Global Campaign

[danzig70]

Thanks for the tip! I will take a look.

EDIT: Thats a great site, thanks!

I am thinking of using Lua to do the file manipulation as javascript cant I guess. But in order to run Lua i have to write a C++ program that calls it. Im downloading Visual Studio Express which is free from MS. www.microsoft.com/express/Downloads/

25 March
I contacted EA Games about the java code for the terrain generator but they said (after finally finding someone that knew what I was talking about) they didnt have it anymore.

Here is a screenshot of the nine saar maps in WW. I have a lot to do even without doing heights so I hope to make good progress this weekend.



I havent started the program to do the heights yet but hope to go through some tutorials this weekend also. It will likely just be a command line c++ program that calls Lua functions.
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[danzig70]

Here's some progress Ive made on the maps. It takes soooo much time to just a little bit.

[Ocelo]

@danzig: are you detailing the maps by hand, or are you devising a program to do this?

[Xmen]

I still dream.......................or......................My dreams comes TRUE!!!!

[danzig70]

I am doing the objects by hand and will hopefully do the heights using a program.

I was reading through the map editor help file and there is alot that can be done with fields. You can configure terrain, objects and heights into a custom field. (would make forests so much easier) You can fill the map with a terrain type such as sand for deserts. There are some very interesting possibilities for large maps or the RMG. Amazing what happens when you read the manual.

I havent worked on heights for a couple of weeks so that I could make visible progress with trees and roads. It is very satisfying see a road match up where two maps meet.

I was hoping to download elevation data just for the area of my nine maps. But the smaller the area, the more empty data points. The files the Demex site create are very helpful though and have the lat/long for the lower left corner and the change (dx,dy) between columns and rows.

So, the user will input the coordinates for the area they want to make maps for. It can be one map or several. Then the program will search the data file for the rows and columns within that range and make an array or a table. It will divide those rows and columns into sets of 56x56 which represent each map, multiply each point into 8 points (56x8=448) and write the new rows and columns into a new file while inserting the xml tags found in the terrain element in the bkmap.xml file. I think I may just also add the additional xml elements to make a blank bk map with heights. Roads, rivers, etc would have to be manually or with the RMG.

So, I know what the program has to do which I suppose is the first step. I might have to subtract the lowest elevation from the highest so that the low point on the map is 0, instead of say 120 meters above sea level, which is irrelevant. I dont know if BK maps would look odd when the lowest height is 120.

The Demex site has the advantage of 30 meter resolution as opposed to the CGIR site that has 90 meter resolution, though the CGIR site is easier to use. This means there are 30 meters between points instead of 90. More rows/columns means less touch up work required.

Now how cool would it be to be able to select any area on the globe and make bk maps from it.

[Ocelo]

Well the game already has preset random fields you can use, see my map editor manual.

But I was thinking you could get a program to fill these in automatically, kinda like heights. But that depends on whether it is possible to distinguish the various fields from the original maps themselves.

[danzig70]

I will play around with it this week. I tried doing the heights manually this weekend but it just doesnt look very good.

I found some interesting US reconnaissance photos of the area so when you click a camera icon, an htm page opens with the photo. The icon is placed at the point of perspective, as close as I could estimate.



The image can be mounted to the surface, though there are limitations as to orientation and placement. Its close though.



Then you can use WW to zoom in to the photograph. With high resolution images its like a historical streetview.



Found this site for Hungarian Topo and Aerials beginning in the 1950s.

www.topomap.hu/index.php?theme=HMTKHT&lang=eng&menu=services&submenu=airphotodeposit&cont=airphotodeposit

Here's some map images for Italy for Folgore

[danzig70]

Thought Id try making some buildings from the historic photographs Ive accumulated.

This is the start image for the curepark in Sopot.

[Ocelo]

Don't think its that great of an angle... but its a start.

Incorporating buildings into BK is quite tough, one needs a lot of experience with textures (unless you're reusing BK ones, of course).

[danzig70]

Apr 21, 2011 17:10:47 GMT 1 Ocelo said:

Don't think its that great of an angle... but its a start.

Incorporating buildings into BK is quite tough, one needs a lot of experience with textures (unless you're reusing BK ones, of course).

It lines up with the lines in tgd's template image so I decided to use it as a base. If the top of the BK map is north, then this should be oriented pretty close as it points northeast or it did.

This is the original from danzig-online:



I will also try a 3d model using other photos so I can do other angles.

Do you have any tips for making the passage ways for the arch area so that infantry can pass through it?

This is a nice drawing of the front:

[danzig70]

The angle was wrong for it to appear in the game accurately. The current angle is good for the north/south perspetive, but in the in-game BK perspective it should be like the second image. It would be a difficult job to do a sideview. Im not sure it would fit in the grids or look that great at that angle either. That sucks. I'll try a different angle.

This is the area in the map editor.

[Folgore]

Go danzig go!

[danzig70]

[Major Pain]

danzig

Send me an email and we can discuss BK buildings and their attributes.

What I have found near impossible to do is use a photograph for the building. You will still have to adjust the texture and establish blocked cells and locators. I found it easier to just use the photo for reference and not an overlay. They are a bit trickey when you build the various layers, shadows and damaged/destroyed states.

MP

[danzig70]

Oh no, Im not going to just use the image I posted as a building, its just a template. It is so I know how to place the walls, doors, windows, etc.

If I find an image in the correct perspective I may use it as a template by filling in the details from close-up photos, separating walls and roof and then painting it. Or, use photographs or drawings for each wall and then rotating the 3d model to the proper perspective.

I may try and see if I can get the detail from photographs or drawings and color from lithographs (or b/w) to appear correctly in game as a test of concept.