[WIP] Target Area Editor

[+Soulfreak]

Mue, you are my new hero!

Just tested it and works great!

Thank you very much!

One thing you might can add. When zooming in it would be nice that the user anmove the screen horizontal and vertical. 

Edited April 24, 2015 by 7eleven

[mue]

One thing you might can add. When zooming in it would be nice that the user anmove the screen horizontal and vertical. 

Have you tried "shift + left mouse button + mouse moving" ?

[+quack74]

Hello Mue. This editor is something I've been needing for years. I thank you for this effort. I use First Eagles 2 and all seems to work. I know it's still beta but I can not get objects taken from the Objects/GroundObjects folder to appear. Only objects in the terrains' folder will appear. The only objects that appear outside the terrain folder are the add-on objects like trucks and wagons. But they have no texture. Only show as green. Taken directly from the CAT I assume? FE2 folder structure is the same as SF2 but FE2 doesn't have any of the recent updates as SF2. Another issue if I may. Can there be a way to search for the TargetAerea rather than scrolling down? I have 960 TargetArea's in my Verdun terrain. It takes some time to find one targetAerea to edit. Like the Control-H in NotePad? Will you be working on a way to highlight a target and edit it's location and direction? This editor as is is already huge. Again, thank you.

Edited April 13, 2015 by quack74

[Wrench]

not to worry about that Quack.

They may be green due to having a skin sub-folder.

Notice the 'small cargo ship' vs RN Aux Freighter (in green).  The small ship doesn't have a skin folder, but has the texture sitting in the main folder. The RNAF (actually stephan1918s FE cargo ship) uses a subfolder and textureset ini.

 

The freighter in the background is a 'terrain object', sitting in the terrain folder, so it's texture are readily accessable

[Peugeot205]

Mue, thanks to your tool I've been to do more work on this:

 

http://combatace.com/topic/83063-europe-total-war-1979/page-4

 

 

in the past week than in the last 6 or 5 months.

 

Thank you for making this tool!!!

Edited April 13, 2015 by FRPignon

[Wrench]

that map looks awfully familiar...

[mue]

Regarding ground objects / textures not showing:
To debug this issues I need the following information:
-which terrain is affected (+ download link)
-which target area
-which object

Furthermore I have some questions regarding the target.ini file:

What does the following entries mean?

[TargetAreaXXX]
Radius=
Location=

Is the entry [TargetXXX].Heading an integer or can it also be a floating point number?


Questions regarding targettypes.ini:

If the type has the following entries:

UseGroundObject=TRUE and
TargetType=AAA (or SAM_RADAR, EW_RADAR, SAM_LAUNCHER)

how does the game engine decides which object to put into the target area?
Currently the target area editor always displays the objects ks-19, fansong, barlock and sa-2l. Is that ok, or is there a better solution? It's only for display purposes anyway.

[Wrench]

[TargetAreaXXX]

 

"XXX" being the number, the numerical sequence of the area's occurance (MUST be sequential, and always 3 digits -- 001, 025, 316, etc)

 

Radius=

 

defines the distance from the 0/0 point of the target area, radius in KM

Location=

 

given as a number, 1 is always friendly, 2 is always enemy. any other can be defined by the by the terrain's nations ini. For example:

 

 

[Theater]
TheaterName=WW2 China-Burma-India
Location001=India
Location002=Thailand
Location003=French Indo-China
Location004=Burma
Location005=Malaya
Location006=China
Location007=Nepal
Location008=Tibet
Location009=Sumatra
Location010=Bay of Bengal
Location011=Singapore

 

from those, the alignement can be set

 

Alignment=FRIENDLY

There are actually 3 alignments,

FRIENDLY

ENEMY

NEUTRAL

 

Neutral will, for some reason, always show as "red". Don't know why

 

 

 

Questions regarding targettypes.ini:

If the type has the following entries:

UseGroundObject=TRUE and
TargetType=AAA (or SAM_RADAR, EW_RADAR, SAM_LAUNCHER)

 

 

UseGroundObject= is TRUE or FALSE. As in the screenshots above of the Calcutta harbors, there are several cargo ships that are 'terrain objects'. These reside within the terrain folder itsetl. Therefore, UGO = FALSE

 

When set to TRUE, the terrain engine will "pull" said object from the /Objects/GroundObject/*name-of-object" folder. It should be noted, that "used" ground objects will only spawn within a 50km radius of the player's aircraft, during game play. They 'despawn' when the player exits that 50km radius.

