Simple ArmA 2 Terrain Tutorial

[.kju 3244]

To me it tells me your P setup is faulty or missing A2 data altogether.

[deadlyfreeze 1]

To me it tells me your P setup is faulty or missing A2 data altogether.

If my P:\ isn't setup correctly or I was missing A2 data then why does it pack correctly when I have binarze unchecked binpbo? This is what strikes me as something else as being as issue here.

[.kju 3244]

Without binarize it simply packs the files without checks. When you try it ingame, you probably run the game with all files again. Thats why it works (mostly) fine ingame.

[deadlyfreeze 1]

Whew well I finally got it right, that config file is definitely wrong...

	
               worldName= "\TUT\TUT_SampleMap\TUT_SampleMap.wrp";
	pictureShot = "\TUT\TUT_SampleMap\data\SM_Picture_ca.paa";

should be...

	worldName = "TUT\TUT_SampleMap\TUT_SampleMap.wrp";
	pictureShot = "TUT\TUT_SampleMap\data\SM_Picture_ca.paa";

worldname is missing a space which was causing binPBO to crash on the TUT_SampleMap.wrp, also needs to lose the extra \.

[VGD 10]

In the "Visitor 3 manual" has a section which tells about changes the height of points/area on the map but did not explain how to access the "Change only" drop-down menus to adjust the seabed.

If anyone knows how to do it?

[Sealife 22]

goto edit verices and press ctrl A , this selects all, then in drop down you have coice select only below sea level

I fear its time this tutorial was took down now and replaced by new one that are available , it did its duty but now , more work stem from it than to make an terrain .

[VirtualReal 1]

hi, I have same problem when connecting to buldozer, i get a message saying;

"arma2-Cannot load texture tut\tut_samplemap\data\layers\s_000_000_ico.paa"

i followed all the steps but dont know where the problem is,all maps and files are in there place.

even in visitor i cant see the textures, only the height map.

later

what was the solution ... i am facing the same error after following the tutorial @ http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Mondkalb's_Terrain_Tutorial

and after two weeks it is geting borring

i think i did all what i have read any where ... i did setup my O:\ drive with tools and i did setup my P:\ drive with buldozer and so on

i did folders with name tag ... and also without name tag

i did extract arma2oa.exe and rename it to buldozer.exe as also languagecore core ca bin and even product.bin from the 1.6 update after much woerse problems with the original BIS_Tools setup (as described here http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?114751-Buldozer-crash-with-Arma2P-setup-and-OA1-54-exe&p=1856956&viewfull=1#post1856956)

i did try arma2p.bat/cmd to setup my p:\ drive what did end with nothing! (no fail message no success message ... just a window that appears and close later ... even if i run it from CMD)

i did read all configs and and and

if i just run buldozer he starts up with no error (buldozer.exe -buldozer)

i also can use this l3dt tool and import everything correctly in visor3 ... i also did import satmap and layer.cfg and the mask without problem

but when i start buldozer a dos box appears ... and tells me 100 times "C:\Documents and Settings\bxbx\Desktop\Tools\BinMake\BinMake\Pal2PacE\Pal2PacE.e

xe returned error 22: Invalid argument"

i dont know this path on my PC with win 7 ... i know O:\Bohemia Interactive\Tools\TexView 2\Pal2PacE.exe .... where can i change this path

i dont find bxbx in any *.cfg or in the registry or any where ... is this path in the *.exe (visor or buldozer) or where?

i guess thats the problem but maybe not or not only

i only like to create a map .. maybe later more ... but i feel like giving up soon (in SWAT i can do a map in less then one day including the tool setup)

... maybe someone can share a working P:\ drive with a ready to go test map where no editing is needed ... only to see it it would theoreticaly work

a map that i can just load in visor and run with buldozer with out editing or *cfg or importing this and that ... just a test map to click and go

it would be very kind!

