RBG elevations

[Larry]

I'm using Photoshop CS2 what RBG colors should I use in a RAW file for deep water vs land elevations to upload into the TE? Or better yet how do I convert a terrain from L3DT to be uploaded into the TE?

[Easyscor]

The paid version of L3DT can export a 4096x4096 signed .raw file needed by the TE but I don't know anything about importing an RGB bitmap into L3DT.

I'm not using L3DT but Jinx might be able to answer other question.

[Ciaphas]

To manually input the RGB values, use the following:


* all values will be the same for Red, Blue, Green (ie... 3 = R:3 G:3 B:3)*

# * 256 = ft in elevation

Example: 3*256=768 ft

0*256=0 ft <—- if you use this setting, you will need to manually raise the ground above sea level in the TE.

For the three water depths use the following values:

255 = -256 ft

254 = -512 ft

253 = -768 ft (not exact)

I got these straight for HiTech in one of my other threads.


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[8thJinx]

Doing manual RGB elevations will get you in the neighborhood of the ballpark of the final map.  It's a decent way to get going, but you'll likely end up still smoothing and sculpting a bunch of stuff. 

L3DT will let you do so many things that I don't even know where to begin.  You can create your entire map in L3DT, and then export the heightmap.  You can also import real terrain heightmaps into L3DT and play around with them.

Also, you can take your heightmap and copy and paste sections of it, like islands and such, around the rest of the map in a photo editor, then re-import it into the TE or L3DT for further processing.

I won't even start in on what Blender and AC3D can do.  Absolutely sick.

As a side note, folks may have noticed I'm not on the game much anymore.  I try to get on once a week, but in reality, with the time I have available, I'd rather be creating land objects and terrains. 

[Ciaphas]

Jinx I feel ya, I haven’t logged in a while.

Using a 2D studio can help with fleshing out design. I have a map that I have been working on but haven’t had a whole lot of free time to play around with it.

What is the subdivide iteration level allowed in TE?


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[8thJinx]

What is the subdivide iteration level allowed in TE?

If I recall correctly, the TE doesn't have a manually-settable iteration function for subdivision like Blender or L3DT would have.

[Ciaphas]

What would be the grid size?


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[8thJinx]

Smallest allowable mesh size is 660 feet in the TE.

But it can as small as a foot if you make a square land object.

[Ciaphas]

660 ft between verts? The over all size would be 256 individual grid squares at 660 ft across?


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[Easyscor]

660 ft between verts? The over all size would be 256 individual grid squares at 660 ft across?

Nope, 4096 x 4096 verts for each terrain regardless of CBM size. Custom square tile objects are not allowed in an MA terrain. That's 512 miles or 20 sectors on a side, er ~19.5.

[8thJinx]

Might be that we're not talking apples to apples. 

The actual terrain map will be 512x512 miles.  This is a 20x20 grid of 25-mile squares.  Acceptable play area is currently 256x256 miles (what you see on the clip board map).

The smallest mesh that the TE can produce is one with 660 feet between vertices, which corresponds to a 4096x4096 pixel heightmap spread over a 512x512 mile area.

[8thJinx]

Also custom land objects are not currently approved for the MA, however HTC said they'd review submissions.  Which is why I am working on a bunch of new ones.  No guarantee that anything will get approved, but they did say they'd take a look.

[Ciaphas]

Might be that we're not talking apples to apples. 

The actual terrain map will be 512x512 miles.  This is a 20x20 grid of 25-mile squares.  Acceptable play area is currently 256x256 miles (what you see on the clip board map).

The smallest mesh that the TE can produce is one with 660 feet between vertices, which corresponds to a 4096x4096 pixel heightmap spread over a 512x512 mile area.

Now that makes sense to me, thanks man!


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