8 replies to this topic

[Rob38]

I'm curious to know more about these "widescreen" maps are in your mod. What did you do to the maps?

[Rimli]

Sorry for late answer.

Its not a big thing

Afaik BFME handles your widescreen settings (16:9) the same way as if it was a 4:3 setting
-> 4*4=16
-> 3*3=9 <- smaller factor so this reduces the amount you can zoom out

BFME does this:
-> 4*3=12
-> 3*3=9

So BFME handles your zoom as you would have a 12:9 resolution. This is NOT good. You have to make BFME to handle your zoom as you would have a
-> 4*4=16
->3*4=12
=> 16:12 resolution.

How can you do this: Just change the amount of zoom out in your map settings in the worldbuilder.
12/9=1.333

Standard map settings for example:
Max height: 300

Widescreen map settings would be:
Max height: 433 (300*1.333)

So you just use different maps for widescreen resolutions that's all.

Effect:
BFME shows you the game as if it was a 16:12 resolution. As you have only a 16:9 screen the uppest and lowest part is removed (so total zoom out is like you would have an 4:3 resoltion with Max height 300).
I hope it's understandable, not easy for me to describe this in English (it's not even easy to describe it in German ^^)

If you have any questions feel free to ask.

Edited by MotWlRimli, 26 December 2010 - 06:56 PM.

[Rob38]

Interesting... I wonder if this affects me? I have my resolution set at 1400X1050 when playing BFME. This follows the 4:3 ratio. The max resolution my monitor can display is 1920X1080.

[Rimli]

I think as long as you have a 4:3 resolution you dont have to think about this issue.

[Ganon]

I don't get what it is exactly you are trying to describe.

I play at 1920 x 1080, 1.78:1, or 16:9 (very wide) and all maps are at the default 300 max camera height. Does that mean that part of my screen is cut off?

Some things look sorta stretched, and when in the spellstore, it doesn't quite display right, but to me it looks like I can see everything as if I was playing at 4:3.
Like I used to, on my old computer.

Edit: Oh wait, I think I know what you're refering to. When you set it to a resolution that is preset in the game, (1600 x1200) this is still 4:3, but the angle of the camera is lower so it looks like it's closer to the ground.

Edited by Ganon, 12 September 2011 - 04:39 AM.

[Rimli]

Hm made a small picture to explain it better.


On the right is 4:3 resolution. (No problem for Sage engine):
You have set your zoom to 300. Sage engine sets 300 for width and 300*(3/4)=225 for height. 225 is a measure how "close" you are to the battlefield in you maximum zoom out.

On the left is 16:9 resolution.
Sage engine deals it similar to 4:3 resolution (red) but you can only see the green part. The blue part is "cut off".
As it deals like a 4:3 resolution the width is again 300 but 300*(9/16)=168,75 for height! 168,75 causes that you can not zoom so much out as in 4:3, you are closer to the battleground.

-> 225/168,75=1,33333

So set your new zoom out for your 16:9 map to 300*1,3333=400

Now you have for the 16:9 resolution: width 400, height: 400*(9/16)= 225. So you are now so far from the battleground as you would be with a 4:3 resolution and zoom 300.
But width is now more than with 4:3, so you can see more on the left and on the right of the battlefield and this is the advantage you should enjoy when playing with a widescreen monitor. ^^

[Ganon]

Now it feels like I'm too far away from the battlefield.


Maybe I've just gotten used to the closer zoom?
Oh well, I can get used to this too. And it's much easier to control your armies at this zoom level too!
I think I'm gonna start doing this for every map, since I play at 1920 x 1080 res. Thanks for pointing this out.

How did you learn about this anyway?

[Kwen]

What about 16:10 aspect ratio? (1680x1050)

[Rimli]

For 16:10:
Width: 300, Height: 300*10/16=187,5

225/187,5=1,2

-> Set zoom too 300*1,2=360 to have the same zoom out as on 4:3 with 300 zoom.

@Ganon
There was a WS mappack for BFME1 on GR.org. As soon as you have a closer look to the numbers it's not too hard to guess how the SAGE-engine does deal with this.