midrange terrain texture replacement

[Kuskov 1]

Strong version is definitely the texture I'll be using, but I'd love to know if it's possible to push the contrast even further - a super heavy mix of light and dark colors and really rough textures. I know this might sound a bit extreme but I'm curious to know if it's actually possible to create terrain at mid and long range that is capable of making it truly difficult to spot camouflaged units (for example a unit wearing a ghillie suit).

I hope you guys understand what I'm trying to say, I prefer to play on terrain where it's hard to identify distant units, even if it means creating the illusion of rough terrain in places on the map that would normally appear rather featureless.

Edited March 19, 2013 by Kuskov

[lNTRUDER 26]

A great addon! Thanks for your fine piece of work :)

[bad benson 1733]

Strong version is definitely the texture I'll be using, but I'd love to know if it's possible to push the contrast even further - a super heavy mix of light and dark colors and really rough textures.

i might put up more experimental versions like this later in this thread. but the main release will be what i provided so far. you can push the contrast only to a certain level. after that it will just pixelate the base material and turn it into just a grayscale image with very sharp lines. you can see that already when looking through a scope while using this addon. while it looks still a lot better than the original texture it can ruin the illusion. since it seems like the engine downsamples the texture resolution doesn't seem to make a noticable difference. i will look into that more.

i will try out some things and upload stuff here for people interested if i have something worth sharing.

until then you can always up the contrast of the strong texture yourself. just get Texview and Gimp and you're ready to go.

[giorgygr 61]

I haven't played with it yet..but the differences from "original" (screenshots showcase) are non-comparable

Very good job fella :)

[alquemist 10]

Does this lower FPS?

[Predator.v2 10]

I haven't noticed any change on fps.

[chrisb 196]

Classy addon this, especially the ‘strong’ option..

Thanks.:)

[bad benson 1733]

another little update. since i couldn't join some servers with my addon i decided to finally learn how to sign an addon. i'm not sure if i included everything that is needed to play on a server with sig check. so please test it and give feedback.

download -> http://www.sendspace.com/file/6wg62t (first post updated)

[sqb-sma 66]

Hey Bad Benson, I was fiddling around and found I got far better results with rather high contrast settings on your landscape texture. Screenshots to follow.

EDIT: Ok, so here are my preliminary fiddles, I think a high contrast texture is the way to go. Something like BF3's Op. Firestorm (sandy texture with high contrast, high resolution plants) would be most suitable.

Not that I made a mistake with the gamma, the textures are far darker than they should be.

http://imgur.com/a/EqL64#0

Edited March 21, 2013 by SQB-SMA

[Kuskov 1]

another little update.

Great, I will test it now.

Hey Bad Benson, I was fiddling around and found I got far better results with rather high contrast settings on your landscape texture. Screenshots to follow.

Wow, those screenshots are great, the terrain appears far more realistic with the improved textures.

[sqb-sma 66]

Great, I will test it now.

Wow, those screenshots are great, the terrain appears far more realistic with the improved textures.

Cheers, I think the main problem at the moment is that the dark blotches, while good looking at a distance, have no cause... They're just dark stains, if the texture quality were larger (or the tile smaller) you could make something to give the darkness a reason to be there, like a rock or ledge. It's the same with the satellite textures from BIS, there's some areas that are clearly stepped slopes, but the mesh of the terrain shows a flat slope, so the texture just looks like dark lines across a flat field..

[weaponsfree 46]

Hey Bad Benson, I was fiddling around and found I got far better results with rather high contrast settings on your landscape texture. Screenshots to follow.

EDIT: Ok, so here are my preliminary fiddles, I think a high contrast texture is the way to go. Something like BF3's Op. Firestorm (sandy texture with high contrast, high resolution plants) would be most suitable.

Not that I made a mistake with the gamma, the textures are far darker than they should be.

http://imgur.com/a/EqL64#0

Looking forward to trying it out when I get home from work. At a distance look great. If you work out the kinks in the "dark blotches" I think these midrange problems are pretty close to solved (with current game engine as it is).

[NeuroFunker 11]

thats what ive been talking about, the ground is never looking so bright in reality, even sand. So yeah, i say in before/after, i choose second option, reacher on details and realism.

[sqb-sma 66]

thats what ive been talking about, the ground is never looking so bright in reality, even sand. So yeah, i say in before/after, i choose second option, reacher on details and realism.

Wait, so you like the gamma mistake? The darker textures?

I'll message BB and ask him if I can upload all these variations.

