ZeroG 23 Posted December 8, 2010 Also, does anyone know a good place to get shapefiles for north america? The website in the tutorial have none. For North America, there is the best data available for free!! USGS Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kivi 0 Posted December 9, 2010 For North America, there is the best data available for free!!USGS Thanks for the link! I have also found some other sources, nice to see there is so good (and free!) resources availible. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gnome_AS 10 Posted December 9, 2010 Good read there Zero, nice addition indeed. Keep up the good fight! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ZeroG 23 Posted December 10, 2010 Good read there Zero, nice addition indeed. Keep up the good fight! TX Gnome. In next part, I will show how to use YOUR editor addons ;) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cool=azroul13 14 Posted December 11, 2010 Sounds like you made a mistake at the colons somewhere..or you made a rectabgle instead of a square in GM? should always be "a x a" not "a x b". Universal mapper allows you to do rectangles, but for Visitor they are not useful. Better check coords again.. Sorry for the time of reply. First I select UTM in the tools, then I select the digitizer tool and create RECTANGULAR/SQUARE AREA and click on Corner w/ Size - Global Projection (UTM - meters). I put 20480 in the Width and Height field. I moved my selection in the zone that I want. I click on top right corner and select set position of selected vertices but in opposition to your tuto I have degree,minutes,second cordinates. Same for left bottom corner. I launch the "Universal" tool and convert my degree,minutes, scond coordinate in degree. and put them in their field exactly like the tutorial. So what's wrong? Aze Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gnome_AS 10 Posted December 13, 2010 (edited) Disregard this post, was misplaced... because I'm a Pro. Edited December 14, 2010 by Gnome_AS Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tupolov 520 Posted December 17, 2010 Zero, I was thinking it maybe useful to include a process to help people load objects into Visitor? As mentioned in my other post (maps in progress) you can use Mikero's ConvertWRP to get other maps into the .pew format and then import them as templates into your Visitor Map. This way you now get all the objects registered in Visitor for your use. Tup PS. You may also want to include the MySatellite app for downloading real life sat pics/maps. Its for the Mac and is only $10. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ZeroG 23 Posted December 17, 2010 Basically a great idea! But...can YOU write something about this?! It doesnt have to be same formal quality of appearance as my tut (Be aware, self laudatio:p) Just the basic idea what you want to say with points or so...bcs I have still a lot of stuff to do to fulfill my initial plan for the tutorial :D Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tupolov 520 Posted December 18, 2010 (edited) PDF document with screenshots on how to do this (click on image below)... http://www.4shared.com/document/ULa5LfRs/ImportTakistanObjectsIntoVisit.html Feedback welcome! Tup Edited December 24, 2010 by Tupolov Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
victim913 10 Posted January 8, 2011 (edited) Hey I have been trying to follow this tutorial and I keep hitting roadblocks. A couple things have been different from the tutorial. One thing I think is the version of global mapper etc. I have been working on this same map forever. EDIT- I have somehow continued to figure out my problems by my self so i keep editing this. But maybe you could update your tutorial from my mistakes. I don't know anything about making a map from existing terrain etc. so all this is new. But I keep hitting roadblock after roadblock due to the information you don't share. As I am using these tools, I only do exactly as you say. I am assuming everything you tell us to do is straight out of the program. Maybe they have changed since you made this tut. But I found most of the problems I run into are because the default settings of all of these programs are not the same as you have. My xyz didn't import looking like yours at all. You say open the xyz in Visitor and it should look like yours. If not we didn't do it right. So after hours of going crazy. I played with some settings and finally got it to look similar. Never using Visitor before I wasted hours because the default settings were different. Probably not your fault. Just saying, for idiots like me, I was totally lost. Also I have been having terrible problems with the universal map downloader. I finally found that the settings in the global mapper were wrong. I had my lattitude/longitude settings at : 34° 18' 39.2967" N I keep trying to input that in the