[WIP] Target Area Editor

[+mue 715]

Although the target area editor in its current state only has viewing (and no editing) capabilities I decided to release a first version. Maybe someone find it already useful. For usage instructions read the readme.txt.

I tested it with stock terrains, Rends germany terrain and the range terrain.

Feel free to report bugs, feature wishes etc.

 

TargetAreaEditorV0.1.zip

 

Screenshot:

Rends germany terrain, (now ex-) airbase near my hometown.

[Peugeot205 2,745]

Excellent!!!!

 

Looking foward for the final version!!!

[+JonathanRL 974]

Oh dear god yes!

[+Menrva 4,197]

This is awesome! Many thanks mue, now I have no reasons not to complete that revamp of the Iraq/Iran terrain.

[Wrench 9,811]

damn it, Blaze -- get to work!!!

 

I am DEFINATELY going to check this out.

[+Major Bloodnok 465]

Superb, looking forward to the editing version.

[+Menrva 4,197]

damn it, Blaze -- get to work!!!

 

  Wrench, I'm glad to hear you again, then I guess I really have to complete that terrain.

 

Still many thanks mue, looking forward to next versions.

Edited April 9, 2015 by blaze95

[Wrench 9,811]

for some reason, I can't get it to open any terrain. I KNOW I'm doing something wrong.

 

in the settings, do we point to the core (Programfilesx86/...) SF2 install? Do we need to point to a certain terrain cat? It's not seeing any cats, when I point to the core installs' /Terrains folder.

 

Please, a little more instructions, if you could!

 

thanks!

[KJakker 895]

for some reason, I can't get it to open any terrain. I KNOW I'm doing something wrong.

 

in the settings, do we point to the core (Programfilesx86/...) SF2 install? Do we need to point to a certain terrain cat? It's not seeing any cats, when I point to the core installs' /Terrains folder.

 

Please, a little more instructions, if you could!

 

thanks!

 

Wrench, use it just like the LOD viewer and select the terrain.ini file. In the image below I just selected Open and clicked on Anatolia.INI in the terrain folder and it loaded. Then I just selected the Target area from the list on the left.

 

[+mue 715]

for some reason, I can't get it to open any terrain. I KNOW I'm doing something wrong.

 

in the settings, do we point to the core (Programfilesx86/...) SF2 install? Do we need to point to a certain terrain cat? It's not seeing any cats, when I point to the core installs' /Terrains folder.

 

Please, a little more instructions, if you could!

 

thanks!

In Extras->Settings point to the SF2 install directory. NOT to the terrain subfolder.

With File->Open select the terrain.ini file within your mod terrain folder. For viewing stock terrain you have to extract at least the terrain.ini file into your mod terrain folder and open it from there.

[Wrench 9,811]

i'll give it a shot!

thanks mue, and everyone!

 

ok, that's got it!!

 

the MAIN ini, (ie: *name-of-terrain.ini")

 

this thing is kinda neat!!

[lauro rafael 23]

HERO!!!

[jeanba 1,920]

Great !

[Wrench 9,811]

ok, now that it's working for me, Here's some ideas as to what else could be added:

 

1) ability to 'slide' around the visible target area, possibly using the arrow keys (up key=N, down key=S, etc). It's easy to get "lost" with out a fixed reference point (in my mission building missions, the player aircraft ALWAYS flies north, so there's that reference). In my screenie above, the river runs N/S (see #2 below)

Using the zoom is a bit difficult to get the vertical view necessary (for the most part) in placing target items, hence the need for the ability to 'slide' around.

 

2) possibly adding an orientation compass rose. Knowing that on ALL maps, "up screen" is always North, allows one to be able to see the direction or facing of the placed object (n, e, s, w). One can then estimate/guestimate the facing of the object.

 

Even knowing this a Very early beta, there is stupendous possibility here!

 

personally, I think the best thing about it right now, is that it reads the tile TODs, which allows you to 'see' the open spaces wherein to place target objects. That is one of the most critical things to know in targetization.

