New Theater, Visual Basic and CATE problem
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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!
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I hate myself for not knowing how to help you but rest assured that I love you for doing this for the entire Latin American community, which is not a small one., sor….
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Gracias Trueno
I din’t forget your offer at all. Actually, I was counting on you and your team to work on the skins and other things as soon as I figure out the terrain make process… I have some people here who also were willing to help but, unfotunately, today I decided to put this project at a hold. Somehow, probably because of all this proccess, I “broke” my BMS and I had to reinstall everything. Not a big deal but I am tired. I have spent too much time trying to figure out HOW thing works than working ON it as is supposed to be, in spite the help I have kindly received here, specially from Lazystone.
See, make a theater is a very time consuming effort but at least you are building something that is improving each day and you get some confort in it. In my case, after all these weeks and effort, I am still on “ground zero”. Not a single tile edited and, worse, I cannot figure out why. I am unable even to tell you HOW hard it is to make a theater because I dind’t reach this first basic process. Maybe I lack the propper computation knowledge to accomplish this… I don’t know.
I don’t know wich version of the BMS will come and when. I don’t know if my computer will be able to run it and I will be stuck with 4.34 for a long time. I don’t know if it is going to be a stand alone 4.36 version so I could run “both” version and still fly Balkans, Israel AND Southamerica every now and then.Please, this is not a complain to the community, on the contrary, I only have to thank everybody who, one way or another, guided me up to here. I learned, and this is enough for me, because I know more now than I knew before this process. But I am tired to hit the wall. Maybe someday, on the next update, everybody will have to learn how to create this new theater from scratch (Balkans, Israel, etc…) And then we could do this TOGHETER.
Lets hope
Cheers and thank you again Trueno
Te cuida, chê