My way to create a terrain LESSON 6

[+Gepard 10,688]

LESSON 6: The Planning Map

 

To finish the terrain we must now create a planning map.

The planning map you need for single mission screens, but also for

campaigns. It is the Map you can select in game menu.

 

Step 1: The Planningmap

If you open the file Kashmir.ini you will find following lines

 

[Map]

FilenameFormat=GermanyCE_Map%d.bmp

Width=1000000.0

Height=1000000.0

NumZoomLevels=2

 

This is taken from WOE GermanyCE terrain. Thatswhy i will rename

GermanyCE_MAP into Planningmap. Now it looks

 

[Map]

FilenameFormat=PlanningMap%d.bmp

Width=1000000.0

Height=1000000.0

NumZoomLevels=2

 

The meaning of the lines from below to top.

 

-2 planningmaps of different sizes are defined, (it can be more)

-The size of the Planningmap defines by Width and Height. This must

fit the size of the terrain. In case of Kashmir terrain we have already a

1000x1000 km terrain, so that we have nothing to change. But if you

make a 1500x1500 km terrain you must also change the values here.

 

Dont forget, the values are needed in meters. 1km is 1000 meters.

- The filename and format of the planningmap. I call my files

planningmap1.bmp and planningmap2.bmp. The first file has a size of

512x512 pixel, the next map 1024x1024 pixel, a possible next map

2048x2048 pixel.

 

- For creating the planningmap i use the TE functions

EXPORT Hight Map as Bitmap

or

Export Tilemap as Bitmap

The exported files have a size of 500x500 Pixel, so that you must

resize it to 512x512 and save it as Planningmap1.bmp and then resize

to1024x1024 and save it as Planningmap2.bmp

Of course there are other approaches to create a planning map, but

this is the most simple way.

 

Step 2: The frontline

Now we need a frontline for the planningmap.

To create this we need the file Kashmir_movement.ini

 

Open this file.

 

I have taken it from GermanyCE, so i have all lines relating to this

terrain. It looks like:

 

[FrontLine]

FriendlyBase=Bonn

EnemyBase=East Berlin

Position[001]=1000000.0,1000000.0

Position[002]=768000.0,846000.0

Position[003]=622000.0,848000.0

.........

Position[021]=688000.0,282000.0

Position[022]=1000000.0,250000.0

StartShow=4

EndShow=20

 

What does it mean?

 

FriendlyBase and EnemyBase are parameters for the campaign. The

winner of a campaign is theside who capured the opposing Base.

Now i want to change it for use in my Kashmir terrain.

For Kashmir i change the names in that way:

FriendlyBase=Karachi

EnemyBase=Goa

The names you use here you must have be a [TargetArea] name in

targets.ini

 

The Position[xxx] lines define points on the map. Per definitionem a

 

border is a imaginary line between borderstones. With the

Position[xxx] we define the position of that stones.

You can ste as many points (borderstones) as you want. The minimum

is 2, of course, you need at least 2 points to define a line.

 

StartShow=4

EndShow=20

This lines define between which borderstones a visible line is drawn on

the planningmap. In this case the first 3 and the last 2 connections

between th borderstones will not be displayed.

The values you can choose freely. Normaly i let draw the entire line.

 

 

I hope my explanations are not to confuse, at this point i would wish ii

could write it down in german to make it more clear.

 

 

 

Below the [FrontLine] chapter in the movement.ini you find a lot of

 

[RouteXXX] entries.

This entries define positions on the map which are neccessary for

CAS, Armed Recon and AntiShip missions.

 

The RouteType= define the mission.

GROUND_ATTACK means CAS, so that a tank battle is placed there.

TRUCK means ArmedRecon, so you will find a Truck column there.

SHIPPING means AntiShip, so you will have a Ship convoi there.

 

StartArea tells the game where the convoi starts, EndArea vice versa.

The names of this areas must correllate with TargetArea entries in the

target.ini. The names must be exactly the same or you get CTD.

The RoutePositions are the points of the map between the convoi will

move (waypoints). This points must not be the same as the location

position in the target.ini. You can place as many waypoints as you

want, the minimum is 2.

 

So the first entries of my Kashmir.ini looks like:

 

[Route001]

RouteType=TRUCK

StartArea=Karachi

EndArea=Hydrabad

RoutePosition[001]=226000,305000

RoutePosition[002]=282000,333000

 

[Route002]

RouteType=Truck

StartArea=Ahmadbad

EndArea=Rajkot

RoutePosition[001]=487000,325000

RoutePosition[002]=431500,207750

RoutePosition[003]=409000,172000

RoutePosition[004]=406000,169000

 

Now i will place the positions of the Groundattacks and for the

shipping lines. As more routes you create as better.

Only the testing could be a nightmare, if you find Ships sailing over

land or tank battles middle on the sea and you dont know which of

your many routes has the wrong positions.