EDIT:

OK now i found a file on my O:\ drive where i have installed the BIS tools

O:\Bohemia Interactive\Tools\BinMake\binMakeRules.txt

i did edit the file and had to correct the pathes of all tools so that they point at my installation at O:\*\*.exe

i mean every tool path had to be manualy fixed

since that the "C:\Documents and Settings\bxbx\Desktop\Tools\BinMake\BinMake\Pal2PacE\Pal2PacE.exe returned error 22: Invalid argument" error did disappear !

now still something seems to be not OK

after converting there was still a missing file message ... but this was now in buldozer and not in the previous CMD window

also the map did now appear ... but it did look somehow not right ... it was one long streched green kind of island

but i get new hope now ... maybe i can now restart some tutorial and maybe i will get my own map in the next 100 years (depends on the next 1001 errors which i will get)

Edited May 25, 2012 by VirtualReal
update

[bushlurker 46]

Hi VirtualReal....

Oh dear! - you've had a pretty negative experience so far!

I'm regretfully thinking that Thromp may be right....

I fear its time this tutorial was took down now and replaced by new one that are available , it did its duty but now , more work stem from it than to make an terrain .

There's some mighty outdated info out there, and I suspect you've followed some of it in good faith, and been led astray...

There's no need whatsoever to copy arma2oa.exe, mess with bin or product bin folders, edit BinMakes rules, any of that....!

when i start buldozer a dos box appears ... and tells me 100 times "C:\Documents and Settings\bxbx\Desktop\Tools

This one sounds like it wants a Windows user called "bxbx"'s desktop??? - That's seriously not right!

Mondkalbs Tutorial, which you've found and followed, IS up to date, and does (quite quickly) cover all the main aspects of terrainmaking correctly, but as it says itself...

This guide will not explain every single mouseclick that you need to do

... at this very early beginning stage, sometimes it's nice to actually have every single step and mouseclick explained slowly and in detail!

You know I'm going to suggest you start again from scratch, don't you? :(

Sounds like you have an actual physical drive to install the tools on - a drive "O:\" ? - Ideal!

* If you've had a go at starting any little projects yourself that you want to keep - make a backup of them somewhere safe..... then..... Uninstall Everything! Get rid of it all - all the tools, the Virtual P: drive - Everything.....

Reboot and get clean of it all......

* Now - GO HERE... These are the Latest Tools!

(notice how the BI Dev's avatar name is "bxbx"? - somehow, one of the examples you've been following was telling you to install the tools as if you actually were "bxbx" - with a "bxbx" Windows User name and all!.... That's where at least one of your crazy errors was coming from..... we won't let that happen again!!!

Okay - now you have the genuine absolute latest tools.... this means theres NO NEED for any of that messing with arma2oa.exe, or Bin or Core folders - they're plug and play - all the way..... let's plug the buggers, then you can play!!! ;)

You have a drive "O" where you're going to install the tools - that's ideal! A second drive or a partition of about 50GB is fine..... You'll spend all your time working on that Virtual P drive, but the actual contents will be stored in with your tools install.... that's why the default install path of "C:\Documents&Settings\etc is a little less than ideal, but with your "O" drive you're sorted.....

* Make a folder on that "O" drive - call it "BIS TOOLS"

* run the tools installer and install ALL the tools - even if you don't immediately think you need them - install everything, one at a time, and, as you install - set the path for each tool to simply be....

O:\BIS TOOLS\

You should end up with an O:\BIS TOOLS\ folder, and inside will be....

Visitor, Oxygen, BinMake, etc folders.... all the tools.....

Now reboot!!!!!

When you come back, you should have a clean latest tools install in "O:\" and now you should have a virtual "P:\" drive as well, with a load of stuff already installed and setup.....

Next step is to unpack the whole of your game assets to this P:\ drive.... specifically, they all need unpacked to a special "P:\CA\" folder.....

This is what Arma2P does.....

At this stage I'm gonna save myself a lot more typing and point you to This Absolute Beginners Guide...

Check out the first post - use the "Armaholic Mirror - Guide & Source Files Link" link and grab the nice neat .pdf version of the guide, and - while you're there - grab the "Source Files" too....

That's a readymade island source files set - just like you wanted... plug and play and ready to binarize!!!

However - first you need to finish the Game Assets unpacking procedure.....

