Map going dirt cheap

[TDR]

I have been working on this map for a while. So far I have basically completed doing the necessary textures for the coloured map and finished getting the contour map set.

Unfortunately it seems that I can not build this into an AATF or TSATC map. Both the power toolkits for these 2 games fail to build anything at all.
I have managed to build a game useful map using another computer but that is a process loaded with side problems. Its not my computer so I have to load a copy of game on it, build the map, then copy what I need and delete everything.

I had problems initially with AATF with map building now the problem has moved on to TSATC. So it is not a viable process for me to continue with.

Bluntly I have decided to toss the whole process of map making away and what I have done is for anyone who wants the work that I have started.

I have not started to map in the terrain structures as that had to follow the map texture process, somewhat of a reverse to the process outlined in the Tutorial.

Anyway what is available is the following:
Contour_temp.BMP (10MB)
Colour_tmp.BMP (10MB)
The EMP file (200kb)
Game operational Contour.BMP (40MB)
Game operational Colour.BMP (40MB)
The game .MAP file (1kb)
The game GMP file (1kb)

ie all the necessary BMPs etc you need to finish this off.

I have not built the necessary TTP file but if someone wants it I will finish that and sent it along.

What I have not done as yet is do the terrain mapping. Why not simply it took so long to make a game useable map, that is converting it to the DX format, I have given up. I spent about 2 days to get the file converted and working and lots of power toolkit crashed in all that.

Attached are some screenshots of the map after I finally got it converted and loaded in to the game.

If anyone wants this I will upload it to a file server so you can get the stuff.

 

[CPangracs]

I'd like a chance to do something with it.

 

[TDR]

Some points on the real terrain:

1. Escarpments are not vehicle accessible unless there is a track.

2. Escarpments in general are dismount or if pers on horse only.

3. Tracks on escarpments and other steep ground will allow 4x4 and 6x6 wheeled vehicles. Tracked vehicles are a bit dubious due to slop and hence stability of vehicle.

4. There are mainly 2 types of vegetation in the area of significance, medium,(light green) and heavy, (dark green) scrub. The difference is movement ability. Vision is about the same for both.
Height: It’s a mix of heights so in general take an average value of 4-5m for both medium and heavy scrub.
Vision: 50 to 100m for both
Movement:
Heavy – reduction to about 50-60 % normal
Medium – reduction to about 60 – 75% normal.

5. Creeks in the area are usually 2 – 4 meters wide and about 300 – 600 mm deep. Some could be treated a tank traps as they will reach 4m wide and 2m deep and have steep sides. Since a dozer will cut a path easily I have not bothers to pinpoint these particular creeks. The creeks are there mainly for colour display than terrain effect.

6. Dams are usually dry and vary from 2 – 4 m deep. There are tanks around, these may have water. Tanks are above ground structures roughly 2m in diameter, galvanised corrugated iron or concrete.

7. The various low ground areas in Myall Creek have banks ranging from 1 – 2 m. this forms a movement problem exiting these low areas.

8. There are 5 air strips on the colour map. 3 can be found on the topo map. The other 2 are in existence but you have to look for them on the real ground as they have not been used for many years.

9. There are additional tracks on the coloured map. These are not on the topo map for some reason known only to the map maker. The tracks are there as I have been on them, they exist.

10. In many cases where there are 2 parallel tracks separate by a simple sheep fence I have dealt with this as a single track. These fences at best will slow down a sheep.

I chose this area as I have been through it countless of time both on foot and vehicle. Also its at my back door.

One thing in reality do not set this as having rain/wet etc. the place becomes a big boggy mud hole, nothing but foot moves.

So if any question on the real terrain ask.

All the files are in one big zip, ‘cultana2.zip’, about 18MB
Get the files from:
http://www.2shared.com/file/2333588/af3f494f/cultana2.html

 

[CPangracs]

Got it, thanks.