 

TargetType = describes, in this case for air defense units, what TYPE of object. Those headers (AAA, SAM_RADAR, etc) are set in the objects' data ini (GroundObjectRole=). These are the 'generic' terms that the game and terrain (and possibly avionics) engines use to place the object. When we got the ability to have "networked" air defense units, the allows the engine to populate SAM sites by matching  the correct launcher to it's radar (SA-2 ---> Fansong, SA-6 --> Straight Flush, etc). 90% of the time it actually works as advertised.

 

This, however, is one of the major faults of the system, for on modern terrains (post-1970s, say) where aircraft are equipped with RWR, of all types, where calling a direct object (Fansong, Firecan, SquarePair), turns them invisible to ALL the RWRs (vector, 3-ring, TEWS). But that's a game engine problem, NOT a targets and types problem, and not relevant to THIS discussion

 

how does the game engine decides which object to put into the target area?

 

 

as always, the descriptor listing in the target ini for that location

Example, using the standard generic tags:

 

 

[TargetArea***]
Name=Anton's AD Site
Position=123456,789012
Radius=1000.0
ActiveYear=
Location=2
Alignment=ENEMY
Target[001].Type=AAA
Target[001].Offset=-292,206
Target[001].Heading=90
Target[002].Type=SAMLauncher
Target[002].Offset=-392.00,381.00
Target[002].Heading=330
Target[003].Type=SAMLauncher
Target[003].Offset=-192.00,381.00
Target[003].Heading=30
Target[004].Type=SAMLauncher
Target[004].Offset=-32.00,140.00
Target[004].Heading=90
Target[005].Type=SAMLauncher
Target[005].Offset=-492.00,206.00
Target[005].Heading=270
Target[006].Type=SAMLauncher
Target[006].Offset=-192.00,31.00
Target[006].Heading=150
Target[007].Type=SAMLauncher
Target[007].Offset=-392.00,31.00
Target[007].Heading=210
Target[008].Type=AAA
Target[008].Offset=0.00,0.00
Target[008].Heading=45
Target[009].Type=SAMRadar
Target[009].Offset=50.00,20.00
Target[009].Heading=90
Target[010].Type=AAA
Target[010].Offset=-50.00,20.00
Target[010].Heading=135
Target[011].Type=SAMRadar
Target[011].Offset=292,-206
Target[011].Heading=90
Target[012].Type=SAMLauncher
Target[012].Offset=392.00,-381.00
Target[012].Heading=330
Target[013].Type=SAMLauncher
Target[013].Offset=192.00,-381.00
Target[013].Heading=30
Target[014].Type=SAMLauncher
Target[014].Offset=32.00,-140.00
Target[014].Heading=90
Target[015].Type=SAMLauncher
Target[015].Offset=492.00,-206.00
Target[015].Heading=270
Target[016].Type=SAMLauncher
Target[016].Offset=192.00,-31.00
Target[016].Heading=150
Target[017].Type=SAMLauncher
Target[017].Offset=392.00,-31.00
Target[017].Heading=210
Target[018].Type=EWR
Target[018].Offset=60,-60
Target[018].Heading=0
 

 

hope this helps

[+331Killerbee]

You go Wrench. Mue, Wrench has got the .INI Dance down to a Science. I was about to chime in but Wrench beat Me to it. What He has told You is the "Bottom Line" as far as Editting the .INI's of the Terrain.

