Building new airbases

[+Gepard]

Yes its true, but it also depend on the ground objects. The stock buildings use not very detailed skins. If you want high res buildings it will harm the FPS rate. Also if you place heavy Flak and SAM you will face this problem.

[+331Killerbee]

Yes its true, but it also depend on the ground objects. The stock buildings use not very detailed skins. If you want high res buildings it will harm the FPS rate. Also if you place heavy Flak and SAM you will face this problem.

 

For Buildings 256X256 or 512X512 around 100 psi/cm or less works best.

 

Flak and SAMs effect FPS Rate due to the amount of Effects being used by Game. Not by amount as in Numbers.....

Edited April 4, 2009 by 331Killerbee

[+GrinchWSLG]

Not to dig up old threads, but I see there's a few active members that posted in here and I'd hate to make a whole new thread for something that goes right along with these posts.

 

Does anyone know of notes on airbase creation and setup? I presume you just model it and then the runway and taxi configurations are set up in .ini files correct?

[+331Killerbee]

Are You talkin' about Modelling one in 3DMax?

[+331Killerbee]

The Tannethal Method is to use existing .Lod's and their Textures that Gepard made in a Package that's in the Download section here at CA. Tannethal just arranges them so they come out to what He wants to represent.

 

If You are making .LOD's from scratch, Airbases are 2D Planes made in 3D Studio Max with Materials assigned to them. Once the Planes (Which are the Runways and Taxiways) are made, Other Objects can be added such as Buildings, Hangars, Towers and such to represent a Airbase. Location and placement of the Objects are controlled by two .INI's that are in the Terrain.Cat. One is the X_Types.ini and the other is the X_Targets.ini.

 

I hope this helps out some......

 

 

331KillerBee

[+GrinchWSLG]

I'm going to model it myself,long with some new buildings. I'm just curious how the game recognizes a 'runway' and a 'taxiway' and how the taxi routing works.

[+331Killerbee]

It's best to (I've found out) Make the Runways and Taxiways on one Plane as one .LOD. Slice it up into sections and assign Material through the Material Editor and export it with those Textures.

 

The Game recognies the new Airbase in the first by the AirBase's .INI example: Airfield1.ini. This calls out the .LOD's to be used. Next the Target.INI calls out what layout to use. For Example:

 

[TargetArea091]

Name=Da Nang Air Base

Position=636000.00,492000.00

Radius=14142

ActiveYear=0

Location=1

Alignment=FRIENDLY

AirfieldDataFile=vietnamSEA_airfield1.ini <<<< Layout of Lights, Parking and Taxiways

NumSquadrons=16

Target[001].Type=Runway1 <<<<< Type of Runway

Target[001].Offset=0.00,0.00

Target[001].Heading=0

 

 

Next the Types.INI sets the Type of Airbase being used.....For Example:

 

[TargetType027]

Name=Runway1 <<<<<< Type of Runway

FullName=Runway

ModelName=airfield1.LOD <<<<< Model being used

TargetType=MEDIUM_RUNWAY

ActiveYear=0

TargetValue=1000

UseGroundObject=FALSE

DamagePoint=140.0

ArmorValue=0.0

ArmorType=0

RepairRate=10.0

StartDetectChance=100

StartIdentifiedChance=50

IncreaseDetectChanceKey=10

MaxVisibleDist=30000.0

ZBufferOffset=6.000000

FlatObject=TRUE

DamagedModel=

DestroyedEffect=

DestroyedModel=

SecondaryChance=0

 

 

Then again, There's the VietnamSEA_airfield1.INI. This sets the Lighting and the Parked Aircraft. Also, Hammerheads and Taxiways.

 

 

 

 

331KillerBee

[+331Killerbee]

Sorry, BTW, Airfield1.ini looks like this:

 

[LOD001]

Filename=airfield1.lod

Distance=5000

 

[LOD002]

Filename=airfield1_lod002.lod

Distance=10000

 

[LOD003]

Filename=airfield1_lod003.lod

Distance=20000

 

[LOD004]

Filename=airfield1_lod004.lod

Distance=30000

 

 

 

It's the .INI that makes the .LOD show in Game.

