Migrating old maps

[Canadair 16]

Can you please help me striaghetn and understand something..

 

This problem with .tod's heights in migrating new map. I haven't tried yet, but if I read all you guys properly, the files needed are included in the .cat and called _hm.bmp or something..I can see them in the _data file of the terrain.

So, let me understand this, every terrain that uses the desert.cat, will continue to work happily, as long as it is pointed to desert.cat with tiles names in _data file's tiles named with the stndard convention. In order to have other maps that use ggermanyCE or WOV name conventions, can we find those _Hm.bmp available in respctive cat file?

Therefore it is just the matter of pointing each map to the proper .cat?

Edited September 24, 2008 by Canadair

[FastCargo 412]

Wrench would be the guy to talk to on that.

 

So far, I copied over the new CATs from my patched WOV/WOE to my uber combo install and they seem to work perfectly. Also, the older SFP1 desert terrain seems to work nicely with the older desert.cat file. I haven't had a chance to test anything else. This weekend, I plan to use my 3 day layover to totally clean up my uber install and make sure most external stuff is working. I'll probably leave the aircraft for last.

 

FastCargo

[Canadair 16]

Wrench would be the guy to talk to on that.

 

So far, I copied over the new CATs from my patched WOV/WOE to my uber combo install and they seem to work perfectly. Also, the older SFP1 desert terrain seems to work nicely with the older desert.cat file. I haven't had a chance to test anything else. This weekend, I plan to use my 3 day layover to totally clean up my uber install and make sure most external stuff is working. I'll probably leave the aircraft for last.

 

FastCargo

 

Thanks FC. I am planning to build an UBER install too,, like I had so far. But based on SFP1, and now it is goign to be WOE.

And I have three days OFF as well which I am goign to sue for the same purposes.

One question. When you merged the old and new data.cat which one is the "base". I mean, I am planning to use SFP and WOE only, leaving WOV as seprate install. There must be overlapping files.

Have you used any precautions to amke sure old objectdata.cat's file (from SFP) are replaced by newer objectdata.cat (from patched WOE)?

Also the new merged objectdata.cat must be STILL named objectdata.cat , right?

[+Dave 2,320]

FC

 

Did you only package up default stuff?

[Canadair 16]

FC

 

Did you only package up default stuff?

Another good question...

[Wrench 9,735]

It's not the TODs, as far as I can tell; like JSF_Aggie mentione in the Height Map (hm) that are the issue...Brain32 has the full Korea terrain (quite uncomplete, I might add -- even weighing in at 88megs zipped!), to retile a cople of areas, and check/adjust the hms...so that's being taken care of.

 

I haven't actually tested the older maps yet (like Libya, or the WW2 upgrades). I DO have an experimental WW2 WoI install, that has all the relavent maps (MTO, PTO, ETO), but I've had some internal "issues" to deal with...

 

note to everyone DO NOT INSTALL XP'S SP3 -- fouls up the USBPORT.exe, causing a lovely BSOD, and forced reboot.

 

so, after restoring back to just before I installed the patch, I've been trying to restore the rebulid of the WoI WW2 install -- do not believe M$ for one second, that when they say 'a restore will not loose any files' that' BS -- 90% of the aircraft, object and terrain inis vanished after the restore. poop!!

 

Dealing with the Korea issue, and adding the new patches has kept me busy since the weekend.

So, if we're looking at somthing like the hm issue with birdges, I still need to check a LOT of things...Burma is the only one of the WW2 maps that has them; the Isreal2 rebuild I still havent' looked at.

 

Mind you, ALL my buiding and testing is done in WoE; when I get a terrain refined to such a point, THEN I swap out the cat pointer line to test using other terrain cats.

 

So, what was the question again????

 

oh, using the stock hms....yes, you can extract them and drop them into the relevant terrain folder. BUT....(you that was coming!!)...there may still be issues with heights around rivers, coastlines, etc. With my limited TE knowledge, that gives you only a couple of people that can perform the 'repair'.

 

It that's going to be the case now, post patch, can you imagine the work needed to get ALL the aftermarket terrains squared away??? I can...and it frightens me!!

 

Wrench

kevin stein

[FastCargo 412]

Good questions.

 

Let me tell you my stepthrough (I used WOI as my 'base' sim):

 

1) Backed up my WOI Objectdata.cat and renamed it (Objectdata.cat.bak...any name will do so long as you know what it is).

2) Copyed all the Objectdata.cat files from each sim (SFP1/WOV/WOE/WOI), renaming them as I copied them (ObjectdataSFP1.cat, ObjectdataWOV.cat, etc). I would recommend coping all 4 files into one directory (an empty one).

3) Used the old extractor to extract ALL files. Here's the trick. I used the old extractor to extract each one in order of release (SFP1, then WOV, etc). The extractor does not have a 'prevent overwrite' function...and so will happily overwrite previous versions of the files. I extracted in this order so any overwrites would be newer files.

4) Remove the old CAT files out of the directory. All that should remain is the files that you want in the new, custom Objectdata.cat.

5) Copy the cat compiler (I'm not sure the actual file name) into that directory and run it. It will generate the new cat file (I forgot what the name of the new file is).

6) Copy the new cat file into your Objects directory and rename it Objectdata.cat.

7) Run the sim!

 

So far, I have not noticed any errors or crashes. Now, TK I think mentioned that some aircraft (specifically some of the advesaries) may have region specific tweaks, so if there are duplicates, they will prioritize on the WOI standard. However, any stock aircraft from other sims you 'tweaked' with custom data.ini will be unaffected. The sim still works the same way, only looking in the Objectdata.cat file if it doesn't find the specific file outside of the CAT.

 

I only did this with stock objects...I mainly just wanted a common reference Objectdata.cat file.

 

However, there is nothing preventing a totally custom .CAT file. Theoretically, it is possible, though the undertaking would be massive.

 

FastCargo

[FastCargo 412]

DO NOT INSTALL XP'S SP3

 

Roger roger!

 

FastCargo

[avi8tor 0]

Thanks FastCargo this is what I was looking for merged install here I come!