visitor 3.5 (4?) and silvador lite

[zukov 490]

there's chance that Bis will include "silvador lite" trees and vegetation generator with a updated version of Visitor? is very useful tool

[chortles 263]

I'll just quote DnA here:

We are preparing a new set of tools upgraded for Arma 3. I cannot yet say when we'll have them ready as the same programmers and other people needing to create such package are at work fixing crashes for example. This first version of the mod tools package would likely contain things like Oxygen upgraded with a PhysX-LOD (for 3D models), but not Visitor (for making islands) yet.

[aussnipe73 3]

I very much doubt the community will ever get Silvador, it's commercial software just like the situation with Visitor 4 BIS are never going to give away something they normally charge for.

[zukov 490]

I very much doubt the community will ever get Silvador, it's commercial software just like the situation with Visitor 4 BIS are never going to give away something they normally charge for.

there is a lite version to download a little hope, no more no less :)

[zukov 490]

my old speculations are become real?

http://www.arma3.com/features/engine

[Shelestov 270]

my old speculations are become real?

http://www.arma3.com/features/engine

I think 3000 of NOPEs is the answer.

[Patrick N 15]

I wish BIS would release a Visitor4 lite, but judging on what they've said and done it the past it's highly unlikely. It's a bloody shame too because terrain making is one of the most challenging and time consuming ordeals in ArmA modding.

BIS should really give something back to the community that has slaved for years with horrendously outdated tools like Visitor 3.

[ZeroG 23]

I wish BIS would release a Visitor4 lite, but judging on what they've said and done it the past it's highly unlikely.

I dont get that. For all ArmAs, there were corresponding terrain editors available. Plus: the only thing we need V4 now atm is: proper map representation. With the workarounds and tutorials available now, map editing is easy enough and only the map represenation lacks a workaround - everything else can be done and wont go that faster with V4. Just look at how long it took them for Altis: 2.5 years....

For Silvador, I assume we only get to place the Silvador-generated tree models - which is enough for now. As soon as there's a new model editor, someone skilled will port temperate zone vegetation from A2 or somewhere else to A3.

[bushlurker 46]

Absolutely agree with ZeroG on all counts...

Visitor 4 is by no means a "magic bullet" - it won't let you place objects, for example, any faster than V3... In fact - it's often slower!

As for Silvador, it's been in ongoing development for a while now and has burgeoned into a fairly multi-purpose - and Big Bucks - software... It's also primarily a VBS/BiSim asset, which BI have "borrowed", so, unofficial opinion as usual, I think it's a little unlikely BI will be handing out copies... :(

As ZeroG says though - there's a few modders eagerly awaiting the release of the A2 assets... it's VERY likely that once those vegetation models are freely available we'll be seeing a proper "summerplants" pack, maybe a nice subset of "winter veg"... and all of those veg packs - should - if they're setup correctly, be equally usable in Arma 2 or 3...

B

[Sealife 22]

I dont get that. For all ArmAs, there were corresponding terrain editors available.

And they were no means the best versions we could hav been given and in some circumstances the advances were removed , i agree with Patrick N people have suffered with every itteration and really should gte medals for what they achieved.

Its one thing to Patronise but come on , seriously you dont get it ? thats a bit unecessary isnt it , i think anyone who has seen Bis screenshots and documentation knows we never had the best and even less when comunity guys working on projects for better placements were snapped up and that open source development ground to a halt , wether that be 3DE or gateway .

Just because you are comfy with workarounds doesnt mean you have to be nasty like that , its elitist and uncalled for , if you were truly happy you wouldnt have been in this thread

Real shame .

as for this "Visitor 4 is by no means a "magic bullet" - it won't let you place objects, for example, any faster than V3"

the current V3 doesnt let you place A3 objects at all ,what the hell are you talking about ?

oh wait , work arounds ah right i forgot yeah we can always use workarounds , the very thing the guy was posting about and your answer to his problem is to use the method he is complaining about

geez and you have a developer tag ,the mind boggles .

maybe your just worried more people will be able to make terrrains , i have no other logical answers to both the previous posters comments

Edited November 1, 2013 by Sealife

[ZeroG 23]

I was refering to the expression "I wish BIS would release a Visitor4 lite, but judging on what they've said and done it the past it's highly unlikely" not because I am neither "nasty", "elite" nor "patronizing" (Im only impatient so that I try to look for workarounds) BUT because its simply not true and I am annoyed to read complaints about chickens that haven't hatched yet every day in almost every thread (THAT is nasty):

1. We always got a corresponding editor, so we will get one for A3. Because THAT is what "they" have done in the past and thus its likely...

