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[sniperton]

As a DCG user one might have two major problems. One is that you have to create maps with road networks and units, which is a lot of work in the FMB. Second, to make such a 'labour of love' usable in DCG, you have to edit half a dozen text files (*.rds, *.rls, *.srd, airfields, allcampaigns, bridges, endcampaign, grandcampaign, maps). This latter involves a lot of copy-pasting and manual editing, without any check provided for data integrity . What I would like to do first is to enable this in one single database, and through one single interface, where you can (re)name (existing) locations, assign them to sides, set supply bases etc, set scenario date limits and victory conditions, and, finally, set the campaign flow. Using DCG's own data files, it will take me one month to get to the point where I'm able to import, display, modify, and correctly export DCG map/campaign data.

Once this is achieved, I will certainly look at maps not covered by DCG's vanilla database. Here comes in what you brought up. I know nothing of map editing, and I will be very happy to learn about it. And it's simply great that you 'have at the back of your mind that you want to have support for DCG and DGEN'. Please never forget that a clear and unobstructed network of roads is the pre-requisite for 'having a custom actors static with just the main road/rail you want to extract for DCG/DGEN and processing the coordinates of the objects constituting the road/railway'. 

[Zoran395]

Fair enough for legacy maps, there is a great deal of work.

By obstructions you mean solid objects that prevent vehicles to go across, like a house placed on top of road, right?

I have not dived in DCG but it does not look different from what map building is, text files you can edit and XY coordinates similar to those you have in any FMB mission file. Certainly something that can be processed either using database queries or a bash script under Linux (my preference ...).
All objects placed on a map having coordinates, it would be fun to have clash detection to get all these entries that are in the way deleted ... (add Dr.Evil laugh !).

Back to virtual reality, this road going down to Porog, Lyubytinsky District you see below is done manually (bends, straight bits and so on):

Seems smart to use the coordinates of the objects constituting the road instead of manually placing a vehicle to pick the data you are after. The classic IL-2 zig-zag roads also have their entries stored (although I am less familiar with them, not to my taste!).

As for what you need to learn for map making data handling, actors.static manipulation is probably all you are after.
In  this tread Uzin posted a link to a tutorial https://www.mediafire.com/download/jk32ohj01yp0e6h/Actors_Tutorial.rar

I am looking at the moment at using Geo-positioning for generating the names of cities (instead of doing them by hand), what a great deal of fun this hackable game is!

[sniperton]

Thanks for the hints!

And yes, by obstructions I mean solid objects that prevent vehicles to go across. A clash detection would not be too hard to make, provided we have to deal with classic zig-zag roads with straight segments. It would be fairly easy to create a 'clearance zone' for each segment by computing neighbouring coordinates.

What I don't understand regarding bending roads is how do you force vehicles to stick to the road and not to 'cut' bendings? Classic mis files (and those generated by DCG) store waypoint coordinates where vehicles travel in a straight line between such coordinates, right? I understand that you can create curved road objects, but I don't understand whether and how it is possible to make vehicles follow a curved movement pattern. What am I missing?

[Zoran395]

Correct, straight lines only and vehicles will not snap to curves like they snap to zig-zags. You cannot either stretch your zig-zagging like on a regular map ... but you can place waypoints close enough so that the succession of (small) straight lines appears like a curve.

Trains cannot be placed directly like this but you can use any vehicle to start with to get your "curves" and then replace the jeep in the .mis by a train object.
The principle is explained at http://www.mission4today.com/index.php?name=Knowledge_Base&op=show&kid=547

[JG7_X_Man]

Wow! This would be so cool!

[sniperton]

but you can place waypoints close enough so that the succession of (small) straight lines appears like a curve.

Just a workaround, not a real solution, and would exponentially increase the number of waypoints (if you include those waypoints in the .static file). And practically impossible to do in the FMB (except for a few and short road sections).

The real solution would be to re-code the game engine to support bezier-curves, so that any ground movement, straight or curved, could be parametrized the same way as now the straight movement is. But this won't happen, I'm afraid, we can't dig that deep into the code.

Anyway, is there any map with bent roads published? I'd like to test one in the FMB and see what happens when I put some vehicle onto it.

[Zoran395]

I am pretty sure Rabaul has got some : https://www.sas1946.com/main/?topic=39938.0
Otherwise I could send across mine but it would be a bit more leg work for you to get it running.

On the number of entries you have to put in for a DCG campaign to run (roads/rail-wise) how big can the file be? This is where I need to have deeper look into it.
I though that if you wanted to DCG depict Germans passing through Narva on their way to set up the Leningrad blockade, you got to have the coordinates of all the main roads from Estonia towards Leningrad? Correct me if I am wrong but it means the red ones on this map:


I think a also we may want a start a separate topic, what do you think?
Seems more like map-dev v DCG-dev question than data integrity related. Up to you!
Thank you for your time and consideration, I have done about 15% of the roads for my map so any DCG input is greatly appreciated.

[sniperton]

Going to be a great map, Zoran!

I'll check out the Rabaul map and report back, but I'm still sceptical about curved roads. Anyway, they pose a totally new problem, and first I have to find a feasible solution for the 250+ old maps (legacy ones and modded alike).

DCG doesn't use internal map data such as you work with. Check out this guide how it works: https://www.sas1946.com/main/index.php/topic,20873.0.html You'll see there the lot of manual work I want to automate.

DCG doesn't use the whole road/rail network, but it can use any part of it. It means that quite different scenarios can be created on the very same map, depending on the campaign designer's choice and fancy. That is, a bit of time must be spent in the FMB in any case, but if I can make the following process a lot more easier, then there will be no need for internal map data at all (except for a 2D bitmap to visualize campaign data on it).

And yes, please, start a separate topic! 

[Zoran395]

Thanks, I am familiar with Lonestar guide but not with creating my own DCG campaigns.
I should clone myself and start building a DCG campaign ...!

The 15% I have done on the map is on the very right hand side and I am getting close to be able to do a DCG push towards Tikhvin - end of 1941 / reconquest by Soviet troops.
All bendy roads, quite straight railways and 15 airfields all custom made in their historically correct (or believed to be correct) locations.
Actually I really want to have a crack, I think I'll sack the clone ...!
The idea is that I can pick what I need to fix - DCG-wise - before going too far ahead.

I will start a separate topic when I get map maker membership (the request is pending).
Back to map building now or new airfield testing actually ...

[JG7_X_Man]

Hey sniperton - The Ju 388 is giving me a world of a headache. DIT will not install it in my class.dcg Can you please take a look when you get a sec.

[sniperton]

Yep, you're right, the problem is that Junkers Ju388 'St\u00F6rtebeker', 1944 has a length of 38 characters, while DCG only allows 36 -- for this reason DIT suppresses it on export.

DIT is smart, but not smart enough to change \u00F6 to ö or to tell you you've been censored

Anyway, edit your weapons file manually and change this

Code: [Select]

################################################################################
# JU_388K ## JU_388K ### "Junkers Ju388 'St\u00F6rtebeker', 1944" #### 194301--194506
################################################################################
to this

Code: [Select]

################################################################################
# JU_388K ## JU_388K ### "Junkers Ju388 'Störtebeker', 1944" #### 194301--194506
################################################################################


[JG7_X_Man]

Outstanding! Thanks.

How about the Csd Liberator GRV?