Read the Guide!!!

Start at the beginning and follow the "I'm an Absolute Beginner - explain everything in painful detail" option!

Follow thru the basic setup procedure to start with.... you're a little ahead - you have the tools installed already - properly!, so you'll be starting in just after that bit..... with the "Arma2P" instructions.....

Follow thru that section carefully.... Arma2P will unpack all your game assets into the P:\CA\ folder.... this takes a little while, but after that you really are completely and cleanly installed and ready to actually get some progress happening!

There's a separate thread for that tutorial, so, if you hit any snags, post in that thread and we'll take on any other hiccups you may encounter as they happen.....

Sorry for making you start all over again, but it's massively important that these basic fundamentals are installed and setup correctly! All subsequent successes flow from this stable and correctly installed development setup.....

It's NOT the ridiculous copy this, overwrite that fuss it used to be, and which you've been reading about....

With the latest tools and Arma2P it's a simple plug and play process that should take an hour or less.....

Read the guide - follow it, literally, to the letter! ..... you should have no major issues.......

Good Luck, and ..... welcome to terrainmaking!

B

Edited May 25, 2012 by Bushlurker

[VirtualReal 1]

Oh dear! - you've had a pretty negative experience so far!

still i dont have my map ... but i am maybe a step closer :)

there was this binMakeRules.txt file in my tools directory ... in it were some path settings pointing to this mysterious BXBX folder ... i did correct them all manualy and since then the setup seems to work... now buldozer seems to do all automaticaly ... what ever he is doing ;))

There's some mighty outdated info out there, and I suspect you've followed some of it in good faith, and been led astray...

for new people it is hard to find the right entrypoint ... there are many tutorials, some are not up to date but they explain a lot, others are up to date and explain not so much (maybe because the autor thinks that his reades already know the older outdated tutorials) and then there are different ways of doing maps ... some start with this others with that, some have a good folder setup others have a simple folder setup...

... and some how it is geting difficult to find the right way

even when it comes to the setup of the BIS tools ... some say just install it, others say make a own o:\ partition (or virtual drive), some say use arma2p.cmd to setup every thing automaticaly but again others say no dont use arma2p.cmd because it fails

there should be maybe something like a own up to date wiki only for map creating ;)

This one sounds like it wants a Windows user called "bxbx"'s desktop??? - That's seriously not right!

this folder did never exist and also no such user account or any thing ... the only file with bxbx was this binMakeRules file

i guess something with the setup whent wrong

maybe the setup was not able to write the correct path into the file .. or what ever could happened?

You know I'm going to suggest you start again from scratch, don't you? :(

yes i know ;D

Now reboot!!!!!

i knew you will suggest that too ;))

It's NOT the ridiculous copy this, overwrite that fuss it used to be, and which you've been reading about....

With the latest tools and Arma2P it's a simple plug and play process that should take an hour or less.....

haha until now nothing was ever plug and play with arma ... until i found this six-addon-updater and this armaII-launcher and so on was a long time :)) ...

you should have no major issues.......

... or i will come back and ask ;)

Good Luck

thanks :D .. we will see ;)

i will give a other try now ;)

following some more tutorials...

i will take a look at what you have pointet me to :D

thanks :D

[VirtualReal 1]

hey cool :D !

wow ... what shall i say :))

now i have done more or less all what is said in the mondkalbs tutorial and i realy got a more or less working map :D

i have not done all what he said ... i have no buildings on the map and no forest or similar ... also my texture is very unique ... i have grass in the water :)) ... it looks cool haha :))

at the moment i guess that i will be able to fix most issues :D

just two things

first i had problems to load the map ... the game did crash wehn i did try to play on the map

in mondkalbs tutorial is a config.cpp with the following two lines

worldName = "\TUT_IslandName\IslandName.wrp";

pictureShot = "\TUT_IslandName\TUT_IslandName_pic_ca.paa";

which i did replace with

worldName = "TUT_IslandName\IslandName.wrp";

pictureShot = "";

so i dont have a picture shot and after removing of the leading backslash the map did load without crash

but still if i load the map in the editor it tells me more or less something like

bin\config.bin/cfgworlds outsideterra no entry in.terrainsynth

i have a idea what it could be but am not very sure

mondkalb said that i shall do the satmap 10px biger and that i should remove the 10px later ... but he never said when to remove them ... so i never removed them ... maybe thats now the outsideterra and maybe some *.pew data is missing for this 10px

since all that belongs to the install seems to work now i will restart with a new map from scratch

maybe i will overcome this error too and maybe i will try now to place roads and buildings to and do a better texture ... but the grass in the water is awesome ... it looks like the waterplants in my virtual aquarium :))

