how to put trees on an existing terrain?

[orsin 160]

Guys,

 

Is there any tutorial that tells how to put trees on an existing terrain? If there is no such a tutorial, can you please let me know what kind of tool/software can I use to do it?

[Wrench 9,823]

It done via creation of new TOD files in the Terrain Editor. There were turorials on Deuces's old website, but I can't find the url at the moment...it detailed the importation of 3d objects, and the bmp or tgas that created new buildings and trees.

 

Conversely, one can also easily import existing TODs to other terrains that use the same tiles ie: the green hell tods/tgas into any other terrain that uses the WoV VietnamSEA tiles, or the Germany Forest & Fields mods to those using WoE's GermanyCE tiles. Same goes for the desert-based maps. There are MANY floating around; CA-Stary has some nice large urban centers (read: skycrapers) for the desert map, there's some very old ones done by Polack that I used for the Isreal2 rebuild, a bunch of custom ones I built for SoCal and ASW, etc and so forth. I just can't do heavily forested/dense jungles ...

 

wrench

kevin stein

[+PureBlue 71]

Here's Master Deuce's gardening tutorials:

http://www.sfmods.com/tutorials/terrtut/trees.html

[+swambast 717]

Another question on this, but would it be possible to use a .LOD "Tree" file instead of always having to use the Terrain Editor and .LODs?

[Fubar512 1,350]

Another question on this, but would it be possible to use a .LOD "Tree" file instead of always having to use the Terrain Editor and .LODs?

 

Yes, you could use models (lod files) in place of alpha objrcts (tod files). That is, if you don't mind simming at what would amount to Power-Point presentation frame rates.

Edited August 27, 2009 by Fubar512

[+swambast 717]

Hey thanks Fubar, I was just wondering if you could use a low-poly model and individually plant a couple dozen as objects around the airfield spaces...would that still hit the system too hard? I understand that it couldn't be a total replacement for overall "tree-planting."

[Wrench 9,823]

I actually have that lod and tga....or it it bmp???? I'd originally "planted" a few trees by hand around Tenaru village on the Solomons map (before it's retililng to WoV and GH TODs). Obviously, they got replaced by TOD versions.

 

For those 'special' airfiled tiles, it's actually eaiser to plant small groves via the TEs edit function (look at the VietnamSEAG-AB1.bmp/tod and J-AB1 in the new Solomons & Okinawa maps)

 

Desert (stock ones) are a different story, as they just use the standard Desert1 or Desert2 tiles, that don't have anything on them. However, it would be a pretty simple matter to create those 'special' airfield tiles and add some shade. Would it be worth it? Probably not, but it's definatly a doable thing.

 

btw, the "Factory Place" comes with a tree and 'forest' lod that usese the stock 'terobjects_trees1' and 'tree.tga'

 

Let me experiment with that, and I'll get back to soonest....

 

wrench

kevin stein

Edited August 28, 2009 by Wrench

[+swambast 717]

Hey Wrench, this one escaped me for some time, hit me up with a PM when you have an update to share, it would be nice to have this option available.

[ndicki 22]

I'd like to know how to remove the bloody things! Without removing all the buildings etc that would disappear if you simply turned the terrain settings down. In the SF2 Desert terrain, you've got deciduous trees here there and everywhere, and I want them out! Can it be (easily!) fixed, anybody know?

[Wrench 9,823]

See my post above (ie: post #2 in this thread). Meaning: not without rebuilding each and every TOD

 

or a quick and dirty way, which unfortunatly removes them all....

 

open the data in for whichever is the offending terrain, and remove the highlighted section:

 

[Texture002]

Filename=sea2desert25.TGA

HasWater=1

HeightMap=sea2desert25_hm.BMP

HeightMapScale=2.000000

Color=0.417213,0.411132,0.387073

SolidObjectTexture=terobject_buildings1.BMP

AlphaObjectTexture=terobject_trees1.TGA

MipMapLevels=6

 

That'll leave the building, but remove all the trees. I think

 

of course, you'd need to know EXACTLY which is/are the offending tiles...which you really can't do without running the terrain through the terrain editor (but it can be done by guess and by golly)

 

ever thought of swapping out terobject_trees.tgas??? There's several around (pine, palm, generic decidious, etc)

 

wrench

kevin stein

[ndicki 22]

See my post above (ie: post #2 in this thread). Meaning: not without rebuilding each and every TOD

 

or a quick and dirty way, which unfortunatly removes them all....

 

open the data in for whichever is the offending terrain, and remove the highlighted section:

 

 

 

That'll leave the building, but remove all the trees. I think

 

of course, you'd need to know EXACTLY which is/are the offending tiles...which you really can't do without running the terrain through the terrain editor (but it can be done by guess and by golly)

 

ever thought of swapping out terobject_trees.tgas??? There's several around (pine, palm, generic decidious, etc)

 

wrench

kevin stein

 

 

Um... Yes. Thanks, Kevin! This is all a bit new to me - and the terrain editor either doesn't like me or doesn't like SF2... As I've repainted the "fields" - a bit over-optimistic for a desert IMHO - as simple sand, it does look silly with these blasted oak trees or whatever they are! I'll try both solutions. Something's bound to work!

 

 

 

Edit: Got it! Success - I substituted a nice palm tree instead. Looks miles better. Thanks!

Edited October 3, 2009 by ndicki

[Wrench 9,823]

I'd venture a guess the TE dosen't like the SF2 NextGen files. While, oddly, the TOS terrains seem to have no problem working the SF2 (if one extracts all the bits from the SF2 Desert cat, they're all STILL in ANSI, btw -the lods I can't comment on, cause I haven't looked at them, but I suspect they're also old school)

 

Again, the crying need for a updated/better TE rears its ugly head!! To say nothing of a couple dozen extra transition tiles.

 

desert1 and desert2 tiles have no associated TODs, as they're just supposed to be, well, empty desert! You'd normally find TOD (and tress and the buildings) on the transition tiles (desert/farm, farm/mountain, city/farm, city/mountain, sea/city, sea/desert, sea/mountain) and the "main" tiles (city, farm, mountain) Sea, obvously has nothing. Unless you want to build Atlantis or Mu

 

I see you found the palm trees (stock terobject_tree in the desert cat)

 

wrench

kevin stein

[ndicki 22]

Actually, I edited the palm tree out of the Desert upgrade pack tree sheet... And reduced it to a more manageable size, too! Anyway, it works.