Map Maker Beta ...

[benpark]

I'm getting an error 024 "Activex plugin not installed" after loading the heightmap. The window for the AI/Map is not available.

[Stridor]

benpark,

You need to change your ie security settings to allow activex content to run. When you install windows (either XP or Vista) this is the default behaviour, so you may have turned it off at some stage.

[RyanCrierie]

Mine is down to 15.8 seconds. It really does work now! [:D]

[Stridor]

I am glad it has sped up for you Ryan.

I doubt I will be able to make it go any faster now as the code is pretty optimized out [;)]

[benpark]

I've enabled all Activex boxes under the IE Tools/Security/Custom Level, but I'm still seeing the same error (it's IE 7, but I never use it so I haven't done anything previously to the settings).

[Stridor]

benpark

Do you have the file "cp.ocx" in the main PCK directory?

[benpark]

Indeed, I do.

[Stridor]

Something else is blocking access to theactiveX subsystem. Do you have any anti spamware or protection software that might be doing it?

Don't know I have seen several IE/JS/HTA issues since PCK was released, all were resolved and I have never encountered your problem.

What settings in IE7 have you set?

[Stridor]

Ben,

Try this http://support.microsoft.com/kb/146219

"cp.ocx" is the file you want to register

[benpark]

Hmm...No go with the linked solution, I'm getting the same error.

I have re-tested all of the other apps that came with PzCK (scenario editor etc), and they are running.

I've recently migrated to this new computer (Mac running XP in Bootcamp), so everything is a fairly clean slate. I'll try the install on my laptop tomorrow.

[Stridor]

Ben,

The scenario editor also uses cp.ocx to determine underlying terrain colours. If you open the scenario editor and then open a map, try right clicking on a terrain feature. A little tooltip should tell you what the terrain feature is. If it doesn't then activeX is not working there either.

[EagleMountainDK]

Stridor, you are a true master! [&o]

In what language do you make all the tools?

[rickier65]

ORIGINAL: Stridor

No. it doesn't mater what the size of the heightmap is the mapmaker will scale it to 65x65 anyway. However for maximum accuracy you should have a 65x65 heightmap if what you edit you want to see.

The skymat is the "ground" cover outisde the limits of your map. You want some grassy type texture for summer a snowy one for winter. Scenedit doesn't show you the skymat it is only visible in the game. The true "sky" is the skybox and that is found under skyboxes

I think you will get a surprise with the new build [:D]


Rick just do exactly this to make a map.

1. Run the map maker
2. Click on the H/Map Browse button. Load up the "Media/kharkov_L1A/heightX.bmp".
3. Click the AI/Map Browse button. Load up the "Media/kharkov_L1A/map.bmp".
4. Type the name "Road" into the Name: box for masks + textures. The press the browse button and load "Map Maker/Textures/kharkov_road01.bmp". Now press the tick button to load the texture into the box. As an aside whilst browing for textures etc I put explorer into show as large icons mode so that I can graphically see what it is that I am working with, this is easier than just loading a filename.
5. Ignore trees for the moment
6. Click the Skybox Browse button. Load "Map Maker/Skyboxes/kharkov_skybox1.bmp".
7. Leave the lighting stuff and set cows and craters to zero.
8. Type in the name "MyTest" into the map name box and then press the build button.
9. Wait ~ 30 seconds and you will have a new map generated (for simplicity sake there will be no trees, cows, craters or water)
10. Now go into scenedit and load up "Media/MyTestScene.xml"

Enjoy your new map.

You can now go back into map maker, type the name "MyTest" into the name box and press load. Now all your settings from last time will be loaded into the program. Try experimenting with trees, cows, masks, etc and then build again.

Ok - can follow instructions - and building this only took about 28 sec!

Now I can start experimenting with the other features -

Thanks for your patience as well as the MapMaker! I'm not sure how many hours I spent trying to get to this point with Blender and got close but but never quite got to this point!

Thanks!

I think I'll practice/experiment with some other textures/features then move on to a more useful map - and actually contribute something!

One more question if you don't mind - you mentioned in one of the messages that MapMaker generates a report indicating the complexity of the map, is that done autmoatically? Where would I find it?

Thanks!
Rick

[Mraah]

Stridor,

Loaded up mapmaker, applied the patch (0.2b), and ran it ... so far so good [:)].

For comparison, I setup the parameters the same as your Post #36 ... see screen shot for time.

When I viewed the map with SceneEditor the only "features" that appeared were the craters. The trees and cows were missing. Also, is it suppose to draw the side walls? Thanks in advance if I missed something somewhere, someplace [:)].

-- One feature doesn't seem to work properly ... Typing in a new M_Gp0 or Gp1 value doesn't work ---> it resets to previous value.
-- The eyedropper works fine ... however, once you change the M_Gp0 you can't reset it back to remove the water level below the darkest gray setting. For instance, when you first load the H/Map and AI/Map the M_Gp0 = 00. Then, using the eyedropper you change it to something else ... then, when you want to lower the water the lowest I could get the M-Gp0 was 14 ... so I was stuck with a little bit of a flood [;)].

