Solved Updating the Worldmap

[Armada]

None of this makes any sense. The geometry itself doesn't appear to have any problems (it shows correctly in GM Viewer, after all), but EVERYTHING I exported from the main Maya file is invisible in the game.
This includes the San Felipe fort, which I just tested. The Render Stats are correct, the export settings are correct, the textures are fine, the scale is fine... so what the hell am I missing?
The game acknowledges the island's existence, and even its shape, as demonstrated by the foam files it produced, but something is stopping it from rendering at all.

I'm running out of ideas, so don't get your hopes up for a solution.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Uh???

So the game IS generating the PROPER foam now, right? From you actual island model? That's still one step in the right direction.

What happens if you just export a box as if it were an island model? Does THAT show?

 

[Armada]

No, the foam doesn't actually appear in the game either. BUT one of the files the game generated was a TGA showing the island's silhouette, which proves that it recognised the shape properly.

I'll try a box and see what happens.

 

[Armada]

Correction: the foam DOES render properly in-game. I suddenly caught a glimpse of a white line on the horizon, and sailed towards it to find the foam sitting there. Still no island in view, though.
Weird thing is, on the World Map, finding the foam had led me here:

Spoiler: Show image

So one thing I think we can learn from this is... the island used to be the wrong way round, but in the right position... and now it's the RIGHT way round (and invisible) but in the WRONG position.



EDIT: Box was also invisible, by the way.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

If it's in the wrong position now, could it be that the game IS showing the island somewhere, just so far away that you don't see it?
I wished I knew how to check on that.

What if you take that Barbados island model as point (0,0,0) so you can try to use that for positioning?

 

[Armada]

Maybe that's what's happening, but it doesn't explain why I can find the foam by itself, with no island in sight.
The Barbados model is actually on top of the point (0,0,0), whereas Cartagena is nowhere near that point. But it wasn't near it before I turned it round, either.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Then could you take the coordinates from the original Cartagena town location?
Load both models and put both towns on top of each other?

Going even crazier: Take that Barbados island model that DOES show up, then put Cartagena on top WITHOUT removing Barbados first.
Then see what loads in the game.

 

[Armada]

No need for that... repositioning the island seems to have persuaded it to render properly!

And thank goodness for that. It was really messing with my head.
Now I can focus on the more important things, like getting the fort to work...

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Really? REALLY???? That's BRILLIANT! Awesome and amazing too, by the way!

I know what it's like when computer things go messing with your head. Had the same thing myself two days ago with the flags.
Soooooo annoying. I'm glad you managed it in the end!

 

[Armada]

Yes, really. I'm satisfied with the model (having tweaked it so that the San Felipe fort isn't positioned too high up), and I'm trying to make the COL files now.

The controls for the location lighter are very awkward, by the way. Controlling both the camera and the mouse cursor isn't easy.
And what are the controls for the free camera? I'm trying to use that while lighting the location, but I don't know how to move it.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

The controls for the location lighter are very awkward, by the way. Controlling both the camera and the mouse cursor isn't easy.

You got that right! I wonder how the game developers did it. Probably not quite like that.

And what are the controls for the free camera? I'm trying to use that while lighting the location, but I don't know how to move it.

Left and right mouse button should move forward and backward.

 

[Armada]

OK, I gave the COL files a go, but somehow only managed to produce one for Day, Evening and Night.
I've uploaded the fixed models and COL files here: Cartahena_NEW_FIX.7z

After using those weird controls, I'm struggling to use my mouse normally again... either I'm dizzy or the cursor is.

EDIT: Note that the fort still doesn't have any cannon locators yet. It does have flag locators, but no flag, so I'm guessing something else needs changing?

 

[Pieter Boelen]

For some reason, the use of the morning and evening names are swapped in the game. I'll see what I can do.

Am I correct in saying that the _NEW GM files are the ones I should use? Those seem to indeed be the newest.
Edit: Nope, apparently not.

The lack of flag is probably because there is no fort commander defined yet. There aren't ANY Cartagena characters defined yet.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Just tested and indeed it DOES work. This is a big day; a big day indeed.
Great job, Armada!

 

[Armada]

Oops; the _NEW files were included by accident. They were the original 'invisible' models that I renamed when I substituted the Barbados models in temporarily.

Makes sense that there aren't any characters for Cartagena yet. At least we can go ahead with that knowing that the island works properly, now.

One small quirk I noticed, though, is that the island doesn't quite match up with the World Map mainland positioning.
It's not out by much, but it means that sailing as far inland as you can on the World Map will position you a bit further offshore in sailing mode.
I guess that means moving some coordinates in Worldmap_init.c again, perhaps?

 

[Pieter Boelen]

I suppose it is indeed either that or shift the island model again.
At least being further out to sea than the Worldmap suggest is preferable over being IN the island.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Just so you know, I updated the missing COL files, added a Fort Commander and fixed some slight things in the code, which results in this:

The flag shows now!

BTW: I'm not sure if the fort reload locator is in the right spot yet. When the game recognizes it as my enemy, it plays the "I escaped" music when I just about pass the fort.
The game might still consider it to be on the other side where the CoAS version used to be.

 

[Armada]

Cool! We're getting there at long last.
I noticed that the old fort was floating slightly to the west of the new one before I swapped them, so I suspect the fort reload locator is around there somewhere.
I'll be away for most of this week, so I'll try to sort out some of the locators today. If I don't finish them, I'll do so next weekend when I come back.

EDIT: I've just added another screenshot to the ModDB page which shows the entire World Map; I figured people would want to see the whole thing.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

No problem; at least things are playable now, even if the locators don't match up entirely.

You'll be missed while you're gone. I hope you'll have fun!

 

[Armada]

It'll be nice to have a break from this, at least. I'm just glad I figured out the problem before leaving; one less thing to worry about.