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ArmA 3 Import Satellite As Smaller Tiles

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Howto use ArmA 3 Terrain Builder to import huge monster satellite texture / mask in smaller sized tile images.

Problem: You have 40960 x 40960 resolution satellite images and those are extremely tough to edit and import into terrain builder.
Solution: slice up the huge images to 4 smaller 20480 x 20480 pieces and import them one by one.

BTW If you want to test this, you can import same satellite image more than once, when you do it second time it shows up in layer manager → raster as “<filename> -1” name, second same image import appears as “<filename> -2” etc. Also you don't have to use large 20480 x 20480 image, you can take even 1024 res image and import that, you stretch it over the wanted area in terrain builder layer settings.

Take your terrain size and divide by two, this resulting number is what you use to type into terrain properties to align the satellite image tiles (do not confuse to “satellite tile size” heh).

In our example we use 81920 sized terrain (81.9km) with 40960 x 40960 satellite resolution, but you can use this method to smaller satellite image sizes too (or larger I guess? heh). We assume your satellite tiles are 20480 x 20480 resolution and there are 4 of them to be joined as one 40960 resolution final satellite texture / mask image.

Basically your (terrain size / 2) value will be added to the easting / northing coordinates. Easting by default is 200000 so you add 40960 to it which comes to 240960 value. Northing is bit easier as its just zero, you simply add your tile size as-is there where necessary.

Mapframe Position Easting Northing
Bottom Left 200000 0
Bottom Right 240960 0
Top Left 200000 40960
Top Right 240960 40960

Step by Step Guide

Satellite Mask

  1. file → import → satellite mask, choose your bottom left corner tile
  2. RMB → terrain coordinates & properties, type easting: 200000, northing 0 and 40960 as size
  3. file → import → satellite mask, choose your bottom right corner tile
  4. RMB → terrain coordinates & properties, type easting: 240960, northing 0 and 40960 as size
  5. file → import → satellite mask, choose your top left corner tile
  6. RMB → terrain coordinates & properties, type easting: 200000, northing 40960 and 40960 as size
  7. file → import → satellite mask, choose your top right corner tile
  8. RMB → terrain coordinates & properties, type easting: 240960, northing 0 and 40960 as size

Satellite Texture

  1. file → import → satellite image, choose your bottom left corner tile
  2. RMB → terrain coordinates & properties, type easting: 200000, northing 0 and 40960 as size
  3. file → import → satellite image, choose your bottom right corner tile
  4. RMB → terrain coordinates & properties, type easting: 240960, northing 0 and 40960 as size
  5. file → import → satellite image, choose your top left corner tile
  6. RMB → terrain coordinates & properties, type easting: 200000, northing 40960 and 40960 as size
  7. file → import → satellite image, choose your top right corner tile
  8. RMB → terrain coordinates & properties, type easting: 240960, northing 40960 and 40960 as size

Simple Example Values

To make this simple, here are couple of other example values.

Remember, terrain size divided by 2 is your satellite tile value (satellite texture sliced to four tiles).

Example 1
Terrain size: 102400
Terrain properties size: 51200 (terrain size / 2)

Example 2
Terrain size: 57344
Terrain properties size: 28672 (terrain size / 2)

Example 3
Terrain size: 20480
Terrain properties size: 10240 (terrain size / 2)

Tile Example Values

Satellite tiles for terrain builder import, how to import them with proper values.

Formula is mapsize - tile size == northing slots. subtract tile size from previous slot to get down one row. 

20480 res satellite 4 x 4 TILE size 5120 (1m/px)
A row1 northing: 15360, easting tile 2: 205120, 3: 210240, 4: 215360,
B row2 northing: 10240,
C row3 northing: 5120,
D row4 northing: 0,

35840 res satellite 4 x 4 TILE size 8960 (4m/px)
A row1 northing: 107520, easting tile 2: 235840, 3: 271680, 4: 307520,
B row2 northing: 71680,
C row3 northing: 35840,
D row4 northing: 0,

40960 res satellite 4 x 4 TILE size 10240 (2m/px)
A row1 northing: 61440, easting tile 2: 220480, 3: 240960, 4: 261440,
B row2 northing: 40960,
C row3 northing: 20480,
D row4 northing: 0,

40960 res satellite 4 x 4 TILE size 10240 (1m/px)
A row1 northing: 30720, easting tile 2: 210240, 3: 220480, 4: 230720,
B row2 northing: 20480,
C row3 northing: 10240,
D row4 northing: 0,

