PROGRAMMERS: chance for 3D Editor ?!

[ZeroG 23]

Hi guys!

Calling all the skilled programmers out there!!!

Have you ever played Warfare Benny Edition?

As the commander, you have a 3D menu to place base structures. While I was looking for appropriate walls for my modified version of the mission, I realized that you can insert all kinds of objects in the config for that commander menu.

You have a green cursor and can turn stuff etc. so its really comfortable to use already. The script itself is quite small...

All we would need is to get the position data of the placed objects into a textfile to insert it into Visitor...like with trees etc. am I right??!

Shezan, Homer, Leopotam or any other skilled programmer....what do you think....is that sth you could work with ?!

I found out that the basic idea of this editor is from the COIN-Module..

Edited November 1, 2010 by ZeroG

[bushlurker 45]

Hi ZeroG!

Did you know about the latest feature in Shezan's World Tools?

Version 1.6

Added: SQM / SQF-BIEDI script files to V3 feature: World tools now loads your .sqm and your .biedi files and export them into Visitor 3 importable format. [Featured requested and tested by Bad Benson]

Biedi are the files created by 3D Editor in ArmA2 and ArmA2 OA (ALT-E from the main screen). Biedi are the companion files of SQF mission file format.

Program will search into your P:\ disk (if you're a Visitor3 user) trying to match the editor objects with the objects into your ca\ and other object folders.

Basically, you can get friends to make stuff in the usual game 3D editor and just send you the mission files - World Tools will turn them into "import object" scripts and you can just import the arrangement to your island!... Brilliant!

B

Edited November 2, 2010 by Bushlurker

[ZeroG 23]

Hi ZeroG!

Did you know about the latest feature in Shezan's World Tools?

Basically, you can get friends to make stuff in the usual game 3D editor and just send you the mission files - World Tools will turn them into "import object" scripts and you can just import the arrangement to your island!... Brilliant!

B

!

Didn't see that in the first place. Wonderful!

If its getting even more user friendly, its gonna be a revolution!

[shezan74 11]

!

Didn't see that in the first place. Wonderful!

If its getting even more user friendly, its gonna be a revolution!

New fallujah airport has been made 70% in this way.

Sometimes the program is not able to get the object name from internal database, but it's easily fixable with a copy/replace action changing internal object names to full p3d paths.

[commander1985 10]

Short Question,

do you mean the Ingame 3D Editor (Mainmenu Alt+E) or the Arma2 Real Time Editor v4 ??

And is there are short tutorial or help how i can load up those structure that i usually use in the visitor (buildings , trees etc.) ??

[shezan74 11]

Short Question,

do you mean the Ingame 3D Editor (Mainmenu Alt+E) or the Arma2 Real Time Editor v4 ??

And is there are short tutorial or help how i can load up those structure that i usually use in the visitor (buildings , trees etc.) ??

The Alt-E editor makes SQF-BIEDI files, that are supported but not really fully tested in all situations.

Mission editor files (SQM) generated from A2 mission generator menu works.

To have the full list of objects into your sqm mission editor just add this mod:

http://www.armaholic.com/page.php?id=6194

[ZeroG 23]

New fallujah airport has been made 70% in this way.

Sometimes the program is not able to get the object name from internal database, but it's easily fixable with a copy/replace action changing internal object names to full p3d paths.

Ah! So, the Fallujah-Process was:

1. You created a heightmap, a mask and sat-layer with Visitor.

2. You pbo-ed it.

3. You loaded this empty island into A2 ingame mission editor.

4. You placed the (MAPEU-addon) objects with the editor / main-menu editor.

5. You saved the sqm-file and exported it with you world tools.

6. You imported all object types, position etc. with import script from World Tools into Visitor.

8. You refined the map using your/Homers tool (especially roads)

9. You pbo-ed it.

10. You added proper cfg

11. Map was Ready

Did I get this right?

If yes, how long did Fallujah take you? I noticed that Spritz island was released soon before...was it THAT easy??!

:eek::eek:

[shezan74 11]

Well... not exactly :)

The workflow you wrote is correct but:

The ingame mission editor has been used only by some clan mates that are helping me in some specific areas. I don't have never used the graphical tools from A2 mission editor. I don't need them, i've the map sources :)

The whole area has been made with World Tools and Visitor 3 only.

