Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Terrain Editor => Topic started by: bustr on February 10, 2018, 10:26:45 PM

Title: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on February 10, 2018, 10:26:45 PM
The post in the general forum about this terrain was slowing down due to screen captures. I only intended to show the micro trrain work I tested but, it got a bit farther along.

Yes and check out Chikov's new terrain post, it looks like a winner. http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,391743.0.html


Third rift valley on riftval and I finished the the rough of the secondary upthrust range inside of the valley. It's going to be interesting when I clean that up and do the feature finishing.


(https://s20.postimg.org/5156gyn3h/medtst425.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/h30kb441p/medtst426.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/5f6ig4zct/medtst427.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on February 11, 2018, 03:22:49 PM
Many times getting things ready for a new segment is boring make work. For mountain ranges outlining the base even if you will probably not conform later on to that outline helps keep things on track during the build up phase.


(https://s20.postimg.org/5ep20c3tp/medtst428.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: Arlo on February 11, 2018, 03:35:21 PM
Seeing the progress of this is illuminating. I appreciate it.  :cheers:
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on February 12, 2018, 01:10:32 PM
There was a method to all this pulling diagonals madness, I got a generic pressure ridge for some boring time investment. That has been one of the primary goals of how this rift vally's walls will look. How you use the TE tools and the mistakes you have made, can become purposeful techniques later to save you development time on geo structures and their look.

I wanted the look of an upthrust edge due to plate expansion that I saw looking through photos of the rift valley in africa. There is a rift in Iceland that is just too chaotic to try and reproduce with the limitations of this terrain editor.


(https://s20.postimg.org/f4utfnz31/medtst429.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/3si7xm365/medtst430.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/p25u8gbr1/medtst431.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/j185bdhf1/medtst432.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/udkqt4v8t/medtst433.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on February 12, 2018, 06:55:04 PM
Now both sides are finished being roughed in and I've created ridges to work with once I randomize this along with textures I can take advantage of while I start shaping in and adding the face weathering work. Still have to add in more in the valley on each side of the river, it can happen later when I lay down feilds and need to work micro terrain in all these valleys.


It really helps to have a few terrains under your belt and an idea of how the terrain editor works and a terrain concept mapped out to follow.


(https://s20.postimg.org/7zqycj1lp/medtst434.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/xvaovpvpp/medtst435.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/bjcw2cc19/medtst436.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/g590aoaf1/medtst437.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on February 13, 2018, 07:02:48 PM
Because I'm changing up the strata type in the last upthrust valley I've changed the texture for the runoff weathering on slopes. Harder rock will have fewer runoff canyons while having larger faces or a more rolling hill look to the face. This gets harder to implement as the angle of the face becomes shallow as I'm showing in these screen shots. It is easier to produce this texture with a 2.5-3 mile diameter brush and the raise hill tool while you blip on instances at a shallow angle pulling at a diagonal. Then you se the raise hill tool in it's cutting mode and work the slope vertically. Eventually just short of the ridge you pull a few raised areas almost running parallel to the ridge, then cut them to open into the diagonals or straight down. The top of this feature has to be lower than the ridge line which gives some rise to then work more feature down a shallow slope.


It's easy to work texture into a more vertical slopes as the first screen shot shows. By the last one you can the importance of that first line of texture just below the ridge line. Building these mountain ranges it always looks like I'm carving a giant Chinese dragon body.


(https://s20.postimg.org/evuj4uhyl/medtst438.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/6dl30iqvh/medtst439.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/6dl30iyl9/medtst440.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/8uwu7sq7h/medtst441.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/ampt2omf1/medtst442.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on February 14, 2018, 06:17:28 PM
One side textured.


(https://s20.postimg.org/t7239xca5/medtst443.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/png5k4wpp/medtst444.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/7kn2sx8kt/medtst445.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/kc18zf2x9/medtst446.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/6icwad2m5/medtst447.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on February 14, 2018, 11:03:47 PM
That side of the valley is painted. Got the other side to texture and paint.


(https://s20.postimg.org/6stllaqvx/medtst448.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on February 15, 2018, 02:03:11 PM
You speed up production of large formations with prep work which becomes the majority of the task. Mapping out the area of the formation then laying down the base block shape turns the final production of it into surface texturing, small feature tweaking and painting. It ends up being anticlimactic how fast that last part goes if your prep work is well done.


