Arma forest generator

[Leopotam 10]

Arma forest generator - tool for generation areas of trees.

Help:

Main goal of this tool - generate trees-area with zones (like trees in real life):

Tool support profiles - your custom preferences for different situations with trees generation. For example, profile for trees, profile for bushes, profile for grass, etc.

Profile structure:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<Config>
   <Zones>
       <External Objects="\ca\sample_tree10;\ca\sample_tree11" />
       <Middle Objects="\ca\sample_tree20;\ca\sample_tree21" />
       <Internal Objects="\ca\sample_tree30;\ca\sample_tree31" />
   </Zones>
   <PlacementChance Value="0.4" />
   <MetersPerQuad Value="50.0" />
   <ObjectsPerQuad Value="15" />
</Config>

Order of xml-nodes not important.

Nodes:

• Zones/External: contains info about tree types on attribute "Objects", planted in external zone (look at forest schema). Each zone can have several types of trees, separated by ";".
  
• Zones/Middle: contains info about tree types on attribute "Objects", planted in middle zone (look at forest schema).
  
• Zones/Internal: contains info about tree types on attribute "Objects", planted in internal zone (look at forest schema).
  
• MetersPerQuad: trees drops in quad-regions, with side "MetersPerQuad" meters long. Type - float. If you increase this parameter, you get more random distribution of trees on the quad area and tougher border, and vice versa.
  
• ObjectsPerQuad: count of potential trees for each quad. Type - integer.
  
• PlacementChance: chance of planting tree, in normalized form, from 0.0 (0%) to 1.0 (100%). Type - float.
  

Tips:

• I repeat, you can create many profiles with different types of objects (trees, bushes, grass, rocks) and fast generate objects for one input data.
  

ok, about usage...

1. Create in visitor Wp-objects on a border of your forest.

2. Select this WP-s (order important).

3. Export to txt-file.

4. Run tool with params (Run without params for usage).

5. Import created file to visitor.

Links:

v1.0.0.1

v1.0.0.0

Examples:

Edited April 9, 2010 by Leopotam
v1.0.0.1

[shezan74 11]

Nice, i'm working on something similar, based on user bitmap, but i'll try this tomorrow :)

good work :)

The only problem is you've "stolen" my software names for fence and now (but was not released too, so you was the first one) for this forest tool... i must invent something else now... :)

[Homer Johnston 0]

Then let's call them "Leo's Forest Generator" and "Shezan's Fence Generator" :p

This tool is definitely a step in the right direction! I gave it a quick try and it seemed to work pretty good - definitely could be useful for roughing in the majority of a forest, then perhaps spending some time customizing around the edges a bit to blend things together...

Cheers! :)

[Leopotam 10]

shezan74, show me a patent on these names / trademarks or at least - copyright marks. And run my tools and read console output. Situation as with the Popov's radio and Marconi's radio. :)

P.S. Your app - "Fence generator", my app - "Arma fence generator".

Edited April 4, 2010 by Leopotam

[shezan74 11]

shezan74, show me a patent on these names / trademarks or at least - copyright marks. And run my tools and read console output. Situation as with the Popov's radio and Marconi's radio. :)

P.S. Your app - "Fence generator", my app - "Arma fence generator".

My post was only to avoid confusion into users. Anyway you can name your software also "shezan fence generator", it's not a problem for me.

My tool was developed to solve my needs and released to allow everyone benefits from my work. Peoples will spend a lot of time in creating islands for us (and i think they doesn't have so much time to play into their creations). This is also a gift for them. No patent on this.

Best

[beton 2]

Wow... there is really big progress in all of these "little heplers"

But i wonder if it would be possible to put some or all of this generators together and give them a nice and handy gui.