 

Wrench won't tell You wrong...........

 

 

 

  Mue, As for Me, Comming from a Member that has been in this Community for going on 12 plus Years now, I can tell You for a Fact........... This is the most important Tool You'll ever do for this Community. Though Your .LOD Viewer is Excellent, This Tool in the long run, Will be the most important Tool You'll ever produce.

 

 

For going on 12 Years now Members like Me, Wrench, Eburger , Gephard and others Target Placement Types, Have been using Graph Paper, Pencil and going in and out of Game to make the slightest adjustments.      Always, "In and Out of Game". Using the HUD.ini as a sort of Object Placement tool in the Meantime. Very Time Consumming and can lead to a Man pulling his or her Hair out before it's all done.

 

I wishing You the best on this. Once done, I'll be in Line as a Customer. I've been waiting on such a Tool since 2002.

 

I want to personally Thank You for taking this on. It's been loong in comming and I'm glad somebody finally sat down and did something about it.

 

I offer my Experience of the Sim to You. If You have some Questions regarding the Game, You can contact Me via PM. But by the looks of it, You are in goods hands and the People here will bend over backwards to help You. ( They, Like I, Really want a Terrain Object Tool.)  :)

 

 

Again, Mue. Thank You for doing this. It will be a great help to the Community...........         And It will get used.....don't worry about that.

 

 

 

331KillerBee

[NIELS]

BRAVO Mue!................BRAVO! Another outstanding tool for the series.

 

Thank you NIELS  

[Wrench]

thanks KB!!

To KB one should listen!! He KNOWS things!!

 

one thing I didn't list, in the UseGroundObject=TRUE.

 

If it's a stock item (ship, tank, truck etc) an hard placed, like docked ships or vehicles parked, THOSE come from the various object cats. But will still need a listing in the _types.ini. They're simply considered just another GO.

 

The Terraformer* must ALWAYS be very aware of which (or what?) stock vehicles, ships, etc are available in the varying games. Now, with SF2 and the way all 5 games merge, each individual mods folder will ALWAYS have access to ALL objects, based upon the start and end service dates, and sometimes via their user lists. Sometimes, regardless of  the fact that "country xzy" actually had them or not. That's, yet again, another engine fault

 

However, "terrain specific" items should be carefully noted. For instance, you probably wouldn't see Leopard tanks running around on the IsraelMe map

.

So, each individual terrain has it's own specific set of Objects it should, and can use.  (for the most part).

 

This is where, along with locating each and every city on the terrain via coastline tiles or mountain and vallies, and WHAT is in that city (industrial, political, waterways, military, etc), the literally hundreds and hundreds of hours of research -just to make one terrain!!!- come into play.

Having accurate, and if possible era specific, charts is also a MUST. Google Earth can help, but not always. Especially if one is trying to replace the past (ww2 japan, or 1960s Vietnam --there ARE differences!! and sometimes major ones!!)

 

Placing targets is actually quite easy (well, maybe because I've been doing it so long!!  ..). Finding WHERE to place them is trick. (and even I've gotten it wrong a few times.)

 

*not only the TE tile placer, but the target builder. all things are interrelated. best if they're the same person,

[+swambast]

Mue,

 

I know we’ve shared a few private messages back and forth… 

 

But I wanted to publicly acknowledge the awe and incredible admiration of your work.  As the years passed by personally hacking together a target placement tool, I one day dreamed of being able to reach a tool as powerful and impactful as yours. 

 

Even though the tool isn’t actually showing any of the target objects for me for whatever reason, I know that improvements and greater compatibility are still to come.  I just wanted to truly thank you and salute you for your incredible talent and helping to make this dream tool come true – and I know the best is still to come! 

[+331Killerbee]

Mue,

 

I know we’ve shared a few private messages back and forth… 

 

But I wanted to publicly acknowledge the awe and incredible admiration of your work.  As the years passed by personally hacking together a target placement tool, I one day dreamed of being able to reach a tool as powerful and impactful as yours. 