Prep work for the second wall of the rift valley.


(https://s20.postimg.org/c0givjlbh/medtst449.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/npkijirpp/medtst450.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/gz41a2hel/medtst451.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/nct4dc1q5/medtst452.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on February 15, 2018, 03:53:20 PM
Textured and base color coat, ready for final painting.


(https://s20.postimg.org/w44ql02lp/medtst453.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/gvet78gn1/medtst454.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on February 15, 2018, 07:10:51 PM
And the final rift valley is done, all three will have a few more geo structures added in the wider valley section as I reach them cleaning up the rivers, adding airfields and spawns.


(https://s20.postimg.org/oa4n6etcd/medtst455.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/s6hz2f1h9/medtst456.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/sj9d8lc19/medtst457.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/yk725oe31/medtst458.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/79lqxqo0t/medtst459.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on February 17, 2018, 03:11:55 PM
Now I start the canyon land stage.


(https://s20.postimg.org/x0ht1v78t/medtst463.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/j6tgctmd9/medtst462.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on February 17, 2018, 04:44:10 PM
A better idea in this spot and it flows with the sinuous gorges.


(https://s20.postimg.org/whqhxp1y5/medtst464.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/q41eugchp/medtst465.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/7bpjqvnt9/medtst466.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/hlryq4t4d/medtst467.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/s8lrvjtjx/medtst468.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on February 17, 2018, 05:38:27 PM
Put in a better transition above the volcano field.


(https://s20.postimg.org/9itseeg4d/medtst469.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on February 17, 2018, 06:22:38 PM
Got that corner, hope the Catmul smoothing tool can blend the walls on the canyons so I don't have to pull all of them with the bulldozer tool. Still have to pull canyons down through the 5000ft level to the 500ft level to define the separation between ridge systems or feed the gorges.


(https://s20.postimg.org/8ukxvywzh/medtst470.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on February 17, 2018, 09:04:15 PM
On third of the boarder, canyons and gorges.


(https://s20.postimg.org/rj7kwipzh/medtst471.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/8e4bmr3lp/medtst472.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on February 18, 2018, 02:19:45 PM
Ready for the final push to get the canyon land in and the terrain boarder transitioned into the terrain.


(https://s20.postimg.org/l0g45sd71/medtst473.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on February 18, 2018, 04:20:25 PM
Painted the footprint for the base elevation layer at 6500ft. There was a reason for the 5000ft checkerboard pattern in green that now gives me the contrast to see my erosion canyons.


(https://s20.postimg.org/mdpu1ifal/medtst474.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on February 18, 2018, 06:26:30 PM
Country-2 done, now Country-3.


(https://s20.postimg.org/4wlq6bm71/medtst475.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on February 18, 2018, 08:19:56 PM
Contry-3 finished and now cleanup and finishing work then painting.


(https://s20.postimg.org/erhgqid0t/medtst476.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on February 19, 2018, 04:59:20 PM
First attempt at working the runoff canyons into a gorge. Since there is a minimum of 100 in each country, I should come up with something I like in the cleanup phase and painting painting after.


(https://s20.postimg.org/y4g7pouj1/medtst477.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/gr5xaumd9/medtst478.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/hgopn77h9/medtst479.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/qbpjxqjf1/medtst480.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/c59t2ht4d/medtst481.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on February 19, 2018, 07:18:01 PM
Getting closer.


(https://s20.postimg.org/50wl6y3gd/medtst482.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/8kiiwrdvx/medtst483.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on February 20, 2018, 03:09:22 PM
Some tiles will glare out under the sunlight and make it hard to create large structures. I've painted the whole canyon land work area in a non-reflective light green to make it easier to see what I'm doing.


(https://s20.postimg.org/mq833xq7h/medtst484.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on February 20, 2018, 06:01:23 PM
Sped up the work.


(https://s20.postimg.org/5h5eaqzfx/medtst485.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/423tm0qn1/medtst486.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/tkw5z1xcd/medtst488.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/ywb2jryul/medtst489.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/8b8jo7orh/medtst490.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on February 21, 2018, 09:55:23 PM
Low elevation ridges and water runs are easier to create if you map the out and mark them on the terrain. Then you can pull the cuts and raise the ridge and small side runs if you have the room.