-- Suggestion ... When changing the M_ values I'd like an OK check box to confirm my new settings. Currently, if you change anything it will immediately take effect so you have to wait a moment to make another change. Perhaps this was your intention, I don't know. It's not annoying or anything but you know how there's that slight delay before the cursor changes to an hourglass so over clicking or typing might happen for those of us who are impatient.

Overall it's a wonderfull program!!! No crashes yet. I enjoy the helpfull reminders however it does seem to flash (alternate) between the eyedropper and the help text when hovering over the Diffuse and Ambient boxes.

Oh, here are my CPU stats when comparing speed for SS ... (yeah yeah, I got a 4 year old rig)
- XP sp2.
- Pentium 4 CPU, 3.2 Ghz, 1 GB Ram.
- ATI X1600, 256 meg Ram.

Rob

[benpark]

I just checked the scenario editor right click, and it's not working either.

Anyone know a way to jump start this feature if not working properly? Thanks.

EDIT:

I found a program called "Activex Manager". This allowed me to install the cp.ocx file. It seems to be working now.

Link to file (and others for Activex management):

http://www.download.com/3120-20_4-0.htm ... x&tag=srch

[RyanCrierie]

Is there a way to increase the heightmap feature from 64x64 to 128x128 or 256x256 to allow for a higher resolution elevation map?

I can use MICRODEM to generate greyscale elevation maps of any point in the world using Shuttle data with 90m between datapoints...

And it seems a pity to waste that by downscaling to 64x64

[benpark]

I'm getting 11 second build times on 400 trees. Pretty impressive piece of software.

One question- if I would like to have the terrain elevations quite small, is there a problem with not using the eyedropper to set the highest and lowest points? I've noticed that the default is to place water in the lowest elevations if I set something as "lowest".

[Mad Russian]

What is an ActiveX Plugin and how do you install one? That error message seems to have me stopped from moving forward. Or maybe it doesn't and I'm doing other things wrong.

MR

[Stridor]

ORIGINAL: Mraah

Stridor,

Loaded up mapmaker, applied the patch (0.2b), and ran it ... so far so good [:)].

For comparison, I setup the parameters the same as your Post #36 ... see screen shot for time.

When I viewed the map with SceneEditor the only "features" that appeared were the craters. The trees and cows were missing. Also, is it suppose to draw the side walls? Thanks in advance if I missed something somewhere, someplace [:)].

Yes, you get none of that? Weird? You need to zoom in in scenedit otherwise it culls stuff which is too far from the camera, maybe that is the problem?

-- One feature doesn't seem to work properly ... Typing in a new M_Gp0 or Gp1 value doesn't work ---> it resets to previous value.

? shouldn't I will check

-- The eyedropper works fine ... however, once you change the M_Gp0 you can't reset it back to remove the water level below the darkest gray setting. For instance, when you first load the H/Map and AI/Map the M_Gp0 = 00. Then, using the eyedropper you change it to something else ... then, when you want to lower the water the lowest I could get the M-Gp0 was 14 ... so I was stuck with a little bit of a flood [;)].

You can by doing this.

M_Ht0 is *a* map point in meters. If you set it < 0 (ie sea level) you will get water. Greater than 0 and the water will go. This value gets updated after you make a change and then click off it.

M_Ht1 is the another map point in meters. You can set this lower than Ht0 if you like (that will reverse the height colors with black being highest and white being lowest). These two points scale the final map.

The M_Gp points are the gray colors which represent those fixed points on the actual height map itself. You can either type values in the box or use the eye dropper to set these values on the map.

Whenever you make a change to either the height or gray values there is a slight delay as the new water level is recalculated and the map rescaled.

-- Suggestion ... When changing the M_ values I'd like an OK check box to confirm my new settings. Currently, if you change anything it will immediately take effect so you have to wait a moment to make another change. Perhaps this was your intention, I don't know. It's not annoying or anything but you know how there's that slight delay before the cursor changes to an hourglass so over clicking or typing might happen for those of us who are impatient.

Yes see above, perhaps I can add a "recalculate map scale" confirm button as you suggest.

Overall it's a wonderfull program!!! No crashes yet. I enjoy the helpfull reminders however it does seem to flash (alternate) between the eyedropper and the help text when hovering over the Diffuse and Ambient boxes.

Oh, here are my CPU stats when comparing speed for SS ... (yeah yeah, I got a 4 year old rig)
- XP sp2.
- Pentium 4 CPU, 3.2 Ghz, 1 GB Ram.
- ATI X1600, 256 meg Ram.

Rob

Glad you enjoy it. If the map reporter says it made trees and cows and craters then it bloody well should have! Check again in scenedit.



[/quote]

[Stridor]

ORIGINAL: benpark

I just checked the scenario editor right click, and it's not working either.

Anyone know a way to jump start this feature if not working properly? Thanks.

EDIT:

I found a program called "Activex Manager". This allowed me to install the cp.ocx file. It seems to be working now.

Link to file (and others for Activex management):

http://www.download.com/3120-20_4-0.htm ... x&tag=srch

Thanks ben, glad you got it working your tip should help others with the same problem.