the maximum map size is 512 miles x 512 miles.
A full continent would be squashed beyond recognition.
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So you really couldn't make a map of say North America?
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Well considering you have 262,144 square miles to work with and North America is over 9,000,000 square miles I'd say no.
If you did you would lose all features of the terrain.
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LOL that's a lot.
Thanks for the info, only reason I asked is a thought I had about
a "What if" type map just for fun or H2H type stuff...
Once again thanks for the info
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Most H2H terrains are going to be 64 x 64 with only a few bases so the frame rates stay high and down load times stay low.
Be sure to optomise your terrain by deleting anything but water tiles outside the map area and make sure all the water is at zero elevation. Also, use a 512 x 512 clipboard map.
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Ahhhhhhhh... yes grasshopper, but you can fix it in the old editor. Invert the runway and sandwich it under the other one so you can see it from underneath. I build a workable bridge that way.
maybe Pokie still has the original Tunisia map that had it. hyblair Made a film of it, and added Ozzie's Crazy Train music to it.
I drove a flak on the bridge and was shooting at them as they flew over and under the bridge.
NUTTZ
Originally posted by NHawk
Trust me... it works. :)
Runways are only textured on the top side. You can be under it and not know it.
Try placing a runway the way you said 1 mile away from a base. Go to it and drive across it. The go back and about 1/2 way through drive off the side, you'll fall 50 feet. Drive under where it should be and you won't see it.
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Good to see you Nuttz...
I experimented with that long ago when you first posted about bridges. :)
I was really just poining out that raising the elevation 1 foot at a time does work as one would expect. And, speculating on why Bogie may have thought it doesn't work.
Hmm..Feasterville huh? My wife is from Southampton & best friends are in Trevose on Loblolly....
1) We might indirectly (or directly) know each other.
2) I'm in Southampton once or twice a year. We should meet.
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Feasterville and Trevose are the same area, Lower Southampton township. I'm North of street road, just above the Trevose Fire Company. I moved from Philly 3 years ago, still learning the area, but it ROCKS!!!!!!!!
Yes, post when your in the area
Yes you can change the elevation 1 foot.
NUTTZ
Originally posted by NHawk
Good to see you Nuttz...
I experimented with that long ago when you first posted about bridges. :)
I was really just poining out that raising the elevation 1 foot at a time does work as one would expect. And, speculating on why Bogie may have thought it doesn't work.
Hmm..Feasterville huh? My wife is from Southampton & best friends are in Trevose on Loblolly....
1) We might indirectly (or directly) know each other.
2) I'm in Southampton once or twice a year. We should meet.
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I know exactly where you are. Near the tracks. :)
I'll post next time I'm around. :)
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Originally posted by mrmidi
I followed your tut. and made a working map exelent work on the tut.
What I'ld like to know now, is there a way to import a
topigraphical map of a continent into the TE to make a map,
or does it all have to be done from scratch.
Thanks for the compliment, finally got it straightened out after some necessary discrimination (thanks guys!).
About the topographical map. I once made a malta terrain still being used in H2H known as "MaltaDn1". It has 6-10 bishop CV's vs the maltese bases owned by the knights which are HEAVILY armored. I got the map image to look the way it is by taking an image off a weather site!
I just went online and searched for: Malta Maps. Immediatly one of the first 5 results was "Weather for Malta". I clicked on that and got a few neat map options for the terrain. I used that, made it a 256 color bitmap, added the grid ontop of it using Adobe Photoshop. And then just added my own system of grid coordinates.
From there, I just used that bitmap as my map image, then zoomed in very close on the bitmap in the TE, then went around placing the border tiles of the terrain. It sounds complicated, and yes, it is time consuming. But it is rather simple when you have all the tools necessary!
NOTE: It's much harder to try this example with a smaller map. Placing the tiles in the exact locations becomes much more difficult and doesent look at all as what it did on the bitmap.
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First off I want to thank you Bogie very much for taking the time to write the tutorial on terain building. I printed it out last night and plan to spend a lot time reading it. Outstanding work!
In one of the posts to this thread a reference is made to the TE help file. Where do I find it? I want to download that puppy too.
thanks again
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The TE help file is built into the Terrain Editor. It's on the menu bar.
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Thanks badhorse, I appreciate all compliments, as well as the discrimination (Thanks again guys)!:aok
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I am now placing roads and convoys about the map. In testing these... here is what I am seeing. Convoys, Trains, and Barges run all the time, with or with out damage to their bases. The damage does not repair even after seval hours. Things i may have gotten wrong are...Group Masters and Zones. I did not give any bases a group master, and i may be out of sequence with zones and base numbers i.e. (1) Bish (2) Knights, and mutiples of three for the rooks. One more thought also ...does there have to be a depot at each end of a supply road ? :rolleyes:
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The only base number that matters is A1. It must be Bish, Airfield 1, Zone 1. Don't skip any numbers in the final terrain.
All bases and strat must be Group Masters except task groups, they're owned by a base.
Use the build roads button to populate your roads with convoys, and edit them. Remember to use the redo objects button after you edit roads. This will also take care of the "depots".
When testing or placing roads, know that the vehicles run for 10 minutes no matter how long the track is, then they start over. If things aren't being rebuilt there could be a couple of reasons.
Field or Strat isn't a Group Master.
Zones or base numbers don't match after you renumbered the bases.
