Another Problem!

[icfhoop]

Hello all, I am in need of some assistance. When I start up bulldozer after importing my sat and mask, it starts up fine, converting all of those png to paa. But about 2 min into the process a window comes up saying Visitor has encountered an error and needs to close. I looked for invalide paths, but I cant find anything, any ideas? Thank you very much for your time.

[Planck]

Pure guess here, but I think it is failing on the mask import.

Is your mask the same size as the sat image?


Planck

[icfhoop]

Nope, both are 10240x10240.

[Aplion]

check your mask map number of unique colors

[icfhoop]

ummm how do I do this? Thanks.

[Aplion]

ummm how do I do this? Thanks.
Many programs can help on this, one of them is http://www.irfanview.com/ this is free images viewer. Load your image and check on image menu first option (if I remember correct).

[icfhoop]

Ok the number is 479. Is this wrong or something, Thanks.

[Aussie]

Quote[/b] ]Ok the number is 479

So your saying you have 479 different colours in your Mask_lco?

[icfhoop]

No only 2 which is yellow and green. That is the # of unique colors.

[Aussie]

You can manually try the convertion once to get it started

Download notepad+ ---> used for png to paa renaming in your rvmats

then get the BIS tool pal2pace.exe ----> used to convert your png files to paa

This may get you up and running

[icfhoop]

Ok I have tried everything that has been posted here , but all my buldozer does, is crash. Is there any other ideas ?

Hoop

[Aussie]

in the layers.cfg file did u change any of the default texture names? I have encountered problems when I did this

[icfhoop]

yes

[Linker Split]

hmm, tell me this:

when you start up buldozzer, does it crash when you move into it to see the terrain you have created?
or did it just crash without even touching it?

and if it crashes when you move inside it, did it crash when you move to a particular position, or randomly?

[icfhoop]

No it crashed before i can even see my terrain.

[ArmaVidz]

Try downloading the color legend from Allie's tutorial. Though it might be unrelated, I was having the same problem and it was because I had a cafuffled color legend. Not sure how it got that way(might have saved wrong bit depth i.e: 32bit? in Photoshop) but once I replaced it, everything was fine.

Another possibility is wrong paths in the rvmats. I found best way to do mapmaking(using Allie's tutorial as a reference) was to work on it directly under P:\ that way you don't get confused with the rvmats. Working with your folder directly under P:\ your paths should to your custom textures should be "MyMapName\data\blahblah.paa".

http://forums.bistudio.com/oldsmileys/smile_o.gif

[icfhoop]

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k85/marined2/Hoops%20items/stupiderror.jpg


See ive tried the maplegend thing, this did not change anything, then i reimported the sat and mask, but it still does the same thing above is an image were it crashes Any ideas of hope left or is this one of the things that i am wasting my time on?

[MemphisBelle]

This problem is caused of some mistakes in your layers.cfg. Check the path of each texture. I had this problem as well and was close to become maniac. Then I checked my layers.cfg and voila...there was a mistake in one of the path. Hope that will help you

[icfhoop]

Ok here is my layers.cfg file. All of my textures are located in the CA Folder under Samawah and then under data here it is:

class Layers
{

class xxpisek
{
texture = "CA\Samawah\Data\xxpisek_mco.paa";
material="CA\Samawah\Data\xxpisek.rvmat";
};

class xxtravajih
{
texture = "CA\Samawah\Data\xxtravajih_mco.paa";
material="CA\Samawah\Data\xxtravajih.rvmat";
};

class xxmesto2
{
texture = "CA\Samawah\Data\xxmesto2_mco.paa";
material="CA\Samawah\Data\xxmesto2.rvmat";
};

class xxpole1
{
texture = "CA\Samawah\Data\xxpole1_mco.paa";
material="CA\Samawah\Data\xxpole1.rvmat";
};

};

class Legend
{
picture="CA\Samawah\source\mapLegend.png";
class Colors
{
/// color names should correspond to surface layer names
xxpisek[]={{255,255,0}};
xxtravajih[]={{0,255,0}};
xxmesto2[]={{99,55,0}};
xxpole1[]={{0,0,255}};
};
};


I checked and checked over it, did I miss anything?

[icfhoop]

I do not know if this will help, but here is my path to my textures:

P:\CA\Samawah\data

[Planck]

Try moving everything to the root of P: ...