[ScorpionGuard 10]

Sorry guys. But as I have read through the post. No one has given infomation on the terrain grid size in a scale model format. This would be very helpful to those of us who plan on building maps. Like the example states: Terrain grid sizes (does not state if this is meters or kilometers) 512 x 512 with Terrain cell size (meters) 10.0 = Tearrain size (meters) 5120.0 x 5120.0. My question is how high does the Terrain grid sizes go?, What Terrain cell size is best?, & What the highest Terrain size in a 10.0 meter cell size format? And will these be improved upon in ArmA 3?

[Robster 11]

terrain grid size is measured in pixels (using higher grid = 4096 x 4096 pixels is troublesome, so max grid usable is 2048 sq.px)

terrain cell size is measured in meters

terrain grid x terrain cell = sq.meters / sq.kms. got it?

example = (grid 512x512 px) x (cell 5 meters) = 2.56 kms x 2.56kms. = 6.5536 sq.kms. terrain

there is no such thing as the best cell size...

10 meters cell size was used for Clafghan map which displays on 2048x2048 px grid = more than 400 sq.kms... the tinier the cell size, more resolution you get on grounds to "draw" trenches, little holes/steeps, etc...

1 meter cell size fits for "micro terrain" it's not adviced for unexperienced mappers... since it can cause bad performance if you do not know exactly what you are doing...

100 meters cell size would fit a large terrain... clafghan, i.e., could cover 4000 sq.kms. just changing cell size, but this would result in a wide flat terrain where you couldn't notice any variation at ground level... it would look better from air, so it would fit more for a flight sim purposes...

afaik the highest size on whatever cell size (it doesn't really mind if it 10m or 100m) would be over a 4096 x 4096 pixels grid... so you could get around 40.96 x 40.96 kms. more than 1600 sq.kms... however, there is a bug -it's not a surprise though- and you can't place objects all over the place in this map and you can use effectively just half of the terrain...

Let's hope this can be fixed in ArmA 3... I know this freaky guy who's only waiting for that! :p

Edited June 1, 2012 by Robster

[ScorpionGuard 10]

So you are saying that a terrain can't grow beyond 25.4637915 miles x 25.4637915 miles due to the engine it is ran on. For my question (and others) started due to the like of naval support for land warfare. People have weigh in on the question in dislike when speaking of naval force. IMO due to their like of understanding of modern warfare. Are due to their country not have a naval force of importance. But for a naval force to be effective. A terrain must start at 300 miles x 300 miles (482.8032 kilometers x 482.8032 kilometers). To give it room for operations. So yes. I am one of those who are wanting for the day that BIS will remove the governor off of the engine. Are improve it to the point it is possible to do so without bugs.

[Robster 11]

erm I don't know how much a terrain can grow...

Once I did an empty map on 80x80 kms size (the whole Kunar Province) and it's huge but above all a never ending job to finish... if you have a tiny island you can place it in the middle and enjoy the surrounding ocean... I think if you search armaholic you'll find a lot of different flavours and surely some of them might suit your needs...

anyways, if you want a "navy ops" map you could use a huge map ... cell size = 20 meters and grid size = 2048 x 2048px, so you could have more than 1600 sq.kms of useful ground! this means more than 994.193 square miles!!! perhaps no so "flat" and still you can place some platforms to make it more interesting for infantry... just an idea...

and, last but no least, remember that BIS LHD is an static non moving object... which means you can drive it at all...

