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[WxTech]

UPDATE, MAR 26, 2022: The original block has been made to look like a managed plantation, and an additional 'Jungle' block has been added, having a 'scruffier', wild look about it, with much undergrowth.

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NOTE: Later versions of B.A.T. (possibly from 4.1?) already include the 'Plantation' object; consult the B.A.T. readme file, or search your static.ini file.


The two palm block types. The original is on the right, now called a 'Jungle' block due to the amount of extraneous vegetation that blocks visibility into and through the object. I did somewhat reduce the amount of undergrowth blockage by adding/enlarging the existing gaps somewhat in the alpha channel.

The new block is on the left, although it has the original 'Plantation' name, and the tree trunks have been made anew so as to better match the other pacific coconut palm trees (if my bushy palm mod is in effect, anyway). This has the tidier appearance of a planted pattern of maintained trees.





Get it here (same link as before):

https://www.mediafire.com/file/h54xeg40ydm6ogz/Pac_Palm_Plantation_Block_40m.7z/file


From the included, updated readme.txt:

40m x 40m Pacific Palm Block Object, Plantation and Jungle Variants, by WxTech


Note that later versions of B.A.T. include the original "Plantation" object, and it will appear in static.ini as the first of the two entries supplied below. You can do a search in static.ini to verify if the "Plantation" object is already present, and if so add just the second "Jungle" entry after it.

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Mar 25, 2022:
- Made new side textures to tidy up the 'jungle' aspect and show just the palm trunks, for a 'cleaner' plantation appearance.
- Added an additional "Jungle" object, using the original side textures, for a wilder, more natural jungle look. The alpha channel in these textures has been altered to reduced the amount of 'clutter', providing a bit better visibility through gaps between the trees.

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To cover any sizeable area with a decent density of existing palm trees in order to simulate a palm plantation would involve a notable or even awful frame rate hit due to the huge numbers of polygons to draw.

This object covers a 40m square patch that represents fully 36 trees with a mere 52 polygons! If, say, a 400m x 120m plantation is to be built, 30 of these blocks represent just over 1,000 trees, drawn with only 1,560 polygons. Compare to the stock palm trees, where 1 tree comprises about 100 polys (or 100,000 polys for 1,000 trees.) This is a polygon useage of 1/69th; you get 69 times more trees for given resource useage.

I added more transparency cut-outs among the tree trunks, which gives an effective 3-D effect due to seeing inside to other texture layers.

The collision box sides correspond to the 'solid wall' edges, which are 3-4 meters inside the outermost extensions of the perpendicular edges. The top of the collision box is 10m above ground, or about at the height of the tree trunks. That is, you can safely swish through the uppermost fronds--but don't push your luck too far! 

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To use this object, plunk down one, adjust the orientation as desired, then add a bunch more, all of which will have the same orientation as the first. Fine tune the placement so that no unwanted gaps are seen where a contiguous appearance is desired. Occasional gaps here and there add variety, perhaps representing spaces for easier travel with a vehicle or some such.

To break up the inevitable appearance of a long, uniform 'wall' add some 'proper' palm trees, either singletons or groups, just offset from the blocks themselves. A relatively small number of these very nicely does the trick.

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If you don't already have it (it is included in more recent B.A.T. versions), might I suggest you obtain my bushy palm tree mod, available here:

https://www.sas1946.com/main/index.php/topic,63897.0.html

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Add to static.ini (the first might already be present in your game):

[buildings.House$Pac_Palm_Plantation_Block_40m]
Title           Pac_Palm_Plantation_Block_40m
MeshLive        3do/ForestSides/Pac_Palm_Plantation_Block_40m/mono.sim
MeshDead
AddHeightLive   0       
AlignToLand     0
Body            RockMiddle
Panzer          9.96  //0.12

[buildings.House$Pac_Palm_Jungle_Block_40m]
Title           Pac_Palm_Jungle_Block_40m
MeshLive        3do/ForestSides/Pac_Palm_Plantation_Block_40m/mono_jungle.sim
MeshDead
AddHeightLive   0       
AlignToLand     0
Body            RockMiddle
Panzer          9.96  //0.12




This work is offered for use by any and all, for any purpose, without restriction.

WxTech
Nov 13, 2020
Mar 25, 2022

[Mick]

Many THX for sharing and congrats to all involved ... 

[Epervier]

Thank you very much ! 

[lowfighter]

It's a nice object, thank you very much! 
I feel it can be used also in less conventional ways... like perhaps adding here and there some variation to the terrible il2 forest?

[WxTech]

I forget right now who first introduced a number of such "ForestSide" single-plane objects a couple or few years ago, but there exists already a variety of summer, autumn and winter temperate forest textures that can be adapted to this same forest block idea. Perhaps such temperate forest blocks could be made not square like this organized plantation palmscheme, but roughly circular or a bit irregular, for a more naturally wild effect.

[lowfighter]

This variations sound good!

[stanislao]

         Yes ! I am thrilled with this mod! For someone like me who loves building dioramas, even digital ones, the possibility of filling the spaces surrounding the runways with dense trees is an excellent quality leap! The visual impact is nothing short of sublime, thank you very much for this your work. I agree with you about the visual anomaly of a squared block of vegetation ... if you can create irregular shapes we would have done bingo! Two of different shapes would be enough to have a natural effect. However things go a big thank you!   

[Fresco23]

This is a fantastic idea! Awesome!

[genXgamer]

G'day WxTech

Do you think it's possible to get good looking palm plantation blocks using images of in-game palm trees?

This will give a more open less jungle like appearance.

Here's a very quick thrown together example.

[WxTech]

You've clearly answered your own question! 

I suppose a bit of a 'thinning' of the canopy of fronds would be worth looking at as well.

I should look into cooking up a less dense version, which certainly makes sense in the context of managed plantations...

[WxTech]

Here's a quick stab at retaining the same texture, but thinning out the 'undergrowth.' Screenshot from the 3D Viewer utility.

[WxTech]

Here's a small crop of these in situ, with some individual palms planted near the edge. I'll probably alter the trunks so as to look more like the separate tree trunks.