4.157 - Legacy Map Conversion

[Volcano]

Actually converting from TER is the best choice. I am nearly done with the post summarizing the process, just putting the finishing touches on it now...

[Gibsonm]

59 minutes ago, Ssnake said:

Converting a map from HGT will, indeed, convert only the elevation profile.

THEN you could convert the various TERs after the original HGT conversion was published as a base map. This will then store the TER conversions as delta maps, using less storage space.

To be honest I don't care too much about hard drive space (I understand others may well do).

 

I want a simple, speedy, process and if that's "bloated" I'm not too worried.

 

Edited July 31, 2019 by Gibsonm

[Gibsonm]

59 minutes ago, Volcano said:

Actually converting from TER is the best choice. I am nearly done with the post summarizing the process, just putting the finishing touches on it now...

Yes but I'm losing things (buildings, roads) and things are changing different tree types.

 

Almost as if it ignores the 4.023 theme. Not helped by the "Map Info" not telling you what theme is in use, so you need to remember / guess.

 

Edited July 31, 2019 by Gibsonm

[Ssnake]

Maps CAN be converted via command line, and therefore "in principle" can be converted in batch mode (which would be the closest to a "drag & drop" type conversion). Usually however we do not recommend it simply because it would save each converted map as a new base map, which is rather wasteful as far as storage space consumption is concerned.

Also, you don't get to correct other issues such as georeference, proper map description, etc; this is all possible only in interactive mode. But with 1400 TER files you're approaching a dimension where the batch conversion starts to look attractive again.

[Ssnake]

Terrain themes could turn out to be the next issue.

We have drastically cut the number of THM files that we ship with Steel Beasts 4.1 because, frankly, most of the legacy THMs were crap, one way or the other. I have elaborated my observations in the "4.1 new features" thread (and copied that into the 4.156 Release Notes, no need to repeat myself here). But if a lot of your scenarios depend on very specific theme settings it may be painful to preserve all that. Technically "possible" but the sheer number of maps and scenarios you have creates an entirely unique scale of the matter.

[Gibsonm]

I understand the issues with "going" and agree.

 

What I'm concerned about is when this in 4.023:

 

 

Becomes this in 4.175:

 

 

I'm extracting the theme from the 4.023 version in the hope that applying that to the 4.175 map will fix the tress, but I have no idea what happened to the township.

 

Ah but I can't simply apply the theme because its published? (not a criticism, just wanting confirmation).

 

So I need to delete this one and re-convert, applying the extracted theme prior to publishing?

 

Edited July 31, 2019 by Gibsonm

[Gibsonm]

Tried to apply the extracted theme in the Mission Editor but while it changed the trees they didn't change to the right trees.

 

At some point did the trees get renumbered (i.e. Tree "1" and Tree "6" swapped, so now when you apply a theme that says a given spot should be filled with "Tree 1" its now covered with the image that used to be called "Tree 6")?

[Ssnake]

Can you send me examples of THM files that swap trees for the wrong ones, also a TER and HGT where upon conversion your buildings disappear?

[Volcano]

FWIW, here is the 4.1 map conversion thread. The main thing is probably to review the key concepts section which should help.  The post has various possible situations and cases.

 

 

[Gibsonm]

1 hour ago, Ssnake said:

Can you send me examples of THM files that swap trees for the wrong ones, also a TER and HGT where upon conversion your buildings disappear?

Ssnake,

 

OK. Will send you:

 

1. Original 4.023 scenario

 

2. Screen shot of a given tree

 

3. Converted 4.175 scenario (using the TER route and no "delta" maps).

 

4. Screen shot of the same tree as "2." (same Grid, same angle but in 4.175)

 

 

[Gibsonm]

1 hour ago, Volcano said:

FWIW, here is the 4.1 map conversion thread. The main thing is probably to review the key concepts section which should help.  The post has various possible situations and cases.

 

 

Thanks.

 

Haven't given up on the verbal support option, just trying to think of a mutually convenient / least painful time, since I don't think it will be 5 mins.

[Ssnake]

38 minutes ago, Gibsonm said:

Ssnake,

 

OK. Will send you:

 

1. Original 4.023 scenario

2. Screen shot of a given tree

3. Converted 4.175 scenario (using the TER route and no "delta" maps).

4. Screen shot of the same tree as "2." (same Grid, same angle but in 4.175)

Don't really need the converted scenario but rather the original TER and HGT files.

We need to investigate why they are converting to something else, so we can correct that. Only if we find and eliminate such conversion errors will a later batch conversion for you deliver reliable results. So it's important to catch such cases now.

[Gibsonm]

10 hours ago, Ssnake said:

Don't really need the converted scenario but rather the original TER and HGT files.

We need to investigate why they are converting to something else, so we can correct that. Only if we find and eliminate such conversion errors will a later batch conversion for you deliver reliable results. So it's important to catch such cases now.

OK, 2nd email on its way.

 

Taking a break / giving up until:

 

a. The weekend so I'm trying to do this in 15min windows.

b. Ssnake gets back to me.

c. I summon the courage to face this again.

 

Edited July 31, 2019 by Gibsonm

[Japo32]

Ok Thanks for the reply!

I succesfully had the 73 mission and camp hornfelt maps running and they are great!! Impresive the abrams when fires in the desert with the dust in front of the cannon!!

I had to install again 4.023 to save the .ter files from the missions. I also saved the theme one, but I don't know what are they for, so here are the questions!

 

1. What are those themes for?

2. Once I make the map in the map editor in 4.157, and publish, where is published. Files Location? I don't find in the new maps (big data) folder that I have installed different than program data/esim games/maps

3. Could it be possible to make a tool for new SB to just extract those old .ter and theme files from old missions? That way we wouldn't need to install all the 4.023 for do that. 