umd and it won't work. I realized after some time that your values did not have degrees and angles etc.. Just number value. But that is what the default setting is. So i changed it in the configure, to read how yours did. So far I have learned alot, thank you. But just letting you know that there are still people like me with my American education that don't know anything about maps or images or anything. I'm used to battlefield 2 map making where i put things where i want. Very good tutorial with the exeption of maybe you looking into what the default settings are, so we know that we need to change them. Thanks. Edited January 8, 2011 by victim913 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stormridersp 11 Posted January 8, 2011 First of all, I think, just like I was, you are running way too fast, trying to accomplish things in way no time. Making a map is a months work, maybe more, god only knows what time eating schedules you have like girlfriends for example. Make sure you start with the basic tutorial. You need to be very comfortable with the overall structure and workflow. Get a ridiculous simple map, following the simple map tutorial, loaded up in Arma just to start up with. If you can do that, then you're still not even 1/10 closer to finishing your map, but you're closer. One step closer. Then be comfortable with the other working tools, Global Mapper, UMD, L3DT, Photoshop... For example, youre trying to use UMD, inputing your coordinates, but you forgot to read its documentation (if theres one anyway), or explore it. There is a tool inside the program called Coordinate Conversion Tool. It will convert your coordinate to the coordinate system required by UMD. But anyway, why are you trying to use a HiRes Sat map if you cant even load up your XYZ properly into Visitor. Dont skip steps. Get the first tutorial done perfectly, do it as many times as you want; after you finish it once, try adding something yours to it, maybe your xyz, or you satmap, but 1 thing at a time. Even the tiniest of mistakes will render your map unusable! I know it can be very frustrating...We're working with improvised tools, even Visitor is an Improvised Tool. But at least we got one to play with. And more important we've got each other here! There's always someone willing to help, just come by, post your question; we're not going anywhere! ;) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
[evo] dan 79 Posted January 8, 2011 (edited) Never mind, figured it out, To convert from the default to just degrees go into tools -> configure -> general -> position display format and then change it to LAT/LONG dd.dddd(degree sign)h Got an issue to. I am taking the point from wm and putting them into UMD and it says that the left longitude should be less than the right longitude. I do not understand why I am getting this message as I did what the tutorial said and got the top left marker and the bottom right markers coords. And yes I have made it a square. Does anybody know how to fix this or what map download mode to have it in to fix this possibly? It seemingly is bigger, and so I change the longitude around but then it said error, found blank image in the log. Please help. Here are my coords Top left corner: Lat - 18.26263441° N Long - 63.15769149° W Bottom Right: Lat - 17.89234468° N Long - 62.77067926° W This should give me the Map for a acrhepelio in the caribean, but like I said it just says longitudes are wrong because left is greater than right (which makes sense), and I have rebuilt the map twice to make sure. Edited January 8, 2011 by sgtscuba Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bushlurker 46 Posted January 8, 2011 (edited) It's negative numbers for longitude west of Greenwich..... Lat - 18.26263441 Long - 63.15769149 ... is just off the east coast of Oman Lat = 18.26263441 Long = -63.15769149 ... is the "Dutch Antilles" in the Carribbean... Stormridersp's advice above is spot on - he's just been thru the islandmakers learning mill and emerged on the other side Knowing What He's Doing... that takes a while, and not everybody makes it!... ... and thats just grasping the basics - then there's your first project... for a medium-sized first island reckon on 3-4 months... ZeroG's tutorial is excellent, but it's not really aimed at absolute beginners - gotta walk before you can run - and the best way to learn how to walk is Sgt Ace's Tutorial Most questions have been asked before, most problems have been faced, discussed, worked out... and all of that info is in this section... somewhere! Any problems or questions - search this section and if you're still stuck - keep doing what you're doing - ask in a relevant existing thread, or if you can't find one - make your own... someone will be along to help.... Good luck! B Edited January 8, 2011 by Bushlurker Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