P:\Samawah\data

And change the paths accordingly.


Planck

[icfhoop]

Ok I have transfered it to the P: directory itself, but now when I go to import sat and mask i get an error saying "error loading P:\P:\Samawah\source\mapLegend.png"



ALSO: I just wanted to thank you all for helping me, I appreciate all thanks.

[icfhoop]

Any ideas? Because I just checked my paths in my layers.cfg, and the path to the mapLegend was correct but still, the same error comes up?

                    Thanks,
                               Hoop

[MemphisBelle]

Open each RVMAT file and check its contents. also check layer.cfg and Each file in the data folder.... any questions?...if there still some errors left so just tell me so I will ad an example which can be downloaded to see how I made this...

By the way...I made all the same mistakes as you did..


http://www.memphisbelle.de/ArmA/description.JPG

[icfhoop]

Ok I got past the mapLegend error but now i am getting the same error I kept recieving before while going onto bulldozer as it was converting all of the layers. I guess could you send me the example ?

Thanks
Hoop

[MemphisBelle]

Quote[/b] ]Ok I got past the mapLegend error but now i am getting the same error I kept recieving before while going onto bulldozer as it was converting all of the layers. I guess could you send me the example ?

Thanks
Hoop


No Problem. This is my very first working project. It works in Visitor and ArmA. Just unpbo the file and check its contents. The needed source folder is still in it, so you can see how I did it.

But beware...this is a very ugly Island. At this point I havent known how to become the Island look cool...now I know....

That example can be used by everyone. This is not an professionell work, just a beginner one...but working!!

Download (http://www.memphisbelle.de/ArmA/MB_Testinsel.rar)

[icfhoop]

I have but one question, does your mask and satellite images have to be the same size of your map, and if so how do I check the zize of my map, thanks.

[MemphisBelle]

I have but one question, does your mask and satellite images have to be the same size of your map, and if so how do I check the zize of my map, thanks.
Well, what shall I say....yes...thats recommended. When I am about to create a Island now so I start creating the ground at first with Wilbur. The size which I selected there needs to be set later in Visitor as well.

ie: Your Wilbur map has a total size of 512 by 512 so you need to adjust your Visitor map (grid size) with the same values.

OK...Now I have my surface and I need the respective satalite and layer Mask. So I make a copy of my Wilbur Island and recreate it again as a JPG Image with a special size (for example 2048 by 2048. That is the same size which I will select later again in Visitor by adjusting my map to calculate the textures.

The JPG File is needed for Photoshop. I also make a copy of the island in Visitor and save it as JPG file as well. So I use both jpg´s later in Photoshop to paint the sat and mask texture correctly.

Now I have the Island within a size of 2048 by 2048 in Visitor and correctly painted sat and layer mask

Remember: the most errors appers while creating your RVMAT files or defining tghe layer.cfg. Always make sure that the path is correct. If everything is clear so no errormessage will appear....actually.

[icfhoop]

I got it !!!!!!!!!!!

I just would really like to thank all of you for your help and patience with me. I really appreciate all. And if any of you would like to know. the map I am working on is of As Samawah, Iraq. http://forums.bistudio.com/oldsmileys/yay.gif http://forums.bistudio.com/oldsmileys/yay.gif

[MemphisBelle]

Congratulations....!!!

But the most hardest work will come now...take your Island ingame (config) and take lots of Stuff on it....
Hope my help was usefull for you..

[icfhoop]

Yay more to look foward to lol, one more small question, I would like to redo my sat mask, if i were to reimport it, would i need to delete the layers folder out of my data folder and redo this process again or no ?

[MemphisBelle]

Its actually not needed to delete the layers folder out of your data folder. Solong you are not adding some other colors. But if you add some more colors (textures) so you should delete the layers folder.

I can give you the tip to use one image as mask_lco and Sat_lco (if you dont use a google earth sat map). The advantage is that later in the game the Sat colors will only be visible right where the textures are...if you dont do that way so you´ll get a result as given in my example (the reason why I call it a ugly Island).... http://forums.bistudio.com/oldsmileys/whistle.gif

Ahh...I forgot. After repainting your Sat / Mask map you have to import again. You need to do this process each time you make a change on your layer images/adding textures.

