Berlin CMRT Map

[Lucky_Strike]

7 hours ago, Artkin said:

WOW!!!! BIG IMPROVEMENT!!! This is a must have.

What about possibly raising the trench if you are running into issues? Is that possible? The trench would retain its properties, and look better. It would look good in the ditch locking, though it looks perfect already.

Thanks Artkin. These were using ditch-locking - it was a while back when we were doing this but I think it was 1m. I'll have to pull them out of my archive and try them again.

There's definitely some work to do before I can release anything, the height is critical to how the AI interacts with it. It's odd really, much of what we do has next to no effect on the AI but changing the ground level does seem to make it behave differently than perhaps expected. I think as Harry has pointed out the AI is always looking for the best cover, angle, concealment, whatever and reacts to the geometry of the ground to achieve its goal. 

[Artkin]

45 minutes ago, Lucky_Strike said:

Thanks Artkin. These were using ditch-locking - it was a while back when we were doing this but I think it was 1m. I'll have to pull them out of my archive and try them again.

There's definitely some work to do before I can release anything, the height is critical to how the AI interacts with it. It's odd really, much of what we do has next to no effect on the AI but changing the ground level does seem to make it behave differently than perhaps expected. I think as Harry has pointed out the AI is always looking for the best cover, angle, concealment, whatever and reacts to the geometry of the ground to achieve its goal. 

So they like to sit outside of the trench? It seems that you've nailed it in your picture. What is their behavior like that? Normal hopefully? If they shift around after the picture was taken how about trying the pause command as a workaround?

Using pause isn't the best, since it stops your squads from functioning like normal. Sometimes they won't fire back as much. I think I ran into a bug with pausing teams who have men separated. I have 2 men sitting in a woodline, but a third man is halfway across a field (Same team). I set them to pause since they were under intense artillery fire, and they have been "exhausted" for about 10 turns despite not moving. I just unpaused them a couple turns ago so I'll see if they regain their strength finally.

[RockinHarry]

10 hours ago, Lucky_Strike said:

Yes those are the trenches that I'd like to see in game as well, though definitely without the gruesome duck board. There are definitely additions we can make to the parapets and area around the trench artwork that will improve how it looks. I can imagine having several version for different terrains/seasons, and with more or less preparedness. So start with the basic dirt slit trench - as narrow as it'll go until the game won't tolerate it anymore then build out from there. I do remember pixeltruppen ended up buried in the parapets when it got narrow - I don't recall action points so they must be coded in somewhere. 

That would rather be a fairly big project considering we´ve 10 trench MDR objects required for editing. Maybe a major project for later times. Also bits more testing seems required, considering the various options that are now on the table so to say. I´m fairly sure I could dig out some more from the META, but basically we´re required to the 1m ground mesh resolution in order to have pixeltroopers go and stay where they are. My Blender is set up to have the same 1m ground mesh resolution as is my gridded grass test map tile. Definitely helps on seeing and understanding things related to it.

10 hours ago, Lucky_Strike said:

No I haven't - certainly something I'll have to mess about with. I think I tried them for Normandy sunken lanes but that is about all.

Nowadays I see them (foot paths) more as a terrain sculpting tool and less for their actual purpose, although using them as such from time to time and for other minor stuff.

For foot paths I made a new 2D map editor icon set that distinguishes them from the otherwise same looking dirt road ones. Easier 2D editor working times.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mge8nvhn4dzobhl/CM Footpath Editor small.zip?dl=0

10 hours ago, Lucky_Strike said:

I suspect the AI knows it's a good bit of cover and concealment - pretty impervious to small arms, just vulnerable to various HE on the whole.

I tend to believe it´s the only "cover" the game engine really sees as such. As long as terrain stuff is concerned. I´ve never seen pixeltroopers take "cover" behind flavor objects i.e. For them it´s just a movement obstacle they always try avoiding. They also occupy a single 1m node and thus is unavailable for pixeltroopers to move into and stay in same one. Either-Or. If there´s any "cover" modifier for flavor objects (and maybe trees, walls etc) then it´s likely hardcoded with actual area providing that cover beeing defined by bounding box data buried in MDR.

