Peter Cairns Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 If possible I would like to be able to import a map or satellite photo in to a blank map and then "trace" over it, so that by folowing the contours or roads you could quicly replicate a piece of real terrain. If you could use the likes of Google Maps, you could start with the map to get the physical features right and positioned, and then switch to the photo to do the smaller detail like forest density, fences or crop type. A second thing that would be good is the ability to make names added to maps in to tags. By clicking on the name of a feature, you would open a file, that could include text photos or even a 360º sticked panoramma. What do people think. Peter. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpl Steiner Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 Peter, Excellent idea but I imagine it will run into the usual criticism of being a distraction from the job of getting the main game engine right. You know the sort of thing - three months to develop versus use some blue tac to stick a photo to your monitor. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyD Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 I've been staring at the screenshots on the 'Drop Team' website, wondering if there's maybe going to be any similarity between that BFC product and CMSF's game engine. The latest screenshots have VERY fancy landscapes, plus a small map in the corner. I cannot fathom how those maps were done. BFC did say for the new engine map design won't be nearly as simple and intuitive to use as CMx1. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Cairns Posted February 3, 2006 Author Share Posted February 3, 2006 Cpl Steiner, true, but the alternative of some kind of software conversion that would read maps would take decades. It's just one of those simple things that if it could be made to work would let you make really accurate maps really quickly. And the adding photos bit, shouldn't be any more difficult than the software for this site. Peter. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyD Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 Yeh yeh, you don't have to tell me. Maybe this has nothing whatsoever do with the final CMx2 game engine, but we've been reduced to reading tea leaves here. Drop Team screenshot. Notice the little map in the upper-right. Certainly makes you wonder how the map was generated. Forget about satellite maps, maybe you could import an overhead photo of your girlfriend lying on the beach and use her contours for terrain! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Cairns Posted February 3, 2006 Author Share Posted February 3, 2006 Mikey, Couldn't you get the same effect with a beached whale..... Peter. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpl Steiner Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 That map is definitely fractal if you ask me. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DASman Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 The jump map is a grayscale image exported from the world editor as a guess. You can use the same type of image as an import in a lot of 3D editors to generate terrain hight. E 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Cairns Posted February 6, 2006 Author Share Posted February 6, 2006 Bryce uses a 3D greyscale for terrain, that included the ability to import pictures and turn them in to terrain, It looks odd to fight on a hill made out of your own face. Peter. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce70 Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 Originally posted by Cpl Steiner: That map is definitely fractal if you ask me. Yep, definitely randomly generated. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce70 Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 But on that subject, there are some very good (and free) terrain generating applications that export greyscale images, not to mention real DEMs. It would be really nice if CMx2 could read those so that at least you don't have to set the terrain height. I know that lot's of little features do tend to add up, but really I can wait an extra 30 minutes (it really wouldn't take longer than that) for the release to get this feature. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Cairns Posted February 7, 2006 Author Share Posted February 7, 2006 Bruce, I am not sure about the grey scale import part for CM:SF, as it means some form of "software solution" that reads and scans the image and interprets it. As I was most interested in recreating real terrain, for historical or real life scenarios ( I must have made about half a dozen versions of the 1km2 around my own house), then having the start point as an imported map, rather than just a green grid was all I wanted. As you moved along the roads or contours, box by box the underlieing map would be replaced by game feature, till you had nothing left. Doing the process a sceond time so that you could use a photoe to get the vegitation density and colours right, might not be possible, but on google maps you can create a Hybrid of the two so it might be easier to combine them before you start. Peter. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aka_tom_w Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 Originally posted by Peter Cairns: Bryce uses a 3D greyscale for terrain, that included the ability to import pictures and turn them in to terrain, It looks odd to fight on a hill made out of your own face. Peter. Bryce 3D is spectacular in that respect. any greyscale image can be a terrain map. (lighter shades higher, dark shades lower) So what some of us would like to see is the terrain editor from SimCity (God Mode) to blend or morph with the "easy" (intuitive and user friendly) features of the terrain editor from Bryce. ..... and.........Wait for it! then throw in some "civilians " from The Sims or Sim City proper, ........ ( and sprinkle in some irregular opposing forces for good effect!) and THEN invade that map with the CMx2/BFC combat simulator full of realistically simulated military units and vehicles! Wah Laa.... Instant asymetrical warfare simulator!! What could be better!? -Tom W 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergei Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 You know that you can already turn grayscale BMP's into CM contours with Mapping Mission. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Cairns Posted February 7, 2006 Author Share Posted February 7, 2006 I just want to be able to accurately tarce maps, is that too much to ask for. Peter. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Cairns Posted February 7, 2006 Author Share Posted February 7, 2006 I ment TRACE, I really must learn to preview my posts. Peter. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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