Raymond's Newbie Thoughts

[Raymond7cn 6,772]

@chfzdn @Wiimeiser God blessed, I got some improvement today.

By comparing differences among all Comp1Texture's hex codes, I kept the same equal parts (beginning and end) as the same before, as for the middle part, I presume that it's the color data, Then I changed all 'FF' to '00', since In Photoshop, #000000 represents (red=00, green=00, blue=00) Black, then I got this:

You can tell according to the result, the pure black area means no applying Level Brush, I guess other colors are some grey values which are equivalent to height values, Apparently, The pure white (FFFFFF) means adjusting to the same Level as the height of center coordinate's.

Anyway, Still need more tests to figure out the mystery within.

Edit:

Hiya @rivit, Can I use GoFsh to do this work? I mean just modify the color data in PS, keep the other data same after Encoding, It's really a pain to edit them in HEX.

Edit again:

After counting the pixels in PS, I have matched up them to the hex values, there are 128x128 =16384 two hex digits (color data) in total, That Bitmap has 3040 black pixels and 8992 white pixels and 4352 grey pixels, so I thought two hexadecimal digits represent a color, then there would be 16x16=256, so this probably is a Grey-scale map. Besides, It seems the Brush is too sensitive to our mouse's Direction, I need to figure out how to fix is as I desire, Maybe some clues in other terrain's parameters.

[Propfam 2,288]

I hope you can make some really cool applications with this knowledge!

[Raymond7cn 6,772]

[City_Slider 2,716]

I can see, you like it, to playing around :-P

[rivit 3,391]

15 hours ago, Raymond7cn said:

Hiya @rivit, Can I use GoFsh to do this work?

Photoshop for the manipulations, GoFSH to save them - these are just Greyscale 256 textures and I imagine the pixel values are multipliers - that is pixel value/255 * some reference value.  

[Wiimeiser 444]

15 hours ago, chfzdn said:

We. Need. This. We don't need to use SC4Terraformer that could destroy cities anymore just for that.

And we can modify the terrain as needed, too.

[Raymond7cn 6,772]

7 hours ago, rivit said:

Photoshop for the manipulations, GoFSH to save them - these are just Greyscale 256 textures and I imagine the pixel values are multipliers - that is pixel value/255 * some reference value.  

Hiya Rivit, Sorry that I didn't describe it clearly, Yes, You're right about the greyscale texture, Whereas these Brush's FSHs seems to be a wee different with other FSH's formats, FSH_Format Wiki, their head parts's Directory ID Values = G349,  But the one I edited (Just save, no change) with Photoshop and then encoded with GOFsh, it became to G264:

Furthermore, I also found that the offset address of the pixel's hex values changed, for example, some hex values was in the beginning part, but changed to the bottom part after encoding, so base on the same looking FSHs, (G349,G264), I got two different results in game:

But if I just edit them with HxD or a Graphic tool by EA, they worked (but hard to edit). Sorry if it's an issue caused by my mistake, I really want to make patterns in Photoshop.

----- Today's progress -----

I got dramatic improvement today! That's almost what I desire.

After many trials and errors, I found this property "BrushWiggleAmount", when I added this one and set the value to "0", and also set Comp1AlighedWithMouseDirection = False, The scope of Brush stop rotating and wiggling. Furthermore, I found this FSH:

You can tell it's the… I don't know how to call it, Indicator? it can be edited as any shape.

The last puzzle is that I need to figure out how to stop it from expanding and shrinking, I thought this FSH probably is invoked by Effdir.

Besides, These two properties:

Comp1OperationID, 

Comp1BaseTextureVal, 

First of all, there are 4 sets in Reader's list, Comp1…2…3…4, I haven't figured out how to mix them in one Exemplar, but this way works in some Brushes, I just haven't understood the logic.

Second, the value of them are very interesting, some values of OperationID didn't exist in any Exemplars, but they seemed have some Special functions, I just need to do more tests to prove that. the value of BaseTextureVal is very easy to understand literally, For example, if I set it to "00", then the white color in its Texture (FSH) is treated to be a base value, if I set it to a grey value, then both sides(white and black) can function in Level Brush.

Besides, After I tidied up the whole Brush Exemplars a bit:

Please note those I marked Unknown at the bottom, It seemed that they haven't been used by game, (Or maybe I'm ignorant) One of them is called 'GodValleyRain', isn't it the Rain tool created by Jeronij (sorry for maybe wrong author), its description is fill any depressions with water. and the volcano and earthquake Brushes, I have never seen them in game either. And also the Lake and Spring Brushes where says: "Click to create a stream", "Lowers the terrain and fills it with water."

