quick look at SF2NA map files

[orsin 153]

I spent sometime today to check the map file for SF2NA.

 

There are a few findings.

 

1. all trees are 3d objects like other buildings, unfortunately they are placed using the similar 3D coordinates. meaning large quantity of trees is difficult to achieve, unless the height of particular terrain area is well studied.

 

that may also imply significant impact of performance on woods. As they are all identified as objects now.

 

2. File structure is similar however encrypted. the encrypted part is the header of the CAT file where it list out all contained files and pointers. However it may be possible to dump out from the memory once the .exe is running ( no sure whether that is allowed in this forum though )

 

3. texture files are not encrypted however joined together in the CAT file. By using a 16 bit editor, each file can be extracted for editing purpose. meanwhile the tile name may be found on the tile section of the _data.ini section, which is fortunately not encrypted, However the file-section correspondence is unknown as the file name for each section of terrain textures were encrypted at the header of the file, implying many test-fail cycles before it eventually get figure out.

Edited December 9, 2012 by orsin

[+Stary 2,426]

trees are (lame) 3D objects but are placed as targets, however there is build in sort of autogen I was fiddling with that uses flat 2-planes crossing type of objects

using trees as targets to populate terrain is a big NOGO

 

re: textures -these can be edited but there are locked shaders developed specially for Iceland terrain alone taht make any custom NA-style maps grey/desaturated as player's POV approaches surface of mesh with given texture

 

these old screenshots below are my tests from shortly after NA CAT extractor became available earlier this year, but without sort of automated procedure to 1)divide main 3D mesh into squared parts 2)output 3D meshes with coordinates to terrain ini, it's pointless to develop such attempts further IMO

 

[orsin 153]

Hi Stary,

 

 

Can you explain futher? why do you need 1) and 2) ? My understanding is the new lod based map should use similar texural method like aircrafts. Is there a direct connection between the lod and the texture, which bypass the data.ini setting after all?

 

By creating a brand new lod for terrain, there is no need for 1) and 2)?

[Wrench 9,425]

there are no TODs on the LOD based terrain

there are no tiles on the lod based terrain; its an assigned 'material'*

all objects (hereinafter refered to as "terrain objects") are physical models NOT constrainted via TOD setup, and are placed individually via the _targets ini (that is sorta the same as TFD/HFD terrains, but expaned expotentialy)

 

*one of the reasons there is no 'beach' at the land/water interface, and therefore no sea/land transition tile, as there are no tiles. Compared to 'old school' terrains, it's a step forward, but a step sideways at the same time.

 

It's my assumption (oh! that word!!), that airfield locations are a 'flattened' in MAX, as opposed to 'old school' with the terrain editor. How this is done or how it works, I've not clue, as I'm not a MAX user (or owner for that matter!)

[orsin 153]

I have made some progress in reserching the file.

 

by using hex editor (the ones that can read and modify memory directly, like game cheaters, for example WinHex). I manage to dump the memory when SF2CatExtractor read the IcelandNA.cat file. it is obvious the CAT extractor is well aware of the lod and fx files that it is hiding. In the meantime, the memory dump seemingly to indicate that the CAT extractor is also aware of the actual locations for those lod and fx files. in a section of its memory, there is a list of file each headed which a hex value, which is likely the file pointer of the CAT file.

[Wrench 9,425]

my guess would be objectdata002.cat; at least for aircraft, ships and vehicles

 

the terrain bits MAY still be in the terrain cat, but the extractor is probably set up in such a way that keeps it frm seeing them.

[+Stary 2,426]

I have made some progress in reserching the file.

 

Dude, WHOLE NA terrain cat has been already extracted long time ago, trust me nothing interesting in there

[orsin 153]

then where is the shader issue and lod difficulty come from???

 

are you implying people have been able to make NA style terrain since long, and not willing to because of TW's intention?

Edited December 10, 2012 by orsin

[+Stary 2,426]

oh no, not impying a thing Orsin,

 

it's just really difficult to create new terrain in NA format that would actually work (my tests worked with tremendous amount of issues!) and I think it's simply more reasonable to stick with old format using Terrain Editor

[orsin 153]

sadly the terrain editor only works for the old hfd format. we may never see a day when it support new terrain.

[+Stary 2,426]

Orsin I'm sorry but everything so far says we won't, at least in forseeable future (but with TK you never know)

 

I wish we had some sort of documentation, back in the testing stuff days I was only able to

 

1)create mesh in Max from heightmap

2)texture it

3)split into several pieces

4)import these into game and setup to show

 

but there were HUGE errors like bad rendering of faces (wrong normals showing through hills etc) terrible I mean terrible errors with the clipping near the "shores" regions and above all errors with terrain collision detections, some parts of the mesh, you could happily fly through

 

so given the lack of documentation and I think not so much interest from other modders in the area I decided to switch back to improving existing old format terrains

[+Julhelm 266]

Well maybe if the both of you bang your bright heads together you can figure out a bit more. He obviously uses satmap textures to get the snow and stuff so maybe something can be achieved by simply editing those textures.

[orsin 153]

I have not created a proper map before because i know the existing terrain creater is already terrible. Too many bugs and no autosave. Exit anytime without even a hint.

 

I was hoping LOD based terrain can by pass the entire nightmare. Now it looks like so but travel sideway.

 

 

I believe this max based terrain can be slowly achieved by steps such as follows

 

1. create a pure water map

2. create a map with water and sqared land

3. create a map with flat land

4. create a map with water and one curved hill

5. more hills

6. more hills and trees

7. etc