10 hours ago, Lucky_Strike said:

I must try to find something in English about the Breslau siege. I thought I had something but it's all just general stuff, nothing specific. Lots about Budapest, and a couple of other festung type sieges like Posen and Konigsburg.

I´m still noob what history of Breslau battle concerns. Just some basic stuff from the net and TV thus far. The other mentioned city battles are surely interesting as well. IIRC someone is tackling Budapest already. If I´d find required time I might tackle Posen or Königsberg some day. At least in topic.

10 hours ago, Lucky_Strike said:

Size is likely to be an issue since the ditch deforms the terrain around the subject, so trying to fill that space to make it look more blended with the landscape usually necessitates a lot of packing. But the game will ignore this for spotting and hits since the model doesn't, or rather, can't impact that so far as I know. 

Yep, maybe better stay with stuff that is no larger than a single 8x8m action spot. At least what the functional geometry concerns. Blending geometry is likely little to no problem. What the ditch deforming capability concerns I remember I stumbled on some of them while messing around with pillbox META data. But vehicles is a different breed than terrain objects I guess.

10 hours ago, Lucky_Strike said:

Could never get my noodle around this stuff - I looked at it when Kohlenklau was doing some changes to the mds files by way of hex editing. Got as far as looking at a file in the hex editor, made my head hurt ... 

IIRC that was all before Blender script times, but hex editing still has some advantages at times. I.e quickly swapping alternative textures (info,file name), particularly for those objects that usually share same texture with other game objects. So loading it up and do a "search and replace" with text in a MDR file is a matter of just seconds. In Blender this would be far more effort and time consuming.

For data editing MDR files I use this one for long time. It´s vintage but still runs perfectly fine on Win10.

https://www.chip.de/downloads/Hex-Editor-MX_30351843.html

English language can be set in Options (Einstellungen).

Edited October 18, 2022 by RockinHarry

[RockinHarry]

10 hours ago, Lucky_Strike said:

Thanks Artkin. These were using ditch-locking - it was a while back when we were doing this but I think it was 1m. I'll have to pull them out of my archive and try them again.

There's definitely some work to do before I can release anything, the height is critical to how the AI interacts with it. It's odd really, much of what we do has next to no effect on the AI but changing the ground level does seem to make it behave differently than perhaps expected. I think as Harry has pointed out the AI is always looking for the best cover, angle, concealment, whatever and reacts to the geometry of the ground to achieve its goal. 

Think it´s the same routines beeing used for the FACE command. Bring most pixeltroopers bits of behind terrain mesh cover while leaving one or two more exposed for both watching for enemy AND maintaining (or seeking) C2 to higher HQ (visual & vocal). It´s the unit leader or anybody else mostly doing this. A troublesome pair is those LMG gunners and their assistant (when available). They´re connected both for placement when not moving. Means there got to be required space for BOTH of them or otherwise odd things do happen. I.e when a (german) LMG gunner finds a nice window place within a (smaller) building and his assistant is still on the way, but no appropriate place available, then he might stay outside or goes traveling the countryside. Not sure if this bug (or game limitation ) ever got squashed with a patch. However... these things I believe are to be kept in mind when creating or seeking a combat position and make pixeltroopers move to and stay where they are supposed to.

[Lucky_Strike]

10 hours ago, Artkin said:

So they like to sit outside of the trench? It seems that you've nailed it in your picture. What is their behavior like that? Normal hopefully? If they shift around after the picture was taken how about trying the pause command as a workaround?

Using pause isn't the best, since it stops your squads from functioning like normal. Sometimes they won't fire back as much. I think I ran into a bug with pausing teams who have men separated. I have 2 men sitting in a woodline, but a third man is halfway across a field (Same team). I set them to pause since they were under intense artillery fire, and they have been "exhausted" for about 10 turns despite not moving. I just unpaused them a couple turns ago so I'll see if they regain their strength finally.

I think Harry explained this pretty much. What is quite clear from doing these experiments is that the game's complexities tread a fine line between simulating reality and abstraction, quite often erring towards abstraction to solve a lot of the difficulties involved. BF are always telling us that when correcting bugs they can quite often create new ones; messing with the model geometry demonstrates how easy it is to break things in a visual way even if the under lying mechanics remain the same. This of course doesn't explain why some of the visual bugs hang around for so long, nor why BF didn't put more effort into better simulating defensive works.

