SA_Taranis - Deathworld/Rainforest map, input/help appreciated.

[Deathbane]

SA_TARANIS

SA_Taranis is a map for MWLL, set around a conflict over a hydrogen processing plant on a steiner border world, which lay within the attack corridor of Clan Jade Falcon. A deathworld, abounding in extremes of environment, the map is set lying in the equatorial zone, where vicious storms and beating rain savage a forest filled with predatory animals. At the heart of the map lies the hydrogen processing plant, which will, hopefully when another gamemode comes out, be the key point to capture and control.

Players will not only have to contend with opposing mechs, but also the challenge brought on by the maps day/night cycle, which will see the map going from clear at night to bad visibility in the day. The mountainous, hilly terrain will allow for varied tactics, allowing for vtols in particular to be more effective, and the jungle and cave systems will provide battlearmour with ample cover.

All vehicles should be supported in the final release.

Any comments, suggestions or help on current problems would be much appreciated.





(Obligatory disclaimer: Doesnt represent the final product as heaviliy WIP)

[(TLL)Sky_walker]

Read:
http://wiki.crymod.com/index.php/Texturing_Your_Terrain
and than http://wiki.crymod.com/index.php/Layer_Painting_Advanced_Techniques
^ lots of good stuff about terrain texturing there, especially in second tutorial.

Also remember to start up editor with parameter -mod mwll
to get access to all MWLL assets.

[Deathbane]

Ive decided to be arsed with geocontrol, now my heightmaps done, ill try to do it within sandbox.

BUT im having problems importing the heightmap. If i set the max height to 1024, it actually REDUCES the height of the heightmap.

Totally confused here, the map seems to be higher with 256 as the max height. This does not leave me with the epic mountains i desire.

sad times.

The heightmap is 4096 by 4096 and is 16 bit tif. Im currently at 2 metres for the units.

Im going over the tutorials again but if anyone has any input that would be win.

UPDATE: Current theory is that its the wrongfile type. Going to try exporting it as a 16 bit raw file and seeing if that works better in the editor, as well as checking my dimensions.  The original question i asked was more to do with selectors in geo control 2 as im finding them hard to understand... ill probably see if i can manage it in sandbox first.

SECOND UPDATE: Yup was wrong file format. Ive changed the flows to be smoothed rather than jagged like they were as it fits the rainforest theme better. Going to have to manually edit some heights, especially around the middle island to give more cover, but i think its come out well considering its my first attempt! Ill update with some pictures ina  bit to show.

THIRD UPDATE: ok ive been smoothing areas out and stuff,looks like the terrain itself might be finished, it its basic form, soon. Good times.

[Deathbane]

This is what i have so far. Any hints on even how i can BEGIN to texture this? Which parts should i start with? I was going to do several layers of differing colour tree branches to make the colour less monotomous, but id like some input on where you guys usually start with the textures?

I have the map flattened and you can get a shadowcat around most areas now...

EDIT: Gah i went to make a texture layer and it did this to the entire map.. and i cant undo it. Its gone from this



to this



Kind of annoyed.. i only went to add a separate terrain layer.. i cant regen or anything to get the old one back and its just that horrible default green now, and goes instantly black when im near the ground. Sound slikea lighting problem but i dont know what.

:/

[Teafour]

Paint whatever texture you intend to see the most of first.. then do the higher cliff edges etc and try to blend carefully.

[Deathbane]

I think i just missed your last post, please resee the last post. Need some help haha. Not quite sure whats it doing now... its not applying the defualt texture to the whole map ever since it ried to add my own layer : /

[(TLL)Sky_walker]

Did you assigned proper surface type to layer? (middle of this screen, left from black square) Does your surface type has a texture? Did you regenerated the terrain texture? (it should be in File menu, but I can't check it right now)

[(TLL)Frosted]

Once u set a diferent heigh to ur map click on

Terrain>Edit Terrain>Modify>Normalise

When I texture I start with the Cliff because I like to see where the hills are and stuff

[Deathbane]

Ok so i went to work on the main island... and my brush for my tops layer wasnt working. I opened the texture editor and somehow, after the crash, the layer has no surface texture set/detal texture set! I set it to tops and exited, and was promptly rewarded with all my previously layed down tops texture become a lovely checkerboard texture.

I regenerated surface textures to no effect. Am not very happy right now haha and i cant seem to fix it logically.

If i set it to paint a cliff detail surface layer in Tops, it then starts painting the correct layer, BUT IT SHOULDNT BE DOING THIS. It should instead be painting that other saved surface type.

My cliff surface type is now painting the Tops type instead... and the tops one appears to be empty.. what the hell ...

The map loads fine but i cant change textures or go into the textures menu or this happens....

[(TLL)Sky_walker]

Did you follow the tutorial exactly?

Maybe you can upload your map here so that we could help you zip it and post as attachment (additional options while posting replay)

[Deathbane]

i did, it was working fine before crash and reload. Ill rar it now.

Keep in mind its called test.. dont want you deleting your own stuff to help.

Uploaded.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=BVYMQ461

ALTERNATE LINK: http://www.filefactory.com/file/b1ac799/n/test.rar

If you can fix this id be much in your debt. Thanks and applauds coming your way, even.

Im off to a lecture, but ill be back soon

UPDATE: Was a layer id error, its fixed and work continues.

[Deathbane]

Got a new preview pic for you guys of the basic terrain textures.. il l be finished the cliffs properly today or tomorrow.

[SquareSphere }12thVR{]

mmmm looks nice!

[Deathbane]

Thanks!

Although its only my second map, and only one to be this huge, im putting alot of effort into the texturing and look before i start on anything else, so i hope by sheer effort it ll be reasonably detailed and good looking for a 'newb' map.

Its not going to be as bright in the final release haha, its going to be mostly a raging storm with rainforest esque fog. If i can ill get these effects to subside during the night, meaning that the weather should have an impact on playstyles. Sad goodbye to lrms during noon!

[SquareSphere }12thVR{]

please please include VTOLs on this map!  all those mountains would actually make them have a play life of longer then 30 seconds!