Instruction: Generating a new FarTiles.bin file.

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stickman
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Joined: 05 Nov 2004, 13:17
Location: Oahu, Hawai'i

Instruction: Generating a new FarTiles.bin file.

Post by stickman »

Generating a new Landscap\FarTiles.bin file.

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Before doing this, restart your computer.
After start up, shut down all unneccesary programs running in the back ground of your computer.
Disable MultiSkin. Do this in the bdg.txt file in the root folder, this line: MULTI_SKIN_MODE=DISABLE
In the game Options > More GFX, set Ground Object Density to Minimum.
You need as much memory and resources as you have available to do this batch.

1. Right click the BoB exe in the Battle of Britain II root folder, and create a shortcut.
Drag it onto the Desktop.
Rename it as BoB FARTILES.

2. Right click this icon and select Properties.
In the Target window, add -SAVETILES to the end of "C:\Battle of Britain II\BoB.exe" (with a space between):
"C:\Battle of Britain II\BoB.exe" -SAVETILES
Click Apply, then click OK.

3. Double click this desktop BoB FARTILES icon. Choose the default Instant Action takeoff mission. Fly.
The batch process for generating a new landscap\Fartiles.bin file will begin. It will stay on Generating Weather for many minutes.
This will take from 5 to 20 minutes depending on your system. 256 megabytes need to be batched!
The last time I did this with public v2.07 release, it took 6 minutes to batch.
I could hear my hard drive winding down from the WWHHHIRRRrrrr... and then the game started OK.
You will see the "red death" screen as if your aircraft crashed. OK. Alt-X out of game and Quit.
Check that a new Fartiles.bin file with today's date and time are in the Landscap folder.

4. Go flying for awhile and look in front of you.

Tip! in the bdg.txt file, set this switch to ON:
ENGINE_ALWAYS_RUNNING=ON
I advise this because it is a clue as to when the FARTILES are batched and when the game starts.
Sometimes when I did not stop background processes, and remove MultiSkin,
I heard the engine running, then it would Crash To Desktop or the computer would restart!
These things are undesirable! Though a new FarTiles would be generated, it is suspect in my suspicious mind.

Aloha!
Last edited by stickman on 19 Jun 2008, 23:57, edited 1 time in total.

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jbdenney
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Joined: 30 Nov 2007, 11:34
Location: Houston, TX

Post by jbdenney »

I have what is probably a real stupid question - but I am a noob afterall - why would I want/need to do this?

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stickman
BDG
Posts: 8754
Joined: 05 Nov 2004, 13:17
Location: Oahu, Hawai'i

Post by stickman »

Only if you make a set of new terrain textures.
This information is for terrain texture modders. No need to worry about it, otherwise. Normal users do not need to do this.
Terrain texture modders should include their own Fartiles.bin with their work.

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I wish to add here, that Osram coded this batch process.
Before he did so, the Fartiles.bin was slaved to to the original Rowan textures.
Osram "freed up" the Fartiles.bin so that any modified terrain textures will look the same, NEAR and FAR, using his batch process.
Thanks be to Osram! (where is the kowtow icon?)
Last edited by stickman on 13 Jan 2008, 23:26, edited 1 time in total.

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PV
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Joined: 13 Nov 2004, 08:21
Location: Lost in the tundra, Canada

Post by PV »

why would I want/need to do this?
*> If you load a new set of terrain textures for which a fartiles isn't supplied

*> If you load a new set of textures for which a fartiles download is optional, and you wish to avoid a ~25MB additional download due to bitrate limitations

*> if you load a new terrain (as opposed to textureset) update, and you want to avoid seeing a discontinuity in the terrain at mid-distance before a new fartiles is offered for the particular textureset you are using, or if no one posts a fartiles update for that particular textureset.

*> if you construct your own textureset by mix-n-match from all the textures provided in the many texturesets currently offered (each landscape texture is independent of the others, though the result may look a little inconsistent), so you need a custom fartiles to match your custom textureset.

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