Possible to combine different ter to single hgt?

[Scrapper_511]

A zany question:

With the new way maps are going to be handled, is it now possible for different parties to work on different regions of a common height map, and then later, combine the completed regions back onto the single height map. Is that even possible now, using the map 'refresh' function? I can give this a try now, actually, but hard to imagine that this kind of collaboration is not floating around already.

[Ssnake]

No, not yet.

[Scrapper_511]

I read ya Lima Charlie.

[Ssnake]

The utility value is, of course, undisputed.

It's not an entirely trivial task however, once that you start thinking about it. Steel Beasts knows no versioning with TER files. When you want to merge multiple TER files they will simply overwrite each other. So you only want to import "the changed bits" - but which are they? A certain region - okay, fine, as far as the tile map is concerned. What about vector objects such as buildings, roads, that might cross the boundaries established for the parts that you want to import.

Do you simply "add everything", possibly resulting in duplicate roads, buildings?

So it may be necessary to filter which tapes of objects you want to stransfer (e.g. "not the roads" because they come from a common ancestor file).

 

...etc. So yes, I'd very much like to see such a function in SB Pro, it's just that the solution is not entirely obvious which might explain why we haven't worked on it yet. But eventually, we will. 

[Scrapper_511]

1 hour ago, Ssnake said:

The utility value is, of course, undisputed.

It's not an entirely trivial task however, once that you start thinking about it. Steel Beasts knows no versioning with TER files. When you want to merge multiple TER files they will simply overwrite each other.

Never once did I think it was trivial, but oh yeah, preventing overlap would definitely need careful coordination and assignment of specific regions; I'm thinking leaving a blank border around every assigned region, to be worked on later on the 'master' map (probably by a single designer) to gel all the regions together. The whole idea, after all, is to share the workload in order to make good time. Plus, a convention would have to be established to create a visually uniform map; little details like how many vertices a bend on the road should have (the more the prettier), how far apart should each light post be, etc...

 

I am realizing that the best way to share a map that I've painstakingly created is to concentrate on a specific region rather than an entire hgt. Then of course, to create a scenario along with the region to "get it going".  So, I'm kind of stepping out of my obsession of completing an entire hgt. map and starting to fiddle with the more intricate functions of the mission editor. Ha, pretty much what every third party creator has been doing here all along. I had to learn some time! 😀

[Gibsonm]

2 hours ago, Ssnake said:

So yes, I'd very much like to see such a function in SB Pro, it's just that the solution is not entirely obvious which might explain why we haven't worked on it yet. But eventually, we will. 

 

Note for most readers here:

 

"SB Pro" not "SB Pro PE" (unless of course Ssnake made a typo).

 

Edited July 22, 2019 by Gibsonm

[Ssnake]

Both are "SB Pro", and right now - speaking strictly hypothetically about a feature that isn't even yet in development - I see no reason to exclude PE users from the possibility to merge TERs into a common map, should such a function be imnplemented.

[Gibsonm]

Ah OK understood.

 

It sounds like if implemented, it will be still quite some time away.