Heightmap and Quads

[SquirrelStew]

Hi,

 

I am about to make my first mod and I really want to do it right from the start, so I am asking polite for help.

 

I want to:

 

Eventually make a big new area (not in the wasteland).

Start building in the top left corner.

Be able to "paint" in the heightmap editor.

 

Since you seem to start in the middle quad I figure I have to add all the land first, but then restrict the playing area to the areas that I have finished building scenery. The other way would be to start in the top left corner, but that does not seem to work.

 

The Heighmap Editor is hard to tame.

You might have a laugh at this:

 

file:///C:/Users/Public/Pictures/Messed%20up%20world.jpg

 

I get big square holes the render window, in the heightmap editor I get black lines and I can not paint freely.

 

It is very frustrating since I have followed tutorials and read all there is about the subject on the geck wiki.

 

Please help, I do not want to start with a lot of mistakes.

[TheChan]

You might have a laugh at this:

 

file:///C:/Users/Public/Pictures/Messed%20up%20world.jpg

At what?

 

The fact that we can't open a file from your computer?

 

 

 

 

I think that you would be better off just using the terrain editor ('H' key).

[SquirrelStew]

See, it turned out pretty fun.

 

Its the same file as attached. The attached file is from the height editor. It demonstrates my messed up terrain.

 

As I understand it the landscape editor is for detailed work. That can't possible be the way if you want to make a large area.

 

Do you know how to use the height editor?

[Yossarian22]

The height-map editor is a buggy piece of crap. There are rumors, that some were able to create a map with it, that ain't broken, but I wouldn't hope for it. Best is, to leave the height-map editor beside.

[SquirrelStew]

Wow. Ok thanks for the info guys.

 

However, I did some fooling around with importing fractal maps and it looks as it could work. But I guess I should avoid editing them in the height map editor, and in the landscape editor instead. Wish me good luck...

 

How did those poor developers of Fallout 3 do?

[SpeedyB64]

Most people that make new worldspaces use TES Annwyn, it can take an image and turn it into a fallout 3 worldspace.

[SquirrelStew]

Phew, saved by the bell! That looks much smoother than importing and chopping up fractal maps. I'm downloading right way. Thanks.

[RyuDoppler]

From my own experience, the Heightmap editor is best used in combination with an external program. TES Annwyn is one possible option to use for generating a base worldspace and is the most accessible.

 

Another more professional option for generating a worldspace would be the utilization of the import/export functions of the heightmap editor. With those functions, you could potentially create very large worldspaces. Unfortunately, for the best results in utilizing this method one would need access to a program that can open/save 16-bit Raw files. One would also need to be familiar with some of the GECK's development functions as well (documentation of which, if I'm recalling correctly, is a bit on the sketchy side). These 2 factors make this option less accessible.

[SquirrelStew]

That was what I did, imported 16-bit Raw files from a program called Fractal World Explorer, and it looked pretty all right at times, and totally messed up other times, based on what sea level height you exported at. You have to chop up the map in a grid system, starting at 0_0.raw .

 

But Fractal World Explorer can not be the professional solution that you are talking about. Is there another external program that you are talking about, where you can create maps? I am just trying to get the big picture here.

 

Thanks.

[Ghogiel]

there are several height map generators out there. Geocontrol was one I used, has a free demo verion.

there is also terragen and worldmachine but never used those.