TS2010: How do I view an existing displacement map?

[wklang]

I've been following davesnow's tutorial on creating my own displacement maps. (http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?t=28240&highlight=terrain+tutorial)

I created a map; the image looks "ok" to me; the config file seems ok. I was able to create it without error in the Content Manager, but it shows up completely black when I try to use it in TS2010. I am assuming my greyscale range is in error, so I thought I'd try to look at one of the existing displacement maps.

Let's say I want to view the existing displacement map "Mountain01" in TS2010. The configuration file for this asset indicated the image file is Mountain01.bmp.

A search for "Mountain01" in the TS2010 folder turns up nothing. I ASSUME that it's somehow encoded in one of hash-??? file in the local folder, but I haven't a clue how to tell which.

Can anyone shed some light of this.

 

[rweber95]

They're available in the CM3 as type Misc. Here is a list of kuids:
Slope,<kuid:401543:1017>
Hill,<kuid:401543:1016>
Mountain01,<kuid:401543:1009>
Mountain02,<kuid:401543:1010>
Mountain03,<kuid:401543:1011>
Mountain04,<kuid:401543:1012>
Displacement03,<kuid:401543:1015>
Displacement02,<kuid:401543:1014>
Displacement01,<kuid:401543:1013>
Volcano,<kuid:401543:1022>
Vale,<kuid:401543:1018>
Valley01,<kuid:401543:1019>
Valley02,<kuid:401543:1020>
Valley03,<kuid:401543:1021>

Bob

 

[clam1952]

I've been following davesnow's tutorial on creating my own displacement maps. (http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?t=28240&highlight=terrain+tutorial)

I created a map; the image looks "ok" to me; the config file seems ok. I was able to create it without error in the Content Manager, but it shows up completely black when I try to use it in TS2010. I am assuming my greyscale range is in error, so I thought I'd try to look at one of the existing displacement maps.

Let's say I want to view the existing displacement map "Mountain01" in TS2010. The configuration file for this asset indicated the image file is Mountain01.bmp.

A search for "Mountain01" in the TS2010 folder turns up nothing. I ASSUME that it's somehow encoded in one of hash-??? file in the local folder, but I haven't a clue how to tell which.

Can anyone shed some light of this.

Use Content manager, search displacement > right click > open for edit in explorer.

Don't touch anything in a hash file it's not editable when in that format.

As a thought if it's black it may be the GTX4xx series hardware compression problem, try turning it off in CM's settings.

 

[wreeder]

What does your config.txt look like? This is one of mine that is working:

kuid                                    <kuid:59723:100007>
kind                                    "groundbrush"
username                                "Newest build test dmap"
description                             "Test"
category-class                          "BRSH"
trainz-build                            2.9
displacement-bitmap                     "displacement.bmp"

thumbnails
{
}

William

 

[wklang]

Thanks for the assistance.

I looked at the existing displacement maps for the size and resolution and modeled my test displacement on the existing maps. (I used 256x256, 72 pixel/in resolution).

The problem with my displacement map appearing "black" as shown in the surveyor pick-list most likely had something to do with the jpg compression. My original image was .jpg. I changed the image to .bmp and all appeared to work correctly.

Thanks again,

Wes

 

[wreeder]

Hi Wes,

JPGs will work but there are several options when saving a .jpg image so it may be that you had one set that wasn't compatible. You are also not limited to 256 x 256 anymore. I've created one at 2048 x 2048. This is quite useful if you want to cover several baseboards at a time.

Here is a shortcut that might come in handy in TS2010. You can create and save displacement maps from Surveyor using existing route terrain. In the Displacement map panel just draw out an area over the terrain you want and then click the Get Displacement button. Your map will appear in the view area. Click the check mark that appears in the left top corner to get a save dialog. Your new Displacement map will be listed in CM under the My Content tab.

I use this feature to create several "template" map assets which I open for edit and then replace the existing images with ones that I have created.

William

 

[wklang]

Thanks, William, for the tip on saving displacements directly from Surveyor.

Wes

 

[Dralex]

I would prefer HOG to transfer a greyscale map into Trainz, especially if it is bigger than 256*256 pixels. Besides, HOG can 'eat' images in a format other than 8-bit greyscale, thus getting a finer height resolution. I am still looking for that thread about getting rid of the ridges HOG creates at baseboard boundaries (IME only in the N/S direction).

Dralex