[icfhoop]

Ok well I just want to edit my sat map because in some places its white from accidental brushing thats all.

[MemphisBelle]

Ok well I just want to edit my sat map because in some places its white from accidental brushing thats all.
What are the textures you use white for?

[icfhoop]

I fixed it, I dont have the textures it was just my st map had white areas on it, and one more small question, how do i make it to were in visitor i have a background image? Thanks

[MemphisBelle]

I fixed it, I dont have the textures it was just my st map had white areas on it, and one more small question, how do i make it to were in visitor i have a background image? Thanks
Thats actually quite easy. Just select background image out of the Panel of objects window. It asks you for a new image or edit an already existing one. Just save your sat map as bmp file somewhere you want and select it. Follow the dialog and press ok. You can use the preset transparens settings. Thats all. Now you can make the bg image become appear or disappear by clicking the bg button....

[icfhoop]

I have a small question, ok I would like to make my sat mask and mask lco the same size as my island because as of right now they are not. First how do i find the size of my island, and second after changing the size of the sat and mask, will i need to delete the layers folder again and do the import sat and mask all over again.

Thanks, Hoop

[MemphisBelle]

I have a small question, ok I would like to make my sat mask and mask lco the same size as my island because as of right now they are not. First how do i find the size of my island, and second after changing the size of the sat and mask, will i need to delete the layers folder again and do the import sat and mask all over again.

Thanks, Hoop
wow...that question actually should get asked at the beginning...OK.

I tell you my way.

When I start to create a new Island so I built the ground (surface) in Wilbur (make sure to get it saved as 16kb Greyscale image). Then I decide my for a total size. So I make a screenshot of my Island from the Wilbur screen and open it in Paint or PS. Then I adjust the image up to the size I´d like to get as total result (may be 1024*1024, 2048*2048....). This image will be the base for my Sat and layer maps. I open PS now and add several layers up on the Wilbur image with its respective size. Now I have the total size for my Island, Sat map and layer map and start to paint its contents....

[icfhoop]

THanks for the reply, but well can it be done, and would I have to delete my layers folder and do it again ?

[MemphisBelle]

Do you actually know what you wants to do?

Yes, you can delete the layers folder before importing, that is recommended espacially after adding additional textures to the mask map (my expierience). But I already told you this....

-  have a Idea.
-  decide whether you wants to use a real Sat map (google earth) or a selfmade one
-  choose your mapsize
-  select the textures and edit the respective RVMAT files (as I already told you before)
-  put all the contents together in your Data folder RVMAT files and their texture files
-  define your layer cfg
-  get a surface (Google Earth or selfcreated with Wilbur/Terragen...).
-  create your mask map and Sat map
- make sure that everything is alright and import your stuff.

============================================
Now you decide to make several changes..OK..No problem
============================================
One Tip:

save your Mask (and may be your Sat map if selfcreated) as psd file, somewhere close to your Island folder. The advantage is that at this point changings are possible now for every single texture (if you are working with layers) each time you wants to change somethings on your Sat/Mask map.

Thats all what I know now...you also should use the Biki. You´ll find there a lot of information roundabout mapping.

Just follow this link. It´ll lead you directly to the Visitor3 manual


BIS Biki Visitor 3 (http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Visitor_3)

Greetings MemphisBelle

[icfhoop]

Thanks Memphis Belle

[icfhoop]

AGGGHHHH

I re-did the sat and mask, and the terrain.  I fired bulldozer up and it was fine.  Then I imported some objects visitor and saved and closed to take a break.  Now I went back on to work on it, connect to bulldozer, it does not even have the batch file come up to convert the png's to paa'sit just goes straight to the "island" and  all it was was water endlessly.  I deleted the layers folder, imported sat and mask again, same thing.  Any ideas? http://forums.bistudio.com/oldsmileys/sad_o.gif

[MemphisBelle]

Oh man......
you are very very very funny....

Did you actually checked where the square has been located before you run up Buldozer?

The square is the point of view in Buldozer and defaultly it is ALWAYS located in the corner top left....and there is nothingsmore then water endleslly ......so you shouldnt delete all your stuff....just redo importing and always make sure that the square is close to the coast or on some point onto the island before you connect to buldozer.... http://forums.bistudio.com/oldsmileys/rofl.gif

[icfhoop]

Thanks got it fixed lol some random thing lol.