Announcing new VTP/LWM tool - Coast-Line-Maker

[Guest]

Hi folks,From my current knowledge of LWM and VTP details (much of which I've learned from this group), I have created a new GUI-based VTP and LWM editor called Coast-Line-Maker. It is similar in concept to LWMDraw and AutoASM, but is (I hope) more user-friendly. The main features of the program are as follows:* graphic-oriented design screen, allowing easy placement of line segments * requires no user knowledge of programming, assembler files or hex editing * coverage over more than one LOD13 cell - Coast-Line-Maker can handle an entire LOD8 cell in one project * automatic alignment between coastline segments and land/water polygons * automatic generation of assembler source files, with automatic compilation and copying of new scenery BGLs to FS2002 scenery folder * facility to rework river/stream and road segments too * facility to save Coast-Line-Maker projects and reload them for editing V1.1 of the program is now available for downloading from the AVSIM file library (filename COASTLM1.ZIP), and it can also be obtained from my own FS website at:http://flightsim.computing.dundee.ac.uk/The ZIP file is 2.3MB x(, but it contains fully illustrated documentation.:-) The website above has an introductory tutorial online (this is included in the package too).I hope you will try it out, and I look forward to your comments on the program.Cheers,Iain.

[Guest gorchi]

Hi Iain!I am looking forward to test Your software. Using the whole LOD8 cell is very apealing function. I just wanted to ask You if there are any limitations of bitmap imported as background or there are no size limitation (just it must cover one LOD8 cell I persume)?Best regards,Goran BrumenFS Slovenija 2002 teamhttp://slovenia.avsim.net

[rhumbaflappy 113]

Hi All.Another handy addition to the growing arsenal of tools for VTPs and LWMs.Thanks, Iain!Dick

[nudata 10]

Very nice! Thank you...Has any thought been given to use data, such as USGS information, to automatically place roads - delete old, place new? Looks like all of the processes are there, just need a way to use the data to manipulate/drive the process.I assume that I can use a real photo (bmp) or other source real life background to trace new elements??Dick

[Guest lmoelleb]

This is indeed a huge imrpovement over what I have seen before, and it gives me a reason to cancel my own program (even though it was significently more fancy, simply because I programmed in .Net and could perform alpha blitning, rotations, scale, gamma correction and the likes without actually spend any time on programming it, but I can live with doing that stuff in Paint Shop Pro) when some one else is doing all the hard work with calculating and generating polygons. :)It worked "out of the box" for my first test, however I did run into two things I could not figure out how to do.1)I have a long lake running all the way through a LOD13 area (coast line on both sides). First I cover the entire cell with land to get rid of the default FS thingy, then fill the polygon with water - no problem, it works fine.The problem is that I want a small lake next to it. Whenever I try to fill this lake with a water polygon, I end up filling the entire land part next to the "main lake". The small lake is entirely inside the LOD13 area. If it cross the border to another LOD13 area it works fine.Is there one or another work around to this problem (I was considering running a line out from the small lake accross the LOD13 devider and back again along the same coordinates, however as I use a narrow coast line that would not work).2)I am working in a city area, so a lot of places I do not want a shore line (harbor and canals), however I can't figure out how to switch between shore line and no shore line. I start a new segment, however the polygon filler can't handle this.My guess would be to create the coast without shore, then add that on top of it later - but I would like to know if this is the right approach before I spend too long on it.Anyway, thanks for a great tool - I hope you will continue developing on it./Lars

[nudata 10]

I am probably missing something since Lars had not trouble - where do I find LOD8define.bmp ???Dick

[Guest]

No, no data import function, I'm afraid.You can load a BMP, GIF or JPG as a background (it really needs the FS screen shot with the cell grid overlaid on it, as described in the documentation) and trace over the top.Cheers,Iain.

[Guest]

Hi Lars,Answer to Q1: do the small lake first ... draw a plain segment around it, fill the lake, then delete the segment ... now draw the coast through the cell. It won't fill the area AROUND the lake, so do this FIRST if needed. My graphics routine is not that clever, I'm afraid!Answer to Q2: Plain segment gives no shore at all ... you can start one VTP segment and end another within one LOD13 cell BUT no more than that ... if there are two ends, it will assume they join together, but more than two ends, it will throw an error!Hope this helps.Cheers,Iain.

[rhumbaflappy 113]

Hi Dick.Yes. Iain probably should have included the LOD8define.bmpYou can get it with Cellgrid2I think it's in the texture folder.. and that's where it belongs for a cellgrid to show... in the project's "texture" folder ( or else in "C:Program FilesMicrosoft GamesFS2002TEXTURE" )The BGLs belong in the project's "scenery" folder, as usual.Dick

[Guest]

The background can be a BMP, GIF or JPG of any size (I've tested up to 6000 x 5000 pixels!).The background can cover one LOD13 cell right up to one LOD8 cell, but will typically be around 8 x 8 LOD13s to concentrate on a particular area (at least that's the way I've used it so far)!The examples in the documentation will give a good idea.Cheers,Iain.

[Guest]

Hi all,The early bird doesn't always get what they expect ...A small gremlin crept into the original version of Coast-Line-Maker that was on my website yesterday - if you try to set the FS folder, the program crashes x(However, the version now on my website and on AVSIM has had this bug removed and all is well. :-)Do let me know (directly by e-mail, rather than via the forum) if you encounter any bugs or other problems, or even have suggestions to improve Coast-Line-Maker.Many thanks,Iain.

[wsieffert 0]

Iain,If you make more updates, please place the rev number in the filename to download to indicate a change. The only way I noticed the difference was in the preview picture were it said ver 1.1.

[Guest]

Hi,Sorry I believed the original version had not been published, but the only detail change was in the EXE file within the archive.The best laid plans ... sigh!Cheers,Iain.