Maybe some Cooperation between you codingguys could end up in a very cool editing suite...

but anyway... keep up the work

[dead kennedy 124]

Yep, GUI it would be cool :))

[ZeroG 23]

Truly awesome! I have hope that with all of your masterminds help we can create a perfect community tool, to allow all these features mentioned in the "terrain" section of VBS2 VTK handbook.

http://developer.vbs2.com/onlinehelp/Content/Terrain_Manual/TM_Terrain_Manual.htm

http://www.vbs2.com/media/docs/Visitor4_leaflet_preview.pdf

Leopotam, wouldn't it be possible to build sth similar like the "professional toolbox" shown above..at least for realistic maps?

1. I'm thinking of a "sandwhich" idea, i.e. layers like one might know from photoshop or, as seen in the above, featured by VISITOR 4:

1. Layer: heightmap by point data (i.e. the "import terrain via xyz" option, which is the only really helpful thing in Visitor 3 IMHO :) )

2. Layer: vegetation by point/area data

3. Layer: roads/fences/walls by line data

4. Layer: buildings by point data

You see, all the generator would need to feed on would be rather simple data. A lot of the needed data is available on the net for free and also can easily be created/converted by using Global mapper.

All of these four layers would have to be at the same geographical coordinates and use the same projection ofc..but some mismatches in this surely could easily be fixed by shifting these things around, like in PS.

2. Another idea would be to evolute the mask mapper, i.e. create a color mask out of a satellite pic, featuring the above mentioned 4 layers and let the generator then convert this color mask into 4 *.txt files, i.e. Visitor 3 readable format.

I'm even definetly willing to donate for this, no fun. As long as it is cheaper than 420 EU for VBS2 PE, does almost the same work and furthermore saves something that is even more worth than money: lifetime and motivation!

Edited April 4, 2010 by ZeroG

[shezan74 11]

I agree :) but we're using different technologies. It will be not so simple. Leo is using dos interfaces, homer is using arma and me graphic gui.

Maybe a unique menu for leo tools can be useful :)

[Guest]

Release frontpaged on the Armaholic homepage.

Arma forest generator

[ZeroG 23]

I agree :) but we're using different technologies. It will be not so simple. Leo is using dos interfaces, homer is using arma and me graphic gui.

Maybe a unique menu for leo tools can be useful :)

Yeah, you're right. Actually it is funny to see tools from ARMA 1 times re-produced and improved..like Homer's approach reminds me of 3DE and your approach of the Mask Mapper 2 :D

Although there are 3 tools with overlapping features, each of them has different benefits for different purposes, like Homer's 3D approach for example is great for finetuning and giving LIFE to the map (just look at the stunning beauty and detail of the 3DE island)...

Using this one generator I'm dreaming of won't be enough. It might be a really great help for large areas of woods, basic road networks, basic city shapes, BUT for nothing more, as not any GIS-data is either way freely available on the net OR has been archived (like walls, fences and such)

Therefore, after the use of the generator, one would have to really look on the map and give his personal touch to it...rotate objects, add stuff like bus-stops and such...i.e. making it look real and thus creating an awesome immersion...and for THIS purpose your's and Homer's tools would have their finest hour then!

Furthermore, for a complete fantasy island one wouldn't use the generator, I guess...

So basically, what we are talkin about are at least 2 tools (for realistic maps):

1. A generator using large scale GIS information, working on a routine like the "import terrain from xyz"-option in Visitor for creating the "big picture"..

2. A detail-in-game 3D object editor for adding "life, immersion and the editor's personal touch"

:cool:

[Bartchie 10]

I have a little problem with importing my trees. I have about 25% of objects rejected and my forest contour looks like it's flipped horizontally. Can someone tell me how exactly .txt file with list of objects should look like ? I mean both .txt files - the one exported from Visitor (waypoints for forest countur) and the one generated by tool (to import to Visitor). Just a simple demo please if somebody could post it I would be very happy. BTW the tool seems to be the best way to create forests :)

[Leopotam 10]

Bartchie, thanks for feedback, you're the first who truly launched and tested this tool. Flip removed, first post updated (v1.0.0.1).

Edited April 10, 2010 by Leopotam

[Bartchie 10]

Thank you very much for update, Leopotam. I'm doing the forest part of my island for now so I think your tool will be much better than all other forest creators/generators.

