Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Terrain Editor => Topic started by: Strip on July 14, 2009, 04:00:46 PM

Title: Maximum Object Size/Other Questions
Post by: Strip on July 14, 2009, 04:00:46 PM
Whats the maximum size (dimensions) object you can create in AC3D that will be allowed into a SEA terrain?

I am creating (strike that.....trying to create) an airfield and want to know how long I can make it.

Edit: Is it possible to create something and divide into sections for size reasons?

Also, is there a way to combine shapes to produce one complex shape? Figured this one out....shift....select....sur face....combine.
.
Thanks,

Strip
Title: Re: Maximum Object Size
Post by: USRanger on July 14, 2009, 04:26:07 PM
It needs to fit in a one mile-square terrain tile.  Crossing a tile line with an object causes issues.
Title: Re: Maximum Object Size
Post by: Strip on July 14, 2009, 04:28:16 PM
That sucks....the runways are 7600' and 9000' feet long.

Can I make 4 tiles that butt next to each other?
Title: Re: Maximum Object Size
Post by: mrmidi on July 14, 2009, 05:42:52 PM
That sucks....the runways are 7600' and 9000' feet long.

Can I make 4 tiles that butt next to each other?


Yep as long as the objects are inside each 1 square mile tile you can make it out of 4 seperate tiles.

 :salute

midi
Title: Re: Maximum Object Size/Other Questions
Post by: Strip on July 14, 2009, 07:14:49 PM
Also, is there a way to combine shapes to produce one complex shape? Figured this one out....shift....select....sur face....combine.

This does not work...

Any other ideas?

Trying to make complex shapes and combine them into one entity.
Title: Re: Maximum Object Size/Other Questions
Post by: Strip on July 14, 2009, 07:38:40 PM
Any one have a source file for the Terrain Editor...

IE One I can just add a shape to and export the terrain file to go fly.

Thanks
Title: Re: Maximum Object Size/Other Questions
Post by: Strip on July 14, 2009, 07:47:41 PM
Also why do things line up in AC3d and move in the object editor?
Title: Re: Maximum Object Size/Other Questions
Post by: Denholm on July 14, 2009, 11:09:33 PM
Strip, I assume you're trying to make a fairly large-sized airfield. Not a real problem if you split it up across multiple OE-objects. I did precisely that on my old airport terrain. Had 4 long runways which didn't fit on one tile. So I spread them out across two. Three runways sat on one tile while the fourth had one tile all to itself. The only task left to perform was lining up the taxi-ways. That's a simple task when you have the, "Snap" feature enabled.
Title: Re: Maximum Object Size/Other Questions
Post by: croduh on July 15, 2009, 05:01:40 AM
Also why do things line up in AC3d and move in the object editor?

If the objects are moving on the y-axis, then you probably have to re-center the object hierarchy.
Title: Re: Maximum Object Size/Other Questions
Post by: Strip on July 15, 2009, 08:46:55 AM
I found things stay put when they are all on the same plane.....ie height.  Only had top view on and had somethings 100 feet above the others. I should know better seeing how Ive used CAD/CAM software for years.

:lol

Anyway to trim a surface to another surface? or line? In CAD it would have been select....line....trim to....not so easy here in AC3D world.

<S>

Title: Re: Maximum Object Size/Other Questions
Post by: croduh on July 15, 2009, 09:00:36 AM
As far as i recall, there is no trim to function in ac3d, unfortunately. Haven't used it in a while though, they might have added it.

Anyway, first make sure that your object in ac3d is correctly modeled in all 3 dimensions.Then you recenter their hierarchy (or set the object center to minimum, don't recall which works best)
Title: Re: Maximum Object Size/Other Questions
Post by: Strip on July 15, 2009, 09:08:51 AM
Is this for things moving around? Fixed that with correct Z height.

Is there something else I should be concerned with?
Title: Re: Maximum Object Size/Other Questions
Post by: mrmidi on July 15, 2009, 08:11:18 PM
When you say "Trim to" are you refering to joining to objects together?

if so I select vertex mode and then select the 2  adjcent verticies from the seperate objects and then under
the "Vertex Tab" select "Snap Together" and then again under that tab select "Weld".

But if thats not what you are trying to do dismiss this ramble..lol

 :salute

midi
Title: Re: Maximum Object Size/Other Questions
Post by: mrmidi on July 16, 2009, 07:01:38 AM
Strip I might also add that any Terrain for "Special Events Arena" or SEA use has to go thru the CM Terrain Team Leader first.
Just in case you weren't aware of it.

 :salute
midi
Title: Re: Maximum Object Size/Other Questions
Post by: Strip on July 16, 2009, 07:57:04 AM
I doubt there will be any issues but I will shoot them an email/pm...

Who leading the team currently?

<S>
Title: Re: Maximum Object Size/Other Questions
Post by: Denholm on July 16, 2009, 11:12:29 AM
Dux.
Title: Re: Maximum Object Size/Other Questions
Post by: Ex-jazz on July 16, 2009, 04:04:30 PM


...Must... Resist...mu....st....r...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyQNImr_YOY

A 3 * 5 square mile track made with 1 square mile custom 3D object blocks. So easy with the right tools.





Title: Re: Maximum Object Size/Other Questions
Post by: Denholm on July 16, 2009, 05:04:20 PM
...Must... Resist...mu....st....r...
It's so hard, isn't it? :P
Title: Re: Maximum Object Size/Other Questions
Post by: Strip on July 16, 2009, 06:20:49 PM

...Must... Resist...mu....st....r...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyQNImr_YOY

A 3 * 5 square mile track made with 1 square mile custom 3D object blocks. So easy with the right tools.