I also recall a cheat code when I was learning CoriBoom's SetViewTarget, It's "ApplyTerrainBrush, 0", Dunno If I can use it for my goal as well.

Well, I need to speed up a bit to figure out how to modify the TerraForm menu first, Anyway, I would go back modelling if have no luck there tomorrow, The Brush is very funny, it's suppose to be more potential within.

[Propfam 2,288]

2 hours ago, Raymond7cn said:

isn't it the Rain tool created by Jeronij (sorry for maybe wrong author)

You mean @Teirusu, more specifically this.

2 hours ago, Raymond7cn said:

Well, I need to speed up a bit to figure out how to modify the TerraForm menu first.

How about if we start from GTM?

Hope it helps. Thanks.

[rivit 3,391]

3 hours ago, Raymond7cn said:

heir head parts's Directory ID Values = G349,  But the one I edited (Just save, no change) with Photoshop and then encoded with GOFsh, it became to G264:

Hi Raymond - the Group (directoryID) is really only an identifier used for administrative or grouping purposes .It doesn't actually have any effect of the format of a FSH. However based on what you've shown something else is going on with the pixel values as interpreted by GoFSH and then SimCity. I didnt expect that. Its A PAL8 texture (so should be saved as GREY 256 not auto in GoFSH) according to FSHLib,  and if thats what you used then I would expect it to correct so I'll check that out. I'll get back to you. 

[Raymond7cn 6,772]

36 minutes ago, rivit said:

Hi Raymond - the Group (directoryID) is really only an identifier used for administrative or grouping purposes .It doesn't actually have any effect of the format of a FSH. However based on what you've shown something else is going on with the pixel values as interpreted by GoFSH and then SimCity. I didnt expect that. Its A PAL8 texture (so should be saved as GREY 256 not auto in GoFSH) according to FSHLib,  and if thats what you used then I would expect it to correct so I'll check that out. I'll get back to you. 

Thank you so much for your supporting, Rivit, Please forgive me that I should upload those files to you in previous post, such a mess of my head at then. Frankly, Your professional explaining still is hard to me. however, I did have tried to use GREY 256 for encoding, but that FSH seemed couldn't be recognized by Brush, I'm not pretty sure about it, since the game didn't crash either. Sorry that I'm outside now, I'll report more infos when I get home. Thanks again!

Yours,

-- Raymond

[Raymond7cn 6,772]

Finished! This is a super lever Brush I wanted.

One line, One Click, The green indicator doesn't change the size or rotate, pretty precise along the left edge.

[City_Slider 2,716]

Cool ;-)

[Raymond7cn 6,772]

1 hour ago, City_Slider said:

Cool ;-)

Maybe more cool, Oliver

Hiya My friends, @Barroco Hispano @mattb325 and sorry that I must especially beep you here, I just thought a while with all these mysteries I have just cracked, Don't you think that the Terrain Brush it seems to simulate some functions in 3ds max? I mean Comp (1,2,3,4) looks like the Layers (also in Photoshop) by which we can mix many patterns to create more possibilities, and also for those Comp textures, Don't they look like some Special map channels in 3ds max, or especially the Displacement modifier? Woww! You can imagine how many wild thoughts in my head now, I'll delve into it more deeper, we may can make many very interesting(complicated) Terrains (easily).

[Kloudkicker 4,561]

 Fascinating and exciting work Raymond, your amazing. 

[Barroco Hispano 26,702]

@Raymond7cn They are more like zbrush brushes and I think I have some brushes that might work for you. I tried to use my brushes in sc4 but I got the same problem that you had at the beginning that it seems you have already solved. 

Use these to see what happens (Downloaded from textures.com)

TexturesCom_RockAlpha4_512_3dbrush.tif

TexturesCom_RockAlpha6_512_3dbrush.tif

I will send you my terrain brushes from zbrush tomorrow.

[Propfam 2,288]

Huge progress made by @Raymond7cn! Just need some finishing in terms of icons in God Mode, obviously.

[rivit 3,391]

Hi Raymond,

  The mystery deepens. I've been able to prove that the Greyscale files made by GoFSH and the originals only differ by the header and two bytes just before the greyscale palette.  The latter seems to have affected how SC4 read the file so that I think they read as having a blank pallette or black images - ie zero - hence no changes show in the brush and no crash. I still don't know why those bytes need to be 01 00 00 01 - its really not obvious from the Original FSHLib sources. So I'll take that one on the chin as a bug that I need to fix. 