I must admit i never tried the homer tools. When i've made Spritz Island the tool was not available yet, and on Fallujah i've worked a lot with copy-paste-edit of small road parts.

fallujah took me near 250 work hours until now. The major part of this work has been used to place houses near one by one on the map and making roads. Forests and road avenues (trees and light poles) has been made with world tools and with some customized visitor3 scripts.

Making island is relatively simple, if you have patience, courage (yes, courage to spend hour working with visitor3 instead playing with your friends), ideas and the right tools.

I've developed tools for my needs. World tools IS build on my needs, and i think (i'm pretty sure) that actually only few peoples knows what they can really do with the tool :)

Ah! So, the Fallujah-Process was:

1. You created a heightmap, a mask and sat-layer with Visitor.

2. You pbo-ed it.

3. You loaded this empty island into A2 ingame mission editor.

4. You placed the (MAPEU-addon) objects with the editor / main-menu editor.

5. You saved the sqm-file and exported it with you world tools.

6. You imported all object types, position etc. with import script from World Tools into Visitor.

8. You refined the map using your/Homers tool (especially roads)

9. You pbo-ed it.

10. You added proper cfg

11. Map was Ready

Did I get this right?

If yes, how long did Fallujah take you? I noticed that Spritz island was released soon before...was it THAT easy??!

:eek::eek:

[ZeroG 23]

Well... not exactly

The workflow you wrote is correct but:

The ingame mission editor has been used only by some clan mates that are helping me in some specific areas. I don't have never used the graphical tools from A2 mission editor. I don't need them, i've the map sources

Ok. Its your right to develop a tool that suits your needs in the 1st place and not others :)

But you say that my descirbed workflow would work this way, right?!

I know about the patience issue bcs I spent almost 20 hours with Photoshop to create a river that has nice edges and doesn't look like the grand canyon :p

But work on that particular map stopped bcs of my anger towards Visitor...because I was missing a graphical tool with the comfort of the ingame mission editor. I've see the beauty of the sample island from A1, made

with 3DE. I even thought on spending 400$ for VBS2, just to have Visitor 4 and the chance for creating nice looking islands from scratch in less time.

Now you say that I CAN use the inbuilt mission editor in combination with EU addon plus your tools to workaround that "bitch" Visitor3 and just use it as a workbench where all parts made with other tools get stitched together??! I can finally continue my work which stopped 7 months ago!! THANKS!! :yay:

[shezan74 11]

I can finally continue my work which stopped 7 months ago!! THANKS!! :yay:

Say thanks when you've finished your work ;)

in the last WT release there is the ability to import objects from sqm files placed above zero height (it's an option) if you need.

My suggestion, anyway, is to work with 2-300 objects at time, import them, check on visitor the result and go ahead. Also it's useful to export objects in different files, by type, to be sure you can find what objects have been loaded and what objects does not. Visitor3 standard script DOESN'T tells you what file was not been loaded.

The only suggestion is: SAVE OFTEN, BEFORE AND AFTER :)

[Gnome_AS 10]

This little thread is fairly inspiring. I've played around with making maps for a couple years now, have a great workflow for generating the terrain/textures and all that stuff. Just never cared for/had time for the less than intuitive object placement process. :rolleyes:

Just started playing with your world tools a month or so ago Shezan :o, really awesome piece of work though. Fixed a lot of my wants, as your tool does what I need! And fits wonderfully (almost like it was intended) into my workflow/methods of doing. This extended bit with pulling the .sqm is exactly on track. Brilliant my friend. :)

I'm a big RTE fan, so this is fairly exciting for me. I get very much where you are coming from ZeroG. This could be the fix for the "time invested" issue I've always had with attempting a full run at things.

Thanks for bringing the topic up, and great work Shezan.

:cool:

[ZeroG 23]

Sure, Shezan! I hope i get it done. I'm doing a map of my home area.. 20x20km.

Like Gnome, I'd call myself advanced in getting real world heightmaps and satmaps together...but the placement is where it stuck.

Your OA editor addon will come in handy with our described method, Gnome...

[Gnome_AS 10]

Your OA editor addon will come in handy with our described method, Gnome...

Haha, this is true. (looks like it'll be done "on time" for a change :p)

Just missing a cluttercutter like Lester did in Mapfact's A2 EU. I'll have to try and address that here over the next couple days. While I'm feeling all inspired :D

(note: OA Lite version that is currently available, is not likely to change. Less readme and technical whatnot. ;))