How about an updated game map?

[Rubini]

Hi FLB,

I think that a lot of useful things can be put on the Nav map. If you are able to edit it, so here some ideas:

1. the geographic names of the seas,
2. minefields and subnets of the HT mod or others
3. more infos about convoys

The level zoom: the more that you achieve, the best.
If you need a beta tester just send your moded file to me. I will test, comment and help with ideas with pleasure.
PS: I send a PM for you yesterday. Your email adress is not functional... :hmm:

Rubini.

[FLB sale U-999]

Hmm, alright Rubini.

I will trie to make that, it is a lot of work.....

Ok, i will make a test version for u where i put a minefield at Wilhelmshafen..... just that u see what is possible.


There is only one colour possible! A lite grey and maybe not on all Zoomlevels.... Have to test that.





Wait a little bit......


Busy, at moment with other things


Greetings Sale

[FLB sale U-999]

Ok, here for u to see what is possible.


That are Screens from the ingame Map.

It is only from the bigger map (for the high ouzoomlevels) MAP1 Folder

Zoomed maximal out:






Zoomed 1 time forward:






Only that colour is possible because i have not all autorities to open the complete file!

The second (smaller) Map in Folder Map2 is the one for higher Zoom levels, more sharpened... i will test this week some things.

It was written with a special Program i don`t know......

[Rubini]

It's ok FLB.


- the text have to be smaller for the geographic (sea) info
- minefields and subnets must be drawn in the high zoom levels only (if possible)

The color is ok, but any other isn't really possible? So, how the first convoy route on Nav map mod was done? Just a question... :hmm:

Rubini.

[Sheppard]

Originally Posted by Rubini

Nope, i don't know how to open this .raw file. I have tried some months ago but without success. We need to locate the author of the map convoy's mod, he obviously knowns the answer.

Uhh, that's me

[Sheppard]

There are two different Convoy Maps.

a

4320 x 2160 map for the Really far out zoom levels; about 8 MB in size.

And a

21,600x 10,800 map for the close ups of harbors. 222 MB In size! With compression I can get it down to 40~ MB, about the size of a SH3 Commander download; but the map is so huge that it takes forever to edit it.

[Rubini]

Rubini wrote:
Nope, i don't know how to open this .raw file. I have tried some months ago but without success. We need to locate the author of the map convoy's mod, he obviously knowns the answer.


Uhh, that's me

Nice to meet you Sheppard!

So, you think that is possible to add these things to the Nav Map?
If not, you or someone here can add at least the geographical Sea names. What do you think? :hmm:

Rubini.

[kriller2]

FLB:
to make the letters/editing more readable on the game map I think you have to make the changes you make on both of the alpha layers in photoshop :hmm:

You can open both of the raw files in photoshop, use these settings:
"4320_2060.raw"
With 2060
Height 2060
Alphachannels 2
8 bit colours
Start 0

"21600_10800.raw"
With 10800
Height 10800
Alphachannels 2
8 bit colours
Start 0

[Hitman]

Is it possible to change the colours pattern to make the map look like the real Kriegsmarine one? (Water: greenish white, and land in brown-green) :hmm:

I don't like it as it is now, blue/brown ...it would add a LOT to the atmosphere if it would look like the real KM thing, specially when using no icons set ups

[Sheppard]

Well, it's simply TOO big to edit as it is now. We need someone to write a program that can take the 20,000 x 10,800 map; some 216,000,000 pixels; and hack it into smaller pieces of 4000 x 4000; which are only 16,000,000 pixels and can actually be edited on a time scale approaching the life span of a human being, not geologic time; and said program would then reassemble the 4000x4000 pieces into the big map...

[Sheppard]

Actually, I may have somerthing....

Okay, I've split up the 2100x10800 map into 16 pieces using PSP9's image splitter function; each piece is 5400 x 2700; making the job of editing the game map much much easier. I shall see if I can reassemble them using Adobe Acrobat.

[Hunterbear]

@ FLB sale U-999,

Did you use PS default B&W or did you select a color area from the map? In my experimenting, I use eyedropper and select dark area in the mid-Atlantic and my text comes in nice med. blue color ingame.

To remove the banding in your text, you have to have it in Alpha1 and Alpha2 channels. If you flip between each Alpha channel, you'll notice one is offset to the other (causing the banding if its not on both). Once you type your text and position it where you like (in Photoshop) it will convert the type to a selection and you just select each alpha channel and fill it (you don't have to move it to compensate for the offset).

@ Sheppard

What kind of video card and how much memory do you have in your system?

I have an Nvidia Quadro FX 1000 (128MB) and 512MB system memory and I can open the 21600_10800.raw file just fine to edit (takes about 10sec to open). Not bragging about my setup.



The only thing I don't like so far is the terrible antialiasing of the text. Still trying to find another way to get text in more crisp and sharper. It's not as bad to view zoomed out but zoomed in is horrible and unacceptable to me for now. Still experimenting.

Basically you can add anything you'd like to the map (within reason, not just on water). I spent all night adding all the main names for the major bodies of water and significant bodies identifiable on the map (and areas such as the Grand Banks).

Something more precise like the finer Grid coordinates would be a bit painful to match correctly to the map. If someone figures out how and where the game engine plots the grids and coordinates, it would be easier and more legible to do it that way than try to add it to this map. Same goes for the colors on the map. I did some searching but didn't find where the colors are specified or stored so they could be modded to match the KM map.

I would love to spend all my time getting this out for you all to enjoy but I have to catch up at work and won't be home to be able to touch this again for a week or so (sorry). I'll work on it as I can but I don't want to release anything until I've exhausted my options on getting the text more clear and legible to meet the high standards around here (no half-azzed looking mod).

Good luck to those still working on this!

[Sheppard]

What kind of video card and how much memory do you have in your system?

GeForce 6800 with 128 MB, and 1 GB of RAM. I can open the map just fine, and draw squiggly lines on it; but to do any serious editing with paint shop pro to put good looking text on it is simply impossible.

[FLB sale U-999]

Which names of Seas?


U mean something like this?




All seas with name? Only visible in the 2 last Zoom factors.

[FLB sale U-999]

Thanks for those Tipps @ Hunterbear & Kriller2!


Now the Text is in one piece and the Colour is more better/nicer.

Ok, i have to play a little around to get some things to work.


Its easy, that are only alphachannels to edit.

The big map is for the smallest 4 Zoomlevels and the smaller map is for the better zoomlevels i think.


For first i will write the Seanames for Rubini. @ Rubi: Which seas you would like to have inside? I have to make different Fonts, a few smaller, a few bigger.

But looks a little bit nice i think now!?