PTO and Rhumba's Watemasks

[stuart277]

Hi All,

I am making a new PTO install from scratch and I have a question about Rhumba's Mesh and Watermasks.

In Rami and DVSlats PTO install guide it says put the watermask files in the SCENEDB\world\scenery folder.

I seem to remember people saying the watermasks are too 'aggressive'? and they should be deactivated.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Cheers,

Stuart

[Rami]

Stuart,

It's a complicated question. There are certain packages of MaskRider's that are built specifically for Rhunbaflappy's watermasks; some Dutch East Indies airfields, some additional DEI airfields by Onnogras, MaskRider's Marianas, and his Sakishima-Gunto airfield packages. Other than that, it's problematic.

[kdriver]

Hi Stuart,

If you want to have all the PTO scenery available, download all of Rhumba's files, viz. water masks, mesh, coast and water files. Install as separate layers via the scenery library in either the SCENEDB or ADDON folders. The water masks, coast and water files are one layer each (the water files are a few separate downloads). The LOD5 mesh goes in the SCENEDB/world folder while the LOD 7 and LOD 8 files are separate layers installed via the scenery library.

Once the hierarchy is correct, the complicated part is activating/deactivating layers depending on which part of the PTO you are operating. The mesh can stay active all the time while you may have to switch from Rhumba's older coast and water files to his newer water masks and vice versa depending where you are.

If you go ahead with this I can give you the scenery order plus a few other details.

Cheers,

Kevin

[MaskRider]

I seem to remember people saying the watermasks are too 'aggressive'? and they should be deactivated.


Hiya Stuart,

Yes, I have said this.

What I mean by it is that in creation of these huge watermask bgls, a lot of coastal detail is lost in the process of compiling the water-masking bgls. In the processes of using a program (such as Auto-coast for instance) to expedite the creation of these watermasks, smoothing gets aggressively incorporated into the bgl-creation parameters in order to avoid various visual anomalies. The larger the area of ground that a single mater-mask bgl encompasses the more noticeable will be this loss of coastline detail.

One can never use the coastlines, meaning the un-adorned beach-less shape at the edge of the water mask, straight out of the box as it were, because it doesn't accurately portray the details of what was/is actually there.

I am in no way criticizing Rhumba for this smoothing. It is a necessary fact of life. It is simply what needs to be done in order to achieve the result. But, when zooming in and building scenery at a much more localized location, one needs to go back in and recreate the details.

This is what I was referring to in an earlier post on the other thread when I said "So there is no need to get rid of Rhumbas water masks because I just dump them anyway at whatever location I am building."

I "null-out" Rhumbas too-smooth water masks at those location and recreate them in detail.

MR

[UncleTgt]

Dick is hard at work still ... see this thread in the Landscapers Forum http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php/113830-Messing-with-Slartibartfast

If we show enough interest & support, I'm sure he will come through for us! :redfire:

[rhumbaflappy]

I'm actually doing some work on this now. I'm taking some newer 25 meter water masking data, and cleaning it up. Hopefully that will be done in a day or 2. I then need to split it up into smaller chunks, and run it through Slartibartfast to make the assembly files, and translate them to CFS2 BGLs. I'm also trying to translate Slarti's shorelines into something that can be used for CFS2. But that has always been a problem.

[UncleTgt]

bump:bump: I'm still interested :sheep:

[msfossey]

I too, am interested. And thank you developers for all you have contributed.

msfossey

[Captain Kurt]

Most definitely interested :applouse:

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Dick is hard at work still ... see this thread in the Landscapers Forum http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php/113830-Messing-with-Slartibartfast

If we show enough interest & support, I'm sure he will come through for us! :redfire:

I'm definitely interested!

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Marcus Island with Rhumba masks minus water masks (as was recommended for PTO):

What can I do to fix this without screwing up the Rhumbaflappy based scenery packs in this install? Should I use the water masks after all?

[Ravenna]

Interest? You bet!!:jump:

[Worthless]

Sure, me too!

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Marcus Island with Rhumba masks minus water masks (as was recommended for PTO):

What can I do to fix this without screwing up the Rhumbaflappy based scenery packs in this install? Should I use the water masks after all?

For comparison, here is Maskrider's Guam with Rhumba land and water masks:

[kdriver]

Marcus Island with Rhumba masks minus water masks (as was recommended for PTO):

What can I do to fix this without screwing up the Rhumbaflappy based scenery packs in this install? Should I use the water masks after all?

You will have to revert to stock coastlines and deactivate Rhumba's water masks for Marcus Island. See my earlier post in this thread.

I know it's a bit of a pain, but activating and deactivating scenery layers depending where you are in the Pacific is the only way I know of having your cake and eating it too.

Cheers,
Kevin

[Shadow Wolf 07]

You will have to revert to stock coastlines and deactivate Rhumba's water masks for Marcus Island. See my earlier post in this thread.

I know it's a bit of a pain, but activating and deactivating scenery layers depending where you are in the Pacific is the only way I know of having your cake and eating it too.

Cheers,
Kevin

Yes, a titanic pain in the 6 is what it is. I'll have to make notes in the campaign I'm writing to get the players to do this whenever they stray out of the "Rhumba world." Marcus, Roi and Wake are the main culprits early in the campaign. Truk is a maybe - I have to look closer at the islands there - but I understand someone (Talon?) did Truk based on Rhumba mesh.

Thanks Kdriver!

[kdriver]

Both Jean Bomber and Dog1 did Truk.

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Both Jean Bomber and Dog1 did Truk.

