Map Orientation

[Captain Orso]

I'm wondering, is the Normandy map going to be oriented to the north like the Caucasus map, or will it be oriented along the coastline?

 

Would it even be possible to have a map oriented other than to the north?

[Ala13_ManOWar]

In a different planet than Earth sure, or you can wait for the next magnetic poles interchange :D. Anyway you can look at the map oriented anywhere you want, just Sun will always rise from East and set to the West.

 

 

S!

[joey45]

Would be great to have a North arrow on the maps.....

[MegOhm_SD]

+1 for the North Arrow on the Maps...All of them.

[Weta43]

You mean all the different Norths or all the different maps ?

 

( :) )

[NeilWillis]

The simplest way to see maps is to hold them so the writing is the right way up, and then you will know that North is at the top, and South is at the bottom. Exactly what constitutes North would take a lot of discussion regarding the merits of Mercator projection, a lump of (mostly) molten iron at the Earth's core, and why the magnetic pole flips every few millenia, and also why magnetic North is such an elusive slippery thing, changing constantly and at a rate that is also always changing.

 

For now however, North is generally at the top, and South at the bottom. This has been the case since the 19th century when maps and charts originally started to be based on accurate surveys.

 

If you like, I can get in touch with the Ordnance Survey in the UK, and other organisations around the world, and question why this is so, but I have a sneaky feeling they might not take us very seriously! Which way would you like North to point in your personal world?

[Captain Orso]

What the heck are you guys talking about?

 

I'm talking about the DCSW environment-map. The one you create missions for, and you fly on. Not some printed map with a compass rose, sheesh :doh:

[Art-J]

What the heck are you guys talking about?

 

I'm talking about the DCSW environment-map. The one you create missions for, and you fly on. Not some printed map with a compass rose, sheesh :doh:

 

You've got me lost here. What the hack are YOU talking about then :D ? I understand it's not about F10 map, but what do You mean by "oriented along the coastline"? Relative to what?

[Racoon]

In case your reference point is your monitor - all the World is moving around you ))

 

PS Some great news are coming for you "two weeks" lovers. And this is the only one small step...

[cthulhu68]

Intriguing....

[Captain Orso]

The current Caucasus map looks like this

 

 

What if you could orient it to look like this

 

 

The map size would be much smaller in memory, for the same size of playing area.

[Justificus]

...

 

PS Some great news are coming for you "two weeks" lovers. And this is the only one small step...

 

Wow, look out folks, I sense another hype train coming our way!!! :pilotfly:

[Rangi]

Captain how does changing the orientation affect the memory use? In your adjusted orientation map there is much more land than the original and land uses more memory than water. I still don't get what you mean but we'll done for getting an interesting comment out of Raccoon.

[QuiGon]

In case your reference point is your monitor - all the World is moving around you ))

 

PS Some great news are coming for you "two weeks" lovers. And this is the only one small step...

 

For us two weeks lovers? Does that mean release of Normandy in Two Weeks ?! :D

[Racoon]

The map size would be much smaller in memory, for the same size of playing area.

 

The map isn't a picture like a screenshot. It's more about different textures and vector data for heights (very basic explanation). From these two components, vector data maybe 5-10% of all volume. So empty sea takes a very small amount of the memory, almost nothing.

Back to Normandy - it is in "normal" orientation.

[NeilWillis]

What the heck are you guys talking about?

 

I'm talking about the DCSW environment-map. The one you create missions for, and you fly on. Not some printed map with a compass rose, sheesh :doh:

 

A simple solution would be to turn your monitor upside down then perhaps? I presume you were hoping to orient the map so you'd see the invasion beaches from the Allies point of view?

 

One slight fly in the ointment, but even the D-Day planners used maps with North at the top! I know cuz I saw the maps on the walls behind Eisenhower et al in wartime pictures.

 

Another thought...

 

Did the Allies get an advantage in being at the top of the maps - so it was downhill all the way to the Reich?

[Ala13_ManOWar]

Back to Normandy - it is in "normal" orientation.

Yes, like the real World is, North-South, not only because compasses points out magnetic North but due to Earth rotating on its axis :huh:. Still you can make missions "pointing" the map wherever you want to so coast lines can represent whatever the place you want around the World.

 

 

S!

[Captain Orso]

The map isn't a picture like a screenshot. It's more about different textures and vector data for heights (very basic explanation). From these two components, vector data maybe 5-10% of all volume. So empty sea takes a very small amount of the memory, almost nothing.

Back to Normandy - it is in "normal" orientation.

 

Thanks Racoon ;)

[Captain Orso]

Yes, like the real World is, North-South, not only because compasses points out magnetic North but due to Earth rotating on its axis :huh:. Still you can make missions "pointing" the map wherever you want to so coast lines can represent whatever the place you want around the World.

 

 

S!

 

I was at first thinking about the Normandy map, but only when you go further up the coast into Holland does the coast become so diagonal. But looking up the coast I could see that is the area of both Market-Garden and Wacht am Rhein, where a diagonally oriented map might have been of use.

 

But if the lion's share of memory is used for textures and you can simply leave out high detail textures for areas you don't really need, like Crimea on the current Caucasus map, then it probably doesn't make really any difference, as long a the total linear size is irrelevant.

[Captain Orso]

A simple solution would be to turn your monitor upside down then perhaps? I presume you were hoping to orient the map so you'd see the invasion beaches from the Allies point of view?

 

One slight fly in the ointment, but even the D-Day planners used maps with North at the top! I know cuz I saw the maps on the walls behind Eisenhower et al in wartime pictures.

 

Another thought...

 

Did the Allies get an advantage in being at the top of the maps - so it was downhill all the way to the Reich?

 

 

.. why didn't I think of that? :cry:

 

I'll try it tonight and tell you how it went.

 

Of course, if anything goes wrong... Liam Nielson .. find you .. skill sets .. you know the schtick ....

 

 

 

[Ala13_ManOWar]

I was at first thinking about the Normandy map, but only when you go further up the coast into Holland does the coast become so diagonal. But looking up the coast I could see that is the area of both Market-Garden and Wacht am Rhein, where a diagonally oriented map might have been of use.

 

But if the lion's share of memory is used for textures and you can simply leave out high detail textures for areas you don't really need, like Crimea on the current Caucasus map, then it probably doesn't make really any difference, as long a the total linear size is irrelevant.

I was thinking indeed why couldn't devs just make it big enough, including South England of course but not only, also deeper into Europe even though like Crimea lacking detail but allowing us for longer missions and flight times, even more with the new airports feature.

 

 

S!

[NeilWillis]

 

.. why didn't I think of that? :cry:

 

I'll try it tonight and tell you how it went.

 

Of course, if anything goes wrong... Liam Nielson .. find you .. skill sets .. you know the schtick ....

 

 

 

 

At least we both have a well developed sense of humour Captain Orso :)

[Captain Orso]

At least we both have a well developed sense of humour Captain Orso :)

 

The way I fly, you've got to have a good sense of humor :joystick:

[Captain Orso]

I was thinking indeed why couldn't devs just make it big enough, including South England of course but not only, also deeper into Europe even though like Crimea lacking detail but allowing us for longer missions and flight times, even more with the new airports feature.

 

 

S!

 

Maybe with the map SDK a 3rd party could expand the map to include southern England. I have no idea if that is possible, but it would save disk space over a completely separate map, which would cover all of Normandy redundantly with the addition of southern England. But we will see.