 

 

Thanks!

 

 

Edited July 31, 2019 by Japo32

[thewood]

One of the first things I did before the 4.1 upgrade was back up all my scenarios, terrain files, and height files.  I also have one old laptop that has 4.023 on it for when I need to compare something.  Both of these have helped me numerous times in the last couple of days.

[Ssnake]

36 minutes ago, Japo32 said:

I had to install again 4.023 to save the .ter files from the missions. I also saved the theme one, but I don't know what are they for, so here are the questions!

 

1. What are those themes for?

2. Once I make the map in the map editor in 4.157, and publish, where is published. Files Location? I don't find in the new maps (big data) folder that I have installed different than program data/esim games/maps

3. Could it be possible to make a tool for new SB to just extract those old .ter and theme files from old missions? That way we wouldn't need to install all the 4.023 for do that.

1. Theme files and their purpose are, I believe, succinctly described in the user's manual. In addition, I wrote a page in the Release Notes about which frequent and popular mistakes to avoid. Theme files determine the choice of texture sets of vehicles (woodland, desert, winter), they control the mobility properties of offroads movement, and they determine the visual appearance of all terrain types in a map. By swapping a THM file you can create a "winter version" and a "summer version" of the same scenario, to name but one practical application case. (You would still want to change the date, and possibly the weather conditions, of course.)
2. "Where is it published?" suggests that you, too, think of your map package being uploaded to a public server. This is not the case. Maybe we need to change the wording here. For now, in the context of Steel Beasts Pro, "publishing" a map means to lock it against further changes. So it's about changing the state of the map package rather than changing its location/making it available for other people. You will find the path of your map package in the "map info" dialog (both Map and Mission Editor), for example here:
3. It would be theoretically possible, yes, but at the moment we have no such plans.

[Japo32]

Thanks! found the folders location!

It would be nice to make the point 3 tool, as not everyone has maybe 4.023 bought (if it is not included in the 4.157 buy.. but maybe in future references won't be there, and would be a shame to loose some good missions because of that).

[Japo32]

Now I have another problem. 

 

https://gyazo.com/6fa406bd25525407441230f6acd95d87

 

how I can have a height map from the mission to just match as it is in the old mission and not have these type of problems? And then how I choose the height map in the map editor if I make the map from the ter file?

 

Thanks!

 

[Jartsev]

12 minutes ago, Japo32 said:

Now I have another problem. 

 

https://gyazo.com/6fa406bd25525407441230f6acd95d87

 

how I can have a height map from the mission to just match as it is in the old mission and not have these type of problems? And then how I choose the height map in the map editor if I make the map from the ter file?

 

Thanks!

 

Can you  send the map package  and the scenario to us  'as is', e.g. without making any changes to them?

 

Just upload them to some file sharing service  and drop a DL links via PM or mail.

Edited July 31, 2019 by Jartsev

[daft]

5 hours ago, Japo32 said:

Ok Thanks for the reply!

I succesfully had the 73 mission and camp hornfelt maps running and they are great!! Impresive the abrams when fires in the desert with the dust in front of the cannon!!

I had to install again 4.023 to save the .ter files from the missions. I also saved the theme one, but I don't know what are they for, so here are the questions!

 

1. What are those themes for?

2. Once I make the map in the map editor in 4.157, and publish, where is published. Files Location? I don't find in the new maps (big data) folder that I have installed different than program data/esim games/maps

3. Could it be possible to make a tool for new SB to just extract those old .ter and theme files from old missions? That way we wouldn't need to install all the 4.023 for do that. 

 

 

Thanks!

 

 

Which map for the Camp Hornfelt missions? I can't find "Blauheim" in the map list when trying to replace the map.

EDIT
Just saw the "plain41" in the message. Tried that and it seems to work.

Edited July 31, 2019 by daft

[mikwors]

Hi.

I wasn't sure about Camp Hornfelt map but used CMTC Hohenfels pretty sure that's the right one.

Mick

[Japo32]

The scenery is this old one (zip file).

I don't include the map as when published it put inside the delta of one of the default ones and is big, but it is easy to reproduce what I did:

1. open that scenery in 4.023, in scenery editor

2. save the ter and theme files from it

3. in 4.157 in map editor make terrain from ter and select the one extracted from 4.023. Just publish it and load it as single player mission.

 

 

for hornfelt is better to have the blauheim from the 4.023. If not you will have the terrain but no hourses, roads, rivers, etc...

Edited July 31, 2019 by Japo32

[daft]

15 minutes ago, Japo32 said:

The scenery is this old one (zip file).

I don't include the map as when published it put inside the delta of one of the default ones and is big, but it is easy to reproduce what I did:

1. open that scenery in 4.023, in scenery editor

2. save the ter and theme files from it

3. in 4.157 in map editor make terrain from ter and select the one extracted from 4.023. Just publish it and load it as single player mission.

 

 

for hornfelt is better to have the blauheim from the 4.023. If not you will have the terrain but no hourses, roads, rivers, etc...

Ahhh.... I do't have Blauheim umfortunately.

[RichardG]

I have TER file to convert. Where does it go so program sees it. I put it into the terrain folder of the game. Map editor doesnt see it. 

[Gibsonm]

1 hour ago, RichardG said:

I have TER file to convert. Where does it go so program sees it. I put it into the terrain folder of the game. Map editor doesnt see it. 

Here:

 

C:\ProgramData\eSim Games\Steel Beasts\maps\terrain