On the other hand the headers differ by the space allocated and the Group and text. Maybe for the terrain brushes of G231 this space is meaningful, but the level brush doesn't have that space.  So I'm no closer to that one yet. This extra header space is largely 00 bytes and the size details in the header are the same. So Group may have a meaning here, but given it doesnt anywhere else I cant be sure.

[Raymond7cn 6,772]

Thank you for your consistent supports, My friends!

@Barroco Hispano Yes, Alejo,I will try your wonderful maps later, and I just know you can play zbrush, I only know it's good at making human models, You're a true Specialist of modelling.

@rivit Really Appreciate the efforts you put on this, Rivit, You knew that my ability couldn't afford help to your work, The only tool maybe a little helpful is this one I searched and downloaded from here, EA Graphics Editor 1.0.4b. But it's very hard to use, and I still have no luck on importing bmp or dds from PS.

So, Anyway, Today I made this:

 @Barroco Hispano Checker map

I believe that there is still more potential by mixing Comp1 and 2…4, Mayeb a Rallying road in mountain? I don't know, but our imagination is limitless.

[mattb325 28,880]

Excellent work, here, Raymond! These new brushes will definitely come in handy when making seaports/canals. 

[Raymond7cn 6,772]

30 minutes ago, mattb325 said:

Excellent work, here, Raymond! These new brushes will definitely come in handy when making seaports/canals. 

Thank you Matt, Actually these all were generated by 3ds max, More Ray's one click brushes (gradient ramp @mattb325):

Wait, what's that? haha.

A scene from a wild west movie.

[Propfam 2,288]

6 minutes ago, Raymond7cn said:

Thank you Matt, Actually these all were generated by 3ds max, More Ray's one click brushes (gradient ramp @mattb325):

Wait, what's that? haha.

A scene from a wild west movie.

Instacliff!

[rivit 3,391]

Ray can you put up a linkie to one or two of these FSH you have edited please? - I would like to test GoFSH with them.  I still havent been able to make one show up properly so perhaps I'm not using the correct FSH TGI in the terrain brush.

[Raymond7cn 6,772]

1 hour ago, rivit said:

Ray can you put up a linkie to one or two of these FSH you have edited please? - I would like to test GoFSH with them.  I still havent been able to make one show up properly so perhaps I'm not using the correct FSH TGI in the terrain brush.

Yes sir, Give me one minute.

@CorinaMarie @Cyclone Boom SC4 is not just a game, Right? CoriBoom. (Thank you for your tea, CB)

[Raymond7cn 6,772]

@rivit Hiya Rivit, They are here: Brushes_For_Rivit.zip 

Edit: Oh sorry, It seems you need my whole brush files (including Exemplar and that indicator) to have a clear observation, Please give me some time for tidying them up a bit.

Hiya Rivit, The SuperLevelBrush and MountainBrush are here : Beushes_2.zip, I have made them to still there without rotating and shaking, I thought you can see the changes more clearer, and the green indicator has been made to square in Superlevelbrush, by the FSH within, this brush only have effect on the left edge.

[Propfam 2,288]

1 hour ago, Raymond7cn said:

Yes sir, Give me one minute.

@CorinaMarie @Cyclone Boom SC4 is not just a game, Right? CoriBoom. (Thank you for your tea, CB)

It's full-blown SC4Terraformer integrated to the game!

[Raymond7cn 6,772]

10 hours ago, chfzdn said:

Huge progress made by @Raymond7cn! Just need some finishing in terms of icons in God Mode, obviously.

Thank you @chfzdn, Sorry that I don't know too much about some Mods in TerraForm menu, But it seems not very hard to add new brushes:

It's just a test, with some new IIDs so that they won't conflict with originals.

[Raymond7cn 6,772]

@BartonThinks Hiya Barton, Just a random thought, Do you think it's a good idea to make some customized Brushes for flora?

[Whte_rbt 1,431]

I know you asked BartonThinks specifically but yes, I could use a square tree brush. It would make filling in 'Central Park' type builds so much easier.

The number of times I've had to demolish roads/buildings because of one errant tree placed by the circular tools....

[20huskies 4,693]

4 hours ago, Raymond7cn said:

Thank you Matt, Actually these all were generated by 3ds max, More Ray's one click brushes (gradient ramp @mattb325):

Wait, what's that? haha.

A scene from a wild west movie.

Ray, this is awesome!

[AsimPika3172 1,136]

Cool! 😎