[Resources] How to make a Terrain

[bounceFM 1]

4 minutes ago, Cosmo_D41 said:

Best thing would be to read those logs, pboprojects points you to. Usually the last line indicates the error.

 

In your case this will be either of the two "rnj_XYZ_packing.log" data in your temp folder (depending on which map you tried to pack) where pboprojects links you to.

 

Thanks!

 

Sadly, my -packing.log document doesn't say much. Just this: picture

 

Again, I appreciate all the help I have gotten so far. Maybe it's easier if someone makes the .pbo for me?:P I'm gonna try and work it out today and in the weekend. Can't wait to start placing objects and making missions.

[Leegards 9]

screen shot how your pbo project is set up please 

[bounceFM 1]

1 minute ago, Leegards said:

screen shot how your pbo project is set up please 

this is my set up: picture

[RoF 240]

1 hour ago, bounceFM said:

this is my set up: picture

 

Does your terrain work in bulldozer ok?

[bounceFM 1]

22 minutes ago, RoF said:

 

Does your terrain work in bulldozer ok?

Yes it looks fine and all. Right proportions and sat+mask is applied .

 

But according to pboproject there is always something wrong with my .wrp. Weird, because the default map I made from the Atlas guide worked with pboproject.

[RoF 240]

Maybe go back and recheck everything, all config files and your settings in TB

[bounceFM 1]

2 hours ago, RoF said:

Maybe go back and recheck everything, all config files and your settings in TB

Thanks, I will try that!

[bounceFM 1]

Amazingly, It worked. I re-did my config file and tried crunching it again, got two errors about missing files during the packing (pboproject), fixed those, tried again, and it worked. I have now tried loading it into Arma and Editor. Works great.

 

Now I'm gonna work on the height map and fix those black spots and get a better mask+sat photo.

 

The help I have recieved has been absolutely fantastic, without doubt I could never have done it without you guys. Thank you so, so much! But I fear I will return soon when something else is bothering me and my .wrp ;-)

 

EDIT: Actually, how do I go on with fixing my .asc height map? As you can see (picture) there are a few black spots.

Edited March 24, 2017 by bounceFM
edited

[Cosmo_D41 117]

Either do it in Bulldozer (but this is usually only for adjusting smaller areas) or use L3DT (there is a free version with reduced resolution) and load the .asc heightfield there, edit it, safe it and reimport it into terrainbuilder.

[RoF 240]

Use L3DT pro trial version, it lets you use it for 90 days and lets you edit 4096x4096 heightmaps. Once you edit you file, reimport it to TB and do "rebuild terrain" like in the tutorials.

 

If you make some changes in bulldozer, an one day want to use L3DT again (sea floor etc), in TB do file>export>terrain this will give you a copy of the version stored in TB. TB doesn't edit the actual file you import, it makes its own copy and edits that! So if you ever screw up in bulldozer, you can do "rebuild terrain" and your heightmap will be rest to when you first import that file.

[bounceFM 1]

Hey again guys. I'm still working on my terrain and I have now finally managed to match the satellite images to the terrain almost perfectly. Now I'm gonna start placing stuff. What do you recommend using? Xcam, map builder, buldozer/tb (I can't figure how to place things using buldozer?).

 

Also, I've been looking for 'how-to's' about making ponds, lakes and rivers. I see m1lkm8n have lot's of cool stuff on his YouTube page about it. I'm thinking I will download DBO Ponds from Armaholic and try those out. Any other suggestions?

 

I can post some pictures of the terrain if anyone is interested.

[MrBohannon_ 403]

Congratulations Arma 3 you have created the most difficult program to learn. I have taught myself UE4, Unity and Cry Engine still have figured out how to create a map with roads its been 1 month. If anyone is willing to help me PLEASE DO LOL

[Cosmo_D41 117]

No one will give you a complete overview as the topic is, like you mentioned, pretty complex... especially no "PLEASE DO LOL" (dont know anyway, why this makes you laugh out loud...)

 

The best thing to do is read through the Atlas Guide, take some of the maps with their scource version released (like Lakeside etc), look how they did their stuff. Then begin step by step with just a very small map to get used to all the necessary things (normal map, sat map, roads, shapes, configs etc.) And afterwards you can beginn selecting and planning on your own mapproject.

