Airfield Figures Help wanted.

[don246 65]

Enjoying my modded so much FE2, a quick question I downloaded some WW1 AIRFIELD FIGURES but no readme I could find were do I put them do they go in the terrain folders like say Flanders.

I have added some Cavalry for first Eagles and Infantry units can any one recomend any other ground objects.

Thanks.

[Wrench 9,887]

unfortunately, those would be 'terrain objects', added to a terrain's _types.ini and placed via locations in the _targets.ini. Geezer's airfield objects, and various buildings are treated the same way.

BUT..

the good news is, using Mue's Target Area Editor, once added to the types ini, becomes a simple matter to place into the terrain, at the (almost) exact location wanted.

The hardest part is adding the objects to the _types.ini. The objects themselves (lod, ini, bmps, etc) would be tossed into the *name of terrain* folder (like Verdun or Cambrai, etc)

Heck's thread, pinned above, has many of the listing to be added to the _types ini:

don't know if the airfield figures are there, but definately worth the look!

Be advised, once the terrain modding (or terraforming) bug bites -- there is no cure!!! 

[+VonS 1,424]

Airfield figures and objects (such as Geezer's maintenance objects and figures) all go into the relevant Terrain folder for whatever terrain you are flying. Those are of course messy to install.

Here's Wrench's response to a similar question in another post:

https://combatace.com/forums/topic/82532-ww1-airfield-figures/?do=findComment&comment=698260

If you want to take a shot at installing terrain objects, check out Heck's posts over here:

https://combatace.com/forums/topic/91176-typesini-entries-for-geezers-objects/

Other objects such as tanks, balloons, cavalry, artillery, and so on, especially many of the ones that Stephen1918 has available for download, should be installed into the "GroundObject" folder of the "Objects" folder of your FE2 user directory (no need to fiddle with ini files to install Stephen's objects - just drop into the GroundObject folder and they will show up randomly on a map).

Hopefully some terrain specialists will pitch in with more info. (I've never tried installing anything into the Terrain folders so can't offer much more help than the links here.)

I do have two recommendations for the Terrain folders by the way:

open the WW1_Airfield1.ini file in whatever terrain you're flying, and change the touchdown value under the Runway001 section to read as:

TouchDown=0,-150

(this helps to make aircraft land a little bit earlier so they don't overshoot an airfield)

also, in the relevant data.ini file for whatever terrain you're flying (such as Palestine_data.ini), scroll down to the SolidObjectTextureMaterial section and change the following entry:

BlendOp=ONE

should be changed to:

BlendOp=BLEND_SRC_ALPHA

(this helps to give proper looking telephone poles, cows, and some other objects on the fields - otherwise they show up as cows painted on a rectangle, poles painted onto a rectangle, and so on)

Happy flying,

Von S

Edited November 20, 2017 by VonS
Fixed typos.

[don246 65]

Thanks VonS I had noticed the telephone poles, cows, ect and thought I was missing a file so I just ignored them it is not that I straff cows.

Me and FE2 go back a long time but it is only now with your Data ini's for the planes and other thing that has renewed my interest the problem is time and I am retired.

Still geat fun and it is a learning thing as well.

[+Geezer 3,569]

Agree about time - I did not have time for FE until I retired!  Gotta question for the brain trust about making dedicated airfields.  Would it be easier to place a single airfield module (consisting of many objects) rather than place a large number of individual objects on a map?  Shots below of an outstanding 1/48 scale diorama sorta/kinda explains what I am thinking.  What if the line of hangars and lineup of low-ish poly aircraft were ONE BIG 3D MODEL?  What would be the disadvantages, if any?

Edited November 20, 2017 by Geezer

[Heck 496]

I know others will disagree because of the ease factor of what you're suggesting, Geezer, but I still think that individual models are better, because looking at photographs of airfields of the time, they were similar, because of function, but they were individual. I like the fact that you can place different hangars and sheds in different positions, which is exactly what you can do with Mue's editor and your hangars, sheds, and equipment right now. I like the "ad hoc" approach yours give us, rather than a "cookie cutter" effect that you see in so many flight sim terrains. Too many things the same in a flight sim can harm the illusion of reality that you're trying to create. Just my humble opinion...