(https://s20.postimg.org/ys912aeod/medtst493.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on February 22, 2018, 12:34:14 AM
Just like with the last rift valley I mapped and pulled the ridge line then used the bulldozer tool to pull angles down to the runoff lines creating ridges. I'll create the actual features in another pass with the raise hill tool.


(https://s20.postimg.org/l7i9323zh/medtst494.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/5ysbpai0t/medtst495.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on February 22, 2018, 02:00:57 PM
Because this corner is the first work on the canyons and transitioning down into the lower basin area around the lake, it's become a test to how to accomplish that. I'm being forced by how I designed the terrain to use definition lines to describe the ridges and water cuts to make everything fit smoothly. Free handing whole topo features stops being easy when you are not building something huge where huge it's easy to see everything. When you are creating a ridge that runs from 5000 down to 2000 a few miles by a few miles, it's easy to make it's features out sized of the actual proportions with too much free handing with the mouse. Guide lines give you a physical scale guide to stay inside.


(https://s20.postimg.org/uomrht2rh/medtst496.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/dbch2yf65/medtst497.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/onp2kq8fh/medtst498.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on February 23, 2018, 03:32:30 PM
There is always a conflict between artistic, random and speed when you craft something like these canyons. They are chaotic and seemingly random so running through and rapidly cutting the raw foundations edges back or just using a smoothing tool should wrap it all up in minutes. If you spend a little time looking at pictures of the real world geo formations you are trying to emulate, you will see repeating features due to the nature of the rock type and how it weathers. Water being the strongest eroder and sculptor.

Ask your self what will water do to this, then run through with a cutting tool and rapidly erode the walls and pull water cuts. Spending too much time will cause you to get lost in artistic dead ends and blow away more material than you intended. Faster but not careless ends up with a balance that looks sort of like real world chaotic. Since this is all about the illusions you are limited to by the size of the polygons.


(https://s20.postimg.org/erfpw8j5p/medtst499.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/9g0tbj4st/medtst500.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on February 23, 2018, 06:20:50 PM
There will always be some kind of a transition that will require you to work it before you can work a whole other element. I was going to finish this canyon land corner and I had to create the lower slopes to the lake before I could start shaping the walls.


Before with the ridge lines and water runs defined.


(https://s20.postimg.org/kiahnsoa5/medtst501.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/f6vl339x9/medtst502.jpg)


After with the ridge and water runs lines connected waiting for texture finishing.


(https://s20.postimg.org/6buqsk5p9/medtst504.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/5z3cmeakt/medtst505.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/ufliguggd/medtst506.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on February 23, 2018, 06:24:14 PM
Here is what is left in this first corner.


(https://s20.postimg.org/5z3cmeial/medtst503.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on February 25, 2018, 08:40:06 PM
At some point you have to go back in and paint a block of work. And this is just a first pass to get one effect before I can pass through again for the final effect.


(https://s20.postimg.org/y3cajf9bh/medtst516.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/rpn7g6c59/medtst517.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on February 26, 2018, 02:33:20 PM
Large amount of painting becasue those gorges and canyons all have two faces.


(https://s20.postimg.org/ub2xlkljx/medtst522.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/9e6pgwft9/medtst518.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/ywz1txmil/medtst519.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on February 26, 2018, 08:22:09 PM
Finally I feel like I'm getting somewhere....


(https://s20.postimg.org/gzix3tn0d/medtst524.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on February 27, 2018, 11:18:24 PM
This is where the raise hill tool shines. I can use it set to about 3 miles and pull up a ridge line with a series of low peaks that I can work down each side to create the high and low areas of runoff slopes. Just on mouse click at a time and enough pops up to create the texturing.


(https://s20.postimg.org/s69ucijkd/medtst525.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: FESS67 on February 28, 2018, 01:57:26 AM
The post in the general forum about this terrain was slowing down due to screen captures.

No, it was slowing down due to lack of interest.  You are creating pages and pages of content that very few people care about.  I have come to the point that I simply do not want to open a post made by you and I want this post of mine to let you know that.  The passion you have for creating maps is yours.  Most of us do not care.

I bought a new car the other week.  I bought it because it suited my needs.  I do not care what the engineers had to go through to make it.  I have no interest in how the HUD is created, nor how the auto gears make their selection.  I care about how it drives and if it suits my needs.