It's so hard, isn't it? :P

Did I miss something?

Anyway....
(http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh121/purplehaze835/RenoChecker.jpg)

Success........easy once you know it I guess. Have a lot of other stuff waiting to get in the game now. Should be fun to see it all together when TE update comes out.

Thanks for your help.

<S>Strip
Title: Re: Maximum Object Size/Other Questions
Post by: Strip on July 16, 2009, 07:33:08 PM
(http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh121/purplehaze835/RenoAirport.jpg)

What problems does going over boundaries cause? I tried this one on accident and it worked. Main runway is 9000' long. I will split it up but I was curious...

Strip
Title: Re: Maximum Object Size/Other Questions
Post by: Ex-jazz on July 17, 2009, 02:03:01 PM
Strip, Den just goofing with me  :)

Looks very nice Reno setup right there.

If you a need a Reno style ATC tower .ac object(semiready), just send a PM.
(http://fdm4bge.1g.fi/Files/10001/apics/Xtwr1OTW.png)

The over 1 square mile size objects may cause a undocumented problems, which are not welcome to the official SEA-server/s.
Title: Re: Maximum Object Size/Other Questions
Post by: Strip on July 17, 2009, 02:54:12 PM
That looks fairly nice ex-jazz and I think your tower base textures look better than mine. If you could send me the texture and .ac file that would be cool.
(http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh121/purplehaze835/towerpic-1.jpg)

(http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh121/purplehaze835/towerpic.jpg)

This is one of the last things to be really almost completed. Still have the super structure and upper railing to do yet. Also the textures arent even really started other than the main brick. Would love to get some pictures from inside but there not common. The railing is true 3d and I hope to keep the fidelity up. So far it doesnt impact performance yet. We shall see!

Thanks,
Strip

Title: Re: Maximum Object Size/Other Questions
Post by: Ex-jazz on July 17, 2009, 03:25:26 PM

Thank you, Strip. I will send to you a zip-file DL-link later on.

BTW
I made a hi-res tower model with individual window frames and render-baked the hi-res object texture to the low-res tower object texture.

IMHO-ON
You tower object fence / rail(?) is way over done. Nobody will ever notes it at 300-400mph fly-by speed. Just use a alpha stencil for the planar objects.
IMHO-OFF

Good Job  :aok

Title: Re: Maximum Object Size/Other Questions
Post by: Strip on July 17, 2009, 03:40:52 PM
IMHO-ON
You tower object fence / rail(?) is way over done. Nobody will ever notes it at 300-400mph fly-by speed. Just use a alpha stencil for the planar objects.
IMHO-OFF

I agree that most will not notice the detail when flying around. I wanted the tower to look great from the inside. This will be were everyone sits while waiting for a race. Most of the other objects will be lower detail except for the pylons, tower, and start/finish. I am debating on how far to go on the field tho. Half of me wants to add grandstands, parked planes, the major hangers and other things. The other half doesnt want a slow map either with the racing going on.

Strip

Title: Re: Maximum Object Size/Other Questions
Post by: Dux on July 20, 2009, 12:54:58 PM
What problems does going over boundaries cause? I tried this one on accident and it worked. Main runway is 9000' long. I will split it up but I was curious...

It's a problem with clipping, more obvious at lower angles. For instance, if you were approaching the end of the runway to land, you might see trees, farms, etc., sitting on the runway because the game engine thinks that your runway object is on the next tile... because that's where the object's actual origin (0, 0, 0) is.

Looking pretty good so far... is it going to be a desert terrain? I can maybe set you up with some tiles if so.
Title: Re: Maximum Object Size/Other Questions
Post by: Strip on July 20, 2009, 04:11:17 PM
Looking pretty good so far... is it going to be a desert terrain? I can maybe set you up with some tiles if so.

It will be a full desert so that would be great if you could do that.

<S>
Title: Re: Maximum Object Size/Other Questions
Post by: Denholm on July 21, 2009, 10:36:57 AM
You might want to talk to croduh. He modified some of the road textures so they consist of only sand with some tread marks on them.
Title: Re: Maximum Object Size/Other Questions
Post by: Strip on July 21, 2009, 12:39:47 PM
I will send him a pm later in the day.

The area around Reno is heavily marked with unpaved paths so they might prove extremely useful.
Title: Re: Maximum Object Size/Other Questions
Post by: Dux on July 21, 2009, 04:19:05 PM
I've got that in my desert set as well, Strip... I'll send it all.

ps. it's the same tileset as the Tunisia terrain if you want to check it out first.
Title: Re: Maximum Object Size/Other Questions
Post by: Strip on July 21, 2009, 07:58:48 PM
Actually I was hoping to use that very set.

Appreciate all the help!
Title: Re: Maximum Object Size/Other Questions
Post by: Strip on August 17, 2009, 02:04:41 PM
How do you adjust the material setting of your surfaces in Ac3d?

I am trying to do a flat (non-glossy) painted surface and nylon cloth. (Can look at a Red Bull AirRace pylon if you want a visual reference.)

Am I missing something or does this capability not exist?
Title: Re: Maximum Object Size/Other Questions
Post by: Ex-jazz on August 23, 2009, 01:43:50 PM
The AH use a 256 preset materials.

I don't remember now how you can assign these materials in AC3D, but limitation is a one material and/or texture per mesh.