New Theater, Visual Basic and CATE problem
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Good point there. I am exactly in the dilemma of what happens if the simulator is updated and the format of the theaters changes, so to speak. All the work would be almost in vain because no one, including myself, would stick with an old version. From what I heard, version 4.35 had plans to come out in July of this year but as we know it did not happen. Anyway, it would not be bad to try and see what happens. Greetings…!!
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Buenas, companheiros sulamericanos!
I sincerely admire you and your plans to make a new theather from scratch nowadays for BMS. As someone very interested on flying from SBCO (Já te atendo, tchê!) or SBSM and attacking los hermanos at the other side of the border, I would love to see this theater working and for a long time.that’s the spirit :clap2:
Did you consider trying to coordinate with the devs somehow? It will take a long time to finish a theater of that size. Thus potentially 4.35/4.36 (more probable) may have a huge update in terms of graphic engine/terrain etc, and all your work will be for nothing (the old Falcon 4 tale, I guess) and will need to restart somehow from the beginning. What about the theather size? Is it compatible to the tools nowadays and in the future?
thanks tbuc, you are absolutly right. I talked with some guys in private messages and this is a real concern. First I need to see how it works, figure out the amount o “trouble” I am going into and evaluate if this is worh it. I am planning to do a 64 seg to fit Porto Alegre, Montivideo and Buenos Aires. Maybe acomodate carriers too (Veinticinco de Mayo and Sao Paulo) but those are almost delusional
Anyway… I need to learn how to do it. Maybe the tools will change but the process will be “similar” (BIG MAYBE). However, the other theaters will need to be upgraded as well and maybe I will benefit from it… I don’t know… (another BIG MAYBE). I am glad that some people here are already willing to help. I would be grate making this work, but I have seen many Theaters fade away already, so, no promises. But lets keep the “…There was an idea…” spirit up.
Lets see what happens in 3 or 4 weeks :typing: -
Ok folks… I reached a dead end… If somebody could help me, I appreciate it. Here is the “thing”
- I intend to use Korea terrain and objects as source so I just copied the KTO terrain, textures, objects, etc… folders do my theater wich I called Southamerica.
- I Followed this tutorial: PMC Tactical Ultimate Theater Tutorial.
- I intend to use Monster Tools (thanks Monster) so I didn’t use CATE (receiveing an error when config cities anyway) and I didn’t run SPTinstall because It is not findinf my *.L2 file
- I used LODFixer to make it 4 bytes
- I flagged the theather.map
- I created the theater.l2 and .02
- I updated theater.lst
- I created a southamerica.tdf and southamerica.tga
I manage to get this, so far:
Now the problems… Monster tools doesn’t find my TDF file altough it is there . I checked the path many times (I tried to change capital letters, Fold names but nothing worked)… Any advice:(?
Also, there are too many roads and rivers in this map (as excpected) that I want to “erase”. I guess Monster’s tool is the right tool for this AND this is the right time to do it… right?
Here follows the tdf file, anyway… thanks in advance.
#------------------ # Southamerica TDF file #------------------ # shown in the pick list name Southamerica # Title shown on theater page desc Southamerica Theater of Operations - WARNING: Restart BMS after any theatre change. # bitmap to display on theater page bitmap Add-On Southamerica\Terrdata\theaterdefinition\Southamerica.tga # in general, you can miss out most of these, and it # will use the default, unless another theater changes it # so probably best to put in explicitly. # Where the campaign directory is campaigndir Add-On Southamerica\Campaign # where the terrain data is terraindir Add-On Southamerica\Terrdata\Southamerica # which tileset to use - overrides the global setting in the cfg file # tileset POLAK # where art is loaded from artdir Add-On Southamerica # movies moviedir Add-On Southamerica # uisounds #uisounddir Sounds # default objects objectdir Add-On Southamerica\Terrdata\objects # 3d object files 3ddatadir Add-On Southamerica\Terrdata\objects # sounds dir sounddir Add-On Southamerica\Sounds # Theater specific tacref dir tacrefdir Add-On Southamerica\Terrdata # simdata dir simdatadir Add-On Southamerica\Sim #subtitles subtitlesdir Add-On Southamerica\Sounds # use double resolution 2D UI map doubleres2dmap 1 # magnetic declination magneticdeclination 0
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you mentioned theater.1st, this should be theater.lst with L instead of 1.
Not sure if it was intentional, otherwise show use the content of theater.lst file, maybe there is something wrong in it.Cheers Obi1
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you mentioned theater.1st, this should be theater.lst with L instead of 1.
Not sure if it was intentional, otherwise show use the content of theater.lst file, maybe there is something wrong in it.Cheers Obi1
Hhi Obi1. Yes, theater.lst is correct. I just spelled it wrongly…
cheers -
Did you switched terrain editor to 4.34 ? (if you are working on that version) It’s at first screen somewhere at bottom. Also check all the path names there if they are correct.
