Huge problem compiling my map, help needed

FizWizz · Post by **FizWizz** » 16 Dec 2005, 19:35

For some reason I can't compile v1 of my map Fizzy Lakes. I've bundled together the different maps (bar texture) along with a text file of my .bat parameters, as well as a jpeg of a screencap of mapconv at the point where it completely flips out on me during compiling. What has changed in this version is that I created a Featuremap and a typemap for it. Unfortunately I cannot upload my files to FU, so I've put them on my Gmail account instead. If anyone would like to take a look at the files and tell me what I've done wrong, please go ahead, because I've looked over what has to be done for featuremaps and typemaps, and I'll be damned if I can find something wrong with what I've done. Any help would be appreciated, just post here, PM me, or e-mail me @ FizWizz@gmail.com and I'll forward the file to you.

Weaver · Post by **Weaver** » 17 Dec 2005, 00:32

Trees too close to the edge in the feature map?
I am suspicious about some of the values used for trees, try different ones.

TA 3D · Post by **TA 3D** » 17 Dec 2005, 02:04

Heres the correct specs, I hope it helps:
**All maps in bump format** These are the correct specs for the feature map.

->Feature Map: 1/8 the dimensions of the surface texture(Not plus 1): EX: for 1024x1024 thats a 128x128.
GEO is 255 green, and trees are under the green channel.
Blue is grass.
**The red channel is for your custom features.** Red is features starting with 255 and going down. Those features are takin from the fs.txt file. 255 for feature 1(feature 1 in fs.txt) 254 for feature 2(feature 2 in fs.txt), ect..

When using a feature map remove all geo's from the metal map and place them on the feature map under the green channel. then using the -f feature.bmp tag.

FizWizz · Post by **FizWizz** » 17 Dec 2005, 03:46

no, it doesn't help, because my featuremap is 896x896, grass over most of it, it doesn't even use trees, it uses ~15 geovents, none on the edge of the map, no custom features.

Maelstrom · Post by **Maelstrom** » 17 Dec 2005, 05:35

The compiler sometimes flips out and goes crazy with geo vents. Try removing them all and recompiling. If that works, then you know its the geo vents. Just add them back in one or two at a time till it all works. If its not the geo vents, upload just the feature map somewhere so we can have a look at it.

mother · Post by **mother** » 17 Dec 2005, 06:32

Maelstrom wrote:The compiler sometimes flips out and goes crazy with geo vents. Try removing them all and recompiling. If that works, then you know its the geo vents. Just add them back in one or two at a time till it all works. If its not the geo vents, upload just the feature map somewhere so we can have a look at it.

Placing geovents in a 'bad' place can have bad results :)

If the location you specified is bad mapconv will randomly try upto 1000 different locations 'near' where you placed a vent. I've actually never seen it misbehave placing geos unless the source bmp's were in bad shape somehow. That doesn't mean it hasn't or can't happen tho.

When it 'flips out,' what is it saying? (The spewing of information can get real ugly, but the alternative is not giving any output and not knowing what is borking it).

Maelstrom · Post by **Maelstrom** » 17 Dec 2005, 06:42

It just says something like 'Placing Feature ' and then some numbers in brackets, but says this a few hundred times. It compiles the map fine afterwards, but when I start the map, it has about 10 extra Geovents around where I placed the original one. This could have been caused cause I was using the wrong sized feture map, but it does happen.

mother · Post by **mother** » 17 Dec 2005, 06:55

OK, well I have a feeling that its doing what it is supposed to in that situation. Could be a combination of factors (resizing creating a bunch of 255 green pixels in a clump, and obviously 3/4 or 8/9 of them won't be placable in the 'requested' location[and hence get scattered due to the randomizing]

How about you Fiz?

genblood · Post by **genblood** » 17 Dec 2005, 09:06

FizWizz,

I got your file and I got it to run. You need to change
your feature.bmp and the type.bmp the the same size as
your height and metal bmp. These maps should be 1/8
the size of your texture plus 1 pixel. So, your texture size
is 7168x7168. Your metal, height, feature and type need
to be 897x897. Also, a good rule of thumb is add a fs.txt
file too. Even if you don't add any custom features.
The files I added to compile this map was mothers mapconv
date 8-31-2005, a geovent.bmp, nvdxt.exe and a fs.txt.
After I made those small fixes I was able to compile the map.

So, here are some screenies .... of your map .... I added a skybox
to make it look pretty ...

Also, you will need to add some trees and redo the Geos. Thats
small stuff. It looks like it going to be a nice map when you
complete it.

You might try a setting " -i -x 480 -n -90 " or something less its
up to you.

renrutal · Post by **renrutal** » 17 Dec 2005, 09:34

That's the weirdest terrain I ever seen.

GrOuNd_ZeRo · Post by **GrOuNd_ZeRo** » 17 Dec 2005, 09:57

The hills have letters plastered all over it...

terrain is very bumpy...interesting non-the-less!

FolCan · Post by **FolCan** » 17 Dec 2005, 10:22

Nice!!!

FizWizz · Post by **FizWizz** » 17 Dec 2005, 10:24

yeah, the terrain in those pictures is hella bumpy. that's because Genblood probably blew it up from 896x896 to 7168x7168 [edit]okay, it was late when I postd, so I wasn't really thinking. inflating the texturemap shouldn't do a thing to the heightmap.[/edit]. If you want to know how it should look, just download FizzyLakes_b2 and imagine it without trees in the damned way. And the letters on the mountain say this, by the way:

!!!Important!!!
Original Texturemap is
7168x7168 pixels!

That's because I sent Genblood a reduced-size texturemap.
thanks for the information, hopefully I'll have a featuremapped (=O) and typemapped (=O) version of Fizzy Lakes out, yay! I'll also add trees, of course.

genblood · Post by **genblood** » 17 Dec 2005, 13:47

FizWizz,

The issue with the bumpy ground can be reduced by adding
in the -L option when you compile the map. THe low pass filter
will smooth some of the bumps out of the height map. He is
another screenie with the - l option added.

I'm looking forward to seeing this map geting release ..... I hope
this info helps you out

SwiftSpear · Post by **SwiftSpear** » 17 Dec 2005, 14:22

The thing I really don't like about that is that terrain deformation will give away every single enemy structure.

zwzsg · Post by **zwzsg** » 17 Dec 2005, 17:27

So bumpy!

Also, a good rule of thumb is add a fs.txt
file too.

Make sure it is totally empty, or maybe don't even include it. Otherwise, the map will request all the feature it fs.txt, even if they are not placed, even if their name is: <-yes, nothing in here. For instance, when you play SWS on maps that were compiled with the default fs.txt, Spring complains it can't find the jethro and cloacked fusion wreckage.

TA 3D · Post by **TA 3D** » 19 Dec 2005, 23:56

Genblood, FizWizz, don't make the feature map a plus 1/8 1 pixle map, it's only a 1/8. If you do plus 1 pixel, it will make geo clusters. I found that out in my test map and another map I made. It's caused by mapconv compressing the feature bump by 1 pixle so it will 50% of the time make geo clusters. Make sure theres a fs.txt file in the mapconv folder even if your not using custom features.

genblood · Post by **genblood** » 20 Dec 2005, 00:12

TA 3D,

Thanks for that info about the feature map ....

Spring RTS Engine

Huge problem compiling my map, help needed

Huge problem compiling my map, help needed