OK, time to give some more explanations (i hope that i will pick the right words to express it correctly
??: i dont want to piss off anyone)
regarding the textures of the map-terrain:
currently i am using a google sat-image as a reference color map (so there is no details, no lowdetails). It is used to give me an additional idea (ontop of the nasa-sat-topographie) of the area and the layout of buildings). I will require it until all areas of the map are developed in regards to static placement and other stuff.
i have not yet decided how the textures will be finally done:
terragen does it nicely (tpaint would only be a interim-option, i am however currently not planning on involving it, tsplit will do). I have some experience doing 6-layers in terragen, and i have also worked with overlay images in terragen (via plugin) to use it to draw roads and other selected areas. The outcome was nice, but not perfect in my eyes.
That is why currently i am planning on doing the details (or at least some) by hand in the editor, and use that as a mask either for terragen or photoshop.
So if you ask me to answer your question right now:
I will paint my details when i start to delete the current color map somewhere towards the
end of the maps development cycle...
roads:
currently they are used to do some terra forming and to give an idea where roads will be placed later on, but they got noting to do with how they will look in the end.
regarding the inter-storey junctions on my buildings:
I am aware of the fact that faces could be spared as explained by Jonny.
As i have described i am building my statics from walls-parts (4m long) that i have prefabricated. In order to create a junction from one floor to another, or between 2 of my walls, and retaining the full integrity of a "closed" model i need to create a junction.
To give an example: a wall part with a window inside is more complex than a simple straight wall, there are cuttings on it resulting in vertices (points). To connect 2 walls i have to connect all these points (the junction comes into play).
Why create "closed" models? As stated before i want ai as an option on this map. To get the bots to navigate my buildings i can either model them entirely in the described way or create an additional col3, resulting in even more time used on my models.
[ AI support & Sandys time => junctions are required.
]
So now that i got these junctions on my buildings, or at least on the few ones with more than one floor, i might as well give them some different texturing. Why? First and for most i personally think it is boring to look at otherwise.
(I am aware that this is just my opinion, it might even be unrealistic.)
Second thing is: on my prebuild walls i have dirt on the lower end: To make it look good i would have to remove this dirt again from my higher floors or i could simply give the junction a different color. That is the time-factor coming into play again. If you take a look at many of the DICE models, as well as a lot of others out there: they all got junctions in different colors. My guess: among other things they didn't have infinite time to spend, just like me.
Also it adds in an
unrealistic gameplay-factor (to both sides, so its fair)
that i personally like to the map: it will be easier to communicate contacts to your squad:
[imaginative voip chat]
:d rillserg o
ld_sandy: squad, multiple enemy contacts on the green roof, bearing 185 - marked now...
[or]
addaco: sandy get down, sniper 2nd floor blue window
[imaginative voip chat end]
and guess why he was so fast on counting the floors on the building he could report them before he noticed the bright color of the window? And to flip my nade in i needed the floor number first
(this has never happened - just an imagination:mrgreen
I hope this all explains some things, and leaves you with new questions.
sg
latest update at bottom of post #1, older info's & updates in post #3
- should i start that of now or can "we" live with my thin walls ?
ops:
all updates included to post #1
)
. However i am planning on some more heavy destructions...let me see if i can get this one working and than after the map is basiclly finished i can easily replace buildings by destoyable pendants i have yet to create from my buildings.