[evo] dan 79 Posted January 8, 2011 (edited) I did sgtaces tutorial, but then I decided I wanted to use my own background so I did this trouble. Got a quick question, I am using Alexies tutorial, in part two, on page 15 he says to go into the file tab and do what he does in the picture, this is not on 7, but I figured out you can use the open with the script for one (open with -> find windows folder -> the bat file), and then just use open for all of them selected and it will do it for you. Edited January 8, 2011 by sgtscuba Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
victim913 10 Posted January 9, 2011 (edited) I actually did get through the tutorial now. Well almost. I want to make sure I have everything i need, but the tutorial just stops. I was able to get the xyz, I thought i mentioned that. I just had to fiddle around with the settings. There are so many tutorials, and it doesn't look like any of them start and finish. Following this tutorial I thought it would be. In fact I may not have followed it if i knew it would cut off where it does. I'm kind of lost now. I still don't know which programs make the map, the background, the satelite image, etc.. I would think making the map would come first, then all the extras after. Maybe someone could point me where to go now. This tut was great though. I guess it would have been best to start by telling us what the entire process will take before you go in to the step by step. Had I known i was focusing on sat maps I could have waited until i was finished. For two reasons, 1 I don't have the 200-300 dollars to buy global mapper to use it longer than a week, Second, I planed on changing alot of the features that were on the original map. It's pretty much a desert with one town. I would build more, and maybe flatten areas out etc.. So DEFINITELY NOT TO PUT THIS TUTORIAL DOWN AT ALL. Especially since you said it was from a beginer, I would just put descriptions of what each chapter would be taking on instead of just follow. but seriously I think i know everything now about these steps. thanks. Edited January 9, 2011 by victim913 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bushlurker 46 Posted January 9, 2011 (edited) Well done victim913!!! ZeroG's writing the tutorial "on the fly" as he does all the stuff in it on his own project - so it has a sort of "blog" element as well... next chapter soon, hopefully... Yeah... it's really best if you've read the tutorial multiple times - you're all set and know exactly what you're gonna require, and then activate the GM demo - get all you need from it in a week and you're done... Meantime - you've got your XYZ... if you want to remodel it a bit, flatten some areas, etc then a good next step would be another external program, I'm afraid... ;) L3DT Theres two versions of this... the "Standard" is fully working - including save - and it won't run out - ever! - yay! - it's an excellent heightfield editor with a good selection of "brush" and global heightfield tools - all you could want... it'll handle up to 2048x2048 heightmaps - just right for us, plus as a bonus it'll intelligently analyse your DEM and generate multi-material masks and texture layers... seriously good... The professional edition does all of that, plus more, plus those "pseudo" satellite texture layers with matching masks can be generated up to 20480x20480 or more! (the standard version only does these to 4096x4096 or so - enough for testing purposes, but not really good enough for a large terrain).... However... The pro version is available as a demo - a 90 day demo!!! (though I notice the store's closed till the 13th January...you'll have to apply to the author for a demo of the Pro version - at least, that used to be the procedure...) Learn it on the free version first - plus the free version is an ideal heightmap editor in its own right with no time limit!... sorted... So a good next move might be to load your XYZ into L3DT - get some practise with the editing tools... you can also globally fine-tune max and minimum heights, do a little overall smoothing if necessary, and even reinterpolate your heightfield to a bigger or smaller size if you wish... Once you're done with that (and you've installed the free L3DT XYZ plugin so you can export!) then you're ready to try importing the terrain into visitor... This is where it starts to get creative and fun!.... :D B Edited January 9, 2011 by Bushlurker Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
[aps]gnat 28 Posted January 9, 2011 (edited) Ooops .... Edited January 9, 2011 by [APS]Gnat hehe ... reading wrong posts Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
