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ETA on terrain patch?


Nercon

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4 hours ago, Rotareneg said:

As far as I understand it, the terrain update will support terrain of that detail but that particular map shown in the video used proprietary elevation data that can't be publicly used.

 

Correct. This is why it's not listed on the YouTube channel, simply because I wanted to avoid the impression that this is what you'll get. No, you won't - sorry. It'll still look nice, but LIDAR data usually aren't free. We're constantly looking for exceptions, of course.

 

Now, LIDAR data also use huge amounts of disk space and don't compress well. So, our plan is to convert all the stock maps in Steel Beasts for you (and maybe add one or two new maps), and to offer these data as a separate installer. Which also means that - maybe not right away, that is undecided yet - in the future you may install the map files anywhere, not just in C:\ProgramData, which is a concern for those with a smaller SSD for the C: drive. Because the data will be larger than what you're used to, our plan is to put all the converted maps on a DVD set that you can order from our web shop, so you don't have to download all these rather large files. It also means that future versions of SB Pro will have much smaller installers to download, as we will separate the maps from the rest of the program forever; they may therefore also follow a separate update cycle.

 

My intent is to offer the DVD set as a bundle with the next iteration of the printed manual. It's about time that we have one produced. In order to get a high quality label printed on the DVDs we need to order a certain minimum quantity; chances are that we may deviate from our habits and make these bundles available for preorder. This is probably still a few weeks away, though.

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We do not intend to delay this, that is, to wait any time longer than absolutely necessary.

At the same time the new engine requires very careful testing because it has an effect on all kinds of areas, not just file structure and the handling of map data, but also the behavior of computer-controlled units.

 

After all, you want a Steel Beasts that still works when it receives better-looking terrain, no?

 

So, given that the purpose of tests is to find out IF everything works rather than confirming a foregone conclusion, the duration of the test phase cannot be predicted with precision. As soon as I have news, I will post them. As long as I remain silent, it is safe to assume that the tests haven't been completed and that therefore the software is not ready for a public release.

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This has been probably answered before, but do the old maps benefit from the new terrain engine? I understand that they've been built using the old grid utilizing much lower resolution, but is there some, for example, procedural technology that could add a little more bump to the old terrain?

Edited by Rosmarus
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Over time there will be.

The main purpose of the new terrain engine is to replace the existing technology with a new one that

  1. does what the old did, for backwards compatibility reasons, and
  2. provides the foundation for new capabilities - which will be added over time

So, the amount of changes won't be dramatic, but there will be a few things - for example, the ability to level roads, which is a big improvement in moutaineous terrain, or the ability to build ramps (which lets you create overpasses). Procedural embellishment can however only do so much. Where the original data doesn't exist there is no magic wand to generate it. A map built from 30m grid data - still the standard for most maps in Steel Beasts - simply cannot provide the richness of small depressions and other places to hide a tank which are available in abundancy in most places (the Utah salt flats being a well-known exception).

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On ‎6‎/‎17‎/‎2017 at 4:34 PM, Ssnake said:

, or the ability to build ramps (which lets you create overpasses). 

 

 

So Pumped for this one!

 

Have a Map I'm currently working on but need this to really recreate it properly!

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Typically they're just posted to an incorrectly configured FTP server that's behind a broken firewall in a folder titled "Beware of the Leopard," with the assumption that anyone who's actually interested will be able to find out about it on their own.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Or possibly it'll be posted here, but that doesn't sound as interesting. ;)

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On 2017-7-14 at 4:14 PM, Rotareneg said:

Typically they're just posted to an incorrectly configured FTP server that's behind a broken firewall in a folder titled "Beware of the Leopard," with the assumption that anyone who's actually interested will be able to find out about it on their own.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Or possibly it'll be posted here, but that doesn't sound as interesting. ;)

That's good laugh for me:D

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On 7/24/2017 at 2:14 PM, BigBadVuk said:

It seems i am the most impatient guy on this forum, sry, i dont want to be pushy but i am really hungry for news.

I'm hungry for official updates too, but I sit on my hands instead of typing. Besides, eventually someone will ask for me anyway (so thank you :D)!

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We identified one last issue. As the map sizes grow bigger - something that cannot be helped with higher resolution - this has a number of user interface implications. Aside from a number of network game setup/coordination issues we basically concluded that you also need an option to put your maps on a different disk drive than the one mandated by Microsoft's multiuser guidelines (which essentially offers no alternative to "C:\ProgramData").

So, this is the last feature to implement, a non-command line parameter option to set a different file path for the map directory, so the maps won't clog your small SSD C: drive (unless you're a filthy power user and have a really big SSD for C:\ ...). The command line parameter already exists, so our internal version of SB Pro can already handle that. What's needed is a proper file browser that lets you pick a non-standard directory. That's being worked on. Also, we're converting all the official legacy maps, one by one so you won't have to do that. Aside from the sheer CPU time to convert each map (a few hours) we also try to determine which version of a map actually works best as the base map, and we try to fix all the (missing, or wrong) map meta data (e.g. if a map isn't properly georeferenced the virtual world would sometimes show a night sky when your chosen time of day is 10 am., or the time zone settings would be all wrong; finally it also has an effect on the star patterns on the night sky). So we can't simply batch convert all maps, which turned out to be one factor (among others) why we aren't ready for a release already. And without the map conversion process being complete we don't know the size of the (separate) map installer, which will determine how many DVDs we need for it, which has a direct consequence on the production plans for the new installation disk set.

 

Dependencies, dependencies...

 

We covered about 95% in our project plan, but some things you only discover once that you're running the first practical tests.

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38 minutes ago, Ssnake said:

So, this is the last feature to implement, a non-command line parameter option to set a different file path for the map directory, so the maps won't clog your small SSD C: drive (unless you're a filthy power user and have a really big SSD for C:\ ...).

I'm not as filthy as I'd like to be, so I'm relieved and thankful for this! Thanks for the other areas being polished in order to accommodate us. Great customer service as usual. :D

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