[don246 65]

15 hours ago, VonS said:

Airfield figures and objects (such as Geezer's maintenance objects and figures) all go into the relevant Terrain folder for whatever terrain you are flying. Those are of course messy to install.

Here's Wrench's response to a similar question in another post:

https://combatace.com/forums/topic/82532-ww1-airfield-figures/?do=findComment&comment=698260

If you want to take a shot at installing terrain objects, check out Heck's posts over here:

https://combatace.com/forums/topic/91176-typesini-entries-for-geezers-objects/

Other objects such as tanks, balloons, cavalry, artillery, and so on, especially many of the ones that Stephen1918 has available for download, should be installed into the "GroundObject" folder of the "Objects" folder of your FE2 user directory (no need to fiddle with ini files to install Stephen's objects - just drop into the GroundObject folder and they will show up randomly on a map).

Hopefully some terrain specialists will pitch in with more info. (I've never tried installing anything into the Terrain folders so can't offer much more help than the links here.)

I do have two recommendations for the Terrain folders by the way:

open the WW1_Airfield1.ini file in whatever terrain you're flying, and change the touchdown value under the Runway001 section to read as:

TouchDown=0,-150

(this helps to make aircraft land a little bit earlier so they don't overshoot an airfield)

also, in the relevant data.ini file for whatever terrain you're flying (such as Palestine_data.ini), scroll down to the SolidObjectTextureMaterial section and change the following entry:

BlendOp=ONE

should be changed to:

BlendOp=BLEND_SRC_ALPHA

(this helps to give proper looking telephone poles, cows, and some other objects on the fields - otherwise they show up as cows painted on a rectangle, poles painted onto a rectangle, and so on)

Happy flying,

Von S

WOW not only did you sort out the telephone poles and  cows the building roofs no longer flicker only had time to try it in the Flanders terrain the  "BlendOp=BLEND_SRC_ALPHA" did the trick I am for ever saying Thanks,

[+VonS 1,424]

Glad you fixed the telephone pole and cow problem. If you still experience shimmering buildings in the future, I also recommend checking the following post by Mue:

https://combatace.com/forums/topic/85970-shimmering-tods-and-target-objects/

Install the FE2 terrain shaders listed there into the relevant Terrain folder that you're flying, and then in the relevant terrain data.ini file, under the SolidObjectTextureMaterial section, change the following value:

ZBufferOffset=2.0

change to:

ZBufferOffset=5.0

Also, if you find that buildings or trees are popping up oddly at the edge of your terrain when you fly around, tweak the numbers for the terrain mesh as indicated by 33Lima in this post:

https://combatace.com/forums/topic/90108-fe2-terrain-objects-drawing-distance/?do=findComment&comment=728237

Or simply download my modded flightengine.ini file and place into the Flight folder of your FE2 user directory, for more panoramic scenery in the distance and no tree/building popping and disappearing (keep in mind that this modded flightengine.ini file hits frame rates - I'm storing it for a computer upgrade sometime in the future ).

Happy flying,

Von S

 

Edited November 21, 2018 by VonS
Higher mesh size flightengine.ini file now included with ver. 9.5 of the FM pack.

[don246 65]

WOW VonS you have just transformed my fe2 the flightengine.ini file works a treat on my PC I put a few pics check out the view distance with your flightengine.ini file 

No more shimmering roofs, telephone poles showing cows all there and to top it all what a view nice one mate thank you.

