Need help with EAWEuro terrain

[+allenjb42 4,195]

I'm using this terrain in my SFGWWIII install, but instead of the desktop shortcuts that come with it I'd like to be able to switch between the different seasonal terrains from the single mission screen like with any other terrain.

 

What do I need to do in the terrain folder to get this to work?

 

Any help would be gratefully appreciated.

 

Thanks

[FastCargo 412]

Could you make a duplicate of the terrain directory? Then just tweak the particular .ini files?

 

I'm not sure...I'd have to look.

 

FastCargo

[fng2k 0]

Hi Allen-

 

Well, it's been quite a while since we built that mod, but I'm very happy it's still getting some use. I don't have SF loaded anymore, life pretty much excludes simming these days. I just stopped by on a whim to vicariously enjoy the fun. (A bit like a eunuch in a brothel, I suppose...)

 

FastCargo is basically correct. (Are you guys sure no one has sorted this issue out yet? Maybe over at SimHQ?)

 

Here is what I *think* will work for you:

1. Make a backup copy of the whole EAWEuro folder because I'm probably going to be at least partly wrong in the following. ;)
   
2. Go into the top level EAWEuro folder, and copy all the files (but not the seasonal subdirectories or tools folder), to the clipboard
   
3. Open each season's subfolder, and paste in all those files. If there is a warning about "Do you want to replace this file with that file..", click "No". I think.
   
4. Go to the next season's folder and paste again.
   
5. Rinse and repeat.
   

I think at this point, each season subfolder should be a self contained terrain, and you can move them up to the Terrain folder, I think. Not sure about any refernces to the .CAT files. I don't know what else is needed to make them appear in your current SF menu structure, or what affect later patches to this terrain and/or SF will have, but hopefully someone else here can advise you better on that.

 

If it all turns out to be a Charlie Foxtrot of biblical proportions, accept my apologies, delete all the modified folders, and return to your backup copy. You did make a backup, right? ;)

 

Have fun. Hello to all. Back to Azkabhan I must go...

 

fng

[+allenjb42 4,195]

Got it sorted last night.

 

Thanks for the assist fng. There was a bit more to it than you thought. I'll post full details when I get home.

 

I want to check some things re. compatabitlity with the other 3rd Wire games and sort out the issue with the white T's in the rivers (jetties?) - there's a post over at SimHQ that details how to correct it.

 

After that, would it be OK to upload the terrains here either as a pack or separately as whatever version it's now up to (1.8?)?

 

All the original readme's can be included (maybe in a folder within the individual season folders) and full credit will be given to those that have gone before.

[Wrench 9,749]

Quay, worfs, piers, etc...

 

Isn't this the fix, as I remember:

 

SolidObjectTexture=TEROBJECT_BUILDINGS_euro.BMP

AlphaObjectTexture=terobject_tree_oak.tga

 

Goes in the EAWEuro_data.ini, with each of the terrain tiles listing.

 

Wrench

kevin stein

[fng2k 0]

Got it sorted last night.

 

Well I'll be dipped. Glad to hear it worked! Nice job!

 

The only reason we originally did this mod with separate season folders and batch files to copy stuff around, was because at the time each terrain folder needed to have it's own copy of desert.cat. This way saved everybody a ton of HD space. TK later added the pointer in the INI to where the basic cat file location is, which makes our old approach unnecessary now.

 

I don't really have a problem with you updating this mod and uploading it here, Allen. Nice of you to offer to do that. Might be good to incorporate the bug fix Kevin mentioned, too. Or even just lose that jetty. Never really liked the way it came out, anyway.

 

The only thing I'd ask you to do if you have time. is to ask around to see if there are other later mods based on this map that might be affected by a new version of the base EAWEuro terrain. I know Charles and Edward spent a lot of time on a WW2 version, but I've been out of the loop so long, I can't even see it from here. So as long as it doesn't cause too much trouble elsewhere, and the rest of the team doesn't mind, (especially Keith Bedford: I hope folks still appreciate the incredible conversion software he wrote to make this mod possible), go for it with my thanks. Please keep the Tools subdirectory in there, too. That's very useful stuff for making new terrains using the EAW tiles. And be sure to add yourself to the credits, too. (I seem to recall somebody was working on adding support for the new-style water, too. Did that happen? Are there any season/weather/sun angle changes that should be made? I feel like frikkin Rip van Winkle here...)

 

One last thing: it might be possible to do this upgrade as a patch, instead. I suspect a batch file could be written that would convert the old-style install to your new version without too much trouble, packaged with a couple of new INI files. That way folks with existing installs wouldn't need to start from scratch. Just a thought.

 

I'll try to keep an eye on this thread if you get stuck on why we did some bizarre thing or another.

 

Cheers

fng

[+allenjb42 4,195]

Thanks for the reply and the permission fng.

 

Here's what I did :

 

1 Copy contents of EAWEuro folder into each season folder (DO NOT overwrite)

2 Rename season folder to EAWEuroAutumn, EAWEuroSummer etc

3 Rename .ini, .HFD and .tfd files from EAWEuro to (for example) EAWEuroAutumn.ini, EAWEuroAutumn.HFD, EAWEuroAutumn.td

4 Add this line to the EAWEuroAutumn.ini

CatFile=..\Desert\Desert.cat

5 Delete EAWEuro cat file from the folder

6 Delete setup batch files from the folder

7 Move EAWEuroAutumn etc into Terrain folder

 

I don't know anything about setting up batch files, so I'll zip up the folders and upload. Then the end users just have to extract to their Terrain folder and go fly.

 

This is what Kevin posted over at SimHQ back in February

I "think" it's a missing line on the texture list/type/whatever..

it's in the terrain's data ini

 

look for this line:

 

SolidObjectTexture=TEROBJECT_BUILDINGS_euro.BMP

 

try adding it to those that look like it's missing (probably some of the coast/river tiles. The items will look something like this:

 

[Texture006]

Filename=BNCoast2_180.BMP

HasWater=0

HeightMap=BNCoast2_180_hm.BMP

HeightMapScale=50.000000

Color=0.314850,0.335803,0.226161

SolidObjectTexture=

AlphaObjectTexture=

 

Try that and see if it works; I fixed some missing pier/bridge textures in Korea that way.

 

I'll have a bash at this over the weekend I hope.

[Wrench 9,749]

Actually, either there's a missing bmp or someother issue...it didnt work in EAWEuro (of course, your milage may vary)

 

I'll have to recheck and see if the bmp is in the terrain folder, or stuck in the cat. A little tickle at the back of my mind says "make sure it's in the folder, not buried in the terrain cat" (either that, or it's fleas)

 

Wrench

kevin stein