Good idea to wait?

[m1lkm8n 411]

Ok so I originally created a terrain based off of grand manan and winterized it. It was mostly done when I descided I wanted better so I downloaded the actual height map and began working on it. I was Laying my own road network.

But after a conversation with jakerod about how he had started on grand manan one time I descided to get the actual road map for the island. (So I don't let him down :) )

Now with a3 out here's my question. Do I just get the basics ready like the road networks? I figure I can lay the roads with homers road tool then smooth everything then delete everything so I can use a3s stuff when visitor 4 or whatever they will call it comes out. And has anyone heard anything on that?

[ZeroG 23]

Have you unpacked the A3 roads yet? If not: you will learn that the game uses shapefiles for road placement. In short: you simply place different lines on a square as big as your map and in the second step you define what type of road is represented by that line. So, hopefully, no single segment placing anymore... :)

Look HERE

I am at the roadlaying stage atm with "my long time wishmap". The task now should be:

1. Export lines from A2 Visitor project to a shapefile (using Global Mapper for example), like that:

2. Import that shapefile to a new A3 project (how ever that may look like)....

Edited March 8, 2013 by ZeroG

[bushlurker 46]

class RoadTypesLibrary
{
   class Road0001  // Use a unique number 0000-9999
   {
    width = 14; // width of road
    mainStrTex      = "a3\roads_f\roads_ae\data\surf_roadtarmac_highway_ca.paa";  // Texture for main road segment
    mainTerTex      = "a3\roads_f\roads_ae\data\surf_roadtarmac_highway_end_ca.paa"; // "konec"/endpiece texture
    mainMat         = "a3\roads_f\roads_ae\data\surf_roadtarmac_highway.rvmat";  // rvmat material for above
    map             = "main road";  // how the road is depicted on the in-game map
    AIpathOffset = 3;  //positive numbers means drive on the right side
   };

I haven't actually looked at the new A3 embedded shapefiles yet, but if it's anything like the usual Visitor 4 procedure, then each polyline should have two parameters in it's associated database... "Width" and "Roadtype" - both should refer to the above config... ie: Roadtype = Road 0001, Width = 14

Note that roads will still need smoothed... in V4 this is done with a "smooth roads" script, similar to our V3 PE one, the main difference being its applied to these same polylines rather than the roads themselves... How we'll tackle that job - for now - I'm not sure yet...

New roads method, satellite layer normals, models that won't load in the current V3... it's all beginning to sound like a new toolkit is required ;)

For initial experimentation however, it seems our basic V3 PE/Buldozer toolkit still works...

... and any reasonable free GIS program should allow you to load a heightmap and/or sat image and create polylines over the top for some initial roads experimenting....

B

Edited March 8, 2013 by Bushlurker

[ZeroG 23]

Hell B, you did that Lost World with Visitor 3 ?

What are the differences to the process in A2?

You did uses A3.exe, bin and core .pbos on p:\ for getting Buldozer to work, I assume?

Expermimenting is easier if there is a source to start from...

[bushlurker 46]

Hell B, you did that Lost World with Visitor 3 ?

Yup.

What are the differences to the process in A2?

Until we're given proper tools we can't follow certain new processes, so I just used exactly the same procedure as before... For this experimental "Lost World" terrain, I literally followed my own tutorial and adapted my trusty "Afghan Valley" template terrain with a new heightmap, sat & config...

You did uses A3.exe, bin and core .pbos on p:\ for getting Buldozer to work, I assume?

I didn't bother - it seems to work OK as it is... for now ;) - might be necessary later though...

B

Edited March 8, 2013 by Bushlurker

[m1lkm8n 411]

Hmm interesting. I changed my config file around and now have a3 clutter and can swim around but I haven't looked at the road layout yet. But the shape file system looks wayyyy easier

[ZeroG 23]

I didn't bother - it seems to work OK as it is... for now ;) - might be necessary later though...

B

Odd. I got errors using A2 Buldozer and Atsche said he used A3 exe, bin and core....:confused:!

[m1lkm8n 411]

Zero I too loaded buldozer just fine with a2 exe.

So as of right now we can't do anything about roads?

Have you guys imported any artificial objects?

[luki 53]

Odd. I got errors using A2 Buldozer and Atsche said he used A3 exe, bin and core....:confused:!

Depends what you use. I also use only a2 bulldozer for the momment as it makes no real sense to use a3 models, we cant pack anyway the 58 models.

