Trouble after I generate layers in Terrain Builder

[rossoe 46]

I wonder if anyone can help - I've been following this tutorial :

 

And it's all been going well up until I try and generate layers in Terrain Builder.

 

I grabbed sat image from bing stitched together with easy bing maps

 

grabbed the terrain data from http://opentopo.sdsc.edu/

 

and got to work in Photoshop - my original sat image was something in the region of 20k pixels wide, but I made sure it was a multiple of 2048 so resized down to 16384

 

Got the terrain to line up nicely with sat image and saved off sat, terrain and mask png's - was a little surprised that mask png was still 1 GB even though it's just 2 colours with hardly any detail!

 

imported all 3 images fine into Terrain biuilder then try to add a mapframe - this is where I'm unsure I'm doing the right thing -

 

First tab is fine create sub folders, 200000 easting, 0 for Northing, samplers tab tab is a little confusing following above tutorial as my map is a lot bigger, but I set Grid size to 2048 x 2048 but not sure if that is correct? then I set Satallite/surface (mask) source images to 16384 x 16384 is that correct? matching my own image size and the rest as below.

 

third tab I rebuild terrain and tick following:

 

and then click generate layers - after it goes through all the layering, I get the following after clicking ok:

 

If I ignore error and return to map screen the new mapframe looks smaller than my other layers - prob 2048 x 2048 is that correct - in his tutorial his sat image was 2048 so that seemed to work but my images are all 16384

 

I've rebuilt the layers.cfg several times and it is as follows:

class Layers
{
	class Grass_Green
	{
		texture = "";
		material = "Test\data\gdt_grass_green_rvmat";
	};
	class Underwater
	{
		texture = "";
		material = "Test\data\underwater_rvmat";
	};
};

class Legend
{
	picture="test\source\maplegend.png";
	class Colors
	{
		Grass_Green[] = {{0,255,0}};
		Underwater[] = {{0,0,255}};
	};
};

I got both of the rvmat files straight from above tutorial linked assets - https://github.com/CAPTNCAPS/ArmA3-TutorialIsland/tree/master/data  as I could not find appropriate one in my a3\map_data folder

My - gdt_grass_green.rvmat:

#define _ARMA_

ambient[] = {1,1,1,1};
diffuse[] = {0.7,0.7,0.7,1};
forcedDiffuse[] = {0,0,0,0};
specular[] = {0.0,0.0,0.0,0};
specularPower = 1;
emmisive[] = {0,0,0,0};
PixelShaderID = "NormalMapDiffuse";
VertexShaderID = "NormalMapDiffuseAlpha";
class Stage1
{
	texture = "Test\data\gdt_grass_green_nopx.paa";
	uvSource = "tex";
	class uvTransform
	{
		aside[] = {5,0,0};
		up[] = {0,5,0};
		dir[] = {0,0,0};
		pos[] = {0,0,0};
	};
};
class Stage2
{
	texture = "Test\data\gdt_grass_green_co.paa";
	uvSource = "tex";
	class uvTransform
	{
		aside[] = {5,0,0};
		up[] = {0,5,0};
		dir[] = {0,0,0};
		pos[] = {0,0,0};
	};
};

My - underwater.rvmat:

#define _ARMA_

ambient[] = {1,1,1,1};
diffuse[] = {0.7,0.7,0.7,1};
forcedDiffuse[] = {0,0,0,0};
specular[] = {0.0,0.0,0.0,0};
specularPower = 1;
emmisive[] = {0,0,0,0};
PixelShaderID = "NormalMapDiffuse";
VertexShaderID = "NormalMapDiffuseAlpha";
class Stage1
{
	texture = "test\data\underwater_nopx.paa";
	uvSource = "tex";
	class uvTransform
	{
		aside[] = {5,0,0};
		up[] = {0,5,0};
		dir[] = {0,0,0};
		pos[] = {0,0,0};
	};
};
class Stage2
{
	texture = "test\data\underwater_co.paa";
	uvSource = "tex";
	class uvTransform
	{
		aside[] = {5,0,0};
		up[] = {0,5,0};
		dir[] = {0,0,0};
		pos[] = {0,0,0};
	};
};

My data folder:

and my source:

 

Thank you so much for any help you could give me..

 

[m1lkm8n 411]

Ok. Just some info first. Firstly I would ditch the guy who tell you mikeRo's tools are not needed anymore. They *are* always needed!

 

as far as your sat goes. I would try and make the sat image at *minimum* the same size as your terrain size. The reason being is in game you will have 1 px for every meter for a 1:1 ratio. Where what you have is lower resolution than that. While not terrible lower it still is. 

 

Eveyrhing else looks ok. With the exception of you are not using tags_. For instance my tag is m1lk_ so every file and class name uses my tag. This way I ensure that never will I overwrite someone else's config because our class names are the same because there is only and will only ever be one m1lk_classname 

 

finally the the reason you are getting errors is because in your layers config you have 

 

"test\data\gdt_grass_green_rvmat"

when it should be:

"test\data\gdt_grass_green.rvmat"

[rossoe 46]

ah Thank you, stupid mistake!