51200 res satellite 4 x 4 TILE size 25600 (2m/px)
A row1 northing: 76800, easting tile 2: 225600, 3: 251200, 4: 276800,
B row2 northing: 51200,
C row3 northing: 25600,
D row4 northing: 0,

71680 res satellite 4 x 4 TILE size 17920 (2m/px)
A row1 northing: 107520, easting tile 2: 235840, 3: 271680, 4: 307520,
B row2 northing: 71680,
C row3 northing: 35840,
D row4 northing: 0,

81920 res satellite 4 x 4 TILE size 20480 (1m/px)
A row1 northing: 61440, easting tile 2: 220480, 3: 240960, 4: 261440,
B row2 northing: 40960,
C row3 northing: 20480,
D row4 northing: 0,

81920 res satellite 4 x 4 TILE size 20480 (2m/px)
A row1 northing: 122880, easting tile 2: 240960, 3: 281920, 4: 322880,
B row2 northing: 81920,
C row3 northing: 40960,
D row4 northing: 0,

81920 res satellite 8 x 8 TILE size 10240 (1m/px)
A row1 northing: 71680, easting tile 2: 210240, 3: 220480, 4: 230720, 5: 240960, 6: 251200, 7: 261440, 8: 271680,
B row2 northing: 61440,
C row3 northing: 51200,
D row4 northing: 40960,
E row5 northing: 30720,
F row6 northing: 20480,
G row7 northing: 10240,
H row8 northing: 0,

102400 res satellite 4 x 4 TILE size 25600 (1m/px)
A row1 northing: 76800, easting tile 2: 225600, 3: 251200, 4: 276800,
B row2 northing: 51200,
C row3 northing: 25600,
D row4 northing: 0,

102400 res satellite 8 x 8 TILE size 12800 (2m/px)
A row1 northing: 179200, easting tile 2: 225600, 3: 251200, 4: 276800, 5: 302400, 6: 328000, 7: 353600, 8: 379200,
B row2 northing: 153600,
C row3 northing: 128000,
D row4 northing: 102400,
E row5 northing: 76800,
F row6 northing: 51200,
G row7 northing: 25600,
H row8 northing: 0,

143360 res satellite 5 x 5 TILE size: 28672 (2m/px)
A row1 northing: 114688, easting tile 2: 228672, 3: 257344, 4: 286016, 5: 314688,
B row2 northing: 86016,
C row3 northing: 57344,
D row4 northing: 28672,
E row5 northing: 0,

143360 res satellite 8 x 8 TILE size 17920 (1m/px)
A row1 northing: 125440, easting tile 2: 217920, 3: 235840, 4: 253760, 5: 271680, 6: 289600, 7: 307520, 8: 325440,
B row2 northing: 107520,
C row3 northing: 89600,
D row4 northing: 71680,
E row5 northing: 53760,
F row6 northing: 35840,
G row7 northing: 17920,
H row8 northing: 0,

163840 res satellite 8 x 8 TILE size 20480 (1m/px)
A row1 northing: 143360, easting tile 2: 220480, 3: 240960, 4: 261440, 5: 281920, 6: 302400, 7: 322880, 8: 343360,
B row2 northing: 122880,
C row3 northing: 102400,
D row4 northing: 81920,
E row5 northing: 61440,
F row6 northing: 40960,
G row7 northing: 20480,
H row8 northing: 0,

204800 res satellite 8 x 8 TILE size 25600 (1m/px)
A row1 northing: 179200, easting tile 2: 225600, 3: 251200, 4: 276800, 5: 302400, 6: 328000, 7: 353600, 8: 379200,
B row2 northing: 153600,
C row3 northing: 128000,
D row4 northing: 102400,
E row5 northing: 76800,
F row6 northing: 51200,
G row7 northing: 25600,
H row8 northing: 0,

204800 res satellite 8 x 8 TILE size 25600 (2m/px)
A row1 northing: 358400, easting tile 2: 251200, 3: 302400, 4: 353600, 5: 404800, 6: 456000, 7: 507200, 8: 558400,
B row2 northing: 307200,
C row3 northing: 256000,
D row4 northing: 204800,
E row5 northing: 153600,
F row6 northing: 102400,
G row7 northing: 51200,
H row8 northing: 0,

See also Large Satellite Tiles.