Blue Marble Terrain

[PickledDictator]

Due to the overwhelming reviews, I too am now downloading to play. It looks pretty intense

 

[Ninja2]

Is it not possible to install Blue Marble, and then continue a saved game? Or do I need to start a whole new game after installation?

 

[JustATourist]

It is possible to continue a saved game.

 

[Ninja2]

Well, not for me. I'm naturally playing my Merged Mod, and for some reason the game won't load. This happens even if I just install the terrain, which is all I want anyway. It does work with the mod if I start a new game, but it just won't load a save... oh well.

 

[Sovetskysoyuz]

I just went to download this mod onto my new Macbook... and was shocked to find out that all the zip files now contain exe's. Is there any pressing reason why this had to be changed? I loved Blue Marble on my old computer, and I'd like to get it back.

 

[ColdFever]

All the zip files now contain exe's. Is there any pressing reason why this had to be changed? I loved Blue Marble on my old computer, and I'd like to get it back.

This is an outdated thread for BlueMarble v1, please do not use it anymore.
BlueMarble for PC always has been distributed as EXE files for a safe and comfortable installation. For a Mac version please see what Mac specialist AlanH writes in the Macforum where you also find download links and an optional tool from Alan:
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=177454

 

[schlalex]

Hey sorry, if i ask here. I am playing the Mod FFH, With the latest update, they deleted the option to use BM instead of their own terrain, which comes with the mod. Unfortunately its very ugly and i dont like it. I asked how to reactivate BM, but they did not wanna help me (dont wanna distribute BM^^), just said, it is easy to copy the files themselves. But i cannot figure out which files. I just need the Terrain Files,not the Leaderheads. I copied them (at least i think so) to the Mod folder and created an option in the XML files, but it still doesnt work.
Maybe here someone can tell me, which files exactly i have to copy and what else i have to do.
Thx for answers, i just love BM, u did a great job!!

E: Damn wrong thread, sorry.

 

[phill4848]

does it work for mods

 

[Graceheart the Leopard]

Is there a version of Blue Marble I can install like a mod?

 

[Leoreth]

I'm currently trying to make a Blue Marble module for my modmod, containing only the changes to terrain and feature graphics (including rivers, water etc.).

However, that requires to exactly know which Art Define XMLs to modify. Changing the terrain types was easy, however, I have some problems to locate the actual graphic files for the new jungle/forest graphics and rivers. See the attached screenshots for a comparison of my modular attempt to simply copying the files into the mod's art folder.

Can somebody help me out and locate the appropriate files / parts of XML to modify?

 

[embryodead]

I have no experience with the modular thing but:

Rives are defined in XML/Art/CIV4RiverModelInfos.xml and textures are Art/Terrain/Routes/Rivers

Trees are in defined in XML/Art/CIV4ArtDefines_Feature.xml, where their point to default nifs in Art/Terrain/Features/... However, the tree textures are actually in Art/Shared.

 

[Leoreth]

Thanks. The problem is, it seems I can't influence which textures are used. If the Blue Marble textures are included into a mod, they're loaded instead of the original textures and everything works out.

However, when I'm making a module (it's my first attempt here so I might be wrong in that), the only way to include things put it into Modules\Blue Marble Terrain\ and also include the according part of the ArtDefines_Feature.xml there. The problem is, the art define file only concerns itself with the NIF files, which are the same.

I now managed to make it work by including all the NIF files and change their texture with NIFSkope, but I really wonder if that's the only way to get this done.

 

[Leoreth]

Okay, I have to correct that: while it works with jungles and forests, it seems that changing the textures of the river NIFs to those provided by Blue Marble has no effect.

Still nobody here to help me out?

 

[embryodead]

Are you changing the path in NIFs, or texture filenames as well? I don't know where modules are in loading hierarchy when it comes to textures, but if they aren't on top, different filenames could help.

 

[Leoreth]

The module includes its own ArtDefines XML which should supercede the mod's for every tag it includes, and these point to NIFs that point to the right textures. But it might be worth to give it a try

 

[embryodead]

What I mean is the texture name inside NIF, which isn't in the XML. Normally the game tries to load the same texture from at least three places: same folder, shared folder and every single FPK file with matching relative path. Which brings me to another idea - you can also make BM practically modular (just not XML-modular) by putting it in a FPK. Several mods do this. To install you'd just need to copy "BlueMarble.FPK" file into the Art folder, and delete it to uninstall.

 

[Leoreth]

That's a great idea actually! Thanks

(I mainly started this project to get the knack of modules, but I think I did that, so cheating is allowed I guess )

 

[Leoreth]

It appears that actual files in the Art folder take precedence over files in FPKs so that doesn't work, unfortunately

 

[embryodead]

Oh, you can just pack all your mod's base graphics into another FPK. You should anyway (it makes the mod launch faster). That being said, it's not as hassle-free as I thought if you update your mod frequently, since FPK files are loaded by date of last modification.

 

[Leoreth]

Does that mean newer FPKs take precedence over older ones?

The problem with that is I'd like to offer a way to optionally use Blue Marble even while playing SVN versions, and I'd like to keep the art files in folders in my working copy to make things easier.