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"Environment" Book for download (trees, flavor, buildings, bridges)


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I have decided to make a bunch of my books available for free download (but I don't promise how quickly I will upload them). First of these is the "Environment" book for CMBS. (Also, the very similar book for CMRT.)

 

Please visit the link in my signature. It's not a commercial website. There are no ads. Enjoy. ;)

 

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Mike

 

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It won't let me edit the first post anymore so:

NOTE: THE PIC IN MY FIRST POST IS *NOT* THE MANUAL.  It is just a quick thumbnail type sample.   :rolleyes:  

 

I just realized it might seem that the little pic was the book.  Each book is only 11 pages, not much longer.  The book is on the website (link in signature).  It is a fan site.  To reiterate, it is my hobby website.  It is NOT a storefront.  I pay for it myself, there are no ads.  I have no reason for you to go there other than to share.

 

The books are intended to be printed on statement sized paper like we (at least used to) use in the aircraft.  (EBay Jepps binder.  You can get them really cheap now, and the 7 hole punches for it, and it looks quite "official" when done.  Which was the point.  I wanted it to look like a military manual you might see in an armored vehicle.)

 

If Battlefront had any desire to use my work I would be honored.  They have never asked.  I did get written permission circa 2004 to use the graphics for books of my own, which is where an ENORMOUS project was born.  I have something like 800 pages of book format data.  90% of which was written about the units with at least the detail of these two tiny books.

 

Mike

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Very well done, should be included as an addendum to the game manual.

 

I have never understood why there is no flavour objects chart in the game manual. Unless they have changed way the placement of flavour objects works in CMBS, the current solution is at best suboptimal. Basically each time you make a scenario you either have to make your own chart or guess which objects you want when you place them in the editor (what is rubble type three? the one with the bricks or the one with the planks? I dont know!) A visual representation of flavour objects in the 2D editor view would also be a nice addendum. Anyways ww2steel thanks for your work, i am sure many will appreciate it.

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Basically each time you make a scenario you either have to make your own chart or guess which objects you want when you place them in the editor (what is rubble type three? the one with the bricks or the one with the planks? I dont know!) A visual representation of flavour objects in the 2D editor view would also be a nice addendum. Anyways ww2steel thanks for your work, i am sure many will appreciate it.

 

Placing flavour objects is such a frustrating work that I really hate it a lot.

 

I'm not sure I would use the word hate but it is a pain, agreed for sure.  I often end up placing all the objects from one panel in a row and then going into the 3Dpreview.  If I only wanted one I just delete the rest.  If I wanted more then one I noted which one I wanted and then deleted the others.  Then you can go back to the panel and get more of the one I want. 

 

Having a reference page is really helpful.

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I often end up placing all the objects from one panel in a row and then going into the 3Dpreview.  If I only wanted one I just delete the rest.  If I wanted more then one I noted which one I wanted and then deleted the others.  Then you can go back to the panel and get more of the one I want. 

 

Yeah, i do it that way too. And the fact that i have to do it this way is exactely the reason why you wont find more than a few flavour objects in my scenarios. On a side note, i have found that slight terrain elevations + rocky textures make for excellent rubble piles - much better than the flavour objects IMO. I always use such texture + elevation rubble piles for destroyed cities, buildings etc, when one side of a bulding ids shot out and you have a big pile of bricks and trash in front of it.

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Kieme(ITA): See a sample of my other books on my site.  I released my CMSF Dutch book which is the format used for all CMx2 engine.  (Different format for all the way back to CMBO.)  Before I release them I have to do some work to the others (copyrights, removing stuff that is not my work, including written notes of my own, etc.)

 

I have no problem with flavor objects once I have my Environment book done, they are easy enough.  The new placing function makes things easier.  A few things I'd like to see:

 

Rotate on a Z axis.  That way you could have tires made into piles, poles knocked over, etc.  Since they are non interactive it should be easy to do.  (Battlefield 1942, Vietnam series games style, which I also modded significantly.

 

Which is my next point- they should be interactive.  Those piles of rubble should give good cover and concealment, but this can be assisted by terrain types they are laid into.

 

...and my biggest request...  LIGHTING EFFECTS!  Please, super please.  I REALLY wanted this for my giant CMSF city.  They already do lighting effects, so a boolean switch to set off or on (for a streetlight or building, for example), would really make a city come alive.  Also, light from windows.  And another lit, animated flavor object- fire.  Campfires and barrel fires. 

 

While flavor seems pointless as it is graphics only, it GREATLY improves immersion.  I remember a FPS game a while back that had papers and trash blowing around in a windy urban map.  It was so cool!  Don't get me wrong, game engine should be first 99% of the time, and here at Battlefront it obviously is, (ever played the Sims 3, good gravy, what an unstable game).  However, if a few man hours can go into animating flavor objects it would be really great.  Since they are non interactive it shouldn't cause too much bugging.

 

Just my thoughts!

Mike

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