 

with my images - Terrain, Sat and Mask all being 16384 x 16384 should I be setting the samplers tab to the following:

 

 

ie changing 'cell size' in terrain sampler so that the 'Terrain size' then matches my image 16384

 

I am just concerned that the Texture layer is now not that close to 40 x 40 which was noted as being important.

[m1lkm8n 411]

21 minutes ago, rossoe said:

ah Thank you, stupid mistake!

 

with my images - Terrain, Sat and Mask all being 16384 x 16384 should I be setting the samplers tab to the following:

 

 

ie changing 'cell size' in terrain sampler so that the 'Terrain size' then matches my image 16384

 

I am just concerned that the Texture layer is now not that close to 40 x 40 which was noted as being important.

You can do that. I'm not sure the 40x40 holds as much weight as it did in arma 2 you should be fine at 32x32

[rossoe 46]

ok I got past the generate layers section - but when I look at the new mapframe with terrain layer hidden it's a lot smaller than my other layers?

 

 

Soon as I unhide the terrain layer it shows the size I expected -

[Cosmo_D41 117]

When you are resizing your basic mapframe properties, you also have to resize the different raster-layers (and perhaps update them from the scourcefiles after that).

 

Just rightclick on every layer and choose "Terrain coordinates & properties" and change the width and height to the same sizes like shown on the picture:

 

After doing that, everything should be fine with your new size.

 

 

 

[Richie 330]

Don't use the config files that CaptCaps supplies, they're all outdated now and no longer work.

 

You're best off using an updated guide like The Atlas Guide, do it over and over starting fresh each time but making small changes, you'll master the basics so much faster and in the long run, run into less issues or know how to fix the issues.

 

Also Snake Man has spent weeks writing his [url=http://pmc.editing.wiki/doku.php?id=arma3:terrain:ultimate-terrain-tutorial]Ultimate Terrain Tutorial[/url] and it's up to date and ongoing, it has so many options that will give you a working terrain, there's many ways to skin a cat goat and Snake has them all listed.

[rossoe 46]

Thank you - those links are excellent. I've started to update my files to the latest tutorials.

 

I've managed to get the output at the right size - it was indeed the individual raster layers where I had followed the tutorials size which did not match my requirements.

 

Buldozer is loading up but I don't seem to have my sat image coming through - 

 

My sat layer looks ok:

 

I've looked through a number of the png's in the data\layers folder and they are all white with some black? is that a sign something went wrong in the generation of layers or is that expected?

[m1lkm8n 411]

could be..have the exported png files been converted to paa files?

 

also. I notice you have two mapframes. make sure you select the correct one when you go to export your  sat/mask layers

 

[rossoe 46]

Yes paa's are all sitting next to them in that folder, I assume that opening up those png's I should be seeing sat images is that correct? perhaps my Terrain builder folder config settings are incorrect.

 

For some reason the tutorial I followed imported the layers first then made the mapframe at the end hence why the default is sitting there I believe. Snake Man's wiki does it the other way round so I will try that.

 

It seems Snake Man notes Buldozer settings within Terrain builder should be :

Quote

.exe file path -  C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Arma 3\arma3.exe

launch parameters -  -buldozer -window -exThreads=0 -mod= -noAsserts -nologs -profiles=P:\Buldozer -cfg=P:\Buldozer\Buldozer.cfg -name=Buldozer

data directory -  P:\

 

But mine is currently:

Quote

P:\Buldozer.exe

-buldozer -name=Buldozer -window -exThreads=0 -disableSteam -noAsserts -cfg=p:\buldozer.cfg -showScriptErrors

P:\

 

It does at least load buldozer, but should I adjust anyway? There is a Buldozer.exe sitting within root of P:\

[RoF 241]

Make sure your sat/surface map is at the at the same coords as your heightmap.

 

The bulldozer settings are fine. Most people use arma3p to extract the A3 data which removes bulldozer. So you just use your arma3.exe instead. If your bulldozer is working, then just leave it tbh

[rossoe 46]

I think I'm getting somewhere - I definitely get sat images in my layers folder now:

 

 

However when I followed Snake Man's tutorial on adding layers I seem to get no 'average elevation' or 'max elevation' within terrain properties.

 

 

when I open buldozer I get a flat surface with my sat image on it.

[RoF 241]

Rebuild your terrain in map frame properties. The bit your circled is black because it's empty. When you rebuild terrain, TB takes your heightmap and put it in its internal files

[rossoe 46]

Oh my God - I love this, so glad I came in here to find such helpful people.

 

I picked the Isle of Wight because I spent a few years living there as a youngster, and it's magical being able to get it into an engine like this!

 

Feels like it needs hours of work remodeling to make the levels suit for water, and removing so much in Photoshop re buildings etc. But i think I'll keep plugging away. I've got so many questions but I I'll go and tweak loads of settings just like richie says.

 

Thank you

[RoF 241]

There is a discord channel for terrain makers https://discord.gg/0aWSevYPq5TDcIVl