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[Chief_Mouser]

Levelling lakes all by eye in fmb+ if you don't like it the first time don't save and re do it again. until you like it then save just tedious work

Levelling large lakes at altitude by eye is almost impossible. What I do is, in the unlocked FMB, go around outside the edge of the lake and drop the land height to 0. You don't need to do a continuous line, just enough to show the outline of the water. Save map_h then open it in Gimp or Photoshop or whatever you use. The outline of the lake will show as a series of black dots. Join these together then fill the enclosed area with a colour (grey tone) taken from a pixel in the middle of the lake, change your black dots to the same value and save map_h again. Next time you look in the FMB, there you have one nice, perfectly flat lake.

:cheers:

[duffys tavern]

Am I the only one that can't save mission in 4.12.1; 5.22?

[SAS~Tom2]

Kirby:
I spent ca 15-20++ hours solid with the lakes. levelling was no problem, but getting rid of artefacts at the heigh these map is (and the lakes) was. I did all tricks I could with my "talent" in gump ah gimp.
If I get ever motivated and fit again, I will finish another project I barely started.
 
So I dropped the suckers in deep canyons, personally I definately prefer version No 3 with some mild artefacts.-at reply #24.




Duffys tavern:

Hmm, I use this map in 4.12. Maybe check here:

https://www.sas1946.com/main/index.php/topic,35419.0.html

At the last post I summed up how that worked for me.
But to be safe, could you please hit shift +tab and take a screen when the map is inside the FMB?
Hope that helps.




242Sqn_Cat:
What I did was close:
Before the real horror of this map started, I outlined the lakes in FMF+ with dots all around them.
Then in gimp used exactly what you said but instead using a tone from the middle of the lakes, IIRC I took one from the surrounding country and made damn sure the lakes and a huge area around them has the same height colour.

Since this did not work, even after many hours with gimp and editing map_c/H and so on, I decided to make the lake and an area around at zero alt. Getting it flat at any alt was no issue, the issue was that I always had artefactual black bars on the horizon.

I am pretty sure lakes -bigger ones- need to be at zero alt.
But who knows, maybe I overlooked something.
I could have made the transition to zero less canyon like but sort of like the alien feel that gives.
So I decided to make up with texture variety.
 

Cheerio

[SAS~Tom2]

Sorry for typos, keyboard is rubbish and so is my finger motoric today... Will try to type better now.

[farang65]

Hi Thorsten

Not hijacking your thread or anything but to clarify more so for

242 Squ_Cat

I have a love hate relationship regarding raised water levels on fresh maps you know those ominous blue triangles of all different heights in the ocean, lakes rivers..

My enjoyment   is actually levelling all of those ominous blue triangles including the ones that are just above water level that you have to look for again and again in fmb+

(now your probably thinking get a life Farang ha ha  )

Adjusting lakes is tricky but going back over and over again to see if there are any annoying blue just over the surface triangles.

It just takes a keen eye and i work from one end to another.

Also redoing  the shore lines is also acceptable in fmb+

It does though take a lot of time and patience to do.

If you have not got the time Tom's method is fine as well 

I enjoy it a lot cause those ominous blue triangles in oceans,lakes and  rivers crank me up  and have do this work by hand.
It is great to do only if you have the time and patience to do it.


Kirby

[SAS~Tom2]

I know what you meant Kirby!  
Only issue is, there are no triangles anymore, and the last version is perfectly bugfree on the big lakes.

The issue was not triangles and mislevelled heights, the issue was flat, level, perfectly matched lakes finally -and nevertheless horizon artefacts-not height differences.

Boomer told me via pm on request the only way to solve that would be to have a pixell by pixel aligned map c to map h (to map t), something this map never had to start with.
I found the only secure way to solve the issue for good and without getting photoshop is to make it RGB 0.
 

[SAS~Tom2]

Or to quote a kickass line from Right Stuff:

The issue here ain't pussy. The issue is monkey. 

[farang65]

Hi Thorsten,

Your method is also ideal if you want a true functioning lake with float plane runway and parking bays. 

My method is for lakes that you just want to look pretty.

I normally do all the lakes in Microdem and you do get some interesting results with water levels not always being at sea level.

For pretty non functioning lakes yes just time patience and a keen eye.

Kirby

[Chief_Mouser]

Hi Thorsten

Not hijacking your thread or anything but to clarify more so for

242 Squ_Cat

I have a love hate relationship regarding raised water levels on fresh maps you know those ominous blue triangles of all different heights in the ocean, lakes rivers..

My enjoyment   is actually levelling all of those ominous blue triangles including the ones that are just above water level that you have to look for again and again in fmb+

(now your probably thinking get a life Farang ha ha  )

Adjusting lakes is tricky but going back over and over again to see if there are any annoying blue just over the surface triangles.

It just takes a keen eye and i work from one end to another.

Also redoing  the shore lines is also acceptable in fmb+

It does though take a lot of time and patience to do.

If you have not got the time Tom's method is fine as well 

I enjoy it a lot cause those ominous blue triangles in oceans,lakes and  rivers crank me up  and have do this work by hand.
It is great to do only if you have the time and patience to do it.


Kirby

Kirby, I know exactly what you mean and share your pain! I do exactly the same thing for the maps that are to go into HSFX. Creeping flat along the coastline looking for raised water and those annoying pyramids out to sea. I too hate water that isn't perfectly flat. Some of the larger maps full of islands take weeks - the Aleutians, Svalbard and Philippines v2 spring to mind. I'm almost disappointed when the mapmaker has done his job well and I don't find anything much.
I'm glad to know that there's another masochist out there though! 

:cheers:

[SAS~Tom2]

Latest version:
https://www.mediafire.com/download/i13wpe8h5ua6koe/Reno+V4.2.rar

Readme is inside folder.
Mainly returned to old lake altitude and kept V4.0 map_T.tga etc.
You can revert to V 4.0 lake altitudes via optional folder content.
If you liked the last version, this is nothing useful, mainly a re-arrengement.




Screens
In folder 

[SAS~Tom2]

PS:

For loading/saving issues:

..best read this thread, UP~Boomer's post reply #10

https://www.sas1946.com/main/index.php/topic,35419.0.html

I tried to sum it up as well on page 5 of that thread.

4.12.1 as raw ModAct install misses a shtload of objects and textures!
DBW...sorry, if it won't load there it is beyond my skill to help.-

That's it,. promised, no more update. ..i hope 

[gauderio]

This map does not work. Not load.
I used DBW.