 

[CPangracs]

TDR,

Not sure what your issue is with the map. It loads and works just fine on my system. I get altitude and MGRS just fine. I have created the AI map for you, which places impassable regions and Support By Fire (SBF) positions for the AI.

I also reduced the color depth, thereby reducing the size of the BMP files by 2/3. This may have been causing your problems depending on the amount of RAM your system has.

Not sure what you meant by "terrain mapping" in your original post, unless you are talking about drawing the terrain objects onto the map.

I wish I had the original color map you used before you started adding your foliage and such. By blurring it, you get a much better sense of the underlying terrain. If you have that original shaded relief map, I could try some things to make the color map a tad bit more realistic.

In the mean time, here is a link to the updated files. Load them up and see what happens.

http://www.pangracs.com/Cultana2/Cultana2_Revised.zip

 

[Pat Proctor]

Nick,

I am sorry you found the map maker unsuitable for your needs. I tried to find the post from 3 years ago, but was unable to. The map maker has ALWAYS been considered a "BETA" tool. The process is just too complicated for any but the "power" user (hence the "Power Toolkit"). I am not trying to be derogatory. I don't mean power in the sense of skill or intelligence. I mean it in terms of having the patience to deal with the rough edges of these post-release tools. I am sorry if our help materials don't make that clear.

As for the tiling of the files, that is an easy fix. See this page:

http://www.prosimco.com/atf/tutorial/tfw4_high_res_maps.htm

If you try to use a resolution greater than the maximums set on the above page, you will get a failure to generate a map and a 1kb bitmap file. The problem is not a problem with the toolkit, but with the bitmap file format. The maximum height or width of a bitmap file is 32768 pixels. If you exceed these limits, the tiling will fail.

 

[eds]

Pat, is the post from 3 years ago that you refer to in you post the work by Drunkrussian?

 

[TDR]

Pat:
Firstly I don’t find the map maker unsuitable for my needs.
The only issue is the fundamental one of map sizes and magnification, 50KM x 50KM and only at x1 magnification. But that is an outside driven limitation and little to do with the map maker itself. (I would like a 50Km x 50km at about x2 magnification. x4 would be even better.)

The map I have been working on is only 31KM x 33KM and at a resolution of x2. The max pixel size of the map is in the needed range as well. So in theory every thing is within needed parameters. Add to that I have built the map several times,(ie DX converted it) and it all ran smoothly.

What I do find annoying and its seems to be a result of several things, and that is when you build a map, DXafy it run it in the toolkit, then add some extras to the main map graphic, re DX it, and so on happily working, then suddenly for no reason the thing decides it does not want to work, sort of going on strike.

The 500 pixel wide DX converted map is an odd one as the process seems to generate a lot of maps around the 600 pixel wide mark, and still operate happily, both DXed map and the converting process in the building.
This seems to be the area of problems, the generation of tiles with widths over 500 pixels, and associated with possible RAM issue depending on what is running in the background.

So far the only solution I have found is to stick another hard drive in my machine, load XP, all the necessary map making tools and set it up as a dual boot machine. Messy but seems, so far to work. The game does not have to be on this drive, just the necessary short cuts.

Curt:
It is an improvement and an aspect I had not look at. I agree the patterns I used do hide the underlying terrain shape. I had looked at pasting on just the green pattern, no background in it, but that proved more complex to do. Patterns in Paintshop can not have transparent colours as background unfortunately.
The map was a test and I was trying to get height delineation between medium and heavy scrub, as well as the height variance when scrub is growing in creek beds. It sort of worked but the shadow is very heavy and needed to be lightened out some how.
The terrain mapping relates to adding the various terrain types to the map, the next stage in this process.

Eds:
The Drunkrussian threads you refer to is at:
Creating Maps from SRTM Data - Tutorial http://forums.gamesquad.com/showthread.php?t=38959
Unfortunately the embedded pictures are not there anymore.

In general I will see how things go with the rest of this map.

 

[TDR]

Map should be ready in a few weeks, depending on collective Human, power toolkit and computer interaction.