Norway Theater - Lets Do It! Terrain

[starrats]

The terrain in NTO is a WIP and Im not experienced in terrain building yet. But until terrain gets done by a pro I was trying to Level airbases and copy and paste to fix some bad shoreline.
I was using EMFs Terrain editor
http://sakgiok.gr/
the directions are in the same website
https://www.benchmarksims.org/forum/showthread.php?5904-Monster-Terrain-tool
and I found some useful Info from Thanos on YouTube also.
https://www.youtube.com/user/thanosc

While adjusting heights and moving tiles around I couldnt get the save to work. after looking through some instructions I came up with this process to get save to work.
however, all i needed for my purpose was to check the delete temp files box and Terrain editor deleted the correct files listed in next posts for me.

This long way shows way more process needed for what i was doing. I will get or make a better video to explain these processes Soon.
Video removed so as not to share confusion

[Cloud 9]

Well, you’re actually doing to much.

Right underneath the Save L2 button is a checkbox to delete temp files. That will remove the 5 Terrain* files, the .BIL/.HDR/.NRM/.SBI/.TID when you save the L2. Those files will be built/genrated when you run BMS. As will the .L2/.O2.

The elevation file isn’t required or the .tga file for the purposes of the terrain. The Theater.mea, Theater.map and Theater.HDR are the only other 3 files besides the ones mentioned that are required, so a total of 10 files in the terrain folder.

As far as elevation goes, you can change multiple tiles in one step by using the Elevation Lab window, using either the Click and Set, Area or Ramp functions instead of changing each tile individually on the Theater window.

The Click and Set function is great for leveling airbases.

Just a few observations I made from the vid.

C9

[Malc]

Hi Ned,

The L2, O2, MEA, and MAP do not need to be deleted before editing - Terrain Editor will overwrite as required when saving. The other 5 are recreated by BMS when starting up, so they do need deleting before going back into the sim at any level.

THR file should be recreated every time you make changes to the terrain, especially if roads and rivers are edited.

Strictly speaking, you don’t need to mod terrain, etc. either.

Hope this helps a little?

[Eghi]

@Malc:

Hi Ned,

The L2, O2, MEA, and MAP do not need to be deleted before editing - Terrain Editor will overwrite as required when saving. The other 5 are recreated by BMS when starting up, so they do need deleting before going back into the sim at any level.

THR file should be recreated every time you make changes to the terrain, especially if roads and rivers are edited.

Strictly speaking, you don’t need to mod terrain, etc. either.

Hope this helps a little?

Good post, Malc.
The *.map file doesn’t need to be deleted because nothing changes there.
Same thing … * .mea file. Don’t need to rebuild if you make small adjustments in height mesh. Because the mea is much lower resolution than L2 / O2.

[starrats]

Thanks all. for the imput. This video is definitely an example of doing it the wrong way, i posted it when i finaly got the results i was hoping for. but i will repost it after i get it right. thr file is indeed important to update and i kinda just blew it off in the vid. C9 offered to show me some ropes and i am still digging at dirrections here and there. any more imput is very welcome and i am tryin this advice now.

[starrats]

For my purpose of adjusting heights and the tiles i moved, C9 had it right off. the box i didnt check did everything needed. and Malc is right .thr file SHOULD have been made since some coastal tile were wrong as plain tiles before I adjusted them. also in the vid i type the height into the wrong box while adjusting the height around the airbase. I made this video because I thought it was so complicated to do a simple thing and it turns out its not complicated at all.thanks again for good advice.

[Ranger822]

Ned, how about a new vid? Take us all thru the steps . . . that would be useful. It seems a lot of Falcon isn’t that difficult, if you know what you are doing.

[starrats]

OK this is a more correct example of how I adjusted some terrain. the earlier vid was removed.

[Eghi]

Hey Starrats,

This new reflective water tile in your video, this is not from the original Korean theater. IIRC I painted this tile for Aegean or Somali. Color of water is too bright for Nordic theater IMHO.

Regards,
EGHI

[starrats]

I have both of those and probably copied it from Aegean I couldnt recall. do you mind if we use it? maybe I could just shade it a little darker to make it more realistic.

Gavin may have some people lined up to re do terrain, but in the mean time I am starting to get the hang of at least adjusting terrain. all the stuff i do may be tossed when the veteran terrainers come on.

[Eghi]

@starrats:

I have both of those and probably copied it from Aegean I couldnt recall. do you mind if we use it? maybe I could just shade it a little darker to make it more realistic.

Gavin may have some people lined up to re do terrain, but in the mean time I am starting to get the hang of at least adjusting terrain. all the stuff i do may be tossed when the veteran terrainers come on.

Use this tile if you like … Do your job, I like it. My point is… just do - darker sea color for the Nordic theater.

[starrats]

Hi Eghi thanks for advice.
Some pictures i saw were very dark and some were pretty blue. I just shaded the tile with 30% more darkness and will re-do coasts like this. unless you or any one else thinks I should go even darker?

[Jackal]

On my little own, here are my two cents: I think you’d better you should.
Eghi is right, and sea waters in the North are very dark and keen to change until slate grey sometimes.

With best regards,