[C.Pascal 4]

On 20/11/2017 at 5:34 PM, don246 said:

WOW not only did you sort out the telephone poles and  cows the building roofs no longer flicker only had time to try it in the Flanders terrain the  "BlendOp=BLEND_SRC_ALPHA" did the trick I am for ever saying Thanks,

Hi there ; Hopefully you will read my shout for help ! In fact, I tried to change BlendOp in my Vosges terrain, but nothing changed for the cows and telephone poles. Attached is my file : could you just tell me if it looks good, or where is the mistake... Thank you so much ! 

wwiVosges_data.INI

[+VonS 1,424]

@C.Pascal,

Recommended is to try one of the following three variant entries for the [SolidObjectTextureMaterial] entry of your terrain data ini file:

and older variant that I used several yrs. ago

[SolidObjectTextureMaterial]
EffectShaderName=
//terSolidObject.fx
DepthBufferCheck=TRUE
DepthBufferWrite=TRUE
RenderedInOrder=FALSE
AlphaTestEnabled=TRUE
//FALSE
CullMode=NO_CULL
//CLOCKWISE
LightEnabled=TRUE
SpecularEnabled=FALSE
EmissiveEnabled=FALSE
FogEnabled=TRUE
AmbientColor=1.000000,1.000000,1.000000,1.000000
DiffuseColor=1.000000,1.000000,1.000000,1.000000
ZBufferOffset=5.000000
BlendOp=BLEND_SRC_ALPHA
//ONE
NumTextureStages=1
TextureStage[01].TextureName=
TextureStage[01].MipMap=TRUE
TextureStage[01].FilterEnabled=TRUE
TextureStage[01].StageColorOp=TEXTURE_MODULATE_DIFFUSE
TextureStage[01].StageAlphaOp=TEXTURE
//NO_OP

a modified variant that works well if you are not using an AMD video card with older vid. DLLs (best suited probably for team green, i.e., nVidia)

[SolidObjectTextureMaterial]
DepthBufferCheck=TRUE
DepthBufferWrite=TRUE
RenderedInOrder=TRUE
AlphaTestEnabled=TRUE
CullMode=CLOCKWISE
//NO_CULL
LightEnabled=TRUE
SpecularEnabled=FALSE
EmissiveEnabled=FALSE
FogEnabled=TRUE
AmbientColor=1.000000,1.000000,1.000000,1.000000
DiffuseColor=1.000000,1.000000,1.000000,1.000000
ZBufferOffset=5.000000
BlendOp=BLEND_SRC_ALPHA
NumTextureStages=1
TextureStage[01].TextureName=
TextureStage[01].MipMap=TRUE
TextureStage[01].FilterEnabled=TRUE
TextureStage[01].StageColorOp=TEXTURE_MODULATE_DIFFUSE
TextureStage[01].StageAlphaOp=NO_OP
//TEXTURE

AMD-video-card-friendly variant that I currently use (will give a ghost/hologram city effect when flying close to alpha buildings - looks fine when further away and no shimmering)

[SolidObjectTextureMaterial]
DepthBufferCheck=TRUE
DepthBufferWrite=FALSE
RenderedInOrder=TRUE
AlphaTestEnabled=FALSE
CullMode=NO_CULL
LightEnabled=TRUE
SpecularEnabled=FALSE
EmissiveEnabled=FALSE
FogEnabled=TRUE
AmbientColor=1.000000,1.000000,1.000000,1.000000
DiffuseColor=1.000000,1.000000,1.000000,1.000000
ZBufferOffset=5.000000
BlendOp=BLEND_SRC_ALPHA
NumTextureStages=1
TextureStage[01].TextureName=
TextureStage[01].MipMap=TRUE
TextureStage[01].FilterEnabled=TRUE
TextureStage[01].StageColorOp=TEXTURE_MODULATE_DIFFUSE
TextureStage[01].StageAlphaOp=TEXTURE

Also recommended is to download/install Mue's tweaked FE2 terrain shaders since they work with the modified ZBufferOffset value indicated in the entries above -- click on the top link in my post over here to get to Mue's modified shaders (make sure to download the FE2 shaders when looking over Mue's post, not the ones for SF2).

If all else fails, try out my AMD-vid-friendly terrain data inis located inside my large FM/realism pack (ver. 10.0) for FE2. For a more organized, step-by-step variant of what I've posted  here in this lengthy post -- see this compressed one that's under the FE2 help thread.

Happy flying,

Edited April 15, 2023 by VonS
Tweaked post.