Need help test new textures

[crossup]

Hi all,
Some time ago I started a project to import Fly!2 terrain into F4. Fly!2 terrain has several attractive features:
Hires textures are default: 512 pixel as well as the standard 256 pixel
Coast and road creation is head and shoulders above F4/Korea- you can navigate using the roads!
Tiles are nearly unique and non repetitive(I see some patterning when comparing areas 10-20 miles apart)
Uses standard USGS data type plus most others and can be customized.
Automatic creation of textures.
Available PD licensed terrain creation engine

At this point with the massive help of Skyfire, CATE will autotile Fly! textures into F4 L2's

While I have sucessfully retiled test areas using up to 4096 unique tiles I have some issues with the palette and or F4 restrictions .
So Im asking for someone who can independantly test the proceedure and hopefully help figure out what the problems are.
Here are some screenies of sucessful stuff http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/f4 ... up/f4hawai iantheater/lst%3f%26.dir=/SP3%2band%2bBeyond%26.src=gr%26.view=t
http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/f4 ... iiantheate r/lst%3f%26.dir=/SP3%2band%2bBeyond%26.src=gr%26.view=t

Anyone interested in new textures should consider working on this project- I have found that some of the textures work remarkably well as single tiles- a single mountain texture is used here: http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/f4 ... group/f4ha waiian
theater/lst%3f%26.dir=/SP3%2band%2bBeyond%26.src=gr%26.view=t
So come on guys, lets make this work!
crossup

[ccc]

OMG.... i cant see the pics, no, i go to Haiwaiian group and check photo folder..WOW, GREAT!! GREAT Tiles!!!

[PumpyHead]

quote:Originally posted by Crossup:
Hi all,
Some time ago I started a project to import Fly!2 terrain into F4.

I don't wish to put a damper on things, but has anyone considered the legal ramifications? Has anyone contacted the publishers of Fly2?

-Robert

[crossup]

Yes Pumpyhead, Ive spoken with the author of the 3rd party program that makes this add-on terrain-
remember we are not ripping terrain supplied with Fly!2 but rather using a 3rd party utility to create textures from USGS data and then applying them to another sim. This is distinctly different from using Fly!2 renderings, engine, etc. The only potential issue is if the format of the intermediate files are propietary then perhaps we are bending the rules. At any rate the Fly! guys have been very helpful and as long as we only use this stuff for NO profit or commercial activity, we are in compliance with the license agreement. In fact I was pretty happy that the license agreement prohibits G2i from using this work, not that Im anti G2i, but keeping our work is good too.

[ccc]

test to see if pic can be viewed.

[crossup]

good job CCC
since the yahoo hosted pics are low res, Im currently throwing a personal website up to host the pics at hires
should be up in an hour http://members.bellatlantic.net/~vze2rsvb/
crossup

[ccc]

Crossup, could you show us how to make better Vnam tiles? i mean the resources, and the whole process. it seems your Haiwaiian tiles are generated with much less effort...i'd like to see ODS and Nam got tiles of the same quality!

[crossup]

ccc,
well yes, thats what this thread is about- getting this to work for everyone
since Im trying to "sell" this(no not for money)idea, I havent mentioned the biggest issue with it: unique textures means monsterously large texture.zip files - an entire land covered theater would need 1 million x 65k each textures, assuming 512 pixel textures 65 gig I think
I can try posting the routine here if you like
and we could use ICQ for quick info
ICQ 9165219
crossup

[crossup]

k
website is up

[crossup]

Using Fly!2 terrain with F4:
Purchase Fly!2 - not absolutely necessary but very nice to have a automatic map slicer and to use it to prevue stuff- it cost me $9.95 at EB
patches/updates here: http://fly.godgames.com/
Download Terrascene 2.1 from Avsim.com( File library, select Fly! II Terrascene catagory or search on Terrascene
Also download Fly!Graphics: http://ftp.avsim.com/library/sendfile.p ... oadID=9626

After picking a location one uses Terrascene to generate a POD file which is a zip like structure with xxxx.RAW files being the textures. Using Fly!graphics I convert the RAW files to BMPs. Using Painshop Robot or scripts I automate the conversion to .PCX format and do any image processing at the same time.
Once I have the textures,I use perl scripts to make a texture.zip and .bin etc.
I render an L2 map using a few textures from
the new texture.bin subbed for equivilent korean textures- water, high, low etc
Next a custom CATE version places the new textures in the L2. Then its just standard F4 terrain building.
I picked up a bit of Visual Basic along the way to this point and have a made a few utils that elimates the hand work and hassle of creating new texture.bin files

[crossup]

for Pumpyhead,
this is typical of the licenses involved:

Some textures utilized in the production of this scenery are used by permission
from How in the World, Inc., and are Copyright (c) 2000 How in the World, Inc.

Scenery utilizing these textures may be freely distributed provided that you do
not receive any financial gain from said distribution or use, unless specifically
granted this right in writing by How in the World, Inc. and providing that said
distribution is not part of a larger commercial effort

[PumpyHead]

quote:Originally posted by Crossup:
for Pumpyhead,
this is typical of the licenses involved:

Some textures utilized in the production of this scenery are used by permission
from How in the World, Inc., and are Copyright (c) 2000 How in the World, Inc.

Scenery utilizing these textures may be freely distributed provided that you do
not receive any financial gain from said distribution or use, unless specifically
granted this right in writing by How in the World, Inc. and providing that said
distribution is not part of a larger commercial effort

Thanks for the clarification and nice job on the scenery.

-PumpyHead

[ccc]

just check your new pics.. wonderful.
however the whole process seems a bit too hard for me. any simplified guide?

btw, any material/resources could be directly processed for Vnam rice paddies, thru your fly! utils? all my wish a better vnam if no such texture resource exist..hmmmm

[crossup]

obviously I turned off the sales pitch too soon
so you want rice paddies? well if there are satellite photos avail Terrascene can use those
too, then you would have real rice paddies
as far as the process being hard- its not, just a bit tedious. But to be able to create thousands on new textures AND place then with NO hand work is well worth the effort.
Another thing to consider is that my chosen test area is actually a bad one because most of the data is corrupt and so only roads and beaches are really showing up. Terrascene can do a much better job, the following pic will show what using Shapefile data can do to "fix" the corrupt areas [URL=http://ftp.avsim.com/library/sendfile.p ... mage=12926[/URL]

So far this has been a one man deal with help from Julian,Snakeman,Skyfire,Widmak and a few others. Im at the point where others should test it and hopefully with more minds involved we can figure out the last few issues. Then attention needs to be paid to how best integrate Fly! textures with F4 repeating textures to keep files sizes within reason, I believe that CATE is the answer, and I dont know CATE well.
If you guys arent interested, perhaps you could help spread the word that I need some help
crossup

[crossup]

bumping this thread- hard to believe there is no interest in new textures.....

[ccc]

na, im very interested in this topic. theaters need new tiles to make them truely unique.

just being impatiently waiting SP4...wanna to check my humble 3d toys first. :p