new graphics

[Lowlander]

Wake me up when the 3D graphics are released.

[Aaron]

Hopefully the games will all be updated to the new standard. The maps look great!

They will be but ive never seen it all done at once, usually its been a couple at a time

[Outlaw Josey Wales]

I wonder if it would be a good idea and how large it would be if they had one main map file with one tile of every different type of terrain in it so when they do something, they would only have to do it once and then copy that file to each title for the update. I don't know if the tiles update from there or you actually have to do each map. Who cares if you have a desert tile in your map file in Moscow41 unless the extra tiles make it too large, if not, then it is fix one file and copy x amount of times to update map file for all titles or put it up on the site for people to download to desktop and copy to each of their own titles. Just thinking out loud............

[Ricky B]

The map file is simply an array, 3 dimensional, of the terrain in the hex, with layers describing the terrain type, height, roads, bridges, river hexsides, etc etc. The terrain type points back to the image to display in the actual tiles. I am not sure what may be different to drive the new look however, but I am sure it is fairly similar in structure. Not that it means a lot, just that the map size itself is fixed and minimized in size, while being totally flexible in regard to terrain changes and graphics.

Rick

[Many Mariuses]

Earlier this week I purchased Kharkov '43 and MG '44 (bringing my collection up to five titles )

After my usual initial difficulties, I got MG set up tonight. It looks incredible. In fact, I'm not sure I'll be looking to modify this map any time soon. I really hope all of the titles are updated to the same standard, and hopefully soon.

To veer off topic for a moment: having read about it, but having never gamed it, MG seems like such an interesting operational situation, though I suppose once you know where reinforcements come on the game loses some of its charm.

I suppose I should start a thread on which versions are worthwhile.

[-72-]

The map file is simply an array, 3 dimensional, of the terrain in the hex, with layers describing the terrain type, height, roads, bridges, river hexsides, etc etc. The terrain type points back to the image to display in the actual tiles. I am not sure what may be different to drive the new look however, but I am sure it is fairly similar in structure. Not that it means a lot, just that the map size itself is fixed and minimized in size, while being totally flexible in regard to terrain changes and graphics.

Rick

It looks to me that what is different are the way the new graphics show where hexside differences (elevations mainly) exist.

Other than that, it just appears to a different set of designs on the bmp - they function in exactly the same way I think (although the only thing I have with the new look is the PzB), although I have a good idea that I will be working with the new look down the track - so we'll see how close I got to the mark.

[Jison]

The map file is simply an array, 3 dimensional, of the terrain in the hex, with layers describing the terrain type, height, roads, bridges, river hexsides, etc etc. The terrain type points back to the image to display in the actual tiles. I am not sure what may be different to drive the new look however, but I am sure it is fairly similar in structure. Not that it means a lot, just that the map size itself is fixed and minimized in size, while being totally flexible in regard to terrain changes and graphics.

Rick

It looks to me that what is different are the way the new graphics show where hexside differences (elevations mainly) exist.

Other than that, it just appears to a different set of designs on the bmp - they function in exactly the same way I think (although the only thing I have with the new look is the PzB), although I have a good idea that I will be working with the new look down the track - so we'll see how close I got to the mark.

I do like the new slopes, but what really worries me as a modder, is that they appear to have changed the order of the layers on which the terrain objects are placed. And if PzB is an indication of the upcoming PzC update, we will end up with an awful lot of trees cut in half, buildings and other objects disappearing halfway below slopes etc... visual anomalies you as a modder cannot do anything about. Another worrie is that the images from which the hexside objects are taken are reduced in size, making it impossible to place rivers completely on the border between two hexes as before because of lesser space, instead you will need to compress more of the river inside the actual hex.

But hey, now I'm running ahead of things - lets wait and see...


Jison

[Strela]

The map file is simply an array, 3 dimensional, of the terrain in the hex, with layers describing the terrain type, height, roads, bridges, river hexsides, etc etc. The terrain type points back to the image to display in the actual tiles. I am not sure what may be different to drive the new look however, but I am sure it is fairly similar in structure. Not that it means a lot, just that the map size itself is fixed and minimized in size, while being totally flexible in regard to terrain changes and graphics.

Rick

It looks to me that what is different are the way the new graphics show where hexside differences (elevations mainly) exist.

Other than that, it just appears to a different set of designs on the bmp - they function in exactly the same way I think (although the only thing I have with the new look is the PzB), although I have a good idea that I will be working with the new look down the track - so we'll see how close I got to the mark.

I do like the new slopes, but what really worries me as a modder, is that they appear to have changed the order of the layers on which the terrain objects are placed. And if PzB is an indication of the upcoming PzC update, we will end up with an awful lot of trees cut in half, buildings and other objects disappearing halfway below slopes etc... visual anomalies you as a modder cannot do anything about. Another worrie is that the images from which the hexside objects are taken are reduced in size, making it impossible to place rivers completely on the border between two hexes as before because of lesser space, instead you will need to compress more of the river inside the actual hex.

But hey, now I'm running ahead of things - lets wait and see...


Jison

Panzer Battles uses the Squad Battles 'larger' hexes. Panzer Campaigns is unchanged with the 'double size' zoom.

The only thing I believe John did with both games was to program the elevations which is actually a hexside. I'm not certain it was left in the hexside bmp though.

I don't believe there was any change in the layers but I could be wrong.

David

[Jison]

Panzer Battles uses the Squad Battles 'larger' hexes. Panzer Campaigns is unchanged with the 'double size' zoom.

The only thing I believe John did with both games was to program the elevations which is actually a hexside. I'm not certain it was left in the hexside bmp though.

I don't believe there was any change in the layers but I could be wrong.

David

David, my worries comes from the fact that screenshots over at JTS clearly shows how changes have been made in the layers after this new PzC update are applied.
I am sure these changes work well for the original game, but they will create huge problems for MapMod, because it was made with the old layer logic in mind; where low objects always are placed on the map before high objects. A sudden change in this order will create weird side effects in MapMod that I wont be able to fix.

So just to be clear: I'm not critizising PzB or the new artwork. My worries are purely selfish - I am worried about the future of my own pet-project MapMod. Thats all.

Jison

[Strela]

Panzer Battles uses the Squad Battles 'larger' hexes. Panzer Campaigns is unchanged with the 'double size' zoom.

The only thing I believe John did with both games was to program the elevations which is actually a hexside. I'm not certain it was left in the hexside bmp though.

I don't believe there was any change in the layers but I could be wrong.

David

David, my worries comes from the fact that screenshots over at JTS clearly shows how changes have been made in the layers after this new PzC update are applied.
I am sure these changes work well for the original game, but they will create huge problems for MapMod, because it was made with the old layer logic in mind; where low objects always are placed on the map before high objects. A sudden change in this order will create weird side effects in MapMod that I wont be able to fix.

So just to be clear: I'm not critizising PzB or the new artwork. My worries are purely selfish - I am worried about the future of my own pet-project MapMod. Thats all.

Jison

Jison,

I was definitely not precious

Just wanted to make certain that you realized that there was a difference between the systems. I can't understand why John would make radical change such as reordering the layers. He set Panzer Battles up so that slopes didn't have precedence and rivers et al overwrote them.

Get Ed to ask John, or I can do it for you if necessary, we need your mods!

David