Terrain Improvement (dev branch)

[Flaky 10]

This may be a silly question but what do you do with the testsatmap.pbo? I put it in a new \xxx\addons folder but nothing looks different?

[Bouben 3]

OK after watching those pictures I wonder that is the camoflage so good that this isn't necessarily even needed anymore but of course would be a nice feature.

Some places could be more sandy like in the original but dam... let's hope you get some help. Those textures would really put every game in a shame.

Camouflage system is still necessary because units in distance have very strange lighting that makes them contrasting against the rest of the environment.

[St. Jimmy 272]

This may be a silly question but what do you do with the testsatmap.pbo? I put it in a new \xxx\addons folder but nothing looks different?

The mod doesn't work for some reason if you try to enable it from the game with the expansion menu. You need to put -mod=@yourmodfoldername in your launch parameters.

Also the area is only west part of the stratis. Start in airfield to see.

[sqb-sma 66]

I just want to chime in and say holy fucking shit this looks good. Just stand on the border and compare BIS's to Nords... holy hell.

[Takoda 10]

How did I miss this, downloading now.

[zodd 14]

Just one more saying this is amazing - It is phenomenal how big the difference is and you have done really well lining it up in the demo to where the vegetation is... Really a pity BI doesnt run with this (or support you in it)

Only thing I noted is the roads fading may be a bit of an issue - I originally thought the texture was covering the docks (southern side of airport) but as I flew closer I saw the road fade in - Is it possible to have the roads overlayed? You really want to be able to identify the roads/tracks a bit easier I think (only noticed it in the airport area)

Awesome work overall... Wish I knew enough to be able to help you out - for now I am one more supporter though.

[NordKindchen 12]

Yes sure - roads will be added once I am satisfied with the overall terrain. Same as some special details.

But its a bit till there.

Thank you for your nice words though=)

[bad benson 1733]

great detail there NordKindchen. i see one problem though. you are putting dark green photo material over areas that are originally sandy and bright. usually i'd say "artistic freedom" and i personally would love a 100% green Altis. BUT. you will run into problems because in close range this will transition into the bright brown sand type surface from your dark green.

do you think you could achieve this type of noise like detail for bright sand too? would be even better this way.

anyways. keep it up. looking good.

[NordKindchen 12]

I thought about that and there are two ways to approach this: First obviously is ignoring it since the transition is still kind of subtle and and the gras takes over the colour of the midrange textre (as can be seen at the red strokes).

Second is simply creating a new logic map for the ground that is chosen. This is simply a question of worktime since its really easy and procedual.

As for now I will ignore this problem as it is really subtle. If it appears to concern more people, as stated, there is a way to solve this;)

Thanks for the head up!

Greetings!

[krazikilla 5]

Is actually BIS doing anything about this in vanilla, or do we need Nordkindchen for fixing this totally?

[myshaak 0]

This time I actually hope BIS are not doing anything about this. One simple reason - this is a great candidate for the "Make Arma Not War" competition, Addon category.

[DaViSFiT 21]

this Looks really stunning. perhaps the textures are overall too much on the same color? i dont know how it Looks "like real" but variety of colors is always good for such a big Island. great job!

[bad benson 1733]

I thought about that and there are two ways to approach this: First obviously is ignoring it since the transition is still kind of subtle and and the gras takes over the colour of the midrange textre (as can be seen at the red strokes).

Greetings!

having clutter procedual coloured looks shit though in extreme cases. stuff like "greened" dry grass just looks weird.

there are two other options you have.

1. use detailed sandy foto data to make your overlay for sandy areas instead of using green grass/vegetation fotos everywhere

2. make your overlay into a greycale/multiplied noise overlay at least in some places where it's too intrusive

it still looks splendid from far and all and i'm not trying to put you on the spot but custom maps for the arma series had that problem of unsynced layers and stuff. it often results in weird things that don't look very natural.

maybe you could show some screens of the areas in question where you are close to the ground. it might not be as bad as i think.

[St. Jimmy 272]

maybe you could show some screens of the areas in question where you are close to the ground. it might not be as bad as i think.

