gerwin

I checked. See image.

I think I have DCS v1.2.3 with all modules. Standalone non-steam version. Not at home to double check. I got the module installers for that old version from some SImHQ file links or direct SimHQ hosting.

So I am trying to improve the Persian Gulf terrain. Handing over things properly from Claude AI chat to the next chat. But now Claude seems to have no clue on how to principially texture tiles for the tiling method it suggested itself. I have to explain the exact workflow to Claude up to the freaking pixel level. Pulling my hair out sometimes. But I am getting there. And I suppose it is still faster then doing it manually, but in some cases I even doubt that. Should have a new version up later today. But I think I will start a new topic concerning my terrain mods in general, instead of posting updates in the topic.

You can fly it now. Alpha Release is available. I prepared targets and routes and such, so there should be plenty to shoot at. As usual, the package is uploaded to my own website https://www.gb-homepage.nl/

TFDtool v1.30 is available for download New in this version: - .ini file loading is much faster. - .ini files in Unicode encoding can be read (but will internally convert to ANSI). - Texture loading and downsampling is now multi-threaded and can potentially be much faster. - The emboss effect on certain exports, such as planning maps, has been rewritten. It no longer slightly darkens certain flat surfaces. The strength of the emboss effect can be user-configured. - The water bitmap export was made more compatible with game expectations. - Textures in .DDS format can be read (experimental). https://www.gb-homepage.nl/

Terrain Tile Building Block Methods.pdf Here is a pdf summary of the different terrain tile methods. Advantages / disadvantages / considerations.

The in-game screenshot with F-15A I already made earlier shows mostly gravel, with some sand area on the right. In the foreground of the earlier MiG-29 screenshot is Sabkha = salt-flat. Also used for coast. These particular tiles have "novalogic-style" transitions and cannot be used directly as replacement for the 25%/50%/70% transition tiles in stock strike fighters terrain. But tile textures are one thing, I tried to make it so that the terrain has lots of transitions from one texture-type to the other. As you can see in the planning map as well.

Screenshots, TW F-14A over Iraq / MiG-29 over different shades of sand, gravel and salt.

My other project with AI Assistance. Shaping up nicely now. When the roads placement is done (halfway there), then the tilemap is done as far as AI assistance is concerned. I will tile the rest manually. Then I have quite a bit of manual texture work to do, though it looks fine already, in game. The terrain is 66% of real size. currently at 245 tile textures (256x256px). Besides the planning map, the second image is some internal-usage data image. Edit: updated planningmap, with actual texture colors and more airfields.

Let me know what comes out of that. If need be I will consider keeping things to myself. I don't have THAT much time invested in making 3D models from scratch, so not too much at stake for me personally. For some other modders here it is a different matter.

That is what I am thinking of doing. I will also make two variants. One that reads unobfuscated LOD v0, v1 and v5. Another version reads all versions. The simpler variant will be able to open 95% of the user made aircraft, except some LOD v2 variants made with the feb 2010 3DSmax exporter. Yesterday I had to work on the animation importing again. LOD format stores animations fragmented, as in every frame has the position/rotation key stored, even if there was originally only a starting point-key and end-point key. I am trying the options to reduce superfluous animation keys. Other then that I did everything possible to retain the data stored in the LOD. There are no "unknowns" left in the LOD handling. I also added a bonus script to change textures from bmp to jpg or dds, or the other way around. The importer is aimed at 3DSmax 2009 32-bit. I tested it briefly in 3DSmax 8 (2005) but the importer runs out of memory there. At this point I could make it a 3DSmax-version agnostic exporter too, but I haven;t thought about it much, because I am content with 3DSmax 2009. I am not at home in Blender either. Exactly. Repair and improve. As well as making aircraft variants, or adding distance-lods for framerate unfriendly models.

They are intact. In the screenshot, I moved the animation slider all the way to the right to extend the landing gear, exhaust nozzles, and so on. After re-exporting, everything works in the game just as it did with the original LOD file. Note that the smoothing groups and welded/unwelded vertices are also intact.

Proof of the second part of my message: TW F-14A '77 No manual adjustments needed.