2. "They" have said it: Our Community Tools package will eventually offer updated versions of things like binarization, PBO file packing, the Oxygen modeling tool (with PhysX LOD support), Visitor for terrains, many supporting tools, as well as sample data

Of course I would like to have V4 and I am also annoyed by V3 bugs - b u t island creation for A3 is possible with what we have atm with a normal modding effort, because the process steps are well documented and the terrain community is more than willing to help. Yes, the learning curve is steep...but that counts for anything in the modding branch except if you use 2D editor ?!

So, I suggest one too "gets comfy" with the workarounds the "elite" created for the community - which they sure did because they are worried that too many "common" terrain editors might use them and kick them from their Olymp....:p

Further on, one cannot expect a several thousand worth SDK for free, even less in times of DLC marketing. There probably are contracts that don't allow SDK release too early or with full features...

In the end, we should be happy that we have the chance to create islands with the great looking RV4 engine, despite buggy or missing tools. Really good SDK like Unreal or Crytek's Sandbox are not common, sometimes the community doesn't even get anything (BF3)

Edited November 1, 2013 by ZeroG

[bushlurker 46]

the current V3 doesnt let you place A3 objects at all

Current V3 and BinPBO are incompatible with the latest .p3D version iteration - that could be fixed with a simple tweak and we'd be good to go with the current tools for A3.

However, there's additional tech been introduced with A3 - road shapefiles, satellite normals layers, etc - I seriously doubt BI will hang us all out to dry on these features - therefore some sort of updated version of Visitor is likely. And since there's been no ongoing development of V3 for quite some time, I'm guessing - and hoping, that they'll be handing over some sort of V4 version, sooner or later...

Visitor 4 is by no means a "magic bullet" - it won't let you place objects, for example, any faster than V3... In fact - it's often slower!

here's a typical step-by-step list for placing two houses in Visitor and moving them into the correct position... first in current V3, and again in current (VBS2) V4....

Visitor 3

Select house model from list

Click to place

Click again to select

Drag into position

Select different house model from list

Click to place

Click again to select

Drag into position

etc, etc, etc

(if you're making Fallujah, you've only 19,998 buildings to go...) ;)

Visitor 4

Select "object placement tool" from top menu

Select house model from list

Click to place

Click again to select

Realise you're still using the "object placement tool" and you've actually placed another house

Say "dammit"

Select "object manipulation tool" from top menu

Select accidentally placed house

Delete it

Select the real "First house"

Drag it into position

Select different house model from list

Click to place

Wonder why no house is placed

Realise you're still using the "object manipulation tool"

Say "dammit" again

Select "object placement tool" from the top menu

Select different house model from list

Click to place

Avoid saying dammit and go directly to top menu to change tools - again

Click to select

Drag it into position

etc, etc, etc

Now that's a little exaggerated, though everyone who's a regular V3 user will find themselves in that loop a lot to start with - if/when they get to start working with V4, but even after you get used to the concept - there's often a lot more "changing tools" involved than there is with V3 where one click places and the next click selects...

There are other compensatory facilities and in general, V4 IS a decent step up from V3 in pretty much every area but.... it's not VB Edit, and it's not a "magic bullet"....

and you have a developer tag

Indeed, though since I'm technically a BI Sim dev, apart from the "VBS2 Discussion Thread" where it IS directly relevant, on the rest of the forums, my little badge is mostly a kind courtesy from the Moderators, a little encouragement to some of the more ambitious modders who've known me for a while and who may harbour Dev ambitions ("hey! I made it - so can you!") and, I admit, a little conceit... (the "hey! I made it!" part :o :D

maybe your just worried more people will be able to make terrrains

On the contrary, in both my Professional and in my free-time hobby/community capacity, one of my Primary Functions is to help people learn how to make terrains :)

B

Edited November 1, 2013 by Bushlurker

[sgtgunner 10]

I would definitely concur with Bushlurkers response. A big shout-out on educating folks in making their own terrain.

-SGTG

[[aps]gnat 28]

Well If we're smart we use copy/paste GROUPS of buildings/structures to more quickly create/fill cities etc.

But for the new tools I'm more interested in how it's improved around masks and roads.

Generating both are a pain at times.

Some more improved scripts would be good too.

[Sealife 22]

Current V3 and BinPBO are incompatible with the latest .p3D version iteration - that could be fixed with a simple tweak and we'd be good to go with the current tools for A3.

