Map Symbols

This is overview of 2D map features, as they appear in briefing and in-game 2D map as well as a part of the TOPOGRAPHY cheat output.

Roads

It is possible to have 3 types of graphical representation for roads in Arma:

• field track - as in original Operation Flashpoint, width as Roadway LOD
• road - black outline, pale yellow fill, width as Roadway LOD
• main road - yellow-oragne filling, width as Roadway LOD

Colours are defined in (core) cfgUI.hpp:

class CfgInGameUI
{
	// ...
	class IslandMap
	{
		// ...
		colorTracks[] = { 0.35, 0.2, 0.1, 0.8 };
		colorRoads[] = { 0.35, 0.2, 0.1, 1 };
		colorMainRoads[] = { 0, 0, 0, 1 };
		colorTracksFill[] = { 0, 0, 0, 0 };
		colorRoadsFill[] = { 1, 0.92, 0.74, 1 };
		colorMainRoadsFill[] = { 0.93, 0.11, 0.14, 0.8 };
	};
	// ...
};

To view the roads correctly, all their models should contain Named Property map in 1st Resolution LOD or in Geometry LOD. Crossroads should have the property of the road which is higher in hierarchy (e.g. crosroad of main road and track will have map=main road). Named Property map values for the road types:

• track
• road (used in cases model is class=road but named property "map" is not defined)
• main road

The following roads were used on Sahrani (roads.pbo):

• flagged road - kos* - road
• field track - ces* - track
• main tarmac road - sil* - main road
• other tarmac roads - asf* - road
• urban road for cities - silnice_mesto* - main road

Local names in map

Besides the setttlement names, it is possible to add more local name types. All such names and symbols are inserted in Visitor using Key Points. Info on key points is stored in MapName.hpp during export of WRP and should be included in map config. Some symbols have icons as well or are used just as icons.

List of key point types:

• Hill - name of hill (mountain) - small black italics and icon
• BorderCrossing - red icon
• VegetationBroadleaf - green icon for broadleaf forest, no name
• VegetationFir - green icon for coniferous forest, no name
• VegetationPalm - green icon for palm grove, no name
• VegetationVineyard - green icon for vineyards, no name
• NameMarine - name for bays, straits, capes, lakes etc., blue italics
• NameCityCapital - big black name for main cities
• NameCity - black names of common cities
• NameVillage - smaller version of city name
• NameLocal - local name, used for islands, natural features, special locations, brown italics
• RockArea - icon of rocky area, same symbol as for single rock object used

Drawing of particular Key Points is defined in config (class CfgLocationTypes.<TypeName>). Following values are used:

• name - user-friendly type name (for use in editor)
• drawStyle - how is it drawn
  • name - name without icon, better adaptation to map zoom
  • mount - hill - point icon and height
  • icon - icon, sometimes with inscription
  • area - surface filled by pattern
• texture - texture of icon o filling
• color - colour of texture and text
• size - size of icon (size in pixels in reference resolution 640 x 480)
• font - font used
• textSize - basic text size (proportion of screen height)

Key points are inserted in Visitoru, their types are listed in file KPtypes.cfg, which is part of Visitor distribution. New types may be added provided they are defined in game/addon configuration.

Objects

Icons are assigned to objects based on values of Named Property map.

List of values (class - Named Property):

• Tree
• SmallTree
• Bush
• Building
• House
• ForestBorder
• ForestTriangle
• ForestSquare
• Church
• Chapel
• Cross
• Rock
• Bunker
• Fortress
• Fountain
• ViewTower
• Lighthouse
• Quay
• Fuelstation
• Hospital
• Fence
• Wall
• Hide
• BusStop
• Road
• Forest
• Transmitter
• Stack
• Ruin
• Tourism
• WaterTower
• Track
• MainRoad - MAIN ROAD
• Rocks
• Power Lines

Icons for 2D map

Icon for each map property is defined in map resources (default in class RscMapControl v rscCommon.hpp). every type has its own subclass named as a type, containing following settings:

• icon - name of icon texture
• color - icon colour (multiplied with colour in texture)
• size - icon size (pixels with reference resolution 640 x 480)
• importance - decides, which icon is drawn when there are several overlapping icons in one place
• coefMin - how much can icon scale down when zooming out
• coefMax - how big can icon become when zooming in

Icons without assignment to object, inserted only via Key Points, are following:

• vegetationPalm
• vegetationFir
• vegetationBroadleaf
• vegetationVineyard
• borderCrossing
• viewpoint
• hill
• rockArea

Buildings

Buidlings (property map = building, house and fence) are drawn as bounding boxes, coloured by average texture colour. For some buildings with special icon, both icon and bounding box are drawn.

Map types, where both icon and box are used:

• fuelStation
• hospital
• chapel
• church
• tourism
• ruin

Power lines

Black line is drawn along memory points of power line objects. Snapping points of models are discarded by binarisation, hence they cannot be used. In Memory LOD of powerline models are points map1 and map2, between which the line is drawn. Models need to have named property map = power lines.

List of powerline objects in Armed Assault:

misc\sloup_vn.p3d - pole
misc\sloup_vn_drat.p3d - wires
misc\sloup_vn_dratz.p3d - wires, diverting 5°
buldings\trafostanica_velka_draty.p3d - wires to power house

Rocks

Similar as forests. Instead of several objects, light brown semi-transparent polygon is drawn based on density specified in map config. On Sahrani, several big rocky areas were accompanied by KeyPoint icon for rocks.

In map config:

minRocksInRockSquare = N;

Colours are defined in RscMapControl

colorRocks
colorRocksBorder

Forests

Polygons around groups Kreslení polygonů okolo skupin lesů, v configu mapy je intentita sdružování kontrolována pomocí:

TreesInForestSquare = N;

Lower the N, more intensive aggregation to polygons.

Colours are set in RscMapControl:

colorForest
colorForestBorder

Airfield Runway and Taxiway

Runway and taxiway are drawn, both as rectangles based on ILS values in map config. If the taxiway is more complex, rectangle is still drawn. Width of both rectangles is fixed in the engine.

Elevation Contours

They are drawn according to map terrain. Colour of contours is set in central config (RscMapControl) as colorCountLines and colorCountLinesWater. Every 5th contours is drawn bolder, contour interval cahnges acording to map zoom.

Satellite Texture

It is possible to display surface texture in mission editor of the game. It is cut to squares and stored in map PBO (/Data/Layers/). In the area outside the map, top right square of the set is displayed repeatedly.

Map Grid

To be described.