Where are all the SM3 maps?

Where are all the SM3 maps?

Discuss maps & map creation - from concept to execution to the ever elusive release.

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submarine
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Where are all the SM3 maps?

Post by submarine »

Are there any playable sm3 maps? i dont know much about the different map formats, i just remeber some annoucements and and screenshots a few months ago.

i found an archive containing a metal map and a beach map, but the lobby client complains about a bed file checksum (downlaoding again didnt help)
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smoth
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Post by smoth »

they are not really ready imo. the normal maps function more as specular maps, they run slowly etc.
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Quanto042
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Post by Quanto042 »

I've been working on a few for the last few months. The methods are really very clunky and the format isn't exactly as awesome as it was originally hailed to be. It does look pretty when u get it to work right.

For me the problem is in creating blendmaps that look exactly the way that i want them to. At the moment though, that just isn't happening.

The other problem i have with the shader tech is that it tends to make the maps look like they are made of plastic. At one point i removed a bumpmap for the grass and instead of simply not being shaded like i hoped, it instead made the grass even glossier than it needed to be. Kinda dumb in my opinion.
bamb
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Post by bamb »

couldn't you try the blendmaps things quickly in photoshop / gimp with two (or more) layers?
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AF
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Post by AF »

There's very little in the means of documentation outside the core tags needed to make a very basic SM3 map.

And all the ease and usabiltiy is undone once you try to use features. Features should be done OTA style rather than SM2 style with a compiled file.
mufdvr222
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Post by mufdvr222 »

L3dt can output a set of blend maps.
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Quanto042
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Post by Quanto042 »

mufdvr222 wrote:L3dt can output a set of blend maps.
It can, but not with the level of detail i'm looking for unfortunately.
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smoth
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Post by smoth »

For example:
Image

(quick and dirty)Sm3 with only 3 layers:
Image

Runs at 20 fps on the high side of things.

Oh and how do I get water?
mufdvr222
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Post by mufdvr222 »

Use the "HeightOffset" tag, example below.


[TERRAIN]
{
HeightScale=450.0;
HeightOffset=-70.0;
Heightmap=Maps/seatextures/height.png;



With regard to blendmaps, its worth buying a license for l3dt pro, which allows you to specify whatever resolution you want.
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Quanto042
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Post by Quanto042 »

Muf, what are you doing to get your attributes map. Are you using L3DT 2.3 or 2.4


Right now i'm still using 2.3 and it won't let me export my atributes map as anything other than a screenshot. Will 2.4 allow me to export my attributes map as a full resolution image???
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smoth
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Post by smoth »

Depending on angle, reflections go on or off:
http://cs.selu.edu/~ssmith/spring/wipma ... een215.jpg
http://cs.selu.edu/~ssmith/spring/wipma ... een216.jpg

Then I pan down and it starts clipping:
http://cs.selu.edu/~ssmith/spring/wipma ... een217.jpg

with shadows this map runs ~7-12 fps without it shadows runs 13-20 fps. *sighs* I will have to wait longer.
mufdvr222
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Post by mufdvr222 »

Quanto042 wrote:Muf, what are you doing to get your attributes map. Are you using L3DT 2.3 or 2.4


Right now i'm still using 2.3 and it won't let me export my atributes map as anything other than a screenshot. Will 2.4 allow me to export my attributes map as a full resolution image???
I purchased a license for 2.4pro just last week,, it lets you specify whatever resolution you want.
Image

In 2.4 (demo version or earlier pro versions) you cannot specify the resolution of the blendmaps, they will be exported at the same resolution as the design map.
Last edited by mufdvr222 on 02 Feb 2007, 12:36, edited 2 times in total.
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AF
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Post by AF »

Terrain isnt joined up properly. If you build something that needs the terrain to be flattened then look at the terain from the side itll have a long hole where the terrains been torn apart.
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hunterw
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Post by hunterw »

what kind of FPS do SM3 maps produce if there's only two layers? or hell, one?
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Argh
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Post by Argh »

I get better FPS on SM3 maps than on SMD. I have a better video card than most people, though...
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LordMatt
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Post by LordMatt »

Argh have you noticed a drop in FPS with this latest version? All of a sudden my game has slowed to 10-15 fps on water maps with a lot of units, when it used to stay in the 30s.
mufdvr222
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Post by mufdvr222 »

hunterw wrote:what kind of FPS do SM3 maps produce if there's only two layers? or hell, one?
Two layers would probably be the minimum for a single texture map with visible metal patches as they would require the extra texture layer.
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SwiftSpear
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Post by SwiftSpear »

What was that mapping software that that guy was working on? It allowed you to do some interesting things in terms of blend map creation...
mufdvr222
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Post by mufdvr222 »

SwiftSpear wrote:What was that mapping software that that guy was working on? It allowed you to do some interesting things in terms of blend map creation...
http://spring.clan-sy.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=8094
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smoth
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Post by smoth »

Bump because this is relevant to my interests.
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