From my perspective what is quite reassuring is that I can't really break the mechanics of the game with all this messing about, so it will continue.

When I dust off the trench mod and see what was happening with it I'll certainly look at the pause command thanks. I always forget we've got it as a command, probably explains why my pixeltruppen are so often knackered. I really want to get the trenches at least looking better, but we may have to compromise how they apparently function, we might have the troops knee-deep in the bottoms of trenches or climbing out a bit too often. The latter is more problematic if they are more exposed so it's the one thing I'm really keen to avoid. Perhaps when they're a bit closer to a general release you would be willing to do some play-testing for us?

[Lucky_Strike]

56 minutes ago, RockinHarry said:

That would rather be a fairly big project considering we´ve 10 trench MDR objects required for editing. Maybe a major project for later times. Also bits more testing seems required, considering the various options that are now on the table so to say.

Absolutely, which is why I'm a bit hesitant to take it on. I have at least two or three big projects I'm really keen to complete. My tree mods are really my first priority; then I also want to do general terrain mods for each title (a lot can be shared between the various landscapes so it's not quite as intimidating as it might seem); then there are the seasonal variations for each terrain, though our friend @Falaise made a good fist of micro seasons for Normandy, perhaps others could do similar work for other regions. Beyond these I also have my burnt terrain, the defensive works and a couple of smaller uniform mods. I still think I can get it all done before BF move us to CMx3 

1 hour ago, RockinHarry said:

I´m fairly sure I could dig out some more from the META, but basically we´re required to the 1m ground mesh resolution in order to have pixeltroopers go and stay where they are.

... So there's plenty of time for this.

1 hour ago, RockinHarry said:

My Blender is set up to have the same 1m ground mesh resolution as is my gridded grass test map tile. Definitely helps on seeing and understanding things related to it.

Great idea. I have no idea how Blender/the models scale so I'll have to look into this.

 

1 hour ago, RockinHarry said:

Nowadays I see them (foot paths) more as a terrain sculpting tool and less for their actual purpose, although using them as such from time to time and for other minor stuff.

For foot paths I made a new 2D map editor icon set that distinguishes them from the otherwise same looking dirt road ones. Easier 2D editor working times.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mge8nvhn4dzobhl/CM Footpath Editor small.zip?dl=0

Which I have ... thanks  

1 hour ago, RockinHarry said:

I tend to believe it´s the only "cover" the game engine really sees as such. As long as terrain stuff is concerned. I´ve never seen pixeltroopers take "cover" behind flavor objects i.e. For them it´s just a movement obstacle they always try avoiding. They also occupy a single 1m node and thus is unavailable for pixeltroopers to move into and stay in same one. Either-Or. If there´s any "cover" modifier for flavor objects (and maybe trees, walls etc) then it´s likely hardcoded with actual area providing that cover beeing defined by bounding box data buried in MDR.

Yes, and this undoubtedly will explain why, when we try to make a squad move to a position, say beside a building or behind a hedgerow, we as often as not can't actually place the movement marker where we would like it, but when they actually do arrive there the pixeltruppen will then seek the cover we wanted them to, or sometimes will disperse to better cover or somewhere that offers a better compromise with their LOS and cover.

1 hour ago, RockinHarry said:

I´m still noob what history of Breslau battle concerns. Just some basic stuff from the net and TV thus far. The other mentioned city battles are surely interesting as well. IIRC someone is tackling Budapest already. If I´d find required time I might tackle Posen or Königsberg some day. At least in topic.

These could all be very involved subjects to take on if thinking about making scenarios and campaigns, Budapest in particular is a giant of a battle, especially if considered in the context of the broader fighting in Hungary and the relief attempts. Breslau is interesting as it's often neglected and the defenders held out there for so long. 
 

1 hour ago, RockinHarry said:

So loading it up and do a "search and replace" with text in a MDR file is a matter of just seconds. In Blender this would be far more effort and time consuming.

And Blender/MDR import scripts have a habit of being very unforgiving without warning - make a mistake without noticing and that can ruin a day's work.

