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[Gothrek]

Hi guys,
how is the better system for make a real world map?

for example, i want to replicate a mediterrain zone how can do it?
1) i must link 1000 areas and use a dds as brush (with a mediterrain image) and do it?
2) i can import some heightmap?
or what?

what i need to do before? links areas and when are all linked do something?

tks for help

[Taschenmogul]

I wouldnīt try to create and fill 1000 areas at the very beginning of a project... ;-)
Rather I would design the map on paper (or in GIMP or similar applications), then use that as a guideline for creating the map/game world area by area.
You can also import heightmaps, so you can e.g. use Worldmachine to set up the terrain of, say, an entire continent and then import it cell by cell.
When one area was ready I would go on and link it to neighbouring areas, adjust the respective seams between the terrain, then import the next heightmap(s) for the next area.

There are some threads here that cover that topic more in-depth, and there is some heightmap import tool for the engine ( http://wiki.heroengine.com/wiki/HeroEngine_Extension_Interface) that may have additional functionality; I canīt really say what it does though cause Iīve not yet used it.

[Gothrek]

its a bit complicated replicate the mediterrain zone with gimp area by area.
I m confused, but if u need to replicate a map into 1000 areas u do it 1 by 1? and how can see the final result?

mmm

there isnt a possibility to import a pic (or something) "over" 1000 areas? the only solution is do it 1 by 1?
tks for ans

[HE-Cooper]

Gothrek. You mean you'd like to take a picture of Italy and use that to create a replica of Italy in real scale within your game?

I'm going to go ahead and suggest that you not try to do that. If you had a number of experienced engineers and artists it is theoretically possible to achieve something like that with satellite images and color coding, but not using a terrain brush, which could never handle the scale you are talking about. You could get heightmap data of hundreds of square kilometers and then import that data via script into chunks of areas procedurally, but again, not advisable, on well let's just say a number of levels. I would just start with trying to make some zones look Mediterranean on your own and then work your way up from there.

Or as a big project for you, find some height map data for a tiny part of Italy, build it in World Machine, then import a few zones from World Machine into the engine.

[Gothrek]

naturally not in the real scale
but image a world map 30x30 areas and i want reproduce it like mediterran zone, i m ask for a system for reproduce it quickly. Naturally after i need to details area by area but as first step make a large zone like mediterran quickly.

which is the better system to do it?
height map? how can do it? u speaking about the world machine, sorry, but what is it?

tks for answer

[Jrome90]

I've never dones this. But, maybe it will work

http://www.bfeditor.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=13935

[Gothrek]

great tutorial, and after i can import this in hero? (i dont ask to u i just read that u never try it

tks a lot for this link, awating an answer for import.

tks again.

[Jrome90]

According to the wiki you can import a leveller file (.ter)
So I am not sure you can use heightmaps.
I think you can use a program called "leveller" to create those files.
maybe there is another too..

Terragen exports .ter files

[Gothrek]

tks again man!!

awating Cooper for more info if he know something.

[HE-Cooper]

We recommend at this point using world machine, it appears to be holding most solidly to the standard ter format. You can download the source for terrain importing from the wiki and customize and write your own importer, but for out of the box height map importing world machine appears to currently be the best bet for the heroengine.

[Gothrek]

ok, but what is it world machine? a software? a site? god?

http://www.world-machine.com/index.php?

and terragen2http://www.planetside.co.uk/content/view/15/27/, i can use it too?


tks

[HE-Cooper]

Yes, that's world World Machine, but remember, you need heightmap data to import into it if you are looking to replicate the real world geological features.

the .ter file extension that Terragen uses is not the same as the .ter file extension that leveller and World Machine use. Also, the latest version of leveller has a new file format for its .ter files that is different from all other .ter files, so you would need to use a legacy format.

Basically the market is so crowded in this space and is constantly changing, so instead of us trying to keep up, we just punt all the source code to the developers and let you pretty much do anything you want to do with terrain importing.

[Gothrek]

i try to do a random map with world machine with canyons but when i import .ter i have and heighmap with a very very little terrain variations (like 10cm) e not canyon. I read the world machine tutorial and its all ok, maybe i need to understand something about import .ter in hero?

[Stadi_Thompson]

Don't use .ter, use RAW16. You must compile the RAW plugin from the downloads page. Put the DLL in your hero folder. Ter format stores height information, you don't want that, it will only confuse Hero. Make sure your 30x30 area 500m or less. We wrote a script that automatically breaks up a 2km map into smaller area, stitches them and links them seamlessly.

[Gothrek]

Don't use .ter, use RAW16. You must compile the RAW plugin from the downloads page. Put the DLL in your hero folder. Ter format stores height information, you don't want that, it will only confuse Hero. Make sure your 30x30 area 500m or less. We wrote a script that automatically breaks up a 2km map into smaller area, stitches them and links them seamlessly.

i download the HeightmapImportRaw from Hero and i create a r16 with world machine.
NOw i need to compile the HeightmapImportRaw for have the dll? (i copy all file in the dir but dont work), i compile all with Visual studio?

other thing, u can share/send by mail (gothrek(at)hotmail.com) your script its very very helpfull, plz.

tks a lot.