victim913 10 Posted January 9, 2011 (edited) I am curious now, with this new advice. I have a couple maps that I wanted to create. I don't know where I got the link for a website called worldflicks, it is very excellent. I can look from satellite images of anywhere on the world with extreme zoom capabilities. I wish I could capture images of that. Anyway, that is how i selected my maps I wanted to create, but it is very difficult to imagine it in a 3d form. Is there a way i can view my xyz in a 3d setting? I want to see which of my few maps would be best. Or at least which will be ideal for the game. I know one of them is a place i have visited many times and it is great terrain but filled with rocks that come out of the ground at angles, which would be lost in an xyz map, but it still might be good enough. So I just want to start with which would be easiest yet chanllenging enough. So seeing it in 3 D would be great if I could. Oh I also, wondered, Visitor 3 has preset options: 256x256, 10240x10240, etc.. Does that mean the maps have to be one of those sizes? Or can they be inbetween. The tutorial said those were the good choices, but that takistan and chernarus were not those same sizes. Oh, and one more.. I was wrong about my global mappper,, I have it until the 16th. So if I save a bunch of xyz files, will I be able to save them as say 20480 then in visitor or something cut it smaller when my global mapper is gone? Edited January 9, 2011 by victim913 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stormridersp 11 Posted January 10, 2011 Regarding Global Mapper, do as much as you can now! I recommend exporting the same map in different sizes, in case for example like happened to me, I ended up with a map bigger than ideal, with way too much objects required to fill the sat map correctly...A performance hunger! As Bush recomended 2 posts above, there is a very handy program called L3DT. There you can modify your map with a few different tools and filters, but also, you can preview your map in 3d mesh, and also, using your satmap or whatever. If that's not enough, you can also export it directly to XYZ, tho it cannot import from XYZ. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bushlurker 46 Posted January 10, 2011 there is a very handy program called L3DT. There you can modify your map with a few different tools and filters, but also, you can preview your map in 3d mesh, and also, using your satmap or whatever. If that's not enough, you can also export it directly to XYZ, tho it cannot import from XYZ. Oh bugger! Got that wrong then it seems... sorry about that... Thanks to an enormously generous friend, I've moved on to Daylon Leveller for actual heightfield editing, so I've been using ".ter" and ".hfz" as "transferring between Leveller & L3DT" formats - with a final XYZ output from L3DT as my final Visitor importing file - still using L3DT's "climate" tools for mask and texture generation though - Leveller is an awesome heightfield editor, but that's largely all it is... Guess I'd recommend something like ".hfz" as Global Mapper initial output then - pretty sure GM supports that for output and L3DT definitely accepts it as input... and... yeah... sound advice from stormrider - while you have GM working fully - output everything in every size you can think of while you have the opportunity - heightfields, sat layers - everything... B Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
longskater 0 Posted January 11, 2011 (edited) Many thanks for your work Will you be taking it futher like how to finish it and pack so it can used in game to make missions on I have been working on the north easten part of afghanistan and there is no roads maps or forests just hamlets and small villages on mountains sides and I can wait to get it in to game again many thanks for a really easy to follow tut I am going to pick a more urban location and start again Edited January 13, 2011 by longskater Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bigshotking 11 Posted February 19, 2011 I was wondering if anyone can help me with Visitor 3, After loading the BMP images into it.... I don't see them, there are no streets no houses no nothing! The original image is very high detailed to me. My map size is 8000x8000 The big Full BMP image is 8192x8192 Any ideas what is going on? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tupolov 520 Posted February 19, 2011 Have you clicked on the button [bk] to show background images? Did you load your sat pic in as a background image? I have found that sometime the background won't display if you change the source image. Simply delete the background image from Visitor and re-add it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bigshotking 11 Posted February 19, 2011 (edited) Yeah I did, Here is a screenshot of it.... any ideas? http://i409.photobucket.com/albums/pp177/bigshotking/ScreenShot.jpg Edited February 19, 2011 by bigshotking Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tupolov 520 Posted February 20, 2011 Can you show us the image properties? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