I'll check it out, but I really have so little empathy with code and big sets of what looks like gibberish   I doubt I'll make much headway.

1 hour ago, RockinHarry said:

I.e when a (german) LMG gunner finds a nice window place within a (smaller) building and his assistant is still on the way, but no appropriate place available, then he might stay outside or goes traveling the countryside.

Hahahah  haven't we all seen that - what the hell is he doing all the way over there do some weird dance!!!

It does make you wonder ...

[NPye]

We now have the Jagdpanther...although set in Normandy this one it is marked up on the rear as Muncheberg PD. Cheers

[Lucky_Strike]

2 hours ago, NPye said:

We now have the Jagdpanther...although set in Normandy this one it is marked up on the rear as Muncheberg PD. Cheers

Great. Very elegant set of buildings behind, is that your chateau? 

So used to seeing these amongst ruins ... 

[Lucky_Strike]

Dragon's teeth texture 4. Very rough finish, moulded with thinner shutters than previous. This one also includes normal maps which come into play when shaders are toggled on.

[NPye]

8 minutes ago, Lucky_Strike said:

Dragon's teeth texture 4. Very rough finish, moulded with thinner shutters than previous. This one also includes normal maps which come into play when shaders are toggled on.

 

I love using new mods on my maps, can't wait for this one. BTW I would like to use the trench as a communication trench to move troops to areas like WN defences, so don't mind if you can't fire from????? and finally yes it is my chateau in Les Mesnil, Normandy...lol Wouldn't that be nice....

[Lucky_Strike]

1 hour ago, NPye said:

I love using new mods on my maps, can't wait for this one. BTW I would like to use the trench as a communication trench to move troops to areas like WN defences, so don't mind if you can't fire from????? and finally yes it is my chateau in Les Mesnil, Normandy...lol Wouldn't that be nice....

The trench  - I just need to look at it again to make sure it doesn't do anything really odd then you can have it as a beta - keep in mind it's just the one straight section, any other shapes connected to it will be normal or might even go a bit haywire. 

The chateau - looks really cool - did you release that one? And when can we come to stay in it? Does it have a heated pool? 

[Lucky_Strike]

Favour time everyone/anyone interested ...

I'm messing around with the dragon's teeth normal maps and, being the decisive person that I am, I can't really decide on my favourite style. This is subtle, but looking carefully one can see the differences more or less. So, I have uploaded a quick mod set and part of Harry's Westwall map (hope that's ok Harry?) - adapted with the new mod in mind. If you would all be so kind as to download it pop it into you CMBN Z directory and add the scenario to your scenarios folder and then run it. Open it as German's then what you'll have is a chunk of Westwall with graffitied 1-4 dragon's teeth, all the same texture but with different normal maps. In one corner by the right side of the pine forest, facing you, is a bare patch with, hopefully, textures 1 to 4 in a little cluster ...

If not have a wander around the Westwall to see the various textures.

Get down close and inspect them with shaders and shadows on, see if you have a preference as to how the normal maps affect the surface, toggle shaders on and off to see the normal map pop in and out of use. Movie mode makes the contrast more pronounced but is not essential to see the normal maps, they are used only with shaders on. Move around the teeth, the normal maps are more noticeable in shaded areas rather than full, direct light. 

If you feel adventurous open the scenario in the editor and change the time so that different light influences them, or try different weather effects. You need to deploy Axis units to actually see the teeth in the editor.

Once you've decided on your favourite please let me know.

Thanks 

Download scenario and teeth here

[NPye]

30 minutes ago, Lucky_Strike said:

The trench  - I just need to look at it again to make sure it doesn't do anything really odd then you can have it as a beta - keep in mind it's just the one straight section, any other shapes connected to it will be normal or might even go a bit haywire. 

 

Cool that will work really well for normandy com trenches.

[NPye]

32 minutes ago, Lucky_Strike said:

The chateau - looks really cool - did you release that one? And when can we come to stay in it? Does it have a heated pool? 

The chateau is  part of the Berlin 2 mod, i'm nearly there but i want to wait a while due to all this new stuff coming and don't really want to make anymore versions once I release it. It good because they work in CMBN as well. And yes has pool and a cassino and a wine cellar, where James Bond gambles regularly....lol 

 

[Artkin]

@Lucky_Strike absolutely. let me know. I love creative Soviet style defensive works with alternating fields of mines and barbed wire.