[+GrinchWSLG]

Hmm, what are the different types of Runways? IE, Target[001].Type=Runway1. Do the runways have to be preset distances? Can you only have one operational runway per airfield and does it have to be a 18/36 runway? Should the centerpoint of the model be the center of the operational runway?

 

Too many questions I know, but as I've learned with the aircraft, better to get them out of the way now. Thanks for your help BTW.

[+331Killerbee]

You can layout more than one Operational Runway, But one is ever used at any Given time. It's a Game limitation. As far as Different Types of "Stock" Runways.....I think there's about 6 or 7 different Types if One includes all Titles.

 

Yes, 0,0 must be the Center of the Runway. Everything is placed according to that coordinate. Look at all the .INI's that are required for a Base in Game that I've mentioned above. It'll be of some help.

 

 

Not too many Questions.....I'm just glad I'm able to help somewhat.

[+Wrench]

There are 6 stock runways in SF/WoV/WoE and WoI and SF2s-- in fact, they're ALL the same basic lods, but get different inis based on which game is used in, and for which side.

 

There are 2 small, 4 medium and 1 large

 

Runway 2 & 3 are small

Runway 1, 5 and 6 are medium

Runway 4 (the crossing one) is large. Good for bombers and such

 

The major differences in the 3 medium, is the layout of the surrounding dirt roadways, and the hangar locations on the north edge. Runway 1 has an angles ramp, while 5 & 6 use a squared one

 

Look at Runway 4, the Large airbase; has to 2 that cross, but like Gunny said, only one gets used at a time. You can also place more than on complete Runway/Airbase setup, but you need to create another TargetArea for each runway (Edward's original Korea, Gepard's Original Isreal2 and a couple other that excape me have done this)

 

All 'object' offsets are set from that 0,0 point, based on the N/S orientation -at least on the stock runways. Yes, you CAN have them facing another direction, I do it all the time, BUT - you MUST have all the objects placed FIRST, then you rotate the runway heading via the targets ini. For some reason, that drags everything else -still in their original offsets and positions along with it. But, if you try and add something else with the changed facing, all the offsets will be, well, off set! So, back to N/S, add the object, then rotate it back.

 

For 08/SF2 the ramp parking slots would need assigning, again based off the N/S orientation of the runway. Like Gunny said, you pull the ini from the terrain cat, and see how they're set up.

 

Somewhre's around here I've got a doc by ?? Fast Cargo maybe, that shows pics of the stock runways. I'll see if I can find it.

 

wrench

kevin stein

[+GrinchWSLG]

Hmm, I'm not sure how all this applies to what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to model an airport that has 4 parallel runways with a civilian and military side. Its fine that only one runway can be used at a time by the AI, this setup allows it pretty easily. My concern is can I create a real airport to scale including all the high speed taxiways, displaced thresholds, non-uniform runway distances, within the game's limitations?

 

Come to think of it, what's stopping me from making the entire airfield on the plane. For example, the grass areas in between the taxiways, and then breaking up a satellite image of the airport into pieces and texturing the airport that way?

Edited November 12, 2009 by GrinchWSLG

[+GrinchWSLG]

Well heck. I've looked a bit more into the airfield ini's and i've found these terms; takeoffhead, takeofftail, taxihead, taxitail, etc. I've searched the forums but couldn't find a good explanation of exactly what these mean. I can gather a few guesses but I'd rather have the detailed description. Another one of those times I wish we had better SF design notes.

 

Also, more related to 3DS Max than airfield building, I can't get materials to show up in the viewport with my airfield. All other models work just fine, but applying any sort of material to the airfield's plane has no effect. It shows up in rendering just not in the viewport. Any ideas?

[+Gepard]

Takeoffhead = Position where the AI planes start on the one end of the runway

Takeofftail = Position where the AI planes start on the other end of the runway

Taxihead = Position of the single planes during waiting on taxiway on one end

Taxitail = vice versa

[+GrinchWSLG]

Ah, makes sense. That answers all my questions about the runways and taxiing then.

 

Still can't get those bitmaps to show up in the viewport. Odd, never had this problem before. A google search showed at least one other person with the same problem but no solution.

[+GrinchWSLG]

Anyone have any ideas why I can't get textures with these settings to show? Its just the stock runway texture bitmap.