[+mue 715]

ok, now that it's working for me, Here's some ideas as to what else could be added:

 

1) ability to 'slide' around the visible target area, possibly using the arrow keys (up key=N, down key=S, etc). It's easy to get "lost" with out a fixed reference point (in my mission building missions, the player aircraft ALWAYS flies north, so there's that reference). In my screenie above, the river runs N/S (see #2 below)

Using the zoom is a bit difficult to get the vertical view necessary (for the most part) in placing target items, hence the need for the ability to 'slide' around.

 

2) possibly adding an orientation compass rose. Knowing that on ALL maps, "up screen" is always North, allows one to be able to see the direction or facing of the placed object (n, e, s, w). One can then estimate/guestimate the facing of the object.

 

2) The coordinate system axis tripod (View->Show Coordinate System) can act as a compass rose. The green axis points north, the red axis points east.

 

1) With shift + mouse move you can "slide" around. The moving direction depends on the current view azimuth: e.g. rotate the view, so that the green tripod axis points up and the red tripod axis points right. If you now hold shift and moves the mouse up/down you slide north/south (moving the mouse left/right you slide west/east)

[Wrench 9,811]

ok! gotcha!

 

Then, if its even possible,   that the 2 other window (view panes?) -marked A & B, have the ability to be minimized.  This would increase the work area.

Now, mind you, I'm not like everyone else on a wide screen monitor. my computer desk is too small for one, and simply can't afford a new desk (even though I HAVE a brand new widescreen, collecting dust). But, even with a wide screen, being able to minimize the target objects listing and the types listing could be helpful in the long run.

 

As I know less than nothing about programing, .... well, you get the idea! :)

[+Stary 2,427]

Mue!

 

man you are already rocketing into Modder of the Year, you know that?!

 

so it reads all the tiles and TODs too? That's beyond awesomeness already! I hope at one time it will be able to do editing in real time

[+Stary 2,427]

it works just fine -one has to set the ROOT SF2 installtion directory and open the terrain in question master ini file, like Korea3.ini

 

AND it reads TFD tiles map and even the corresponding TODs and high resolution tiles. Wonders!

 

[Wrench 9,811]

this thing is EVEN better than the Lod viewer, which is also beyond cool

[+Stary 2,427]

seems we have good times ahead thanks to work of good folks like Mue or Gerwin

 

so go back to work, I will

[+JonathanRL 974]

Cant wait until I can actually edit stuff in it!

[+RAVEN 414]

OK My mod folder has the Desert folder for SF2 in it is the Desert.ini, the desert_Targets.ini and the Desert_Types.ini. The viewer will load the Targets data and the Types data. When I click on a target area it crashes. The pointer is set to the SF2 Folder, not the mod folder and I selected to use the Cat's. I'm running Win 7/64.

Anyone else getting a crash?

[+mue 715]

OK My mod folder has the Desert folder for SF2 in it is the Desert.ini, the desert_Targets.ini and the Desert_Types.ini. The viewer will load the Targets data and the Types data. When I click on a target area it crashes. The pointer is set to the SF2 Folder, not the mod folder and I selected to use the Cat's. I'm running Win 7/64.

Anyone else getting a crash?

Maybe it didn't find the desert.tfd file.

Do you have correctly set the sf2 install directory in Extras->Settings? (Do not select the Terrains folder)

Do you have in your install directory the /terrains/desert.cat file?

 

You can also try to extract the desert.tfd file and put it next to the desert.ini file.

[+RAVEN 414]

mue, everything is set right, I'm thinking it's my patch level. It's pre locked. I can just extract it all or I might just copy it for keeping, then patch up. I'll play with it and see.

[+RAVEN 414]

That's what it was. Patch level. I pointed it to 5/13 patched set of core files on a backup drive and it came right up. Can't get anything at all on my XP installed of SF1. I don't know if can though. 'Yet' :)