new graphics

[Jison]

Oh, I would never dream of disturbing the man upstairs with petty concerns over a mod.

It is what it is.


Jison

[-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.

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

I haven't looked at it *that* closely- but I think that is probably correct about the hexsides.

I only have time to play around with my own projects when it comes to this sort of thing -and that is down the track a bit. SB has several different terrain types -it can vary a bit by the title - in other words, the graphics' set in Modern War or Falklands is different from the Eastern Front SB titles. The Eastern Front graphics are different again from I think Eagles Strike - but, really I was only talking about the elevations and differentiating those from the hexside graphics- I guess I will have to look at the bmp files- although I guess another point is - if it is in the graphics, and the engine requires coding to read additional lines on what amounts to a master bmp set (for example the bmp file with other hexside information).

Ah well - what I am getting at is more about addressing some of the differences as to how the map art looks to be put together.

[Aaron]

If i remember correct the whole hexside change came along for one because it was hard to see a river going threw a city. and since the change it is 10 times better than before. Easier to distinguish whats going on when you get into a busy part of the map.

Aaron

[-72-]

If i remember correct the whole hexside change came along for one because it was hard to see a river going through a city. and since the change it is 10 times better than before. Easier to distinguish whats going on when you get into a busy part of the map.

Aaron

I don't know - as other graphic modders have done (including some that have been lead scenario designers) -like with roads - you just add another different color to the river hex outline (or road) -done... graphic work isn't really that tough to do technically, but it is a lot tougher to do when one starts considering holistic effect.

Don't get me wrong though, I am not talking about this from the perspective of theory - but rather one of practice.

[Aaron]

If i remember correct the whole hexside change came along for one because it was hard to see a river going through a city. and since the change it is 10 times better than before. Easier to distinguish whats going on when you get into a busy part of the map.

Aaron

I don't know - as other graphic modders have done (including some that have been lead scenario designers) -like with roads - you just add another different color to the river hex outline (or road) -done... graphic work isn't really that tough to do technically, but it is a lot tougher to do when one starts considering holistic effect.

Don't get me wrong though, I am not talking about this from the perspective of theory - but rather one of practice.

I was just referencing what I remember during development and I think I remember an update because of not being able to see hexside graphics and thats when it came along.

Aaron