Engine / Map improvements? (with pics)

[Combo]

Trying to make some maps for this game and have some questions/suggestions: -

1. The map editing tools are buggy and quite old. A guy called Hazard X coded a custom map editor back in 2006. I wonder if he is still around or if anyone in the community can try making a new one?

2. Can we increase the maximum height range for the maps? As you can see here the maps break (huge black area) when the height range in a map is too large.



3. Is it possible to increase the maximum number of pixels in a custom texture file? I'm not sure if the current limit of 256x256 is set by the engine or by the map editors. Either way, it's really small and the detail can be quite disappointing. e.g.





I think nothing could improve the visual appeal of this game more than a hack to allow high-resolution custom texture maps.

[FunkOff]

A) Are you certain this is a limitation?

B) You should be able to, quite easily, raise the entire map above the area where that black shit occurs. I'm quite certain, having mapped before, that the height limit is NOT a problem here.

C) There's nothing wrong with the map resolution. If you don't like the stair-step look, go to photoshop and use whatever tool it is that smooths out edges. It works really well. (Yes, photoshop can mess with height maps.)

[FunkOff]

2. Can we increase the maximum height range for the maps? As you can see here the maps break (huge black area) when the height range in a map is too large.

Allow me to be perfectly clear: This occurs when the ground is too low. It is an absolute value and NOT relative to how high the highest point on the map is.

[Combo]

FunkOff ok thanks it's useful to know that issue #2 can be resolved by increasing the height of the lowest part of the map.

The smoothing isn't bothering me it's the resolution. Look at the bottom 3 screenshots and tell me that 256x256 has done justice to those mountains.

[Combo]

Actually you're wrong when you say it's the absolute lowest height rather than the range that is the problem. I just tested this and can see that introducing a high mountain/peak (RGB:256/256/256) on an otherwise working map introduces the black map bug.

So far as I can tell the problem is the range. Specifically the difference in height between the lowest and highest area shouldn't exceed more than approx. RGB:75/75/75 on the heightmap.

[johnie102]

How did you create the texture file?
Looking at your heightmap you seem to have imported an 8-bit heightmap, what you want to do is use a 16-bit heightmap (per here). I think you did the same thing wrong with the texture map and that's why it is such a low resolution. If you draw the textures in the official map editor itself, then it's much smoother.

[Dragonfire]

Actually you're wrong when you say it's the absolute lowest height rather than the range that is the problem. I just tested this and can see that introducing a high mountain/peak (RGB:256/256/256) on an otherwise working map introduces the black map bug.

So far as I can tell the problem is the range. Specifically the difference in height between the lowest and highest area shouldn't exceed more than approx. RGB:75/75/75 on the heightmap.

I fixed many maps for GW with the black area/black pane.
It only occures if "World Border" is on.

For some maps, you must only increase the loweser point (make the heightmap brighter).
Other maps you must reduce the range.

Some maps also work with a very high range ...
I have no idea, but maybe some intern values, like the inital Elev, Water Elev, Deep Elev, Abyss Elev impact on this.

Most of the custom maps have also a strange order of property in the sceneario file.
official order:

Code: Select all

version = 3
ScenarioInfo = {
    name = 'dragon_beach',
    description = '',
    type = 'skirmish',
    starts = true,
    preview = '',
    size = {512, 512},
    map = '/maps/dragon_beach/dragon_beach.scmap',
    save = '/maps/dragon_beach/dragon_beach_save.lua',
    script = '/maps/dragon_beach/dragon_beach_script.lua',
    norushradius = 0.000000,
    norushoffsetX_ARMY_1 = 0.000000,
    norushoffsetY_ARMY_1 = 0.000000,
    norushoffsetX_ARMY_2 = 0.000000,
    norushoffsetY_ARMY_2 = 0.000000,
    norushoffsetX_ARMY_3 = 0.000000,
    norushoffsetY_ARMY_3 = 0.000000,
    norushoffsetX_ARMY_4 = 0.000000,
    norushoffsetY_ARMY_4 = 0.000000,
    norushoffsetX_ARMY_5 = 0.000000,
    norushoffsetY_ARMY_5 = 0.000000,
    norushoffsetX_ARMY_6 = 0.000000,
    norushoffsetY_ARMY_6 = 0.000000,
    norushoffsetX_ARMY_7 = 0.000000,
    norushoffsetY_ARMY_7 = 0.000000,
    norushoffsetX_ARMY_8 = 0.000000,
    norushoffsetY_ARMY_8 = 0.000000,
    Configurations = {
        ['standard'] = {
            teams = {
                { name = 'FFA', armies = {'ARMY_1','ARMY_2','ARMY_3','ARMY_4','ARMY_5','ARMY_6','ARMY_7','ARMY_8',} },
            },
            customprops = {
                ['ExtraArmies'] = STRING( 'ARMY_9 NEUTRAL_CIVILIAN' ),
            },
        },
    }}


Most of the maps in Vault:

Code: Select all

version = 3
ScenarioInfo = {
  Configurations={
    standard={
      customprops={ ExtraArmies="ARMY_9 NEUTRAL_CIVILIAN" },
      teams={
        {
          armies={
            "ARMY_1",
            "ARMY_2",
            "ARMY_3",
            "ARMY_4",
            "ARMY_5",
            "ARMY_6",
            "ARMY_7",
            "ARMY_8"
          },
          name="FFA"
        }
      }
    }
  },
  description="",
  map="/maps/gap of rohan.v0001/gap of rohan.scmap",
  map_version=1,
  name="gap of rohan",
  norushoffsetX_ARMY_1=0,
  norushoffsetX_ARMY_2=0,
  norushoffsetX_ARMY_3=0,
  norushoffsetX_ARMY_4=0,
  norushoffsetX_ARMY_5=0,
  norushoffsetX_ARMY_6=0,
  norushoffsetX_ARMY_7=0,
  norushoffsetX_ARMY_8=0,
  norushoffsetY_ARMY_1=0,
  norushoffsetY_ARMY_2=0,
  norushoffsetY_ARMY_3=0,
  norushoffsetY_ARMY_4=0,
  norushoffsetY_ARMY_5=0,
  norushoffsetY_ARMY_6=0,
  norushoffsetY_ARMY_7=0,
  norushoffsetY_ARMY_8=0,
  norushradius=35,
  preview="",
  save="/maps/gap of rohan.v0001/gap of rohan_save.lua",
  script="/maps/gap of rohan.v0001/gap of rohan_script.lua",
  size={ 512, 512 },
  starts=true,
  type="skirmish"
}


What edtior did they use?

PS.: Source code is available for scmp loading:
http://www.hazardx.com/details.php?file=82