You want to see something like this to compare?

Link to the album

[bravo 6 0]

Maybe BIS priority is VBS3 and not ArmA3?

Maybe they implemented this on VBS3 already..

Anyway: good job with the textures!

[xendance 3]

Maybe BIS priority is VBS3 and not ArmA3?

Maybe they implemented this on VBS3 already..

Anyway: good job with the textures!

VBS is developed by Bohemia Interactive Simulations, not by Bohemia Interactive Studios. BI Simulations is a subsidiary of BI Studios, meaning they operate on their own. Each handles its own development and financing afaik.

[bravo 6 0]

Xendance, it's no excuse!

NordKindchen, you have my vote (+1 vote up).

[marcai 1]

Xendance, it's no excuse!.

I think "they're different companies" is a very good excuse...

Whilst I agree that I'd ove everything showcased for VBS3 on their Youtube channel so far, BISim and BIS are two different entities working independently of each other on the same engine; as such we can't expect all features to cross over.

[bad benson 1733]

You want to see something like this to compare?

Link to the album

hm. thx for the screen. the light green dry grass looks actually better than that extreme sand coloured one on the vanilla side. it also seems like the bright patches in between the green balance it out quite nicely.

i was also talking about a phenomenon where if you fly low with your chopper you have a circle below you right where the detail LODs blend. that circle is really obvious if the sat map and the rest are out of sync. might not be a problem here. it would just be a shame to have something like that after a lot of work. just trying to make aware of it. that's all. the results look splendid so far.

just came across this. i really perfer the WIP green. the brown is so weird. seems like Nord is moving more towards the green. i like it.

http://www.armedassault.info/ftp/pics/news/pics1/env_comp_3.jpg

VBS is developed by Bohemia Interactive Simulations, not by Bohemia Interactive Studios. BI Simulations is a subsidiary of BI Studios, meaning they operate on their own. Each handles its own development and financing afaik.

the question is why if BIS is "sub" BI why the features don't "flow" towards arma but the other way around? and the answer is. VBS customers pay extra cash for contractors to make these features. and also BI would shoot in their own foot by making all the good stuff available on a low prized (compared to VBS) game and then expecting militaries to pay the high prize for VBS. that doesn't mean that this doesn't totally suck ;)

business is king.

Edited December 19, 2013 by Bad Benson

[dnk 13]

While I really love the new detail, I'm not sure about totally changing the color palette. The island does seem to look pretty tan and dry when you check out the pics online.

[bravo 6 0]

the question is why if BIS is "sub" BI why the features don't "flow" towards arma but the other way around? and the answer is. VBS customers pay extra cash for contractors to make these features. and also BI would shoot in their own foot by making all the good stuff available on a low prized (compared to VBS) game and then expecting militaries to pay the high prize for VBS. that doesn't mean that this doesn't totally suck ;)

business is king.

If this is the reason, I would say BIS forums are worthless and we are wasting our time here. As we will never get what we (as community) want. Pointless.

Damn interrests will ruin ArmA 3 potenciality.

[St. Jimmy 272]

just came across this. i really perfer the WIP green. the brown is so weird. seems like Nord is moving more towards the green. i like it.

http://www.armedassault.info/ftp/pics/news/pics1/env_comp_3.jpg

I also love that WIP picture. Would be pretty cool if they haven't dump that down and give us a green one later (in use) or something. Looks pretty accurate about how green the island can get.

The Nord's mid range can be too dark green but it's perfect for PVP because it got so many contrasts that people camouflage in it better. So not 100% accurate but still looks like it the island could look like that but it functions dam well.

[Degman 73]

Pictures says more than thousands of words. Every single object on both Altis and Stratis are floating above surface, and the problem lies in terrain development - you can try this yourself and everything will be clear. Just take a better look at ground.

[roberthammer 582]

Thats how Parallax occlusion is working in arma

[Heinrich Kramer 172]

bug with parallax mapping.

set terrain details to standard, doesn't look worse, gives you a few fps and stops twisting the ground so objects don't float anymore.