[sojaku 10]

Hi there,

Make sure you have a "Sat_lco.png, Mask_lco.png, Maplegend.png and a Layers.cfg file in your source folder of your project.

Make sure that the colors used on your mask_lco.png file are all defined in the layers.cfg file.

Make sure that the paths in the layers.cfg are all pointing to your texture folder (P:\tut\tut_samplemap\data\texture_name.paa.

Make sure the path to the maplegend.png file in the layers.cfg file is right.

It must have to do with a wrong path or missing file, it might also have to do with difference in size of the mask and sat png files, make sure they are both the same size.

Make sure when creating your sat_lco and Mask_lco that you save them as PNG, (NON INTERLACED !)

Keep us posted of your results,

Later,

Allie

LAYERS.CFG sample

You do understand that in this sample you should change the paths to your textures, probably something like "texture = "TUT\TUT_Samplemap\data\xxpole1_mco.paa"

Again this is a sample, you have to alter it to your needs.

Later

Maplegend.png

The Maplegend.png is universal, so you can just copy it here of the site.

Also in the RVMAT files in your DATA folder you need to check for the right paths ! The RVMAT files from your textures in the data folder.

I think the problem is that Mask_lco.png it is a blank image, thats the problem! can anyone upload again the Mask_lco.png? please??

pd: sorry for my english im a argentinian guy :D

[Fandango224 10]

im not even sure if this is getting posted correctly but ive been reading for hours and hours and im frankly about to leave BI editing. I have the stupid error with loading my mapLegend.png file. Now this is my problem. The layer file IS most def correct from what i can tell, also from what the tutorial says according to the wiki one dealing with TUT\TUT_SampleMap. So one, the layer file is there, it says:

class Legend
{
 picture = "tut\tut_samplemap\source\mapLegend.png";
 class Colors
 {
   sm_grass[]={{255,255,255}};
 };
};

Now i have tried to change this to every imaginable case or anything i could think of to make it work. For example p:\ to P:\ and even the cases of the folders. Nothing. picture = "\tut and nothing. I mean absolutely nothing i have tried for the past umpteen hours worked. I have verified my paths so many times i wanna break my computer. System prefs are set to p:\ and the bulldozer i havent touched since i cant even make it past this. I even tried changing my textures path with no luck. I really hope im missing something here and its just not a poorly updated tut im following. I have had good exp's so far and i just hope its my stupidity.:391:

[bushlurker 46]

That section of layers.cfg looks OK...

What do you mean by this part?

System prefs are set to p:\

B

[Fandango224 10]

That section of layers.cfg looks OK...

What do you mean by this part?

B

My system preferences are set to p:\ as the working directory. I have just finished reinstalling again and i am now running the depbo from Mikeros i think is his name. I have re downloaded the sample map again thinking it may have corrupted somehow so ill see about that soon enough. BTW the tuts are awesome i just cant seem to get this file to load lol. Im not a pro but im pretty good with this kind of thing and its killing me that i cant figure it out.

---------- Post added at 21:04 ---------- Previous post was at 20:16 ----------

yup. Still get the same error and nothing i try makes it work. I have checked and tried so every path i can think of. I have verified the layer file i can even preview the maplegend picture. IDK whats stopping it from loading. The path is fine, the file is there, yet it cant load the maplegend.

---------- Post added at 21:22 ---------- Previous post was at 21:04 ----------

well it seems that i cant connect buldozer either. Its as if my working directory is being ignored completely and im not sure why.

---------- Post added at 21:49 ---------- Previous post was at 21:22 ----------

OK so it randomly started working. Apparently the secret ingredient is MAGIC.

[Rektavu 10]

Please! any help here 0_0 !!!

http://gyazo.com/c99b40f957a2a75e90df6ff3ed247aec <-- picture

[m1lkm8n 411]

Please! any help here 0_0 !!!

http://gyazo.com/c99b40f957a2a75e90df6ff3ed247aec <-- picture

Some info first.

What's the height map size of your island and cell size?

And what is the size in pixels of your sat map and mask?

[Rektavu 10]

im not really sure. but its the one in the tutorial! so it should work?