Creating A Master File

Slide 5

It's time to discuss this database and the techniques used in its construction. First of all, this database is nothing more than a collection of disk-based resources that have been glued together by using link nodes and .BOX files.

Figure 1.1. Disk-Based Resources. This database uses the following disk-based resources.

Reference Structure

This section describes the reference structure for each resource file. A reference occurs when a resource is pointed at by another resource.

Figure 1.2. References For Each Resource. The reference structure for each resource file. Obviously resources such as bitmap files cannot point at other resources.

Link Structure

This section describes the link structure for all the resource files that reference external resources. This list does not include LIGHTS.BOX, KLAMATH_FALLS.BMP, or TRAIL.BMP since those resources do not reference other resources.

Figure 1.3. Link Structure For TERRAIN_MASTER.BOX. The link structure of this collection of resources originates in TERRAIN_MASTER.BOX. NOTE: The link structure is not the same as the directed acyclic graph. The link structure is a list of links and references that originate in a database and point to content outside that database.

Figure 1.4. Link Structure For TERRAIN_1x1.BOX, TERRAIN_1x2.BOX, TERRAIN_2x1.BOX, and TERRAIN_2x2.BOX. The link structure of this collection of resources originates in TERRAIN_MASTER.BOX and then moves on to the subsequent databases.

Figure 1.5. Link Structure For MATERIALS.BOX. The link structure of this collection of resources originates in TERRAIN_MASTER.BOX and then moves on to the subsequent databases.

Naming Conventions

Each database uses a unique and sensibly consistent file name. Each node that will be referenced also uses a unique and sensibly consistent name. This is not explicitly required but using unique and consistent names for materials, meshes, and level-of-detail nodes is best practice.