TWWAKT Editing the Heightmap
To enter heightmap editing mode, select the Edit Heightmap Option on the toolbar
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The Tool Properties window will now update to show The Terrain Editing view
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1. Section 1 shows the Maps palette; a list of image layers which together make up the terrain for the map.
2. Section 2 shows the Operations panel which defines how your tools interact with the terrain
3. Section 3 shows the Brushes panel which is where you set the shape of your tool
Creating a new Height Layer
Firstly, let's create a new height layer to work on. • Right click on the map element called 'Height' to bring up the context menu
• Select Add Layer
• Give your layer a name which makes sense to you
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Layers are blended together in ascending order. To each layer above will be added onto the layer below.
Creating a brush
Next we'll add a new brush. • Go down to the Brushes Panel and select, New Round
• You should see a new bush appear on your palette
• In the Brush Properties window, set the following:
o Scale: 150
o Size Jitter Enabled: True
o Size Jitter: 75
o Hardness: 0.25
• This should create a fairly random brush to make some noise in our map.
Adding Some Hills
How we have our layer and our brush, let's make some noise! • Go to the Operation Panel and select Add
• Now move your mouse into the viewport and start painting away.
• Use the Left Mouse Button to paint.
• To Exit painting, press the Right Mouse button
Holding the SHIFT key will switch you to the Smooth mode where you can smooth down your terrain You can set an absolute height with the Absolute option. Holding ALT and clicking will sample the height at your mouse cursor position and use that. Pressing the [ and ] keys will increase/decrease the scale of the brush.
By the time you've finished, you should have something that looks a bit like this (hopefully better):
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Pressing the H key at any point will change the terrain to show a height overlay (coloured bands). As well as being slightly psychedelic, it's useful for seeing how the height looks on your map. It's good practice at this point to make sure you've not created any impassable areas in your map. An impassable is generated when the terrain steepness is over 45-degrees. To check this, go to the Settings Panel (View -> Settings), then go to View 3D -> Overlay and scroll down, selecting 'Land No Gos'. This will render red where there are Impassable areas.
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You'll need to smooth out the terrain in these areas to make them work.