[RockinHarry]

5 hours ago, Artkin said:

@Lucky_Strike absolutely. let me know. I love creative Soviet style defensive works with alternating fields of mines and barbed wire.

trying out alternative barbed wire fences could be next. At least to see if one can get some to work. I see 2 files in CMRT BRZ.

(red thunder v100a/defensive works/barbed wire)

wire-4-1.mdr
wire-566-1.mdr

with 2 associated texture files.

Didn´t even know we have 2 files with the game. 1st is normal length I think, while 2nd is somewhat longer (wider). Both are 2-part with stumps and wire a child of it. Maybe "easier" editing than 10 pieces of trench and hedgehog/dragon teeth. So at least what we know now is that hedgehogs can be changed to something different and trenches/foxholes improved (or messed with) as well. So finding alternatives for wire sounds feasible.

Edit: Original barbed wire in Blender. Actual wire looks to be the more tricky part. It´s alpha layer texture only.

Edited October 19, 2022 by RockinHarry

[RockinHarry]

6 hours ago, Lucky_Strike said:

Favour time everyone/anyone interested ...

I'm messing around with the dragon's teeth normal maps and, being the decisive person that I am, I can't really decide on my favourite style. This is subtle, but looking carefully one can see the differences more or less. So, I have uploaded a quick mod set and part of Harry's Westwall map (hope that's ok Harry?) - adapted with the new mod in mind. If you would all be so kind as to download it pop it into you CMBN Z directory and add the scenario to your scenarios folder and then run it. Open it as German's then what you'll have is a chunk of Westwall with graffitied 1-4 dragon's teeth, all the same texture but with different normal maps. In one corner by the right side of the pine forest, facing you, is a bare patch with, hopefully, textures 1 to 4 in a little cluster ...

Great! So you got it to work with the bumpmap files! And yes, use any my published files to your liking, redistribution included.

6 hours ago, Lucky_Strike said:

Get down close and inspect them with shaders and shadows on, see if you have a preference as to how the normal maps affect the surface, toggle shaders on and off to see the normal map pop in and out of use. Movie mode makes the contrast more pronounced but is not essential to see the normal maps, they are used only with shaders on. Move around the teeth, the normal maps are more noticeable in shaded areas rather than full, direct light. 

If you feel adventurous open the scenario in the editor and change the time so that different light influences them, or try different weather effects. You need to deploy Axis units to actually see the teeth in the editor.

Once you've decided on your favourite please let me know.

Thanks 

Download scenario and teeth here

Thanks! I´ll check this all out ASAP. Already placed the files in my CMBN data/z folder structure and scenario one.

6 hours ago, Lucky_Strike said:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/546m07yzky3i5ex/Dragons-teeth_Normal_map_testing.zip?dl=0

Edit: @Lucky_Strike looks like the teeth MDR file isn´t included with the textures package. Or did I miss a post w. link of yours?

 

Edited October 19, 2022 by RockinHarry

[Lucky_Strike]

5 hours ago, Artkin said:

@Lucky_Strike absolutely. let me know. I love creative Soviet style defensive works with alternating fields of mines and barbed wire.

Thanks - I'm hoping to create an assortment of stuff so you should enjoy those when ready.

[Lucky_Strike]

58 minutes ago, RockinHarry said:

trying out alternative barbed wire fences could be next. At least to see if one can get some to work. I see 2 files in CMRT BRZ.

(red thunder v100a/defensive works/barbed wire)

wire-4-1.mdr
wire-566-1.mdr

with 2 associated texture files.

Didn´t even know we have 2 files with the game. 1st is normal length I think, while 2nd is somewhat longer (wider). Both are 2-part with stumps and wire a child of it. Maybe "easier" editing than 10 pieces of trench and hedgehog/dragon teeth. So at least what we know now is that hedghehogs can be changed to something different and trenches/foxholes improved (or messed with) as well. So finding alternatives for wire sounds feasible.

Edit: Original barbed wire in Blender. Actual Wire looks to be the more tricky part. It´s alpha layer texture only.