Thanks M8. :applause: Jean Bomber it is.

[UncleTgt]

Both Jean Bombers original Truk islands, & Dog1s enhanced Jean Bomber Truk are for the old mesh


http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/local_links.php?action=jump&catid=45&id=13451

is designed for Rhumbas mesh...:miserable: just sayin'

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Thank you UncleTgt. I just got home and was about to download when I saw your post. Funny, I already have the Carolines and never noticed .- or more likely with my CRS, forgot that Truk was in that pack. Thanks again. :wavey:

[bearcat241]

...I'll have to make notes in the campaign I'm writing to get the players to do this whenever they stray out of the "Rhumba world." Marcus, Roi and Wake are the main culprits early in the campaign. Truk is a maybe - I have to look closer at the islands there ...

Ouch SW :beaten:...this new one is a hard sell already -- and its still on the drawing board!

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Maskrider, a favor please: Chris, could you possibly do Roi, Wake and Marcus Is. as you did the Gilberts for the Rhumba mesh? It would be sure helpful and useful. :wiggle:

Thanks:

Greg

[Devildog73]

Dick, I'm definitely interested.
Lee

I'm actually doing some work on this now. I'm taking some newer 25 meter water masking data, and cleaning it up. Hopefully that will be done in a day or 2. I then need to split it up into smaller chunks, and run it through Slartibartfast to make the assembly files, and translate them to CFS2 BGLs. I'm also trying to translate Slarti's shorelines into something that can be used for CFS2. But that has always been a problem.

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Maskrider, a favor please: Chris, could you possibly do Roi, Wake and Marcus Is. as you did the Gilberts for the Rhumba mesh? It would be sure helpful and useful. :wiggle:

Thanks:

Greg

Make that only Wake and Marcus pls. :jump:

SW07

[Shadow Wolf 07]

I have apparently installed Rhumba's mesh and MR's Marianas correctly. But in Mission Builder, I only see half the base at MN MI Saipan Isley 7R as in the 2 views below. :banghead: It is as though the elevation changes throughout the base, going up, left to right from 100-210 feet.

In flight, everything looks normal though. Can someone tell me please what needs to be done for the MB image to work? :wavey: FYI: I'm on a Win7 laptop system. The airbases.dat says the base is at 210'.

MR: Nice base! :applause:

[MaskRider]

That is strange. I just checked mine and it does the same thing. I guess I haven't visited Isley Field in MB since my old XP computer bit the dust on me. When I built the field everything looked fine. Couldn't have done the layouts if they hadn't. Not quite sure what could be causing the problem. Some quirk in Window 8.1 maybe? What are you running on your rig?

MR

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Windows 7, Intel i7, 2.40 GHz, 8 Gb RAM, 64 bit, 15 inch laptop.

[kdriver]

Perhaps the stock Aslito field is still there and conflicting with the new scenery?

[ElsnerMarkus]

Is it better to play the game in full screen or window mode? i have a GTX 670 32 GB DDR 3 and 3.40 ghz I5 3570 Intel processor?

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Hi Elsner Marcus:

I play it in windowed mode, even in Windows 7 because I can still access the tray features on my computer - it gives me the ability to pause play and do other things.

By the way, my above scenery problem has seemed to have fixed itself. I see the whole base now in MB and I didn't do anything. :dizzy:

[highpockets]

I have been reading this thread and am more confused than ever- about water masks , excludes, airfield excludes, etc depending on who designed it when and where it goes in the scenery.cfg priority.
I have used the revised edition of Rami's PTO and works ok with what I have installed, but seems to me it I want to add someone's missions that are outside the guide Rhumba's new mesh, I have several PTO installs just for my simple mind(yes I have a large H.D).--Talon's missions only, Shadow Wolf's Essex in what I call PTO mid war, S.W. Pacific which contains Rami's D.O.A. and and RAAF, and want to add one for late war but not yet.
Is there any simple instructions for a simple mind anywhere. :banghead: I would like to add some additional scenery to some of these but___?
Sorry but this has always given me problems. :dizzy:
Thanks

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Howdy Highpockets: I used Rami's guide as a basis for a PTO guide and followed the add-on /installation instructions for others' Rhumba based scenery packs and all seems to be working fine. My only problem is the stock based skipped. (Engebi, Roi and Marcus Is. for example).

Thank you for the plug about my USS Essex CV 9 campaign. I am 25 missions into a redo of it, using the Rhumba "world" and need only those islands and hopefully a MR Philippines in gsl at least (a major task indeed).
I have the Carolines, New Britain, New Ireland, MR's Formosa, Marianas + Iwo, and Gilberts all installed and have no problems with them.

I suggest you do that, install what you can on top of Rami's guide and just do the best you can. I know it seems complicated and confusing but if you stack them in the scenery library, like the readmes say, you should be okay. There are many gaps in the PTO to be filled though and I wish I had the skills to fill them myself. :banghead:

[highpockets]

Thanks Shadow Wolf. I will continue to muddle along. I think I get it. Sometimes I get funky looking scenery and probably have them in the wrong priority.
The word is "carefully" follow the instructions. I have been guilty several times of not doing that.:banghead:
:wavey:

[highpockets]

One more question--how do I handle all the CFS 2 files such as Ettico's PTO flattens, Rhumba's coast pacific, N Asia_China ,SE Asia, etc. Some readme text have no dates. The ones after 2008 i I assume apply to his new mesh. Also if they should be used, where do they go in the priority list.

[highpockets]

Never mind! :wavey:
I found a discussion regarding watermasks between e.a. wicklund and others in early March.:applause: