ADDITION FOR MISSION BUILDERS: Here are reference pics for the 5 airfields showing the taxi routes and parking points, to help avoid interference when populating the fields with objects. They're in .BMP format.
https://www.mediafire.com/file/tuhwwevy3hgk1nh/New_Georgia_AF_taxi_parking.7z/file======================= end of addition for mission builders =============================UPDATE: May 7, 2022: Here is an actors.static for less capable computers. In my full release, the airfield at Vila proved to cause quite poor frame rates on weaker computers. To mitigate this, I removed just about all of the individual palm trees at vila which were used as a 'facing' in front of the simpler trees in the grouped arrays. This should about double the frame rates.
I have the field at Barakoma the way agracier created it, with a scattering of many palm trees.
(I may work up a version having Vila as it is here, but with Barakoma having my new, denser forest cover (like in my full release). It turns out that my dense forest cover, due to there being many fewer objects than the plethora of palm trees, should result in a better frame rate.)
Get the actors.static for less powerful computers here:
https://www.mediafire.com/file/fl70t452usl07nc/New_Georgia_actors.static_weak_comp.7z/file================================= end of update ===================================The airstrip at the Vila River, Kolombangara Island, in the midst of a palm plantation. Of order 10,000 trees are represented.
Barakoma has been given a dense jungle forest cover, but if you don't like it you can easily revert to the usual palm tree treatment.
This is a standalone version of agracier's New Georgia map, separate from my previous, recent update. Meaning it will be a new addition to your game, unless you prefer to replace your already existing version by simply re-naming my map folder name appropriately.
Get it here:
https://www.mediafire.com/file/00r0v0s5ggs1uox/0_MAPMODS_New_Georgia_ag_WxTech_forested.7z/fileFrom the included readme file:
UPDATE: May 06, 2022
- The landmasses are now forest covered.
- Several new palm tree objects are included (and used on this map).
- My previous 40m 'jungle' block object is slightly altered, and included.
- The field at Vila is now in the midst of a palm plantation.
- The lower stretch of the Vila River is included.
- Barakoma has been given a dense forest treatment, but one has the option to go back to the old palm treatment.
==========================================================================
I very much liked agracier's New Georgia map when he first introduced it some years ago, when I was still running 4.08. What I didn't like so much were:
- The incorrect Munda and Seghi fields.
- The texture organizing by elevation, that gave the map a 'layer cake' aspect.
- The nondescript and very widespread coral shallows.
- The sheer number of dwellings that turned hamlets into near cities.
So I took it upon myself to redress these aspects.
- Google Earth imagery shows a quite uniform appearance to forest cover, with no elevation related differences (aside from the effects of atmospheric haze). And so I altered the textures so as to be more similar, yet retaining subtle differences, and applied a more random distribution.
- I built a huge mosaic of Google Earth screen captures of the coast and coral reefs, by which to fix shorelines/islands and make far more accurate coral shallows.
- I took the airfields for Munda and Seghi from the Solomons Oct '43 map, and the Vila field from squashman's Coral Sea/Solomoman Sea map for Nov '43. For the latter, I trimmed away one of the westernmost taxiways.
- I reduced by a huge amount the number the amount of huts, and made the villages rather smaller.
- I removed the rivers, for two reasons. They are more like streams than anything navigable, given their short courses. And the forest canopy generally renders them practically invisible from the air. A side benefit of this is that it makes the islands not look so small. (The representations of rivers is a weak aspect of the game engine.)
I kept the various villages/towns at the same places. And I did nothing substantive about the few extensive wharving facilities.
I retained the fictional air strip located near Kia, on Santa Isabel Island, which agracier added in a later update to his map.
##########################################################################
NEW FOR THE MAY 6, 2022 UPDATE:
I added a forest cover to all islands large enough to accommodate it. This simply looks better from lower altitudes, with the sense of depth portrayed. And it ends the silliness of planes safely ditching essentially everywhere, where in reality they would crash and disappear into jungle.
As you may know, it's impossible to make the layered forest follow shorelines at all closely. To give the impression of the uniformity of forest cover right up to the shorelines, I used an appropriate texture for similarity of appearance. Moreover, the relevant water texture that is necessary to ensure the shallows are indicated in all desired areas is also the very same. This approach assures the desired result of the appearance of total jungle and shallows in even the small inlets and otherwise convoluted shorelines.
----------
I created a brand new pair of objects to better simulate the arrays of planted coconut palms on plantations. One is a 6x6 grid of isolated trees, and the other is a grid of 3x3 trees to fill in smaller spaces. I use these extensively at Vila, representing the large coconut palm plantation which that field was hacked out of. Something like 10,000-ish trees are represented in this way, and frame rates are not too awfully reduced (better than some of the towns on the Banff-Narvik map.
)
Additionally, I made two brand new versions of the single Pacific palm trees, to be used specifically with the aforementioned 6x6 and 3x3 arrays (they can of course be used in other settings!). These trees are further simplified by removing the 3D fronds entirely and using only the simpler frond textures I introduced in my Bushy Palm Trees mod. I use them widely here as a 'facing' for the arrays, to supply a bit of irregularity so as to partly mask the necessary regularity of the array objects. And they fill in gaps too small for the 3x3 array.
----------
I added the lower extent of the Vila River, as it is relatively prominent and effectively forms the east and north perimeter of Vila field.
----------
I have reworked my 40m square palm plantation block, the one having the 'wilder' jungle texture, so as to better fit in here as used at Barakoma. I wanted a hue and tone that was closer to that of the general forest cover. And I increased the visibility limits as well. This object was already superseded by a new version having a much more open spacing among the trunks, to serve as representing a human-planted grove. And that one in turn has been superseded by the brand new 6x6 and 3x3 arrays mentioned above.
