How To Make Awesome Maps with DEM and GEO2 (Image Heavy)

[LITOralis.nMd]

SRTM data can be found at :
http://www.ambiotek.com/topoview/srtm41.kmz

THis entire tutorial is painful.
Some problems I've encountered:
1. I'm using Win7 x64 . Must download Directx June 2010 Update and ten restart your PC for it to take effect.

2. When downloading the SRTM data you have to choose the "Download the DATA tile in zipped ARCASCII format " not the download in GeoTiff format.
3. MicroDEM MUST be downloaded, installed, started, then go to "File" -> "Tools" -> "Close Program and Update" . THe program closes down and an automated update utility starts. When it's done updating, only then can you restart the MicroDEM program and use the right click on the image and press legends/marginalia, REMOVE Scale Bar and Elevations Key, you now must also remove Grids too on this update.

4. GEO CONTROL 2 is difficult to work with and does not have a Undo feature. Needs better tutorial here, I'm wondering if people are using a 1:1 ratio of SRTM data to game map or not?

5. Slice does not seem to work with x64 Windows OS. Is there an alternative out there? I really don't want to install the .Net frameworks on a virtual image just to run a tiny litle program.

[Zeno]

THis entire tutorial is painful.

thats because its made in the middle of the night and i was realy tired and i have never cared to fix the problems... shame on me

[Rudd]

4. GEO CONTROL 2 is difficult to work with and does not have a Undo feature. Needs better tutorial here, I'm wondering if people are using a 1:1 ratio of SRTM data to game map or not?

yeah the lack of undo is annoying, but if you just remove/revert the change you just did it'll be exactly how it was before withotu having to re-import the terrain again.

not exactly efficient, but you can work around it

Even though your tut isn't perfect Zeno, you have my gratitude as it's been a useful tool for me.

http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/4774/prevc.jpg <- an early WIP something I've been working on, the DEM data is from NE of the Kajaki Dam Afghanistan.

each mapper needs to find his own technique at the end of the day

[Priby]

My RAW file looks like this, what am i doing wrong?

Anyone?

[Durkie]

I have a question if you have made an 4096x4096 terrein in Geocontrol using real world data can you get the terrain on a 1:1 scale in the editor ??

[pfhatoa]

I have a question if you have made an 4096x4096 terrein in Geocontrol using real world data can you get the terrain on a 1:1 scale in the editor ??

No. The heightmap is 1025*1025 pixels in BF2 so you have to export and resize it.

[BroCop]

I was pretty much sure 1025x1025 is for 2KM only, while 4KM being bigger

[pfhatoa]

I was pretty much sure 1025x1025 is for 2KM only, while 4KM being bigger

nope, that's the shame limitation of the bf2 engine. that's why 4km maps can't have the same detail as 2km maps.

[Zeno]

My RAW file looks like this, what am i doing wrong?

Anyone?

could be your channels and bits, remember to use 1 channel and 16 bit PC

[Durkie]

No. The heightmap is 1025*1025 pixels in BF2 so you have to export and resize it.

I know that but is there a way to scale the geocontrol heightmap so ingame the hills got the same height ??

[Amok@ndy]

there is a option in the Bf2 Editor

if you switch in the TweakBar to [your_level_name] and go to LevelOptions you have a parameter 'TerrainHeight' the parameter should be sth with 163.74 or sth like that you can raise that or lower it depending on what you need
for really high mountains i would use sth like 250 even i went beyond this number once

[Rhino]

Keep in mind that the larger your max terrain height, the less control you have over the height as your basically just stretching out the grayscale image out more, which means every step of gray gets further apart and it also means terrain lods are more noticeable so only set your max height to or just above the maximum terrain height you plan. In most terrain editors you should be able to hover your mouse over your highest part of the terrain and lowest and then from there work out your terrain's height (lowest part of the terrain in BF2 is always 0 where in terrain gens its normally a negative number if you have sea in your map).

[pfhatoa]

I thought that the height steps where 65536 (2^16, the .raw is in 16-bit format) meaning that unless you have really high mountains the precision will be good enough. 250m gives a precision of 2,62cm | (2^16)/(250*100)=2.62144

However, a high maximum height increase the likelihood that you'll have a steep cliff somewhere giving lods problem ingame.

I might be out on deep water though as my knowledge on terrain lods and heightmap functions is quite limited.

[Rhino]

Yep, I was stating it because I've seen some people in the past set the max height to 10000 and then there highest peak on the map was only 300m high

[pfhatoa]

Yep, I was stating it because I've seen some people in the past set the max height to 10000 and then there highest peak on the map was only 300m high

like me (1000m though)

[Priby]

could be your channels and bits, remember to use 1 channel and 16 bit PC

I did that.
But i when i opened it for the first time it had 3 channels, not 2. Maybe that has something to do with it.

then open the new heightmapprimary.raw and when the "describe "heightmapprimary.raw" pops up change chanels from 2 to 1 and the depth from 8 bits to 16 bits. and IBM PC not macintosh.

[Zeno]

updated OP with new link to the SRTM 4.1 overlay for google earth. this should work with any Google Earth patch.

[arjan]

Hey Zeno, Behr here from F|H.
Any chance you could check your PM on the FH2 forums?

[AFsoccer]

Note: We've discovered issues of kits disappearing and FOB being bugged when terrain is at exactly 0 height. So when finalizing your terrain import, please be sure to raise any terrain that's at 0 height, even if only by 0.5 meters.

[D.Oakley]

lol what a joke this tut is. Sorry for being straight forward about it but I have been working on it for almost 3 hours now and still cant get it to work. It all has to do with the 1024-1024 and 1025-1025 resizing thing. I don't want to have to go and try anything else I would just like an answer to everyone's question.

Yes I have re sized it to 1024-1024 then saved as RAW file. Opened that RAW file and resized it to 1025 channels set to 1 set to 16bit made sure PC was clicked. It says something about a header i just left that as it was. Still get the error.

Please Fix the mistakes you made or get the thread deleted please.