 

And regarding your question for help: You are most likely to receive help and answers, when you ask specific questions, where you have a problem. Best way to ask with detailed description of your problem, perhaps screenshots or snippets from your configfiles etc. depending on the problem.

[bounceFM 1]

Roads. I am having a little problem here. In every guide (for roads) I've tried to follow have like five different road types (gravel, dirt, bike, city, highway etc). But when I make a polyline in TB, and all the other steps as in the guides, it always becomes gravel (or maybe it's dirt) road. Am I missing something? Because I can't find anywhere how to change the road type. In RoadsLib.cfg it says:

 

Spoiler

// 1 = Country road

// 2 = City road

// 3 = Gravel road

// 4 = Bike road

// 5 = Path

class RoadTypesLibrary

{

class Road0001

{

width = 10;

mainStrTex = "a3\roads_f\roads_ae\data\surf_roadtarmac_main_road_ca.paa"; // lowercase!

mainTerTex = "a3\roads_f\roads_ae\data\surf_roadtarmac_main_road_end_ca.paa";

mainMat = "a3\roads_f\roads_ae\data\surf_roadtarmac_main_road.rvmat";

map = "road";

order=1;

};

class Road0002

{

width = 8;

mainStrTex = "a3\roads_f\roads_ae\data\surf_roadtarmac_main_road_ca.paa"; // lowercase!

mainTerTex = "a3\roads_f\roads_ae\data\surf_roadtarmac_main_road_end_ca.paa";

mainMat = "a3\roads_f\roads_ae\data\surf_roadtarmac_main_road.rvmat";

map = "road";

AIpathOffset = 2.5;

order=2;

 

etc etc

 

But how can I manually change from country road to city road?

 

Is there something I need to change, maybe the layer name in shapes (layers manager) or the number in database properties?

 

Thanks for any help.

[RoF 240]

18 hours ago, bounceFM said:

But how can I manually change from country road to city road?

 

Is there something I need to change, maybe the layer name in shapes (layers manager) or the number in database properties?

 

 

http://pmc.editing.wiki/doku.php?id=arma3:terrain:ultimate-terrain-tutorial#roads_-_create

[bounceFM 1]

5 hours ago, RoF said:

 

http://pmc.editing.wiki/doku.php?id=arma3:terrain:ultimate-terrain-tutorial#roads_-_create

 

Thanks. That's one of the guides I followed. Unless I'm missing something it doesn't show how I can change road type.

[Cosmo_D41 117]

This is the relevant part of this guide:Roads - Database Properties

 

You have to select your roads, rightclick on them, select database properties and proceed according to the chapter above. There you give your roads the number of your road-type. Afterwards export them.

[bounceFM 1]

Thank you, It worked for me when I did one change. Instead of exporting as a document I had to export as 'current layer'. Otherwise it was a no-go.

 

Anyways, I still have a problem. My roads show up fine in Buldozer. But after I export .wrp and crunch the .pbo and try the map out in-game, it doesn't show any roads. Only loads of random dirt roads placed wherever (under the sea, into the forest etc). This was a problem even before I started placing roads on my map.

 

Actually, while typing this, do you guys think it have something to do with the already placed roads in the Atlas guide default/test map? If that sentence was understandable...

Edited May 2, 2017 by bounceFM
Error in grammar.

[RoF 240]

in your config.cpp make sure "newRoadsShape" points to your roads.shp file

[bounceFM 1]

1 hour ago, RoF said:

in your config.cpp make sure "newRoadsShape" points to your roads.shp file

That might be it. But I suspect I have placed "newRoadsShape" wrong in the config. Where should it be placed? This is what my config looks like without the "newRoadsShape".

 