 

Wire is not something I've looked at - would need to see some examples of various wire patterns used in defensive positions. I'm familiar with metal spike and coiled barbed wire, the type we see so much of in WWI imagery. What other suggestions.

The actual wire probably could only ever work as alpha channelled bmps, though it would be possible to build a representation of actual wire in Blender we do need to consider the amount of triangle texels needed for a long run of wire. I presume that wire is more of an obstacle rather than something which provides cover of any value. It would be interesting to know what each of the field works is doing in-game in terms of cover, concealment and blocking LOS.

Can't remember off the top of my head - do the wire fences share the same wire texture? 

51 minutes ago, RockinHarry said:

Edit: @Lucky_Strike looks like the teeth MDR file isn´t included with the textures package. Or did I miss a post w. link of yours?

ARARARAGHHHH! Stupid, stupid, stupid. No you're right I didn't include it AND I can't edit the original post now 

A few moments later ...

Thankfully DropBox seems to be fine with me updating the zip archive so I'v now updated it and included the mdr - thanks for spotting that 

And yes the normal maps were quite simple, I though they might involve an edit in the Blender file but the game engine seems happy to use them so long as they are in the same directory as the texture.

[RockinHarry]

10 hours ago, Lucky_Strike said:

Absolutely, which is why I'm a bit hesitant to take it on. I have at least two or three big projects I'm really keen to complete. My tree mods are really my first priority; then I also want to do general terrain mods for each title (a lot can be shared between the various landscapes so it's not quite as intimidating as it might seem); then there are the seasonal variations for each terrain, though our friend @Falaise made a good fist of micro seasons for Normandy, perhaps others could do similar work for other regions. Beyond these I also have my burnt terrain, the defensive works and a couple of smaller uniform mods. I still think I can get it all done before BF move us to CMx3 

I feel with you @Lucky_Strike I´d actually wanted starting a new CMRT scenario already and now I´ve my nose digged deep into Blender stuff (again). So (please) go on with your main project(s) and make us some nice Xmas presents. 

With various new stuff worked out already we know what to tackle next when it´s the time. As long as we keep info and procedures beeing published here, anybody can join in and try out the stuff, maybe surprising us with something new and workable.

10 hours ago, Lucky_Strike said:

Yes, and this undoubtedly will explain why, when we try to make a squad move to a position, say beside a building or behind a hedgerow, we as often as not can't actually place the movement marker where we would like it, but when they actually do arrive there the pixeltruppen will then seek the cover we wanted them to, or sometimes will disperse to better cover or somewhere that offers a better compromise with their LOS and cover.

Yes, when it comes to buildings and related TacAI behavior then things become even more tricky. Got to dig into that more again.

10 hours ago, Lucky_Strike said:

These could all be very involved subjects to take on if thinking about making scenarios and campaigns, Budapest in particular is a giant of a battle, especially if considered in the context of the broader fighting in Hungary and the relief attempts. Breslau is interesting as it's often neglected and the defenders held out there for so long. 

Absolutely. When I come to tackle some of these I´ll likely go for more simplified map version while try preserving the essence of any possible (historic) battle. It´s very hard to recreate a real terrain and city layout 1:1 and I hate zig zagging streets etc. just cause CM allows 90 and 45° stuff only (not considering the 22.5° mods). 

10 hours ago, Lucky_Strike said:

And Blender/MDR import scripts have a habit of being very unforgiving without warning - make a mistake without noticing and that can ruin a day's work.

I'll check it out, but I really have so little empathy with code and big sets of what looks like gibberish   I doubt I'll make much headway.

Figured those Blender quirks as well. But I haven´t started learning Blender things more deeply, so I don´t wonder if I run into those issues frequently. Think if you didn´t need MDR hex file hacking yet, then you won´t likely need it anyway. Looks like you get it all done nicely in Blender alone.

10 hours ago, Lucky_Strike said:

Hahahah  haven't we all seen that - what the hell is he doing all the way over there do some weird dance!!!

It does make you wonder ...

Lol yes Yet this german lmg/assistant combo issue is specific and repeatable. Got to check in CMRT again whether it still exists or had been fixed already.