You changed the elevations the roads run over (maybe.)
You forgot to Redo Objects one last time.
You have the Arena Settings Fubar i.e. DowntimeMult = max.
Probably others.
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Originally posted by DLfrmHLL
I am now placing roads and convoys about the map. In testing these... here is what I am seeing. Convoys, Trains, and Barges run all the time, with or with out damage to their bases. The damage does not repair even after seval hours. Things i may have gotten wrong are...Group Masters and Zones. I did not give any bases a group master, and i may be out of sequence with zones and base numbers i.e. (1) Bish (2) Knights, and mutiples of three for the rooks. One more thought also ...does there have to be a depot at each end of a supply road ? :rolleyes:
That is the purpose of the convoys, etc...to supply a field or factory so they would run all of the time.
If you haven't placed factories properly your bases will never repair and/or the factories themselves won't repair.
If you haven't placed bases properly, such as labeling them group masters and attaching them to the proper zones they will never repair.
And, rather than placing roads and tracks manually try using the "create all" button. :)
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Just incase your making a "8-Player" map, you might not want to worry about strat. People in 8-Player want small maps, and unless its for some kind of a scenario, I suggest you don't worry about it.
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YES! YES! TY! NOW I CAN MAKE MAPS THAT TUTORIAL HAS MADE EVERYTHING CLEAR! TY <>
now....
question....
y do i have no map when i go into offline? i did wut u said, but he only "map" the TE made was this pissant light blue map with cords 10,sumthin in a very light grey in corner, i see NO terrain on map or anything, my map is a TG on TG type map so there are no bases only 3 hqs off sumwhere, and 3 large TGs i do have terrain out there but the "make map" doesn't make it, that terrainis wut i really need on map too, ya kno? so u can maneuver yer TG.
plz hlp o wise maker of maps:cry
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Bogie have you given any thought to continuing your tutorial? For example how to add trees, hills, roads, rivers, etc. Also I am having trouble figuring out setting different terrain elevations. I printed out the help file but the instructions are no way as clear as the ones you give.
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I played for a couple of hours on sunday with your tutorial and it was most helpful....
can anyone put links for those progams mapmaker or terraingen that were mentioned.
Plus what is the best size for a main arena map ive got one layed out in my head but started it as 512 so its big. When I tried testing my "fighter town" it looked so tiny in the middle.....
Bruv
~S~
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Originally posted by Bruv119
I played for a couple of hours on sunday with your tutorial and it was most helpful....
can anyone put links for those progams mapmaker or terraingen that were mentioned.
Plus what is the best size for a main arena map ive got one layed out in my head but started it as 512 so its big. When I tried testing my "fighter town" it looked so tiny in the middle.....
Bruv
~S~
Terragen - http://www.planetside.co.uk/terragen/
World Machine - http://www.world-machine.com/
Mapmaker - You have to get this from someone who has it
BMP2MAP - http://www.accesswave.ca/~tscott/AH-stuff/AH-Editor&Stuff/AKBmp2map/
Tilesetter (Machnix) - Not sure if available online anywhere
Tilesetter (mine) - Give me email address and I'll send
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I got a couple of new toys and you helped me to fix my bmp2map.
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Originally posted by Yoshimbo
YES! YES! TY! NOW I CAN MAKE MAPS THAT TUTORIAL HAS MADE EVERYTHING CLEAR! TY <>
now....
question....
y do i have no map when i go into offline? i did wut u said, but he only "map" the TE made was this pissant light blue map with cords 10,sumthin in a very light grey in corner, i see NO terrain on map or anything, my map is a TG on TG type map so there are no bases only 3 hqs off sumwhere, and 3 large TGs i do have terrain out there but the "make map" doesn't make it, that terrainis wut i really need on map too, ya kno? so u can maneuver yer TG.
plz hlp o wise maker of maps:cry
I'm not sure how to help you, I specified the correct settings to be used to make the map. I re-checked to make sure I specified the correct way to edit the map and make it a 256 color bitmap. I'm not sure just how exactly to help you with that. I have heard that some people just seem to have random errors in their TE, and for some reason it won't make maps. So you might consider messing or clicking around with the settings of the "Make Map" Feature. Maybe yo uwill come up with something.
Originally posted by badhorse
Bogie have you given any thought to continuing your tutorial? For example how to add trees, hills, roads, rivers, etc. Also I am having trouble figuring out setting different terrain elevations. I printed out the help file but the instructions are no way as clear as the ones you give.
Yes, I have given it some thought, such as how to make simple OE custom objects, and propably to raise/lower terrain. Yet, raising and lowering terrain is way too simple to try and make a seperate Tutorial on it. But, I might consider doing the "OE" Tutorial after I finish the new airport map still in the Qeue line of creation.
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bogie, could you tlk me through making a custom object such as a bridge?
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You can't make custom objects in the OE (Object Editor). You have to use AC3D or another 3-D design program that allows you to export objects using an AC3D export format.
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ok thanks
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Try out this here:
http://www.blender.org/cms/Download.13.0.html
It's what XJazz and I use to make our custom objects. It's a freeware program called "Blender". It may seem a bit difficult, but XJazz found some neat tutorials to make it simple.
EDIT: (WIll update this once I get some more info.)
Noob to Pro tutorial on the blender:
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Blender_3D:_Noob_to_Pro