Spoiler

#define _ARMA_

//Class config.bin{
class CfgPatches
{
 class rnj_mistfjord
 {
  units[] = {"rnj_mistfjord"};
  weapons[] = {};
  requiredVersion = 1.0;
  requiredaddons[]={"A3_Map_Stratis"};
  version = "25/01/2015";
  fileName = "rnj_mistfjord.pbo";
  author = "your_username";
 };
};
class CfgWorlds
{
 class CAWorld;
 class Stratis: CAWorld
 {
  class Grid;
  class DefaultClutter;
 };
 class rnj_mistfjord: Stratis
 {
  cutscenes[] = {};
  author = "your_username";
  description = "mistfjord";
  worldName = "rnj\rnj_mistfjord\rnj_mistfjord.wrp";
  startTime = "11:00";
  startDate = "05/03/2001";
  startWeather = 0.2;
  startFog = 0.0;
  forecastWeather = 0.6;
  forecastFog = 0.0;
  centerPosition[] = {1024,1024,500};
  seagullPos[] = {1024,1024,500};
  longitude = 65;
  latitude = -34;
  elevationOffset = 5;
  envTexture = "A3\Data_f\env_land_ca.tga";
  minTreesInForestSquare = 2;
  minRocksInRockSquare = 2;
  ilsPosition[] = {1024,1024};
  ilsDirection[] = {0.5075,0.08,-0.8616};
  ilsTaxiIn[] = {};
  ilsTaxiOff[] = {};
  drawTaxiway = 0;
 class SecondaryAirports {};
class Sea
  {
   seaTexture = "a3\data_f\seatexture_co.paa";
   seaMaterial = "#water";
   shoreMaterial = "#shore";
   shoreFoamMaterial = "#shorefoam";
   shoreWetMaterial = "#shorewet";
   WaterMapScale = 20;
   WaterGrid = 50;
   MaxTide = 0;
   MaxWave = 0;
   SeaWaveXScale = "2.0/50";
   SeaWaveZScale = "1.0/50";
   SeaWaveHScale = 2.0;
   SeaWaveXDuration = 5000;
   SeaWaveZDuration = 10000;
  };
  class Grid: Grid
  {
   offsetX = 0;
   offsetY = 5120;
   class Zoom1
   {
    zoomMax = 0.15;
    format = "XY";
    formatX = "000";
    formatY = "000";
    stepX = 100;
    stepY = -100;
   };
   class Zoom2
   {
    zoomMax = 0.85;
    format = "XY";
    formatX = "00";
    formatY = "00";
    stepX = 1000;
    stepY = -1000;
   };
   class Zoom3
   {
    zoomMax = 1e+030.0;
    format = "XY";
    formatX = "0";
    formatY = "0";
    stepX = 10000;
    stepY = -10000;
   };
  };
#include "cfgClutter.hpp"
        class Names
        {
            #include "rnj_mistfjord.hpp"
        };
 };
};
class CfgWorldList
{
 class rnj_mistfjord{};
};
class CfgMissions
{
 class Cutscenes
 {
 
 };
};

//SURFACES
#include "cfgSurfaces.hpp"

 

And thanks for the fast reply!

 

EDIT: I figured it out

[bounceFM 1]

New question!

 

So I have upped the quality in my satellite image. Before this my sat was 9 MB. Now it is 470 MB. I have tried several times importing it into TB but 1) it takes several hours 2) it freezes or just doesn't import. Of course, the issue is probably the size.

 

So my question is this: what do you guys do when importing sat img's to TB? Split it up into 1-4 pieces? Reduce the quality/file size?

[Richie 330]

13 minutes ago, bounceFM said:

New question!

 

So I have upped the quality in my satellite image. Before this my sat was 9 MB. Now it is 470 MB. I have tried several times importing it into TB but 1) it takes several hours 2) it freezes or just doesn't import. Of course, the issue is probably the size.

 

So my question is this: what do you guys do when importing sat img's to TB? Split it up into 1-4 pieces? Reduce the quality/file size?

 

My guess is you're using .png ? the slowest of all format imports, it'll work but it'll take several hours.

Try the same image as .bmp, you'll see it imports in seconds, it'll do as you work on the project, you can always go back to .png before release.

[bounceFM 1]

25 minutes ago, richie said:

 

My guess is you're using .png ? the slowest of all format imports, it'll work but it'll take several hours.

Try the same image as .bmp, you'll see it imports in seconds, it'll do as you work on the project, you can always go back to .png before release.

 

Ah, that's great info. Many thanks!

[Duckman625 0]

Hello, me and a friend are trying to create a map but would like some first time help from a pro in which we can do it right and then learn from it so we can make terrains on our own.If you are interested in helping us then please reply and we can go from there. 

               

                   Thanks!

[RoF 240]

1 hour ago, Duckman625 said:

Hello, me and a friend are trying to create a map but would like some first time help from a pro in which we can do it right and then learn from it so we can make terrains on our own.If you are interested in helping us then please reply and we can go from there. 

               

                   Thanks!

 

Just follow a guide, if not someone will just give you the atlas guide files and charge you for it! Seen it a few times on here