scennery height - help me about landscape relief

[ultralajt]

Hi all!

I always dream to put my real flying place into FMS. I almost did, but because I dont know all about making landscapes, the result is not as it should be.

I use one known scennery as template and change all bitmaps with bitmaps (aerial photos) of my real place.
Then I draw a B/W bitmap that represent heights of ground. (White as the lowest and black for the highest spots)

The realized landscape is way different as I expected to be. The highest mountain is too small. I need to create higher mountains and hills that souround my landing place.

Is there any solution to enlarge the height difference between white and black colour. I need almost 3 times larger difference.

If anyone can give me a solution, I will be very glad!

Thanks!

Mitja ???

[Perry]

FMS uses the gray scale height distance map to create the landscape, using polygons.
The map is stretched over the entire area.
Black is the highest possible point and white is the lowest possible point. FMS interprets this scale from 64 - 0 (B - W)
That I know of you cannot increase or lower the scale to create higher mountains or lower valleys. ( I would like to know if this information is in error but I believe it to be correct )
You can however place objects above 64 or alternately below 0
An interresting thing I did discover is that FMS does not use every point of the height distance bitmap, but instead picks a point at regular intervals to take a sample and set polygon points.
Those points are determined like this in this example:

SCENE 500 250 25 (a typical example)

(500) The scene is 500 points left, right, above, and below center or 0 position. This makes a scene of 1000 longitude, and 1000 Latitude total. This number can be a maximum of 1400.

(250) The scene is split into matrix sections of 250. 1000 divided by 250 = 4. So the scene is 4 bitmaps across and 4 bitmaps down making a matrix of 16. This number is usually evenly divisable into the former (500), however I found by experiment that it may also in a rare case be double of the former (500) or 1000 in this case. In the case where you double it, one bitmap would cover the entire scene.

(25) Each matrix section is divided into a grid. Every 25th point is used as a sample and sets a polygon point. This number must be evenly divisable into the former (250). It cannot be set less than 1/10 of the former number (250)

you can prove this by setting only every 25th point black in your height distance map (note that since your height Dist map is 500 and actually stretched over 1000, this will be the 12.5 pixel). You will find that these are the only points that affect the scene. (obviously 1/2 pixel is not editable but if you color the 12th and 13th it will serve the purpose)

250 / 25 = 10
10 x 4 = 40
So in the above example there are actually 40 polygon points across and 40 points down that determine the hills and valleys of your scenery.


I also found that you may add a 5th Quadrant to your scene making a matrix of 5 x 5 or 25 instead of 16,
For example:
Quadrant 5 0 1 1 Switz3s

Your SCENE command then must be set up to accomodate it like.
SCENE 1250 250 25

but I found that this matrix size is maximum and you will not be allowed to place any objects.
In this case you might be wise to experiment with a larger Height Distance map.


Try these interesting scene arangements for variation


SKY 300 5000 Switz_sky

// AIRCRAFT_POSITION -208 -180 0
AIRCRAFT_POSITION -41 -36 0
PILOT_POSITION -36 -34 5

3D_LANDSCAPE SwitzHEIGHT

SCENE 100 50 5

QUADRANT 0 0 1 1 Switz3s
QUADRANT 1 0 1 1 Switz4s
QUADRANT 2 0 1 1 Switz3s
QUADRANT 3 0 1 1 Switz4s

QUADRANT 0 1 1 1 Switz1s
QUADRANT 1 1 1 1 Switz2r
QUADRANT 2 1 1 1 Switz1s
QUADRANT 3 1 1 1 Switz2s

QUADRANT 0 2 1 1 Switz3s
QUADRANT 1 2 1 1 Switz4s
QUADRANT 2 2 1 1 Switz3s
QUADRANT 3 2 1 1 Switz4s

QUADRANT 0 3 1 1 Switz1s
QUADRANT 1 3 1 1 Switz2s
QUADRANT 2 3 1 1 Switz1s
QUADRANT 3 3 1 1 Switz2s

END


SKY 300 5000 SKYTEX
AIRCRAFT_Position -582.4879 -556.3361 2.5098
PILOT_Position -607.0048 -553.4435 2.5098


3D_LANDSCAPE SwitzHeight

SCENE 1400 700 70
QUADRANT 0 0 1 1 Switz3s
QUADRANT 1 0 1 1 Switz4s
QUADRANT 2 0 1 1 Switz3s
QUADRANT 3 0 1 1 Switz4s

QUADRANT 0 1 1 1 Switz1s
QUADRANT 1 1 1 1 Switz2r
QUADRANT 2 1 1 1 Switz1s
QUADRANT 3 1 1 1 Switz2s

QUADRANT 0 2 1 1 Switz3s
QUADRANT 1 2 1 1 Switz4s
QUADRANT 2 2 1 1 Switz3s
QUADRANT 3 2 1 1 Switz4s

QUADRANT 0 3 1 1 Switz1s
QUADRANT 1 3 1 1 Switz2s
QUADRANT 2 3 1 1 Switz1s
QUADRANT 3 3 1 1 Switz2s


END