[RockinHarry]

2 hours ago, Lucky_Strike said:

Thankfully DropBox seems to be fine with me updating the zip archive so I'v now updated it and included the mdr - thanks for spotting that 

And yes the normal maps were quite simple, I though they might involve an edit in the Blender file but the game engine seems happy to use them so long as they are in the same directory as the texture.

Thanks! Got em. https://www.dropbox.com/s/546m07yzky3i5ex/Dragons-teeth_Normal_map_testing.zip?dl=0

I got to check with GIMP´s normal map creation filter section. Formerly I´d used that NVidia plug in/app available for (older) Photoshop versions on my WinXP. Haven´t yet checked if it´s available for CS2 as well. Maybe GIMP does fine, IDK.

2 hours ago, Lucky_Strike said:

Wire is not something I've looked at - would need to see some examples of various wire patterns used in defensive positions. I'm familiar with metal spike and coiled barbed wire, the type we see so much of in WWI imagery. What other suggestions.

Concerning german WW2 used wires I could check my original period manuals. For other nations I´d guess things are not fundamentally different. Here´s some basic info re german stuff from US POV: https://www.lonesentry.com/articles/barbedwire/index.html

some my own images added

 

2 hours ago, Lucky_Strike said:

The actual wire probably could only ever work as alpha channelled bmps, though it would be possible to build a representation of actual wire in Blender we do need to consider the amount of triangle texels needed for a long run of wire. I presume that wire is more of an obstacle rather than something which provides cover of any value. It would be interesting to know what each of the field works is doing in-game in terms of cover, concealment and blocking LOS.

Can't remember off the top of my head - do the wire fences share the same wire texture? 

Real geometry would likely be more convenient, but guess alpha bitmaps is way to go, for performance reasons alone.

Yes, from my understanding it´s obstacle only. Slowing down infantry so they can get mown down more easily. Got to check again in game what´s all involved here.

Re wire fences, alpha wire textures do look the same but have different texture file names for the barbed wire and pasture fences.

CMBN

Barbed wire: Normandy v100A\a\defensive works\barbed wire\wire-barbed-smooth.bmp

Pasture fence: Normandy v100B\b\terrain\walls\wire fence\wire-fence.bmp

Edited October 19, 2022 by RockinHarry
images added

[NPye]

12 hours ago, Lucky_Strike said:

Once you've decided on your favourite please let me know.

 

Nice 1. I'll test 2day. Cheers for allowing us to download...

[NPye]

Ok here's a list of my bespoke vehicle set so far, all works in progress and more to be added. What's your favorite so far?

 

Edited October 19, 2022 by NPye

[JM Stuff]

20 minutes ago, NPye said:

Ok here's a list of my bespoke vehicle set so far, all works in progress and more to be added. What's your favorite so far?

 

All of them that I can make as wrecks when I come back 

JM

[JM Stuff]

9 hours ago, RockinHarry said:

Thanks! Got em. https://www.dropbox.com/s/546m07yzky3i5ex/Dragons-teeth_Normal_map_testing.zip?dl=0

I got to check with GIMP´s normal map creation filter section. Formerly I´d used that NVidia plug in/app available for (older) Photoshop versions on my WinXP. Haven´t yet checked if it´s available for CS2 as well. Maybe GIMP does fine, IDK.

Concerning german WW2 used wires I could check my original period manuals. For other nations I´d guess things are not fundamentally different. Here´s some basic info re german stuff from US POV: https://www.lonesentry.com/articles/barbedwire/index.html

some my own images added

 

Real geometry would likely be more convenient, but guess alpha bitmaps is way to go, for performance reasons alone.

Yes, from my understanding it´s obstacle only. Slowing down infantry so they can get mown down more easily. Got to check again in game what´s all involved here.

Re wire fences, alpha wire textures do look the same but have different texture file names for the barbed wire and pasture fences.

CMBN

Barbed wire: Normandy v100A\a\defensive works\barbed wire\wire-barbed-smooth.bmp

Pasture fence: Normandy v100B\b\terrain\walls\wire fence\wire-fence.bmp

Nice Infos Harry are you thinking to change the original "wire" mdr models in a circle model...?

JM