[sqb-sma 66]

Ok, so I've uploaded Bad Benson's mid range texture mod with uber high contrast versions of his texture's. These look (in my opinion) pretty good from a distance, but through scopes and optics they're not great at all. All credit goes to Bad Benson for, you know, making the mod.

Thanks to BB for permission to upload this. Perhaps if there was some way of switching to a different mid range texture when scoped in...?

Enjoy!

link: http://www.sendspace.com/file/0ywezs

[Kuskov 1]

Ok, so I've uploaded Bad Benson's mid range texture mod with uber high contrast versions of his texture's.

OK I've been playing the OFP series since 2001, have played with literally hundreds of different mods, and I shit you not, your ULTRA texture is the first mod I have seen that is so visually impactful that it changes gameplay. Finally a ghillie suit will be capable of blending into the surroundings at mid range. Thankyou SQB-SMA and thankyou Bad Benson.

[Sam75 0]

Ok, so I've uploaded Bad Benson's mid range texture mod with uber high contrast versions of his texture's. These look (in my opinion) pretty good from a distance, but through scopes and optics they're not great at all. All credit goes to Bad Benson for, you know, making the mod.

Thanks to BB for permission to upload this. Perhaps if there was some way of switching to a different mid range texture when scoped in...?

Enjoy!

link: http://www.sendspace.com/file/0ywezs

Too strong imo

Edited March 23, 2013 by Sam75

[Kuskov 1]

It always bugged me that the grass layer wasn't rendered at mid and long range distances, prone infantry were easier to spot at 300 metres than 30, very annoying when trying to simulate realistic sniper missions. In my opinion the new ULTRA texture posted by SQB-SMA is the best system I have seen thus far of simulating units hidden by grass.

[metalcraze 290]

Yes it's too strong. There are no black colours on the ground on Stratis.

[r3volution 0]

Holy f#*king shite that looks amazing!

Admittedly when you look close up it seems inconsistent in mapping with the earth/sand patches but given the engine constraints currently this is freaking awesome.

Good work to all involved! :cool:

::edit:: Now that I think about it, this is EXACTLY the sort of aggressive noisy constrasting textures that the distant tree LOD textures need to look convincing ::edit::

[lordprimate 159]

I like the ultra as well, any way to get a bisign of that version?

[bad benson 1733]

although it has a good effect for hiding people i think that's pushing it way too far. what you have there would make sense on chernarus maybe not stratis. i made my tweaks with the close distance look in mind and trying to replicate it in the distance. while stratis' clutter is lush compared to the distant look the default BI midrange texture provides, this edit of mine produces shadows that don't fit that.

anyways since some people like this and it kind of has a use from the gameplay perspective (hiding people better) i might add this or a similar version to the pack soon including bisign.

that will be it for me trying to please everyone though. i think 6 versions are more than enough.

edit: i took another look at this ingame and to be quite honest it looks kinda ugly through the scope. don't really know how i feel about you butchering my texture like this lol :p

when i find the time i will be playing around with it and see if i can come up with something more pleasing to the eye.

if there's more demand i will add a bisign for this one but right now i'm not convinced, sorry.

for everyone liking this there's a download already.

Edited March 23, 2013 by Bad Benson

[Predator.v2 10]

Some comparison shots between "midtex (original version)" and "midtex ULTRA by SQB-SMA":

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/106806270/arma3%20midtex/Ultra%20Midtex/1/midtex_orig1.png

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/106806270/arma3%20midtex/Ultra%20Midtex/1/ultra1.png

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/106806270/arma3%20midtex/Ultra%20Midtex/2/midtex_orig2.png

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/106806270/arma3%20midtex/Ultra%20Midtex/2/ultra2.png

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/106806270/arma3%20midtex/Ultra%20Midtex/3/midtex_orig3.png

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/106806270/arma3%20midtex/Ultra%20Midtex/3/ultra3.png

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/106806270/arma3%20midtex/Ultra%20Midtex/4/midtex_orig4.png

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/106806270/arma3%20midtex/Ultra%20Midtex/4/ultra4.png

[Kuskov 1]

Nice comparison shots Predator.v2.

I've been doing a lot of testing with the ULTRA texture and have found that units using effective camouflage patterns are REALLY hard to spot.

[dnk 13]

That's great! Especially for concealment from humans. Only problem is that it's hard to enforce such mods on players, so eh.

Regardless, these ultras look great. I think there's a little too much contrast - too black - so maybe toning it down by 33% or so and blending the dark patches a bit more would help smooth it a little, though don't loose the contrasty look altogether! Just subdue it a bit.

My 2c, but keep up the good work!