However, there's additional tech been introduced with A3 - road shapefiles, satellite normals layers, etc - I seriously doubt BI will hang us all out to dry on these features - therefore some sort of updated version of Visitor is likely. And since there's been no ongoing development of V3 for quite some time, I'm guessing - and hoping, that they'll be handing over some sort of V4 version, sooner or later...

etc

B

With all due respect and apart from the bit about your own work , you are talking complete and utter rubbish , Nobody i repat nobody i know now or since OFP times makes maps like that, we would have given up years ago ffs,

if your teaching that you need tostop , because that is not how to make a terrain . god even using Lynx 75 s placement and scripting a cast out for the results and diag_log is better than that and even then its pretty harsh.

At no point did you answer the question what he hell are you talking about when you say V4 is not a magic bullet if V3 cannot laod up A3 p3ds . you simply came back with WRP tool type workarounds .

Select house model from list

Click to place

Click again to select

Drag into position

Select different house model from list

Click to place

Click again to select

Drag into position

etc, etc, etc

(if you're making Fallujah, you've only 19,998 buildings to go...)

you cannot use A3 p3ds in V3 so i really dont get your reply again at all, its all silly 10 year old replacement workarounds . towns and cities and forests are built with algorythms now not click place every single item , god even the contruction modles were better for you maybe lol , we just want to get the P3d`s in not have decoys a2 saved crap thatneeds rel adjust etc and psuedo lods.

you need to re evaluate what knowledge your spreading there mate , that is almost medieval gotta tell ya , i done a 160 km algorytyhm for rocks and shrubery in less time than it took to read your V4 workflow lol .

Edited November 1, 2013 by Sealife

[bushlurker 46]

I wasn't talking about placing A3 assets at all - that's simply not possible in the normal way until compatible tools are released, unless you want to get involved with temporary hacks and workarounds devised by superkeen community members.

I haven't bothered trying any of those this time around, nor did I mention any of them in my reply above...

And for my two Arma 3 terrain releases so far, I sneakily skipped objects entirely - apart from a few hundred thousand worldtools-placed rocks...

My little description above was simply designed to highlight some of the basic operational differences between the two toolsets under discussion.

Until those official community tools appear, in whatever form they ultimately take - this whole Arma 3 Terrainmakers Section is purely devoted to.... temporary hacks and workarounds...

Right now - for Arma 3 terrainmaking - that's all there is...

Oh... and a lot of freestyle speculation... there's plenty of that too... I quite enjoy that part as we Wait the Big Wait for New Tools - like we do every few years...

you need to re evaluate what knowledge your spreading there mate , that is almost medieval gotta tell ya

If you're going to learn how to run, its a good idea to start by learning how to tie your shoelaces properly, then get a bit of simple walking practise in first... my speciality is assisting with that tricky shoelace-tying step... ;)

i done a 160 km algorytyhm for rocks and shrubery in less time than it took to read your V4 workflow lol .

Looking forward to the screenshots...

B

Edited November 3, 2013 by Bushlurker

[ZeroG 23]

Nobody i repat nobody i know now or since OFP times makes maps like that, we would have given up years ago ffs,

if your teaching that you need tostop , because that is not how to make a terrain . god even using Lynx 75 s placement and scripting a cast out for the results and diag_log is better than that and even then its pretty harsh.

So, which magical method did for example Icebreakr and Mondkalb use for their several great islands? I assume they might have used the inbuilt 3DE...which is still in there and working. No doubt placing with V3 is no fun at all, but you can do it elsewhere - by using GID or 3DE.

i done a 160 km algorytyhm for rocks and shrubery in less time than it took to read your V4 workflow lol .

If that's true' date=' why have you kept it for yourself?

Looking forward to the screenshots...

+1

Edited November 2, 2013 by ZeroG

[ZeroG 23]

Visitor will not yet be added

:butbut:

[zukov 490]

:butbut:

the word "yet" keeps the hope alive

[ZeroG 23]

Well, I never doubted that we get it - yet I would have liked to have it for Christmas Holidays :)

[m1lkm8n 411]

Well, I never doubted that we get it - yet I would have liked to have it for Christmas Holidays :)

Looks like Santa may be skipping us this year

[bushlurker 46]

Looks like Santa may be skipping us this year

:(

Bad Santa! :(

B

[progamer 14]

there's chance that Bis will include "silvador lite" trees and vegetation generator with a updated version of Visitor? is very useful tool

At least make silvador compatible with A3 and allow us to easily purchase it.

[james2464 176]

To be fair the need for Oxygen probably out weighs Visitor if you look at the mods announced thus far. :P

[m1lkm8n 411]

To be fair the need for Oxygen probably out weighs Visitor if you look at the mods announced thus far. :P

How dare you! ...throws down the gloves. :)