Elevation question

[Aragorn2002]

I'm getting the hang of the map editor bit by bit, but the elevation editor is still a mystery to me. I want to make a tank ditch and a ditch for drainage, but everytime I change the elevation the entire surroundings changes to that elevation. I've read the manual, which says:

To use Ditch Lock, switch to either the Adjust or Direct elevation tools and then left- click on a tile while holding CTRL. The elevation number on the tile will display a blue background instead of the usual black to indicate that its elevations will be steeper.

Unfortunately the surrounding elevations also adjusts to a lower level when I do this. Can anybody explain to me how to make a ditch please?

[Combatintman]

Use the 'Direct' tool to set all of the elevations in the vicinity of your ditch - so where your ditch is '19' in the image below - use 'Direct' to set that elevation and use 'Direct' to set the higher '20' elevations. 

20 20 20 20 20 20

20 19 19 19 19 20

20 20 20 20 20 20

[kohlenklau]

Hi Jacob,

Sure, in my experience it needs you to set the elevation of the terrain on both sides of the actual ditch in the black tiles and THEN lay in your blue ditch lock tiles.

The elevation value(s) you enter in black for these squares along what will be the ditch should be the naturally occurring value that would be there when you didn't yet set the ditch. Think like along your road or driveway how the ground slopes and then you simply carve out a ditch "channel". Usually nothing changes except that one part.

 

[Aragorn2002]

Thanks guys, that helps, I'm getting the hang of it now.

[Warts 'n' all]

Also, if you have a youtube account, do a search for "Promabulator". He did an excellent video on map making, and dealt with elevation at some length. 

[Aragorn2002]

29 minutes ago, Warts 'n' all said:

Also, if you have a youtube account, do a search for "Promabulator". He did an excellent video on map making, and dealt with elevation at some length. 

Great tutorial indeed. Thank you. I'm glad to see elevation isn't quite as unpredictable as I initially feared.

[A Canadian Cat]

I posted about making prepared tank positions and even attached maps. Check it out here 

 

[Aragorn2002]

13 hours ago, IanL said:

I posted about making prepared tank positions and even attached maps. Check it out here 

 

Thank you. Looks very interesting. Perhaps this can be used in creating some kind of field position for AT and infantry too.

[RockinHarry]

Beside ditches and earthen berms, there´s some more useful variations. To some degree you can alter the edges of a ditch locked AS by using the blue elevation change click on surrounding AS. IE surrounding a black +21 AS by blue 20 height AS, instead of black ones and vice versa. You can basically create 3 types of elevated roads/railroads with this method, all having different shapes and looks. Black elevation aligned by black depression, Black elevation aligned by blue depression and blue elevation aligned by blue depression. Roads and railroads, as well as certain ground terrain tiles (mud, pavement types) have a flattening effect on elevated AS´s and give lots of possible, partly odd results, depending upon +/- and blue/black variations. Counts all for both, ditches and berms alike.

I also like the foot path terrain sculpting capability, which can be used to fine tune certain terrain alterations even more. Beside some minor edits, foot path also gives the capability to change cliff type terrain (+5m elevation change) to non cliff types. Steeply wooded ridges (>= 5m elevation changes between AS) are doable and the slightly tranparent foot path overlay will not disturb much if using the right base terrain types (forest, rocky, ect.)

Happy experimenting

[mjkerner]

Another shout out for footpaths, which don't seem to get a lot of love in CM. It's been over a year since I last putzed around with creating defensive terrain (working off Kohlenklau's Cross of Iron scenario map) but IIRC,  footpaths put in a ditch locked depression worked well to sink a trench and still allow firing out of it, while "seemingly" providing a bit better cover. I was going to further experiment with putting different tiles, like RH mentions, around the perimeter of the, er...entrenched trench, which someone, probably RH, lol, posted about quite some time ago. Alas, never got around to it.

[RockinHarry]

This also should be of help when experimenting with foot paths. Finally one can seperate them visually from dirt roads in the map editor.

http://cmmodsiii.greenasjade.net/?p=1770

 

[RockinHarry]

5 hours ago, mjkerner said:

Another shout out for footpaths, which don't seem to get a lot of love in CM. It's been over a year since I last putzed around with creating defensive terrain (working off Kohlenklau's Cross of Iron scenario map) but IIRC,  footpaths put in a ditch locked depression worked well to sink a trench and still allow firing out of it, while "seemingly" providing a bit better cover. I was going to further experiment with putting different tiles, like RH mentions, around the perimeter of the, er...entrenched trench, which someone, probably RH, lol, posted about quite some time ago. Alas, never got around to it.

True. Can´t recall that I have seen foot paths used that much in any the available missions, since their appearance is rather subtle and have no noticable effect on AI movements like roads have. But for micro sculpting terrain, removing grass dodads and making large cliff areas passable and editable, they´re quite a useful tool. 

[George MC]

I use em a lot as farmtracks - as is; or add a dirt/sand/gravel underlay and you have a slightly better farmroad.

[rocketman]

22 hours ago, RockinHarry said:

This also should be of help when experimenting with foot paths. Finally one can seperate them visually from dirt roads in the map editor.

http://cmmodsiii.greenasjade.net/?p=1770

 

Thanks a lot

One design flaw in the editor is different objects represented by the same icon, like trees sometimes. This helps and I can confirm it works for FB as well.

[George MC]

7 hours ago, rocketman said:

Thanks a lot

One design flaw in the editor is different objects represented by the same icon, like trees sometimes. This helps and I can confirm it works for FB as well.

Check out @benpark's editor mods - he's made individual icons for the trees in the editor so you can tell em apart - essential for scenario designers

[rocketman]

8 hours ago, George MC said:

Check out @benpark's editor mods - he's made individual icons for the trees in the editor so you can tell em apart - essential for scenario designers

I have such a mod for RT, don't know if @benpark made it. Searched CMMODS but found none. Has he published them?

[RockinHarry]

23 minutes ago, rocketman said:

I have such a mod for RT, don't know if @benpark made it. Searched CMMODS but found none. Has he published them?

Would be interested in benparks tree icon mod as well. No luck at CMMODS, or is it bundled with some his other mods?

[George MC]

1 hour ago, RockinHarry said:

Would be interested in benparks tree icon mod as well. No luck at CMMODS, or is it bundled with some his other mods?

It was @benpark who made the mod to differentiate the path in the editor. I have a zip file that says BENPARK EDITOR MODS. FYI it works in CMBN and CMFB. Not sure where I got it from - maybe from Benpark himself. Until Benpark drops in and point us in the right direction I've uploaded em to my dropbox if you want em:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/xsjnk3qj4qqcqko/AACpex-6-P4nz1g_h6m1hNfea?dl=0

Cheery!

[benpark]

Thanks, George. I'll upload these in a day or two to CMMODs for the long term.

[Aragorn2002]

Essential for scenario designers indeed. Very helpful. Thanks for the link, George and of course a even bigger thank you to Benpark for making them.