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Also seems terrain editor DOES find your tdf and reads it. Only the path itself in this file could not be found on disk.
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Did you switched terrain editor to 4.34 ? (if you are working on that version) It’s at first screen somewhere at bottom. Also check all the path names there if they are correct.
Yes. This is how the program has been set
Also seems terrain editor DOES find your tdf and reads it. Only the path itself in this file could not be found on disk.
I though about it already…. I just copied the *.tdf file from Balkans and just adjusted the path lines…
Maybe you are right. I will try a simpler *.tdf and see what happens.
EDIT: I just filled the TDF with the 5 basic lines and didn’t work. Also checked the tga file. nada… I will keep trying.
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Ok I am still having problems with Monster tool not finding my TDF file
I guess there are some step missing from my terrain preparation which is preventing it from finding the files. There are some files like terrain.BIN, HDR, NRM, etc… that I don’t know where they come from or if I can just copy them from KTO…
I was wondering… After SPinstall I have theater.l0 to l5 and theater.o0 to o5 files and I guess this is not how it is suposed to end… Maybe I need to compile this files in another one which MT could read? The tutorial stops here (SPinstall) and it is made for Falcon 4, not for BMS4.34…
Another thing is that i am not making anything about campaing, objectives and all. I would like to work with terrain first and alone. I don’t know if it is an issue…
If anybody have any clue, I am all ears…
I don’t intend to give up until i will be able to open the theater with monster tools
cheers
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Did you try to apply the patch 3.7.0?
https://sakgiok.gr/downloads/
IRC I had a similar problem and something tells me that it was resolved after applying the patch. But, I may not quite remember what was the problem.Maybe also try to check this thread:
https://www.benchmarksims.org/forum/showthread.php?5904-Monster-Terrain-tool&highlight=monster
To save on searching, study it from the end to beginning. -
@tad:
Did you try to apply the patch 3.7.0?
https://sakgiok.gr/downloads/
IRC I had a similar problem and something tells me that it was resolved after applying the patch. But, I may not quite remember what was the problem.Maybe also try to check this thread:
https://www.benchmarksims.org/forum/showthread.php?5904-Monster-Terrain-tool&highlight=monster
To save on searching, study it from the end to beginning.Hi Tad…. Yes I am running 3.7.0
I am checking the thread you posted… Let me see if it helps
thanks bro
cheers
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Ok
I decided to start from scratch. Something must be wrong with inital files… and I found one:to whom it may concern…I maneged to fix the CATE “error 9…”
My explanation (not sure if its true, not a expert) is that the PMC tutorial ask to generate thater.l2 in 2 bytes but (the catch) I am using a 4 bytes CATE version already. when I generate the *.l2 with the 4bytes box checked the CATE confs worked like a charm.
My new issue now is that DEM2TERRAIN is generating a empty *.CVS file no matter what. Is there anyway to criate randomly objectives automatically other than D2T? I really hope there is or, unfortunatly, this project my end here
Anyway, I will go on with the terrain building and try to make the TE open my theater…
thanks again for any help
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Yes 4byte terrain should be used usally.
2byte is rarely needed (if at all) for use with very old, not 4byte compatible tools.For .csv maybe this helps:
https://www.pmctactical.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=18989&p=155349&hilit=Dem2Terrain+rules+file+Need+help#p155349
https://www.pmctactical.org/forum/search.php?keywords=+Dem2Terrain+rules+file-Need+help&sid=32814ad8440504f3b3ab542e041bfe0b
Cheers, :yo:
LS -
Yes 4byte terrain should be used usally.
2byte is rarely needed (if at all) for use with very old, not 4byte compatible tools.For .csv maybe this helps:
https://www.pmctactical.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=18989&p=155349&hilit=Dem2Terrain+rules+file+Need+help#p155349
https://www.pmctactical.org/forum/search.php?keywords=+Dem2Terrain+rules+file-Need+help&sid=32814ad8440504f3b3ab542e041bfe0b
Cheers, :yo:
LSHummmm… I visited this post today already but now I noticed a very interesting detail… I have been visited too many threads these days and we loose focus…
I guess this LABEL thing could be the problem.EDIT: rule.orb is ok with LABEL. So this is not the issue. I Noticed the cities ID,s are different. Maybe I have to build my own rule? I will check…
EDIT 2: I was unable to open the HELP file. I managed it and them I just copy the EXEMPLE to my rule.obr, changed TOWN to LABLE and voilà… CVS file created.:D
Lets continue…
Danke!!. For Always helping me
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Ok
So far, so good…
Now I see that the Tutorial is a little out of date. I may ask: Do I need to perform the LODfixer and Pathmaker Steps? Or, put in another way, Can I go direct from CATE to monster Tools? I wonder if these steps could be the problem with my TE issue.
thanks again
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Now I see that the Tutorial is a little out of date.
