A3 Beginners Guide

[1para{god-father} 105]

I have seen a lot of Guides to A2 Island tutorials, but can someone point me in the right direction for A3

I.e how to set up the tools so i can use them in A3

Can I use http://www.armaholic.net/colombia/editing/manuals/Bush_GeotypicalTerrains-Beginners_Guide_1stEdition.pdf

Will that work for A3 ?

[m1lkm8n 411]

Well for right now until the new a3 tools are released the user made islands you see are really just a2 islands with a3 configs. There are now ways to get a3 objects placed and a way to get a normal map sat layer. (Although the last is still not 100 percent)

Until they release those tools I would just stick with bushlurkers guide as its still extremely relevant. The fundementles are there and are carried over to a3.

[PepinKr 3]

I wanted to start an ArmA 3 guide for map making but as M1lkm8n said, as long as we don't have proper tools its kind of useless.

Start with an arma 2 island and when the tools are ready, it will be quite easy to port this over A3 ;)

[1para{god-father} 105]

OK,

Have a little issue have followed the guide all seems to work but when I launch Bulldozer it is Just Black screen with some text near the top , but i cannot see any thing else ? and suggestions where i could have gone wrong - re tried 3 times now :(

worked my way down the tutorial to "Importing the preview satmap"

http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Mondkalb%27s_Terrain_Tutorial

[m1lkm8n 411]

Well the first thing here is are you using the a3.exe as buldozer?

If so that's the issue. This tut was designed for a2 in which following mondkalbs tut it would crash buldozer. It was to show you you need to import the sat and mask images first.

But...in a3 the buldozer doesn't crash and allows you to view the landscape untextured sometime. This is not good. So just continue with the tut and create a simple sat and layer mask like he says

Edit- Jeez I really gotta pay attention. I see your further than that step.

Are you sure there's no errors in the layer config?

Also your using ground texture from where? And you created rvmats for them from this tut as well?

And one last thing. What's your naming structure.

Could be something like this

Tag\tag_islandname\all the folders that belong inside

So for instance from your para godfather name

You could use PGF\pgf_islandname\

Remember all the rvmats have to be changed to reflect the path as well.

You can register here for a tag

Unique tags will insure no two island makers islands conflict.

http://www.ofpec.com/tags/

Edited July 28, 2013 by M1lkm8n

[1para{god-father} 105]

OK double checked and all paths filenames are correct i am using PGF\pgf_demo for now

I am using the a3 ground texture found them in p:\a3 gdt_grass_green_co.paa & gdt_grass_green_nopx.paa

I get 1 error when launching Bulldozer :- No Entry "config.bin/cfgingameUI/Cursor.known_target"

Any idea what that error is ?

Could this be the issue ?

Create preview satmap and satmask

"Then fill this image with dark green as a placeholder for now. RGB: 77-88-60 should be OK. Save it as "TUT_NewMap_SatMap_LCO" to P:\TUT_NewIsland\source. Now fill the image with black color and save it as "TUT_NewMap_LayerMask_LCO" to P:\TUT_NewIsland\source.

Both files should be saved in their native format (i.e. .psd if you use Photoshop and as .png for Visitor 3 to work with it). "

If it is Black could that the the issue ? as everything in the layers folder are black .png

Edited July 29, 2013 by 1PARA{God-Father}

[PepinKr 3]

I get 1 error when launching Bulldozer :- No Entry "config.bin/cfgingameUI/Cursor.known_target"

Update all your arma 3 files in your P: drive, that fixed the error for me :)

[1para{god-father} 105]

it was a clean install and only just updated all files :(

only thing i was not sure about was the folder "WRP_PROJECTS_A3" does that stay where it is or do i need a copy in my island folder ?

[m1lkm8n 411]

it was a clean install and only just updated all files :(

only thing i was not sure about was the folder "WRP_PROJECTS_A3" does that stay where it is or do i need a copy in my island folder ?

Ahhh. Open it up and inside should be an a3 folder. Drop that a3 folder directly inside the PGF folder.

[1para{god-father} 105]

Hmmm OK - moved that into my PGF folder but still no luck when i launch Bulldozer I get the dos box then after a few seconds on stuff processing i get that error still, and a black screen with the text at the top

OK What do i need in my PGF folder ?

I only have the a3 folder from "WRP_PROJECTS_A3" do i need to copy anything else into that folder ?

Edited July 29, 2013 by 1PARA{God-Father}

[m1lkm8n 411]

Ok a few things. After you import your sat and mask you'll need to convert those pngs it creates to paa files. Run pal2pace.exe on your layers folder. Depending on your island size it may take a bit. I suspect you maybe didn't do this step.(this step was handled automatically by a2 buldozer not the case with a3 so far) Then (at least I do with my old a3.exe) make sure you have a copy of the a3 folder unpacked as well as your project folder inside your a3 root directory.

Then launch buldozer.

I created an empty folder in my a3 directory to move those folders into before launching the game because for whatever reason even though not activated as an addon it was crashing my game

[1para{god-father} 105]

Ahh nope not converted them where do I get "pal2pace.exe" from , as cannot track it down

Also I did not move anything to my A3 root folder so will do that next as well

Ill update later :)

[m1lkm8n 411]

Pal2pace should be in you bitools root folder under visitor3 I believe.

[ZeroG 23]

PMC also knows an answer for fast layer conversion. With this bat, it takes less than 3 minutes for 20480x20480 on a SSD...

[m1lkm8n 411]

PMC also knows an answer for fast layer conversion. With this bat, it takes less than 3 minutes for 20480x20480 on a SSD...

Haha yea that's killer! I didn't wanna get things too confusing :)

[1para{god-father} 105]

still no Joy :(

I have Updated all the .png to .paa in layers,

Copied A3 into my ARMA Root

Copied my Project into my ARMA root

Still get the error message and all black ?

Edited July 29, 2013 by 1PARA{God-Father}

[m1lkm8n 411]

still no Joy :(

I have Updated all the .png to .paa in layers,

Copied A3 into my ARMA Root

Copied my Project into my ARMA root

Still get the error message and all black ?

Hmm. You know what I recall a conversation with bushlurker where he said when a3 went beta he was getting all kinds of errors and could no longer use it the newer bin/core and a3.exe for buldozer.

I still have the old exe and bin and core on my p drive. If you still want to give it a go I can send those files to you and you can try them out

[1para{god-father} 105]

Yes please as i really want to at least make a start and learn !

I even downloaded a template and tried that and got the same results so it could be what you said !

[ZeroG 23]

Why use A3 Buldozer anyway? Can do everything with A2...

[m1lkm8n 411]

Very true. There is a nice smoothing feature in a3 buldozer but that's about it.

[1para{god-father} 105]

Why use A3 Buldozer anyway? Can do everything with A2...

I uninstalled A2 and do not really want to reinstall it all again

[1para{god-father} 105]

Just wanted to say a big thanks to M1lkm8n that ARMA.exe works great now have it working with textures , well chuffed :)

[ZeroG 23]

I uninstalled A2 and do not really want to reinstall it all again

Its sufficent to install BI tools to have A2 BDZ work...imho way easier than all the A3 BDZ workarounds....

[1para{god-father} 105]

Oooww ill try that now then - thanks

Is there any easy way to get roads into A3 ?

[m1lkm8n 411]

Oooww ill try that now then - thanks

Is there any easy way to get roads into A3 ?

Well roads are handled by shape files in a3. Personally I think once you get the hang of them they are much easier to use and to create new roads as well.

If you own global mapper you can use that or quantum gis which is free.

There's a thread on here with quantum gis files set up and ready to use.

And zero has a thread for global mapper.