Maps/terrains building

[m275500]

Firstly, thanks for your help throughout the last days, I asked way too much questions. So, I am sorry for that lol, just trying to learn. Now, I wonder if there a toturial for making maps as i Didn't find anything in the knowledge base or maybe I missed something, but I looked there many times. I was planning to learn making some tanks or ships/carrier and jets, but I found everything covered even fantasy planes are here. Thanks for that too lol. I found many maps here, but they haven't covered everything yet and from that I understand that they must be taking a huge load of time and they seems to be the hardest. However, if anyone has any link/file for any tutorial for maps making. I would appreciate it. I used to make some maps and mod other games, but I am not really familiar with this game files except ini files as they are pretty simple, but I try to learn lol.

Edited February 13, 2021 by m275500

[+Wrench]

did you check in the 1stGen KB (SF/Wo*). Gepard wrote 5 or 6 tutorials.

The biggest bitch is getting the DEMs needed for height field creation. Most, if not all the sites are gone. The few remaining, offer nothing of value, that I've found

This is NOT for squeamish. I can tell you for a fact the original KAW took me 4 years. I have a CBI map that covers approx 120 of longitude; making it the largest in surface area in the SF world. I haven't touched it since 2016. 

The 3w TE is a piece of crap -- it crashes for no logical reason. But's it's all we really have. There are a couple of other tools, but all they really do is fool you into thinking "you know what your doing". I, personally, don't like the results. What can take days with that, I can do in hours in the TE, and what takes hours in it, I can in minutes.

To say nothing of working with the (mostly crap) tile system. You'll find so many 'missing pieces' you'll spend just as much time make the new tiles as locating all the target areas, and populating them (that's a 'hole nuther story)

So, good luck!

you'll need it

[m275500]

Oh god, 4 years for a map. U know what... I am out lol, it must be at near impossible difficulty. Thanks for answering btw. I thought it would be u know from 2 to 6 months or maximum a year, but 4 years is like earning a bachelor degree so  imma earn it better lol. Thanks for your time 🙂🙂

 

[+Wrench]

just to show what one can be up against, this the CBI planning map 3 (the largest).  BTW, this map is at full real-world (100%) scale. Almost all other maps are 63% real world scale (something to do with km vs miles or some such shit)

[+Stratos]

Every time you post this pic I think, that's a hell of a map!

[+Gepard]

Start of terrainmaking lessons you find here:

 

Link to DEM file you find in this post:

 

 

 

[Peugeot205]

This one, took me 7 years and is still on the works:

 

 

Edited February 14, 2021 by FRPignon

[tiopilotos]

Quite large terrain... I guess the dimensions are at least 2000x2000 km... I think you should have included a bigger part of Eastern Europe. 

That thing demands huge effort!

Edited February 14, 2021 by tiopilotos

[osmanfirat]

11 hours ago, Wrench said:

just to show what one can be up against, this the CBI planning map 3 (the largest).  BTW, this map is at full real-world (100%) scale. Almost all other maps are 63% real world scale (something to do with km vs miles or some such shit)

Was this map this released?

[Peugeot205]

19 minutes ago, tiopilotos said:

Quite large terrain... I guess the dimensions are at least 2000x2000 km... I think you should have included a bigger part of Eastern Europe. 

That thing demands huge effort!

The size is 1500x1500 km

The reason why I didn't included a bigger part of Eastern Europe is because the original idea was just to make a refurbishment of the original EAW europe terrain during the cold war with SF2 standards. However since the EAW terrain is a "peculiar" one (It has a 1500 x 1500 km size but only a 55% is actually "flyable" ( When I say "flyable" I mean that only that 55% of the whole terrain has a non 0 height field ), I said to me : "Well, I have done a lot of work here, but I want to expand the height file since I have room,  but ,I don't want to loose the original work (Hand tiling, target locations etc)".

So I've adapted the original work with a new HFD file that now covers the 100% of the 1500 x1500 terrain, and since the orignal terrain was designed for a WWII action (mainly in France and the South of the UK) that's why only a small part of east europe is covered.

[+Wrench]

49 minutes ago, osmanfirat said:

(picture of CBI map)

Was this map this released?

no. did you not read my post??

===========

Stratos: one day I may even finish it! Most of the problem being, many of the 'theatre specific' aircraft -on both sides- are "Unavailable (tm)" or those we have need major overhauls or replacements (thinking of the Nats' and Oscars)

 

[+Stratos]

7 minutes ago, Wrench said:

Stratos: one day I may even finish it! Most of the problem being, many of the 'theatre specific' aircraft -on both sides- are "Unavailable (tm)" or those we have need major overhauls or replacements (thinking of the Nats' and Oscars)

CBI is the big forgotten, East Front info is covering the historical holes, but CBI...

[+Gepard]

The terrains which are made by TerrainEditor are only 60% (or so) of the real size. To make a real 100% scale terrain you must do a little bit more.

[+Wrench]

yes, like when importing the DEM, use 125% scale. that get is pretty close(ish)

I can't find that screen in TE, as I don't have a DEM laying around, but I've it - can't remember with map dmannit!!

[m275500]

Oh thanks. However, does anyone have a link for terrain editor, when I try to download it from thirdwire site it directs me to 404 error

Edited February 15, 2021 by m275500

[+Wrench]

sf2 downloads, Utilites section. there are 2, one for the 'desert' the other for the rest

[m275500]

Sorry for disturbing, but I couldn't find it.

Looked there twice

[+Wrench]

my bad...

it was SF/Wo* downloads, utilities

 

[m275500]

Thanks for the help.

[+Menrva]

On 2/14/2021 at 10:31 PM, Wrench said:

yes, like when importing the DEM, use 125% scale. that get is pretty close(ish)

AFAIK that's not true, Wrench. Map Scale does not affect anything in the TE from what I see, you always end up with a 60% sized terrain. The only way to create a Real World scale terrain is to do what Gepard says in his tutorial.

I do not suggest to create Real World scale terrains for the jet era due to a lack of in-game refueling mechanic. A real scale terrain will work just fine with islands and archipelagos, though. The only Real World scale terrain I made is the Hawaii one I released in December, and there's another one which is a WIP.

Edited February 16, 2021 by Menrva

[+Wrench]

then, that makes me wonder, not only what the hell it's for if not for the N/S E/W scale , but if that might be affecting the vertical height field??

Sometimes I wish TK would just show up and answer the fucking questions!!! 

[+Menrva]

1 hour ago, Wrench said:

then, that makes me wonder, not only what the hell it's for if not for the N/S E/W scale , but if that might be affecting the vertical height field??

Not sure. As far as I remember, anything above 100 doesn't change anything.

[Gatling20]

I would love to see that CBI terrain released, even as a beta.       

[m275500]

Thanks for the help. I am trying to use the terrain editor to see the map and decide which strategic nodes I will connect in my campaign, however, when I open a map (Afghanistan in my case) it just shows the terrain without any airport/cities or grids. What I have done wrong ?

[+Wrench]

using the terrain editor, for starters. It ain't designed for that.

you can probably try using the TFD tool, as it shows the entire terrain. DON'T USE ANY OF THE OTHER FUNCTIONS, EXCEPT MAYBE 'GENERATE PLANNING MAP'. 

if you DO do something wrong, exit without saving and hope the best. otherwise, the TFD & HFD will become "damaged"

TFD Tool.7z