Told ya’.
I may ask: Do I need to perform the LODfixer and Pathmaker Steps?
No, if your terrain is created 4byte.
Or, put in another way, Can I go direct from CATE to monster Tools?
Yes, if your terrain is created 4byte.
CATE v4.17 and Monsters tool read/write 4byte, so you can even swap between both tools back and forth.
Cheers, :yo:
LS -
Yes, if your terrain is created 4byte.
CATE v4.17 and Monsters tool read/write 4byte, so you can even swap between both tools back and forth.
Cheers, :yo:
LSThanks LS. I guess I have everything I need from now on. As soon as I have success in creating anything that resemble a theater I will post all the steps I took to help other people (considering nothing change in 3 or 4 weeks )
Cheers
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CAUTION: BORING THREAD AHEAD. READ AT YOU OWN RISK!!!
:dhorse:
Alright, I am almost there. I am numbering the steps I have done so far hoping somebody will notice what is missing:
OBS1: I am working just with one area, Rio grande (Pampa) to save time
OBS2: Blue means: I followed the procedure as descripetd, Red means: I don’t know if the procedure is right because the tutorial is out of date.1 - Using dem2terrain I got 64 seg Pampa.L2, *.o2, *.mea, *.map, *.cvs and *.TDF - 4bytes (no issues here)
OBS: I also run a 2bytes L2 to use with Terrainview only.
2 - I use CATE with the default confs that come with zip file. No issues here either.
3 - I renamed every Pampa.* to theater.* and transfered them to Add-On/……/Pampa/terrain
4 - I copied the texture folder from KTO to Add-On/…/Pampa/texture_Polak (bin file included)
5 - I copied all other folders (Terrdata, art, objects, campaing, sound, etc…) from KTO to Add-On… so far so good
6 - I create an Pampa.TDF file pointing to Add-On/…./Pampa
7 - I update the theater.lst file line pointing to my Pampa.tdf
The issue:
I tried to open the new theater in BMS. It shows in the list, it shows the message “BMS will re-start” but them it doens’t load. Same thing happens with TE: doesn’t load. I tried a DEBUG and got this picture (because the log didn’t come either :smash:):
What I tried:
1 - with and without CATE, same issue.
2 -I run SPTinstall and at least it generated the TERRAIN.* files but it didn’t load anyway.
3 - I target Pampa.L2 instead of Theater.L2… nope
4 - I terget the KTO textures in Theater.TDF… guess what, it opened the KTO theater (it is a clue, maybe the problem is here)
Issues That still remain are:
1 - Just to expedite things I just copied the KTO tga file and renamed Pampa.tga but it doesn’t show in BMS. I created one but it doesn’t show either. I removed the files from the folder and from the TDF then. I guess they are eye candy and not needed (maybe??)
2 - It doesn’t generate the TERRAIN.* files
I am missing something… Just dont know what…
any help will be appreciated.
cheers
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If you’re sure your folder and file names are correct, then my best guess is
that you have not edited your save0.cam and have not
imported your objectives from .csv as yet, etc …Bad or missing data will crash Falcon.
What you have actually might be good for starting tiling, but there is more work needed
to get it working insim.Sidenote: using CATE with the default confs that come with zip file will not work well
because they are written to be used with the originally old Falcon4 .bin and textures.But the .bin and textures have been changed since, so CATE will tile “wrong” tiles
or in worst case point to a empty texture slot in the actually .bin which could eventually lead to
a sim crash as well.
Cheers, :yo:
LS -
If you’re sure your folder and file names are correct, then my best guess is
that you have not edited your save0.cam and have not
imported your objectives from .csv as yet, etc …Bad or missing data will crash Falcon.
What you have actually might be good for starting tiling, but there is more work needed
to get it working insim.Sidenote: using CATE with the default confs that come with zip file will not work well
because they are written to be used with the originally old Falcon4 .bin and textures.But the .bin and textures have been changed since, so CATE will tile “wrong” tiles
or in worst case point to a empty texture slot in the actually .bin which could eventually lead to
a sim crash as well.
Cheers, :yo:
LSYes… i will see to that. I know I am close…
You know, it is more like a hobby now. I would like to see it working on TE though.
Any real Operational Theater becomes more difficult each day. Imagine the amount of trouble I will get when working with TE.
I like follow tbuc advice about a new version comming soon. I don’t know if the time consuming will be worth it with a 4.xx version, supposed, so close (3 or 4 weeks).However, I still want to see TE working on my terrain… then I will stop.
…or pehaps not :becky:
Danke mein freund!