Do me a favour (and I suspect a few others), get on with your hobby but sheesh do it quietly in a dark room.
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on February 28, 2018, 11:51:11 AM
That's OK incessantly disparaging people on 200 for not being the man you are every night you are in the MA does the same thing to me. And I've been watching that for 17 years by every incarnation of FESS types of players imaginable. We used to have whole squads of them trolling everyone to see if they could get them to loose their cookies and Skuzzy rule# them or ban them. I've noticed they are the ones most irritated by what I'm doing and care the least about anything other than what drives them to end up disparaging others on 200 for not being digital men in a computer game. I suppose you wanted me to fill that space with, dang my ACM rocks you all suck, neener, neener, neener, like is the usual level for the forums. Or Hitech is a big meenie because he won't do x,y,z for "me". That bores the dog stuff outta me since it never gets above a middle school locker room in most cases. Building a terrain has more tangible benefits becasue I'm providing something for others to have fun playing on and not disparaging them for their short comings. It does diddly to make my ACM better, usually less becasue I play less being visually burnt out looking at a terrain. At no point did I start disparaging anyone for not being the terrain builder I am, I was just showing everyone what it takes to produce the arenas they take for granted and gripe at Hitech about. But a whole bunch of you introduced vitriol into it or tried to inject what they wanted my terrain to be instead of just building their own. It was easier to be offended and do an incarnation of FESS.

I've gotten all that you are less than me becasue I'm better than you at ACM out of my system a very long time ago. I started out in Air Warrior with your attitude almost 30 years ago. Ask 999000 about when we first met. I believed a rumor that flying a spit9 inverted in AW made it invisible to bullets the first time I met 999000's B17.

And now you finally brought it in here..... You interested in building a terrain for the AH community or just thumping your chest?? 
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: Arlo on February 28, 2018, 09:46:05 PM
No, it was slowing down due to lack of interest.  You are creating pages and pages of content that very few people care about.  I have come to the point that I simply do not want to open a post made by you and I want this post of mine to let you know that.  The passion you have for creating maps is yours.  Most of us do not care.

I bought a new car the other week.  I bought it because it suited my needs.  I do not care what the engineers had to go through to make it.  I have no interest in how the HUD is created, nor how the auto gears make their selection.  I care about how it drives and if it suits my needs.

Do me a favour (and I suspect a few others), get on with your hobby but sheesh do it quietly in a dark room.

Since I care about the work Bustr does on terrains why don't you do me a favor and just ignore the thread without the hissy? I, unlike some, don't presume how many appreciate it to the same degree nor is it my business to. I'm not sure why it bothered you enough to take public issue when, yes, you can choose not read this thread. AAMOF, why would you even visit the TE forum, since it's not your cuppa? If you want to post pics of your new car in the O Club, who cares? But AH terrain building isn't like your new car and when I resume playing I plan to try my hand at building terrains and Bustr's shared experience (no matter how boring or offensive it is to you - or anyone) is gold to me.
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: Dace on March 01, 2018, 01:53:37 AM
No, it was slowing down due to lack of interest.  You are creating pages and pages of content that very few people care about.  I have come to the point that I simply do not want to open a post made by you and I want this post of mine to let you know that.  The passion you have for creating maps is yours.  Most of us do not care.

I bought a new car the other week.  I bought it because it suited my needs.  I do not care what the engineers had to go through to make it.  I have no interest in how the HUD is created, nor how the auto gears make their selection.  I care about how it drives and if it suits my needs.

Do me a favour (and I suspect a few others), get on with your hobby but sheesh do it quietly in a dark room.

Then don't.
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on March 04, 2018, 05:56:48 PM
All of the recent convoy road, train track and river testing for the new supply system made me work out my placement for the strats.


The ring is 6 miles diameter, the HQ is to the top and those smaller installations are ACK bases.


(https://s20.postimg.org/t6j0y2yjh/medtst561.jpg)


Here are the only places I can shoe horn these in, and it looks like I will only have room for two uncapturable super large airfields. And one will be a 163 field. This should give a good target for bomber players and I'll setup resupply as c47 only. Looks like I will have to lay in another small airfield so I can use the ring tool set to 19miles to see if I can put in one last capturable field for a Ft. Apache assault point to hit the strats. With the new resupply paths there will be 6 trains to kill but, then there will be all that ack. :P  I can run a spawn ring through the outer edge of the combat zones giving a GV capture path to get close. At least the new river tool will make tidying up all of my rivers much easier. The bomber guys should be happy, if they want they can NOE on top of those mesas that frame the canyons between 6-8k ft the whole way to the strat complex. I put a big radar blind area out there in the back of each country.


(https://s20.postimg.org/mstxuu1d9/medtst562.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: Arlo on March 05, 2018, 07:46:05 AM
I like that. :)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on March 05, 2018, 12:16:15 PM
I hate that ring, it's in radii and I keep thinking diameter because most things in the mundane world are given in diameter of circles while this ring is a measuring tool based on the distance from the object in the center...... :rolleyes:
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on March 06, 2018, 02:56:09 PM
Ok, I just mapped the city location, then turned on the 6mile radii ring and laid down all the strat and AA feilds to get my location tags. This will be a great bomber honey pot and give guys something to burn up some perks on 163 for. Making it a large wheel, you can only plan one pass over 12 miles and then you have to turn around. That will keep you in one spot all night and in the ack along with holding in place for interceptors. I'll place a super large airfield on each side of this complex and players can fly c47's in for resupply.

If Hitech gets the road paths to where they will work as visual only with no resupply trucks running. I'm thinking of running a road system that I'll run a GV spawn out of a nearby field to within 5 or so miles and the road will run like 10 or 15 miles to this strat complex with a ring around the city. I think I can put in one more field that will host that spawn and allow players to fly to the strats or run GV's on a long road trip if they first can capture that field. Or, just put in one of those super large vBases. I can use it as a M3 resupply point for bases farther south. Terrains are all about shoe horning things in after the fact while you get to about this stage and have a better idea of the land masses.


(https://s20.postimg.org/ptlt88kl9/medtst563.jpg) 
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: Arlo on March 06, 2018, 08:19:36 PM
You are a perfectionist, sir. I am plagued by the same malady. At least you're not crippled by it, like me. ;)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on March 07, 2018, 01:47:17 PM
You would be surprised how fast creating some of this has become for me now that I've stopped being a perfectionist on this project about working up the major features. Between the sandbox testing for micro terrain hill texturing and creating the three rift valleys in this project, the feature creation techniques have been mostly standardized. I realized a faster way to paint those green tree upland areas a few days ago. For the previous few weeks I had been doing them slowly with a medium brush while just missing borders to create those light green runoff lines. That was a bassakward way to do it. since all the runoff ridges are created with a raise hill medium diameter brush, there is a random pattern of low areas that act like runoff canyons.

So you use a large brush and slop on the green tree tile to the whole area. Then come back in with a tiny brush of light green and highlight the runoffs. I thought I was getting a better random pattern of light green by using a brush just smaller than the one I used to raise the features so that each time I clicked there would be a light green seam between at the low areas. Looks really good and took twice as long versus slopping in all the green, then highlighting the low areas with a fine brush. It was a better coloring technique for those large mountains to the right of the screen capture than the midland hills I'm working on right now.

Speaking of those midland hills, I still have to use a 50% brush with a lighter tree tile to feather out the bottoms of each slope like the ones to the SW of those I've just painted in the runoff canyons. I need to thank greebo here becasue when he upgraded CraterMA to AH3 and recolored it, he inspired me to believe I could make a terrain that from high alt would look close to a real world high alt survey photo. Still, when you get your nose on the surface of the terrain, our large polygons are clunky...... :rofl


(https://s20.postimg.org/jmtpu662l/medtst564.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on March 07, 2018, 04:53:02 PM
Never fight how the tiles transition with each other. They is what they is and I thought I had a way to remove something visually and I only made it worse. So I get to start over with the lower elevations. This won't take long but, I really wish the tiles and how they merged was not tied to the hierarchy layout of that pallet. I wish they all merged equally when side by side.


So I get to redo this area. Not all is a loss, I have two more countries with lower elevations like this. Better to find this now than later. Oh!...if you are really shrewd with visualizing terrain features, you can paint in an area that is flat with the pattern for a hilly area. Then use that as your guide to pull the hills up into the paint scheme you just painted on level ground. I forgot to pull up that green area just to the east of the volcano field between the two place holder squares until a few minutes ago. One off's like that is where it works best. Whole mountain ranges or mesa canyons need some guide lines.