For these reasons, the old 'wild' 40m block object, now updated, should only be utilized for dense, natural jungle.
Until now, maps including the field at Barakoma have represented the forest with numerous palm trees, mostly groups but with some singletons. This is far and away inadequate, because dense jungle ran right up the edge of the field, and a road/taxiway behind it was cut through as a fairly narrow track. If you don't like my first treatment of this dense jungle, I supply an alternative actors.static that retains the original palm tree treatment (the new palm plantation at Vila remains.) A pair of supplied folders each contain an actors.static; folder "actors Barakoma forested" has the new dense jungle, and folder "actors Barakoma original" has the old palm tree treatment. To use the one of your choice, copy and paste it to "\Maps\ag_New_Georgia_forested\", overwriting what's already there.
==========================================================================
I offer this as its own standalone map, if you have either or both of agracier's original and/or my first reworked version. It has its own folder of textures, which will not conflict with the others for those earlier map versions. (I have made numerous alterations in color and tone for this one.)
Add to all.ini:
New_Georgia(forested) ag_New_Georgia_forested/load.ini
==========================================================================
If you ALREADY HAVE agracier's map but want to replace it with this one, do this:
Rename folder
\Maps\ag_New_Georgia_forested
to
\Maps\ag_New_Georgia
Your all.ini will already point to this map folder.
##########################################################################
ABOUT THE NEW OBJECTS
I include here two brand new palm tree objects, which are further simplifications of the stock single 'Pacific' type coconut palms. They are found in folder
\3do\flora\palms\
The .mat and .tga files supplied here are present in my bushy palms mod, but a few have been updated. These here are preferred.
If you have already either my bushy palm tree mod or some other map objects mod installed, and it contains a "3do" folder, you could drag this "flora" folder and place it your existing "3do" folder. Or if you have already a "\3do\flora\palms" folder, drag the files in my "palms" folder here into your other "palm" folder. Or if you have a "flora" folder, drag my "palms" folder into it. The idea being that you can better assure that a objects are not tied to some other mod such as this map, in case you should delete this mod of mine.
For these two new single, simplified, 'Pacific' type palm trees, add to static.ini:
[buildings.House$FurniturePalmAs1_Wx]
Title PalmAsingle1_Wx
MeshLive 3do/flora/palms/LiveAs1_Wx.sim
MeshDead 3do/Buildings/Pacific/DeadTree1/dead.sim
IgnoreShadowData
Body Flesh //WoodSmall //WoodMiddle
Panzer 50
[buildings.House$FurniturePalmAs2_Wx]
Title PalmAsingle2_Wx
MeshLive 3do/flora/palms/LiveAs2_Wx.sim
MeshDead 3do/Buildings/Pacific/DeadTree1/dead.sim
IgnoreShadowData
Body Flesh //WoodSmall //WoodMiddle
Panzer 50
----------
As described earlier, a pair of brand new objects representing rows of coconut palms in a plantation have been created and included here. The collision box has been made quite small, sitting at the height of the top of the trunk. The reasons for this:
- I want one to be able to strafe through the trees, without an effectively inviolable shield against projectiles stopping every shot.
- I don't want one's plane to explode by accidentally touching a tree while taxying.
- But I do want one to crash if skimming along at the height of the tree trunks.
For the new 6x6 and 3x3 palm tree arrays, add to static.ini:
[buildings.House$Pac_Palm_Plantation_6x6]
Title Pac_Palm_Plantation_6x6
MeshLive 3do/ForestSides/Pac_Palm_Plantation_6x6/mono6x6.sim
MeshDead
AddHeightLive 0
AlignToLand 0
Body Flesh //RockMiddle
Panzer 50.0
[buildings.House$Pac_Palm_Plantation_3x3]
Title Pac_Palm_Plantation_3x3
MeshLive 3do/ForestSides/Pac_Palm_Plantation_6x6/mono3x3.sim
MeshDead
AddHeightLive 0
AlignToLand 0
Body Flesh //RockMiddle
Panzer 50.0
----------
As described earlier, my 40m 'jungle' block object has been updated with a slightly altered hue and tone, and has been given a longer visibility limit. It's included here. The same treatment is given the collision box as for the 6x6 and 3x3 array objects (you can strafe through it, you won't blow up if touching while taxying, and you can crash if skimming at trunk-top height.)
If you haven't already installed this 40m Palm Block object, add to static.ini:
[buildings.House$Pac_Palm_Jungle_Block_40m]
Title Pac_Palm_Jungle_Block_40m
MeshLive 3do/ForestSides/Pac_Palm_Plantation_Block_40m/mono_jungle.sim
MeshDead
AddHeightLive 0
AlignToLand 0
Body Flesh //RockMiddle
Panzer 50.0
----------
I include a couple of other forest side objects that are used in a couple places to better indicate the edge of the forest. Particularly useful at Segi, where the forest is not far from the west end of the runway.
Add to static.ini:
[buildings.House$JungleT]
Title JungleT
MeshLive 3do/ForestSides/JungleT/mono.sim
MeshDead
AddHeightLive 0
AlignToLand 0
Body RockMiddle //RockMiddle
Panzer 50.0
[buildings.House$JungleB]
Title JungleB
MeshLive 3do/ForestSides/JungleB/mono.sim
MeshDead
AddHeightLive 0
AlignToLand 0
Body RockMiddle //RockMiddle
Panzer 50.0
##########################################################################
As always, this work is offered up for use by any and all, for any purpose, without restriction.
WxTech
May 06, 2022 (forest covered version, with use of new palm and forest block objects)
Author
Topic: Agracier's New Georgia map now forest covered and newly treed (Read 3984 times)