We need updated tools for propper workflow.

[ZeroG 23]

So the only thing we CAN do atm is creating islands with no objects on it? (like Bush and Deanosbeano)

[luki 53]

So the only thing we CAN do atm is creating islands with no objects on it? (like Bush and Deanosbeano)

I need correct myself. It works to even pack islands with a3 models.

@mods maby move this topic to a3 forum section?

[ZeroG 23]

Great! So it's mainly about the roads now....

[m1lkm8n 411]

Nice Atshce! cant wait to mess around more tonight after I put my son to bed.

so did you just create an A3 folder much like the CA folder in your p drive then?

heres one of grand manan

so now just the roads! man I cant wait.

yea prob should move this thread now starting to get off topic I guess

[ZeroG 23]

@Atsche: I don't know how you do it but as soon as I put an A3 object onto my Visitor project, I get that "58" error and Buldozer closes down...I even reinstalled the whole BI suite.

Maybe you could post your buldozer.cfg and Visitor 3 parameter settings (or any other useful info regarding that) to make us all smarter regarding the process of implementing A3 objects. Thanks!

@Milk: how does your project folder look like i.e. what files did you include to get that map into game? Is it 1 pbo or 3 (data and layers in separate pbos). I tried around with my island, an A3 island config and the normal A2 folder and file setup, yet the game won't start up with the packed addon activated. Maybe you could post your source files to make a solid editing base to start from? I'd appreciate that. Tx!

Edited March 9, 2013 by ZeroG

[luki 53]

But then you dont use a3 Bulldozer when you load them?

[ZeroG 23]

No, I think I might have done sth wrong with the exe, bin and core pbos....

[m1lkm8n 411]

@Milk: how does your project folder look like i.e. what files did you include to get that map into game? Is it 1 pbo or 3 (data and layers in separate pbos). I tried around with my island, an A3 island config and the normal A2 folder and file setup, yet the game won't start up with the packed addon activated. Maybe you could post your source files to make a solid editing base to start from? I'd appreciate that. Tx!

My project folder looks the same as in the standard arma2 setup with a the source ,data, and other folder which I forget right now cause I'm not at my computer with the exception of the ca folder with all the configs. I replaced that with the a3 folder and all the extracted configs from the a3 pbos. It's just one pbo called grandmanan.

Although at first I forgot to remove ch's urban pack buildings I was messing around with and remove it from my addons config section and they too showed up in game fine. So at that time it was 2 pbos my island and his urban pack and both times was fine with just a3 clutter.

However now that I used world tools and imported a3 trees I'm in the same boat as you as buldozer will no longer run. But it was 130 in the morning and I went to bed so I didn't get much time to mess around after that

[memphisbelle 99]

Would it be possible that someone of you could send me a config example, please?

I have an Island model (xyz) that works great in ArmA2, but for ArmA3 I dont get to work as the wrp file wont be packed, while running binpbo. I tried everythings and figured that it must be the config as the whole thing works as it should by using the A2 config.

If anyone could help please, that would be awesome

[m1lkm8n 411]

Memphis if no one gets back to you before I get home from ill throw one up for you.

[memphisbelle 99]

thanks M1lkm8n I really hope that this will solve the issue.

[ZeroG 23]

Take mine, its very basic but I have managed to make a 20x20km map with it.

[m1lkm8n 411]

Take mine, its very basic but I have managed to make a 20x20km map with it.

Zero I noticed in your island you don't have the newroadshape specified. Have you been able to get your shape file in? Idk what is going on but I can't seem to get mine in game. I even opened the stratis shape file in quantum gis just deleted some roads and saved it then put it in my config and it won't even display that one.

I'm definitely doing something wrong

[memphisbelle 99]

Take mine, its very basic but I have managed to make a 20x20km map with it.

ZeroG, I could kiss you :D...it works now, thank you so much!!

Now I finally can keep editing, thanks again

[ZeroG 23]

Eww! :)

Well Milk, I haven't experimented around with roads yet as I think its useless until we can smooth the terrain underneath....

[luki 53]

@M1lkm8n

Dont forget to add the new files to binpbo list of fiels to copy directly.

*.pac;*.paa;*.rtm;*.sqf;*.sqs;*.bikb;*.fsm;*.wss;*.ogg;*.wav;*.fxy;*.csv;*.html;*.lip;*.txt;*.bisurf;*.shp;*.dbf;*.shx;*.prj;*.cfg