For real-world terrain, DEM data would obviously be more appropriate. It would however, at least if the current terrain.ffp format is used, also put a much larger burden on the map creator (the person), as s/he would have to either manually or by using some tool convert the terrain grid elevation data into the FFP format to reduce memory load (and CPU consumption for looking up terrain height), and then "paint" all the meshes with appropriate terrain ID's.

Isn't it exactly how all 4 custom maps were made? DEM is translated into intermediate elevation data by the utility whose screenshot is posted in this very thread (Terrain Editor), then using the same utility landcover and roads were added. Then this intermediate elevation file is transformed into ffp by yet another RobFox's utility (Terrain Generator).

The process is not all that difficult and can be further facilitated using Craigmire utility for automated "painting". Resulting maps differ from original ones only by unability to add roads and river data, I think. Adding those would be the biggest breakthrough in map creation since Alaska

Further, I also value a lot real terrain. Real countries, possible conflicts (even if I like them a bit over the top), real towns, mountains and seas.

What about having some nifty way to load the required parts of the landscape on the fly from disk while within the game?
Memory footprint could be adjusted quite freely and diskspace is quite cheap, so that wouldn't be an issue either.
That way your terrain-size is only limited by diskspace and could allow for even bigger maps without getting into trouble with the RAM.

The only problem would be the distribution of the terrain data, but fractal compression or other sort of compression could help there.
I don't think you can do much more than that anyway because generating fictional terrain isn't much of an option for a flightsim imho. At least for me it would loose too much of the realism I'm looking for in a flightsim.

PS
maybe we should take this terrain discussion into a seperate thread. This one seems to grow slowly into the allmighty and universal thread

Very interesting discussion though some of it is best left to the programmers.

I for one also prefer realistic terrain. Starshoy on that score you know any compatible Afghanistan DEMs? I had an idea for campaign enhancement but forgot what it was. It was something to do with mission generation, ah that's it. External reinforcement of ground troops. Not created by the generators at airfields but appear around the map based on force levels etc...

Anyway sound cool.

RobFox to my knowledge had some DEMs for "interesting places" (if you catch my drift), and he is the one who actually wrote and knows BED internally so to speak.

XO and chief of staff of the Detached Helicopter Squadron of the former RUSSIAN Air Force [=RAF=] lieutenant-colonel Starshoy wrote the BED’s documentation and used BED to create new maps for campaigns and skirmishes.

Welcoming him back, I’d ask: please live him be to have a vacation in his virtual flight carrier cradle and amongst comrades, before he would escape and abandon us yet again.

All we need now is an enemy or two (like PRIDE helicopter battalion) and them good old fighting days can come back too!

Starshoy, this is Sarge, do you read me? over
...

Are you in contact with RobFox, Sarge? I really want to enjoy the modified game a little bit and not repeat my IL-2 experience, which was (and to a lesser degree is) exceptional in many aspects but one - I never ever flew it online, had no time, then no desire - somehow it became associated with hard work, not pleasure.

On the other hand, I do want to make some new maps, especially "interesting" ones

I lost contact with him unfortunately

I'd suggest you fly first, comrade, then see if you have enough fuel and inspiration to do new staff to fly with, rather then just do it for the sake of producing and not fly at all - takes fun out of your life and turns it into another job otherwise.

I still have his ICQ and sometimes see him online. Will try to contact him.

greetings to you sarge,

good to read you too comrade INSPECTOR

Just played an offline campaign in Georgia last weekend. With new textures and other improvements it looks like a whole new game. I don't even want to make new maps if I can't provide new textures for them - Alaska is OK as snow is a snow, but Aleutians graphics looks very dated.

I do think we need to suppress enemy planes and helicopter icons on a map - at least in offline games. Of course, with an open code it may never be totally safe to rely on that online, but I am sure it is not a problem to find a honest opponent

I don't even want to make new maps if I can't provide new textures for them
HI Starshoy
I can make textures for new maps! is not a proplem
and Craigmire make trees and new watercolors.

That's what I hoped for . For a new island whose picture I posted in this thread, we would need some subtropical terrain, I'd say the same we need for Cuba. That's actually, a bit of a problem - I'd prefer something different.

In fact, I thought that with summer Alaska terrain apparently scheduled to appear soon , it can make more sense for me to make a second Alaska map, selecting this time some area more to the south, may be close to Anchorage. I did not select this area in the first place because it would require more advanced textures than we had back then.

It is also much easier to explain absense of visible roads in Alaska.

What do you think?

Hi Starshoy
Can you make Fjords?

We have no DEMs for them apparently. To my knowledge the only source of free high resolution DEMs which work with the RobFox' Terrain Editor are USGS 1 degree DEMs. Then again people somehow made Kuwait and Lybia, so there may be other sources

Other than that, yes, I'd love fjords

A task of making Norway fjords reminds me of Slartibartfast. But at least fjords in Alaska would be more in place than in Africa

Look Misty Fjords
i have this For FS2004 is nice trrain


http://secure.simmarket.com/product_info.php?products_id=1052

Yes, it looks very nice. I'll try to play with DEMs of the area, will show the results - sometimes Alaskan DEMs do not join nicely, though it is more typical for Northern areas.

I am not sure what scenario involving Russian and US helicopters we can invent for this map, except continuation of hostilities in Alaska and Aleutians. Except may be British Columbia joining China

not quite, here is a link to free DEMS,
http://www.dgadv.com/dgtv/
1 arcsec for the US (30 meter) and 3 arcsec for the whole world (~90 m)

Did you try to use these data with TED? I only successfully generated elevation file from USGS DEMs (3 arcsec) - and use them now too. The rest of DEMs (worldwide) avalable back then did not work. May be the latest TED is capable to use other formats, I am just not aware which would work.