 

Even though the tool isn’t actually showing any of the target objects for me for whatever reason, I know that improvements and greater compatibility are still to come.  I just wanted to truly thank you and salute you for your incredible talent and helping to make this dream tool come true – and I know the best is still to come! 

 

Swambast,

 

                I was hoping the both of You would get in contact with each other at some Point. Both of You two share vast amount of Knowledge in this Area only Us basic Users would love to Know. When Mue showed this, I thought of You right off........

 

 

 

331KillerBee

[+RAVEN]

I just imported my 06 level Hawaii Terrain mod into SF2 to look at it with the viewer. Thanks to Wrench's KB instructions it worked. Most of the objects don't show, their not in my mod folder and I knew it would happen. Not a problem. I'm only looking to place Hangers and planes on the PBR ramp. I should add that the Temp_Target.ini is chopped to just 3 locations for now.

The point in trying to make is this mod I'm doing has sat on my HD since 2012 because of having to load it, and load it, and load it, ect, ingame until now.

Thanks mue!

[Stratos]

Mue any update in the edition capable version of this baby?

[mue]

Mue any update in the edition capable version of this baby?

 

I haven't had much time lately to work on the target area editor. So progress is rather slow at the moment .

[Stratos]

I haven't had much time lately to work on the target area editor. So progress is rather slow at the moment .

 

Take your time, I'm sure the effort will worth the wait.

[+Sundowner]

Any ideas as to why this happens , I cant see anything until I zoom in really close & even then it just "fades" into view.

It happens on every terrain I've got both stock and modified.

 

 

 

[mue]

Any ideas as to why this happens , I cant see anything until I zoom in really close & even then it just "fades" into view.

It happens on every terrain I've got both stock and modified.

 

Nam.jpg

 

Do I see it right: the terrain tile is shown ok, only the target objects are fading in? This is really strange and I can't reproduce the error on my systems. Does anyone else have this problem?

 

Please, can you save your graphic system information to a file and send it to me.

 

You can do this either by using msinfo32:

-click start

-in the search field type "msinfo32" and press enter

-select "component->display"

-save the info to a file with file->export

 

or you can use dxdiag:

-click start

-in the search field type "dxdiag" and press enter

-click "save all information..."

[+Sundowner]

Yes, that's right, terrain tile is ok but all targets are virtually invisible until I zoom in real close.......in fact I thought that was just how it worked until I saw another screenie by somebody else showing the whole area....lol.

 

Display.zip

[mue]

Yes, that's right, terrain tile is ok but all targets are virtually invisible until I zoom in real close.......in fact I thought that was just how it worked until I saw another screenie by somebody else showing the whole area....lol.

 

Display.zip

 

I see you have an ati graphic card. I know of (a few) other people who have graphic problems with my programs (lodviewer / target area editor) and ALL have ati graphic cards.

Unfortunately I haven't found the cause of the graphic problems yet.

[+Sundowner]

Ahhh, I had a horrible feeling you were going to say that....

[jeanba]

Ahhh, I had a horrible feeling you were going to say that....

There is discrimination against the minority of human owning ATI cards.

I suggest you and your fellows march to DC and make a speech :

"I have a dream, that no human should be segregated for the type of graphic card they use  ..."

[shomu1]

Hi Mue, great tool.

 

However, for some reason when viewing maps with the tool, none of the target objects will appear, be they runways, bridges, etc.  This is occurring on both stock and modded maps (I have tried it with the stock GermanyCE, Sweden from TSF, and Nellis Range.)

 

Buildings that are part of the map itself appear to be showing up fine, it is just runways and the like that are not appearing.

[Wrench]

working fine for me! Make sure your setting are right

 

this is a godsend for building rail yards!! I did in 2 hours what used to take 8-10!! (expecially good for India and East Asia!)

 

blessings on you Mue!!