Maps2Bgl - Offline alternative to the program TileProxy

[rightseater 0]

One more thing.......If you want to make your scenery look really true-to-life you will need to edit the images. Here is a quick guide on how to do this:1)Perform all steps as you normally would up to and including the point where you push the "Create TGA + Batch" button.2) At this point there will be one or more files in the "temp" folder with a TGA extenstion. These are the large assembled images that will be used for your final scenery. To edit them, open an image with the included image tool found in the same folder. Save the image as a bitmap (.bmp) extension.3) Now you can edit the image with any program you wish. IrfanView is great for broad editing, such as adjusting the color ratios. MS Paint or Paint Shop can also be used for fine details.4) After the images are to your liking you must save them as a TGA again or the scenery will not be compiled. To do this, simply open the bitmap with the included image tool again. This time you will need to reformat the image to 32-bit, which is under the "format" menu. Now save the image as a TGA file. Note: Make sure that the final edited TGA file has the same name as the original. 5) Run the MS-DOS Batch file as normal.Gunnar, please correct me if I have made any errors here, but I think I said everything right.Hope this helps. -Jeremy

[windycloud 30]

When I click download tiles I get Run time error 62 - input past end of fileJason

[rightseater 0]

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/142246Check this link above. If no resolution can be found here, perhaps Gunnar can help.

[Guest gunnarmd]

>When I click download tiles I get Run time error 62 - input>past end of file>>JasonHallo Jason,you must have gotten a 0-Byte file with the download. I examine from the loaded always tile the first two bytes. Thus I can recognize useless files. I missed to process 0-Byte files. I will change that in the next version.This error must arise, it to me very rarely was not so far ever announced.

[windycloud 30]

>I will change that in the next version.>Thank you!Jason

[Guest gunnarmd]

Hallo Jeremy,I am infinitely grateful that you supports me. The users of the program will surely also thank it you. The treatment of the TGA' s goes also more simply. One can open these directly in Photoshop or PSP. In these programs one can insert additionally masks. One can store these in the picture as alpha channel. Thus one can bring the reflecting water of the FS to the announcement. It is to be described to me hardly possible the function more in detail, since my Englich is very unsatisfactory. It is important to store the picture under the same name uncompressed !!!

[rightseater 0]

It's the least I can do for you having provided such an outstanding freeware program.For those of you who do not understand, you can open the TGA files with Paintshop Pro or Photoshop. This can save you the hassle of having to convert the files and revert back more than once. The masks that Gunnar speaks of can be used to help transition the photo-real scenery to the default scenery, especially around coastlines. Alpha channels can also be altered to allow for reflections in the same way you would use alpha channels for aircraft textures. I am working on an all-inclusive manual that should clearify everything you need to know from start to finish. I have already uploaded a beginner's guide to the AVSIM library to help you get on your way. My final guide will include everything from installing the program to editing the images. When all is said and done you will easily be able to create photo-real scenery as nice as the images Gunnar provided in the beginning of this forum. 1,000 pardons for the delay in getting this manual done, but I wanted to make sure it was as close to perfect as I could get before uploading it. I am also including images and walk-throughs.-Jeremy

[Guest gunnarmd]

>Alpha channels can also be>altered to allow for reflections in the same way you would use>alpha channels for aircraft textures. >-JeremyUnfortunately are with the fS9 version no soft dazzle possible. Functions only with fsx the version.

[rightseater 0]

Yes, I should have noted, and will note in my manual, that there are some differences between FS9 and FSX.The way this program is catching on it is going to need its own forum here at AVSIM.

[Guest gunnarmd]

Hallo Jeremy,on my homepage there are still descriptions for the FSX versions 2.4 and 2.5a . They are unfortunately in German language written:http://www.g-daehling.de/fs2004/modules.ph...&op=view&lid=15http://www.g-daehling.de/fs2004/modules.ph...&op=view&lid=16

[psolk 3,040]

Between Gunnard's program and Jeremy's selfless volunteering to help support it you guys really do have a great thing going for the rest of us ;)Thanks to both of you!!!-PaulPrimary RigLiquid CooledIntel C2D E8500 468X9.5 @ 4.45Asus Maximus Extreme2 gigs OCZ Reaper DDR3 @1400Dual OC'd XFX 8800GTX @ 2 gigs24 inch Widescreen LCD 16XAA/16XAFDual 19 inch LCD'sRaid-0+1PCPower and Cooling 1k Quad SLIhttp://home.comcast.net/~psolk/3monitorsa.htmlBackup RigAMD 4000 San Diego @ 2.72 Gigs Kingston Corsair XMS CL2XFX 7900 GTX Raid-0

[Mike T 208]

Hey Paul:Google kicked me off after about 3000 tiles LOL. I've gotten about 42,000 tiles from VE. I am downloading in seperate downloads with multiple polygons starting with the Chicago area and then the other areas.Regards,Mike T>

[desertwind 0]

Jeremy wrote:I am working on an all-inclusive manual that should clearify everything you need to know from start to finish.That sounds great, Jeremy! I'm looking forward to learning how to create a water mask using the .tga image's alpha channel. I've experimented with this, but seem to keep excluding ALL of the tile textures, both water AND land. It's all so mysterious to me.Thanks for taking the time to create that guide and thanks, of course, to Gunnar for authoring a simple to use program that makes it easy for neophytes like me to create spiffy scenery. I'm enjoying my FS9 experience all over again!Tawni

[rightseater 0]

Tawni,Are you attempting this for FSX or FS9? It is possible to create great masking in FSX, but not in the same way with FS9.

[desertwind 0]

Hi,I'm using FS9. I'm using GIMP (open source graphics editor). First, I open the .tga file I want to mask, use a combination of bucket fill and paintbrush to black out the water with absolute black, create a masking layer, initialize it to the image's alpha channel, mask the water area by painting it with absolute black, verify by clicking 'show mask', the water area is black and the rest white, click 'apply the layer' and save.And, of course, it doesn't work. :(Tawni