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Darwin Theatre under way

Posted By: MrJelly

Darwin Theatre under way - 08/11/19 04:05 PM

With the tile-map and height-map from the Darwin SF1 theatre converted and edited into UAW160 format using my new utility I loaded a beta version pf the SPAW upgrade, and a SPAW planeset.
The SPAW terrrain worked well with the tilemap

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Even though the target placements are not made for this 500x500 theatre there are enough targets and bases on land, and others that need to be on water, on water to allow credible missions to be set up in order to test the new map files.

Here are two smile


Catapult launch from a battleship
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We made a mess of that carrier:
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A lot of deck cargo and ordnance was destroyed:
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Screenies from the second mission show how well the height map is working:
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Posted By: Rotton50

Re: Darwin Theatre under way - 08/11/19 04:58 PM

Very nice improvement over the existing SPAW terrain.

I would be happy to place the new SPAW targets in their proper location on the new terrain but we need to talk about the target placement in harbors and villages before I can do so.
Posted By: Moggy

Re: Darwin Theatre under way - 08/11/19 05:06 PM

biggrin
Posted By: MrJelly

Re: Darwin Theatre under way - 08/11/19 08:02 PM

I have now found a way of reading the location of the cities and targets on the SF1 map

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The cities are the red dots

I should be able to convert the values to the EAW map smile
The cities are the red dots
Posted By: 453Raafspitty

Re: Darwin Theatre under way - 08/11/19 10:42 PM

Wheres the airfields?The soil should be more a reddish colour.
https://www.ozatwar.com/airfields/fighterguidemap.jpg
https://northernterritory.com/darwin-and-surrounds/see-and-do/wwii-strauss-airfield-precinct
Posted By: MrJelly

Re: Darwin Theatre under way - 08/12/19 02:21 AM

No airfields. This was the pre- captain Cook version smile
Posted By: Redwolf

Re: Darwin Theatre under way - 08/12/19 05:09 PM

Nice - looks like another great release to come!
Posted By: Ajay

Re: Darwin Theatre under way - 08/13/19 02:29 AM

No actual Darwin or Northern Australia? Being hugely outnumbered in P40s against the might of four cv wings raiding Darwin would have made for hard flying and fighting.
Posted By: AlanBGomez

Re: Darwin Theatre under way - 08/13/19 10:24 AM

Well done mode! I know the book "Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 3 – Air. Volume 2 ". There are many illustrations and photos of battlefield. For example, check this Rabaul ablaze on 2nd November 1943. Look what a massacre! [Linked Image]

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Posted By: MrJelly

Re: Darwin Theatre under way - 08/13/19 06:38 PM

I have now been able to get the target names from the SF1 files, and it is coming along wink

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There is still heaps of work to do though frown
Posted By: Moggy

Re: Darwin Theatre under way - 08/13/19 10:19 PM

You is a modder!

winkngrin
Posted By: iron mike

Re: Darwin Theatre under way - 08/14/19 03:41 AM

Quite right Moggy.

I wonder if the maps from Pacific Air War can be of use?
Posted By: 453Raafspitty

Re: Darwin Theatre under way - 08/14/19 08:06 AM

I think PAW is more to the East of Australia..
Posted By: Stratos

Re: Darwin Theatre under way - 08/14/19 01:56 PM

I would love a reboot of PAW with 3d carriers and proper planeset.
Posted By: MrJelly

Re: Darwin Theatre under way - 08/14/19 05:22 PM

This is what I am up to today:

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I can get a whole lot of target data from the SF1 files and convert the (X.Y) co-ordinates to EAW format
Then I can load the EAW "targets.dat" file and display essential data.

This will allow me to match a Darwin target with an appropriate EAW target, and replace the EAW (X.Y) co-ordinates with the Darwin ones and then save the Darwin version.
This step is yet to be done, as well as moving the unused EAW targets off the map wink
The whole point of the exercise is to generate a good working base so that the targets can be modded in the target editor with TMods that are more appropriate for the area.
wink Jel
Posted By: iron mike

Re: Darwin Theatre under way - 08/15/19 02:15 AM

OOPS!

I thought it covered farther west.
Posted By: 453Raafspitty

Re: Darwin Theatre under way - 08/15/19 08:45 AM

"Much combat overhead Welltree. Old Harry Sergeant, Tommy Skewes, Winnie Sergeant and a number of Aboriginal stockmen were out mustering at Welltree and being harassed by a Betty Bomber which was apparently strafing the musteres on horseback causing them to take cover in the thick scrub. The Betty turned north, when attacked by a Spitfire, along what is now known as the old Welltree road towards what is now the homestead at very low level being chased by the Spitfire. In pressing home his attack the Spitfire pilot failed to pull completely out of his last attack on the bomber. His aircraft hit the trees and subsequently crashed a few kilometres to the north into the Greater Reynolds Swamps. The Betty bomber crashed a few kilometres from where Welltree homestead is located today."
Old Welltree Homestead.
https://mapper.acme.com/?ll=-13.206,130.534&z=15&t=SL&marker0=-13.206,130.534,Welltree
Posted By: MrJelly

Re: Darwin Theatre under way - 08/15/19 04:44 PM

Spits and Betties ?
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Posted By: MrJelly

Re: Darwin Theatre under way - 08/15/19 06:27 PM

This is with the Burma terrain:

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Posted By: 453Raafspitty

Re: Darwin Theatre under way - 08/15/19 09:54 PM

You need read this.
https://www.ozatwar.com/raf/spitfireoverdarwin.pdf
Posted By: MrJelly

Re: Darwin Theatre under way - 08/16/19 09:07 AM

The point of this exercise was to see how much I could extract from SF1 files and use in UAW160.
I am very pleased with the outcome and I have a working Darwin theatre wink
It is not a good set-up for groundstarted missions in multiplayer because there are few targets and the distances are large.
However, I will add ship convoys on invisible rail lines and a few other things to try to get a good multiplayer version, and release a beta for the GameRanger players.
It will be developed slowly, but after that release I intend to replace the current TMods with more appropriate ones.
I just want to let players have a bit of fun, and historical accuracy is far from essential.
Posted By: MrJelly

Re: Darwin Theatre under way - 08/16/19 06:54 PM

I got the convoys working and made a new front-line wink
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Posted By: MrJelly

Re: Darwin Theatre under way - 08/17/19 12:40 PM

Today's progress
More appropriate TMods and the interdiction convoys have been re-built with a wide variety of ships smile

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These convoys move on invisible railway lines, hence they change direction smile
Posted By: 453Raafspitty

Re: Darwin Theatre under way - 08/18/19 04:53 AM

Most Japanese raids happened at altitudes above 20,000 feet plus were escorted by Zeros.Interesting the Navy bombers and Zeros used a different formation than the allies or Germany.Bombers used a crescent shaped formation and the Zeros used a very loose Vic formation.The Darwin Spitfires were trying to use the Kenley Wing but due to training shortcomings and mechanical failures this was impossible.
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