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Author Topic: Terragen + New Map Export Options  (Read 25761 times)

Davion

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Terragen + New Map Export Options
« on: July 24, 2008, 03:38:39 am »



Terragen is a scenery generator for Windows and the Mac OS. Terragen is free for personal non-commercial use.

A general guide with tutorials (older version)

List of other resources where you can find other tutorials

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If you're using the free version you're limited to a maximum of 513x513 height maps, if you're on a slower computer you may want to try a 129x129 or 257x257 height map. You can still make some nice stuff with it, there's not much that's disabled between the free and registered versions from what I can see. Anyway, here's how to get a DF world map into Terragen if you've never used it before:

Step 1: Enter Legends mode and choose the option to export a detailed map, you'll be confronted with this screen:



Navigate down to  'Elevations respecting lake and ocean floors' and hit Enter to export to your Dwarf Fortress folder.



Step 2: Terragen likes 24-bit uncompressed .TGA, or 8/16-bit .SGI images. Open up your newly exported image in your editor of choice and change the image size to 513x513 (more on this later).



Save as an uncompressed 24-bit .TGA file, name it whatever you want.

 

Step 3: Open up Terragen and take a deep breath.



Don't panic, we're only going to be dealing with this little area in the Landscape window:





Step 4: Click "Size..." from the Landscape window and you'll be confronted with this:



Click the 513 button at the top, this is going to set Terragen up for our 513x513 height map, click Yes to all of the questions that it asks before hitting Ok.



Step 5:  Now click "Import..." in the Landscape window and you'll be confronted with this:



Click "Select File and Import" and select your  513x513 24-bit uncompressed .TGA



Step 6: If nothing exploded, the Landscape and Render windows will look something like this:



The blue is water, so we're going to have to edit that.



Step 7: Open up the Water options window (third icon from the top on the side bar):



We're only concerned with the Water Level value at the top, so play with the numbers hitting "Update Maps" each time to see the changes in your Render/Landscape window. Mine looked about right at -870.m



Step 8: Once you have your water looking nice, it's time to check it out:



Make sure to ramp the Detail slider up all the way to the right if you're going to "Render Image". You can reposition the camera in the little mini-map by using your left and right mouse buttons.  Sometimes you might have to fiddle with the Camera Position Z (alt) value because the camera can get a little weird as you move it around the landscape.

If you're going to Render Preview you might want to keep the Detail down.

You can "walk" around your map by hitting the 3D icon on the side bar, this is used as another way to set up the camera if that's more comfortable for you.

You can color your terrain through the Landscape window in the Surface area by adding children ("Add Child") or directly editing the default Surface Map, you can change bumpiness, limit colors based on elevation, etc. I am still trying to figure it all out.

If you want to scale down the elevations a bit you can click "Modify..." in the Landscape window after you've imported your height map and mess with the Height Range and Scale Vertical.
« Last Edit: July 24, 2008, 05:44:16 am by Davion »
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Dasleah

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Re: Terragen + New Map Export Options
« Reply #1 on: July 24, 2008, 03:45:17 am »

So... are you saying that you've built a plugin for Terragen that takes DF map data, or just commenting on the world-making similarities, or...?

EDIT: Yes, I know the first post has now updated.
« Last Edit: July 24, 2008, 06:05:14 am by Dasleah »
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Pokethulhu Orange: UPDATE 25
The Roguelike Development Megathread.

As well, all the posts i've seen you make are flame posts, barely if at all constructive.

Davion

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Re: Terragen + New Map Export Options
« Reply #2 on: July 24, 2008, 03:48:16 am »

I'm saying that with the new Legends export options you can import height maps into Terragen or any other terrain generating/displacement software very easily.
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Draco18s

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Re: Terragen + New Map Export Options
« Reply #3 on: July 24, 2008, 03:57:12 am »

Ha.  I just posted some nice instructions for a simple height map viewer.  I have no idea what software you've got running there or how to import maps into it, but it looks 10 times better.

(The one I found was intended for more of a viewing purpose at seeing the stratification of height, as one of the options is a grid--but it makes a nice topo map!)
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Davion

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Re: Terragen + New Map Export Options
« Reply #4 on: July 24, 2008, 04:06:29 am »

I'll get some kind of tutorial up and post it here. I still don't really know how to use it, I just fiddle with a lot of sliders lol But I can at least get something up that shows you how to import the height map and get the water level to where it should be
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Torak

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Re: Terragen + New Map Export Options
« Reply #5 on: July 24, 2008, 04:30:34 am »

Terragen is a neat application. I torrented hypothetically acquired it, and just love screwing around with it, I've made a canyon with a river running through it with a nice sunset on the northeastern part, making a reflection/shadow meld that I like.


It's like a desktop background generator. With options.
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As you journey to the center of the world, feel free to read the death announcements of those dwarves that suffer your neglect.

One billion b-balls dribbling simultaneously throughout the galaxy. One trillion b-balls being slam dunked through a hoop throughout the cosmos. I can feel every single b-ball that has ever existed at my fingertips, I can feel their collective knowledge channeling through my veins. Every jumpshot, every rebound and three-pointer, every layup, dunk and free throw.

Draco18s

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Re: Terragen + New Map Export Options
« Reply #6 on: July 24, 2008, 04:39:58 am »

I torrented hypothetically acquired it

Sounds like how I end up with most of my nice things...
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Davion

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Re: Terragen + New Map Export Options
« Reply #7 on: July 24, 2008, 05:21:23 am »

Alright, tutorial is up.
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Davion

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Re: Terragen + New Map Export Options
« Reply #8 on: July 24, 2008, 05:38:51 am »

I torrented hypothetically acquired it

Sounds like how I end up with most of my nice things...

Hypothetically speaking of course ;)
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Angellus

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Re: Terragen + New Map Export Options
« Reply #9 on: July 24, 2008, 12:55:40 pm »

*bookmarked*

Going to try this once I have time, it has been a long time for me, playing with Terragen, maybe I could do something similar with the vue I have installed.
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Draco18s

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Re: Terragen + New Map Export Options
« Reply #10 on: July 24, 2008, 03:06:55 pm »

I torrented hypothetically acquired it

Sounds like how I end up with most of my nice things...

Hypothetically speaking of course ;)

Hypothetically, of course.
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IndonesiaWarMinister

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OFFTOPIC SORRY
« Reply #11 on: July 25, 2008, 10:49:17 am »

OFFTOPIC:

Kind Sir, I would ask a few question because I wanted to torrent hypothetically acquire some things.

1) Does the torrent hypothetical dl has hypothetical virus (euh) in them?
2)How you hypothetically acquired them?
3) Is it safe to hypothetically use them? (My country has now law currently about internet torrent hypothetical download)

Sorry for the off topic
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Erom

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Re: Terragen + New Map Export Options
« Reply #12 on: July 25, 2008, 11:18:25 am »

Why all the torrents? I got it by going to the company web site and clicking "download". The free version is plenty good for this application.
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IndonesiaWarMinister

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Re: Terragen + New Map Export Options
« Reply #13 on: July 25, 2008, 11:43:00 am »

Nay, I'm just asking about the Torrent hypothetical of acquiring things, because everyone said it would be bad for mah system. It would be bad!!!

I want to know the truth...
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Deon

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Re: Terragen + New Map Export Options
« Reply #14 on: July 25, 2008, 12:32:07 pm »

It's not polite to discuss such things here =).
Just take a quick talk in PM/icq and it's ok I hypotetically guess.

P.S. Everything is safe if you're doing it a safe way ;).
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