EDIT: Because I have better abilities of controlling amount of trees :)

Edited April 9, 2010 by Bartchie
I just forgot to say something :P

[trezza 10]

C'mon people, this looks like a great tool yet he's had under 20 downloads total from the links he provided

[Guest]

C'mon people, this looks like a great tool yet he's had under 20 downloads total from the links he provided

And 85 in total from Armaholic.

Keep in mind this is a specific tool for island makers, as far as I know there are not 100's of island makers in this community ;)

[shezan74 11]

And 85 in total from Armaholic.

Keep in mind this is a specific tool for island makers, as far as I know there are not 100's of island makers in this community ;)

I Agree

we're making software that probably will never goes out of those 20-30 active island makers, but those software will probably be one of the best tools for the island makers that will release islands that will be downloaded thousand of times.

I think it's a small but big satisfaction :) and in my case i personally use my own (and your one) software to make my island, with great satisfaction :D

[trezza 10]

And 85 in total from Armaholic.

Keep in mind this is a specific tool for island makers, as far as I know there are not 100's of island makers in this community ;)

That's true, I noticed the downloads on armaholic after I posted that. Just showing my support anyway.

[Leopotam 10]

Development stopped due to not using this tool by community.

P.S. Topic may be closed.

[[aps]gnat 28]

Please Leopotam, dont crack a sad and stop your various wonderful projects.

There a many good people here who want to make islands for the community, and so few tool makers like yourself.

With tools like yours, there is a chance more people will start making terrain addons.

[trezza 10]

Gnat;1606576']

With tools like yours' date=' there is a chance more people will start making terrain addons.[/quote']

Not to mention that when people get stuck with something like making forests, they could just give up, or they could come across a quality tool like this and complete their project.

[Bartchie 10]

I agree. Think about it. People may stop too because they will not have a time to make forest for their island using other tools. Your tool will definitly help them.

It's true that we are a few. But if scripters will make good tools, we will be not few but hundreds.

[trezza 10]

I've been watching a show called "the pacific", it's on tv here in Australia, it's about the second world war in the pacific, part 1 and 2 has been based in Guadalcanal in the Solomon islands. I've had a quick glance at the island on google maps and it looks very big, it could be made but the number of trees would be astonishing. with the help of a forest generating tool and the jungle vegetation pack, I could try and make this island, if it's too big I could try one of the smaller islands nearby, there's no shortage. I'm sure Guadalcanal wasn't the only island used by the japs in WWII, great theater of war.

[bushlurker 46]

You could always consider scaling larger islands down a bit, trezza...

OK - say it took the Yanks a week to slog thru 30 miles of some jungle or other somewhere... this is a game... engagement ranges are reduced compared to RL (or we'd be using Javelins from 15km away) - as is the time we have to play... if it took players 2 hours to slog thru 3 miles of jungle that would be a reasonable compromise in game terms... if the island is a reasonable approximation of the real place and distances are scaled down a bit, I don't think you'd hear too many complaints...

I've scaled my current project fairly heavily.... sometimes I worry it's a little too scaled... ;)... but... for example - cutting right across the centre section of my map is the famous Loch Ness... in RL its something huge like 30km long and 2km wide (you could hide dinosaurs in it! :rolleyes:) - thats Chernarus and a half, lengthwise - just for a big lake!... a formidable barrier in RL - you aint crossing that without suitable transport or slogging to the nearest bridge...

On my island its about 5km long and 200m wide... a formidable barrier in game terms - you aint crossing that without suitable transport or slogging to the nearest bridge...

OK it's a "theme park" Loch Ness in comparison, but... you get the idea...

Some of the islands - such as Iwo Jima (which is a work-in-progress, I believe) could be done 1:1, (Saipan too maybe - don't think anyones currently making that) but some of the others... and the "island groups"??? might be worth considering scaling a little...

B

Edited April 15, 2010 by Bushlurker