VTP tutorial

[Guest]

Hi,Is there any VTP tutorial for download, like the LMW tutorial by "Rhumbaflappy"i really want to learn how to create vtp2 custom landclass with transperant textures and autogen, so i can move on with my project.I only need to create 4 textures/titles.bestChris

[rhumbaflappy 113]

No.I've held off writing one as we still find out new methods and problems.One of my peeves is that the VTP Method1 documentation from MS is incorrect, regarding the number of allowable points and polys. This isn't so big a deal in FS2002, but has a big impact in CFS2. I don't think there are any VTPm1 "fans" in any default FS scenery, and VTPm1 "strips" exist in CFS2, as roads, beaches, streams. VTPm1s also do not display night textures, or autogen. And all VTP poly texturing is vertically flipped ( a bug in the terrain engine ).Also, LWMs and VTPs cannot exist in the same BGL. I'm also finding that VTPm1s and VTPm2s need to be in separate BGLs, as well as lines and polys! That explains why each type of VTPm2s are in separate BGLs in the default scenery! Even VTPm2 line types are kept separate... probably a good programming practice.OF course, the big restriction of LWMs is that once an area is flattened, it forever looses it's mesh. Remeshing can be done with invisible, tiny, LWM flatten points, but that is very tedious... that alone needs a program to assist in reclaiming coastal areas.VTP Method2 has been pretty well discussed here at AVSIM... so I guess that is the tutorial. :)Christian Fumey's DefArea program will exclude any VTP layer poly or line from an LOD13 Area.SCM2VTP, by Dr. Falko Dienstbach, will turn FS2000 style SCASM road code into FS2002 roads, beaches, streams, and any other type of line you like ( with a little tweaking for odd applications ).Chris Wright is still polishing AutoASM, for water/land masks. Again, a little tweaking of that code could produce invisible flattens, and VTPm1 polys.Ken "WeBad" Nelson has made LWM Draw2, to help with creating land/water masks.And there is some work being done to use some higher-end GIS programs to design roads, water, etc.. from georeferenced data.----------------I should get busy and post a tutorial for VTPs, so everybody has examples of working code. But, ultimately, we need tools more than examples. BGLC code is very tedious for large areas... more so than working with SCASM. And not many scenery designers are happy designing with hand-coded SCASM... so we have tools like Airport, FSSC, etc.. And that's what we really need for VTPs and LWMs. We have no program that will allow us to either draw a poly shape or suppy a list of coordinates, and create VTPm2s. VTPm1 'fans' can be translated fairly easily from LWM code. But there isn't a native program for either. Yet.A VTPm2 poly can be as big as an LOD8 Cell ( about 25x25 miles ), but there is little need for that, as landclass does a very good job of giving us a basic groundcover. There is some use for VTPm2's that will help with polys for smaller areas. You can make a city street 'mask' that will allow you to add the streets as shapes on a transparent CUSTOM texture. A grass or concrete poly can be 'layered' under this mask, to give you city streets and blocks of grass or concrete. You can then add the autogen buildings and shubbery to the textures, LWM water, beaches, traditional objects or polys, effects....CUSTOM or default textures can be trimmed to shapes as small as 4.8 meters ( average size ), so providing a means to 'landclass' much smaller, irregular shapes ( with autogen ), like the default airport background polys. So if a nearby woods isn't correctly displayed by the landclass, you could add the shape of the woods as a forest landclass texture, and up pop the trees. Or you could actually display sandtraps and greens on the local golf course ( but with the restriction of 4.8 meters resolution ).----------------------I may make a more informal collection of VTP examples and tricks, and post that. The SDK is not at all bad in explaining the basics, but is short on the examplesDick

[rhumbaflappy 113]

Hi Chris.Now that my rant is over, I hope I can help you.Have you downloaded , [link:ftp.avsim.com/library/sendfile.php?DLID=21561|LandCalc2], and [link:ftp.avsim.com/library/sendfile.php?DLID=21296|TdfCalc3]?These files, along with [link:ftp.avsim.com/library/sendfile.php?DLID=22938]FSUIPC, will give you all the data you need to create the BGLC code for the VTPm2s.The TDFHeaders.inc and TDFMacros.inc are in with Cellgrid2, and BGLC.exe, from microsoft is needed to compile the code into a BGL.I've used VTPm2s to display CUSTOM textures, and landclass textures. If used as CUSTOM, they can display CUSTOM autogen, as well. The transparency is the alpha channel ( instead of water ), and if you use that, the textures must be 8-bit mipped with alpha, not DXT1 or DXT3.You need to save "original" copies for the creation of the autogen, as the VTP polys need to have the textures vertically flipped to display correctly, and the autogen is not flipped. A paint program can flip the textures, before mipping or alpha channel is added.The transparency is the alpha channel ( instead of water ), and if you use that, the textures must be 8-bit, mipped, with alpha, ( not DXT1 or DXT3 ). Imagetool can handle that.Now I need to know what it is you want the VTPm2 polys to do, and why you need the transparency, instead of just cutting the polygons to the desired shapes.Dick

[Guest]

Hi Dick and ChrisLWMDraw is very close to to version 3 at this point giving it not only an LWMSource.asm file but also VTPSource.asm as well for road/line/shoreline abiltiy.Unfortunately, my Mother passed last Monday and I'll lay her to rest this afternoon and with that I've had to put LWMDraw on hold for awhile to tend to her estate. I'm uncertain of exactly when the new version might be ready but it'll look something like the image below.Dick, something I would like to see if not a VTP tutorial would be some example parameter lines with explainations of what parameters do what for the VTP2 type source file.Catch Ya LaterKen

[rhumbaflappy 113]

Hi KEn.I'm so sorry to hear about your Mother.I think we'll need to email a bit about your program, and VTPs. Dick

[wsieffert 0]

Ken,My condolences to you and your family.

[Guest]

Hi,Im sorry to hear about you mother.Last Sunday i lost a friend tooChris