 

 

Or if anyone has any better methods of airbase texturing, let me hear them.

[jtin]

Try clicking the checkered box button on your materials

[+GrinchWSLG]

Erm, in game I mean, not in Max. They show fine in Max.

[jtin]

does your out file list any of the textures?

[+GrinchWSLG]

Actually I just experimented with that this morning. Its only displaying one material with no texture for the whole model. I applied 3 different materials, each with a different diffuse color, to different areas of the object and exported. Only one material showed in the .out. Not really sure what's going on, my other models don't seem to suffer this effect.

[+GrinchWSLG]

Well, I figured out a pretty efficient method of texturing that I thought the sim would stomach, but as always when I try to try new things, the sim bites back.

 

This is how my mapping appears in Max prior to export. Notice I've used rotation to carefully place the textures where I want them. The runways have been rotated 90 degrees so they obviously face the right direction.

 

 

Now follows the result I get in the game.

 

 

Problematic to say the least. The only thing facing the right direction is the taxiways and hold lines, including a hold line that is 180 degrees opposite its mate. This is interesting because the game seems to have thrown out my angle settings on the curving taxiway boundaries and for whatever reason has reversed my runway markings. I've tried reversing the textures in the material editor, and reversing the mappings, but none of it has any effect on what the game produces.

 

My mapping method is as follows.

 

• 
   
  
• Select area to be mapped in editable poly mode
  
• Assign Material to selection
  
• Add Mesh Select Modifier and select area to be mapped
  
• Add UVW Map modifier and position the texture correctly
  
• Go back to the bottom of the modifier list to editable poly mode and start over with next section
  
• Once everything is done collapse modifier stack
  
• Select material groups by material ID and detach them into their own objects
  
• Reassign materials from material editor to each new object (else the exporter assigns the default material)
  
• Export
  

 

I was using map channels thinking it might help me in the long run, but it hasn't shown its usefulness. That's the only thing I haven't experimented with in figuring out whats going on.

[+GrinchWSLG]

Dur hur. It was the channels. Full steam ahead, no more annoying questions for you guys.

[Guest Eject]

:salute:It kept me wondering what have made these people modders so creative. One thing for sure I believe they all have had and stll do in common:

 

1. Book Worms (enjoyed reading a lot).

 

2. Have guts to always be asking (there is a maxim in my language, Indonesian, that goes like this literally: "Malu bertanya, sesat di jalan!" Malu=pronounced maa-loo, stands for being shy; Bertanya=read as berr-taa=nyaa, is a verb by adding the suffix "ber" before the root word "taa-nyaa" means asking. Sesat, pronounced se-saat, means got lost' Di, read as dee, a preposition at/on/in. Jalan read as jaa-laan, means the way/road/street.

 

So, raising questions. In simple English of mine, "When u r too shy to ask, u will end up getting lost OTW - on the way."

 

3. They must be "Stars" in their respective classes during their school days (from primary schooling up to college). What I meant to say, they always have excelled in what they had been doing!

 

4. They r of that very positive side of being gifted (by the Creator) people, who have been persistent, and consistent, with their intention (good, and noble one). Briefly, talented, and very determined individuals! That's what this world needs badly in this crazy situation.

 

5.Not the ones who pursue for "everything is money" attitude. See? They all do these works, not without pains, for FREE!

 

May God Bless u all gentlemen.

 

Trust me, and rest assured, when u all gone to "the other plane," we will all have left that very positive characters in ur respective children's gene (or gen?), even ur grand children -- it's in the gene (is it the correct term/word I forgot). We all passed it on to our descendants, and likewise, without our wanting it, we had gotten it from our respective ancestors (Great-great-great and so on parents).

 

Whatever our religious leanings have been.....

 

Just wish to share with u all members/admin, my thoughts that just popped up this morning when I re-read this thread, and copied it for near-future reference.

 

Have a really nice Sunday guys!

 

BTW, Dave; are we here in this super Site a "Boys Club Only" community?

 

Just curious as I have not stumbled upon nice, talk-active ladies here. Hahaha.... Hey; man, there have been tough-minded pretty lady (pilot) fighters in the USA, yes?

Edited January 17, 2010 by Eject