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Map editor and heightmap.

Discussion in 'Modding Help Quarter' started by lnomsim, Aug 7, 2016.

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  1. lnomsim

    lnomsim Skilled Worker

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    Hello,

    I decided to begin making maps for the game, but I ran quickly into a problem.
    When I import a 8bit heightmap (I have absolutely no idea how to create a 32bit one), I have a lot of outlines that appears on the landscape :
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    I can't find a way to get rid of them.
    I tried lowering the heightmap quality by bluring it or even smoothering the terrain in the editor, no can do.

    I have the same problem either I use terrain.party or microdem. (the one on the screenshot is from terrain.party)
     
  2. ronrn

    ronrn Governor

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    Import 8bit into Map Editor then export/save as .r32 Or use a .r32 from a terrain generating software such a World Machine, TerraGen, etc.
    Is your heightmap greysale?
    Have a look here: Tutorial - Map Making: Part 1
     
  3. lnomsim

    lnomsim Skilled Worker

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    Exporting it as a r32 from the map editor won't change the visible outline problem.
    As for using a terrain generating software, I tried terragen, but couldn't find a way to import greyscale into it.

    I saw that tuto, it doesn't help at all since it's just a way to create a flat greyscale.
     
  4. ronrn

    ronrn Governor

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    Can you post a picture of the outline problem?

    Sorry, I had forgotten that I haven't done a tutorial covering terrain elevations yet.
     
  5. lnomsim

    lnomsim Skilled Worker

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    Oops, sorry, apparently the link to the pictures are dead, so, new ones :
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  6. ronrn

    ronrn Governor

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    ahh...those lines. Well, you can never get rid of them completely, at least I've not been able to. To reduce them on my maps a use an image editor to apply "blur" to the greyscale heightmap. The only problem is that blur will smooth out some of the sharp details.
    That's the main reason my mountains tend to lack any sharp erosion details.
    I think that these lines are a result of greyscale having only 255 shades. The editor has no way to fill in the spaces between shades that are only one shade (number) apart.
    If you look closely, even game maps have some degree of this "stair step" feature. Some of it can be concealed with material textures and trees will help too.
     
  7. lnomsim

    lnomsim Skilled Worker

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    I feared so. Actually, I use BMP, so it has more coors, but the reslut is even worse than pn, it only produces more outlines. The problem comes from the TIFF resolution, if I use the 1:1 scale, I have no problems, but the relief is just as blurry as if I used the blur tool on the greyscale.
     

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