(https://s20.postimg.org/sqx8evl7h/medtst565.jpg) 
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on March 08, 2018, 07:00:47 PM
Once more into the breach.

I've defined two super large airfields per country as the uncapturable. And I will place a single 2x2 vBase at the top of the center feeder river that will allow for a circle of spawns capture path around the map. It can service fields below it against base captures with M3. And I may still ring the city with a static road, then run a road out from there 5-8 miles long. Then place a spawn near it if a country can fight their way this far in and capture that vbase. Resupply will be faster by c47, the static road is for those intrepid souls who want to drive to the strat and shoot at them or the resupply trains.


(https://s20.postimg.org/rzr6nj5zx/medtst566.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on March 09, 2018, 01:02:39 PM
How to transition something shoe horned in that you had to wait until you get there to decide where to place it...... PITA has a cousin named pooty.....and Hitech and his supply paths...... :bhead


(https://s20.postimg.org/yntaq8f7x/medtst567.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/fvhfmnqjh/medtst568.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on March 09, 2018, 08:44:12 PM
It's getting there.....


(https://s20.postimg.org/esbjzrgu5/medtst570.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on March 11, 2018, 09:07:43 PM
Beginning the foundation painting after spending the day finishing the canyon land and creating all the elevations in the second half of Country-1. At least now I can create mountain ranges and Highlands in my sleep. It's the planning of how they will run that never gets easier. Now I got to get all artsy on this puppy.


(https://s20.postimg.org/q7ilhyrwd/medtst572.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/q7ilhu259/medtst571.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on March 12, 2018, 04:11:05 PM
Country-1, weeeeeeeeeee................. ...


(https://s20.postimg.org/xp6i541fx/medtst573.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/3ki1jqon1/medtst574.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: Mister Fork on March 14, 2018, 05:33:15 PM
Looks great bustr!

(http://content.invisioncic.com/r50406/emoticons/default_popcornsmilie.gif)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on March 14, 2018, 08:56:48 PM
A nibble at a time.

This is getting to be like painting 20-30 small landscape paintings at a time after spending the first half of the day sculpting the same places on a table top in clay.


(https://s20.postimg.org/llh0ggl99/medtst575.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/e5hqunpu5/medtst576.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on March 15, 2018, 03:50:07 PM
It's amazing how fast you can throw in large blocks of terrain if you first map where the water runs off the ridges on a water shed. Then the bulldozer tool just connects the dots. Then you come back later and apply a texture to the surfaces with the raise hill tool and paint it.

If you cross section any geo formation on this planet you will see there is a geometric foundation block shape to the cross section. Then the surface is just texturing that is semi predictable based on the structure of the rocks and the forces that placed those rocks where they could be eroded. So I'm constructing a lot of long triangular shapes and blocks that I then sculpt a bit and paint. Because I elevation stepped this terrain in large rings of 12000, 5000 3000, 2000, 1000, 500, 20ft down to the pond in the center. I never have to guess at what the scale for highland areas or low land hills should be. 


(https://s20.postimg.org/60rpqjglp/medtst577.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/jx4jg39x9/medtst579.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/i5bkl75zx/medtst580.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/pimd6hl99/medtst578.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on March 15, 2018, 06:37:46 PM
Just another day in the neighborhood.


(https://s20.postimg.org/6wxugnysd/medtst581.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/z9tc74s8d/medtst582.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/5unny5au5/medtst583.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/jbkmh05q5/medtst584.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on March 27, 2018, 05:52:04 PM
Getting there with Country-2, those canyons.....Ugggh..... :rofl


(https://s20.postimg.org/hck8o5avx/medtst594.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/4xxgntbnx/medtst595.jpg)
Title: Re: Mediterranean Tile Set Testing and Topo Testing. II
Post by: bustr on March 28, 2018, 06:50:29 PM
Sometimes this is fun making it work.


(https://s20.postimg.org/dm3lydpgd/medtst596.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/g3fd5nwi5/medtst597.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/907hq1jct/medtst598.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/f156n4lel/medtst599.jpg)


(https://s20.postimg.org/h5pjo6zvx/medtst600.jpg)