====== ArmA 3 Terrain Satellite Mask Files Backup ======

[[https://www.pmctactical.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=68|ArmA 3 Forum]], [[:arma3|ArmA 3]], [[arma3:config|ArmA 3 Config]], [[arma3:missions|ArmA 3 Missions]], [[arma3:modeling|ArmA 3 3D Modeling]], [[arma3:scripting|ArmA 3 Scripting]], [[arma3:terrain|ArmA 3 Terrain]], [[arma3:texturing|ArmA 3 Texturing]], [[arma3:tools|ArmA 3 Tools]]

This info relates to my ArmA 3 satellite mask images which are in raw BMP image file format and file names (prefixes I guess) are "Sat_Mask_". This also uses for UTC timestamping my own _run_date_time.bat file in specific dir, not included here, post to PMC Tactical Forum if you want to see this batch file.

**Backup Sat_Mask_*.bmp files.**

2020-11-25

Satellite mask images are BMP and they are usually huge, however they are very low in COLORS so they will 7-Zip compress to incredibly small size. For example if you have a large PNG file that is all but useless to be packed with 7-zip, it doesn't go any smaller size same as almost raw format BMP image does.

You don't need to delete Sat_Mask_*.* files, just 7-zip store them. For example 19gb of Sat_Mask_*.bmp 81,920 resolution satellite mask tile images compressed to mere 2.89mb, yes two point eight nine **megabytes**.

_run_backup_Sat_Mask_files.bat:
<code dos>
@echo off
call d:\backups\_run_date_time.bat

7za a -mx=9 _Backup_Sat_Mask_%PMCUTC%.7z Sat_Mask_*
pause
exit
</code>