From 8df26a966f7b8952869e36d496bc7e0bf3714101 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: evolvedexperiment <55178666+evolvedexperiment@users.noreply.github.com> Date: Tue, 19 Nov 2019 17:32:09 +0200 Subject: [PATCH] Added a page to explain the heightmap template editor. --- Heightmap-template-editor.md | 96 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 96 insertions(+) create mode 100644 Heightmap-template-editor.md diff --git a/Heightmap-template-editor.md b/Heightmap-template-editor.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..65d0b5e --- /dev/null +++ b/Heightmap-template-editor.md @@ -0,0 +1,96 @@ +The templates indicate what must happen to the heightmap. The template has instructions that take place +one after another, all in a list. Each instruction can do various things: + +Those things are: +* Add a hill (raises surrounding land) +* Add a pit (lowers surrounding land) +* Add a range (a thin raised section) +* Add a trough (a thin lowered section) +* Add a strait (a vertical or horizontal lowered section) +* Add or subtract from all heights +* Multiply all heights +* Smooth all heights + +Once you have given all the instructions, you can then run the template (process all instructions in sequence). +There are also options to save or load templates. + +When running a template, the map is cleared first. + +For each instruction, it can have the following values: +n - the number of times it must occur +h - the height range, from 1-100 where 1 is deep ocean, and 100 is maximum height. 20 is land at sea level. +x and y - percentage values (from 1-100) indicating where the change must take place - these are usually ranges. + x is the horizontal axis, from 1 at the left, to 100 on the right. + y is the vertical axis, from 1 at the top, to 100 at the bottom. + +If you go to Custom, it will show an instruction like this: +Hill n:1 h:90-100 x:65-75 y:47-53. + +This says to add 1 hill, of a height between 90-100, somwhere in the center-right of the map. y says more-or-less center 47% to 53%, and x says 65% to 75%. + + +To test it, change the single Hill entry to: +Hill n:1 h:20 x:50-50 y:50-50 + +If you click Run template, it will show a map with just a few cells of land right in the center of the map. + +![Heightmap showing a single hill of height 20](https://evolvedexperiment.github.io/FMGImages/images/template1.png) + +I suggest you enable "Render ocean cells" to see the effect it has on the ocean depths. + +Now change n:1 to n:2 + +You will see massive change - this is because the land has been raised by 40 height values. + +![Heightmap showing two hills of height 20 at the same place](https://evolvedexperiment.github.io/FMGImages/images/template2.png) + +Now Pit is the opposite of Hill - it will create a "hole". + +To test it, add a Pit so your instructions look like this: +Hill n:2 h:20 x:50-50 y:50-50 +Pit n:1 h:20 x:50-50 y:50-50 + +Run it and you will see a hole - the exact look will vary a bit. + +![Heightmap showing two hills and pit at the same place](https://evolvedexperiment.github.io/FMGImages/images/template3.png) + +Now add a range and disable the Hill and Pit entries. + +You will see it makes a short raised area. +Range n:1 h:40-50 x:15-85 y:20-80 + +![Heightmap showing a single range](https://evolvedexperiment.github.io/FMGImages/images/template4.png) + +If you change the Range and enable the Hill and Pit, you will see that it combines: +Hill n:2 h:20 x:50-50 y:50-50 +Pit n:1 h:20 x:50-50 y:50-50 +Range n:1 h:40-50 x:50-60 y:50-50 + +![Heightmap showing two hills, a pit, and a range.](https://evolvedexperiment.github.io/FMGImages/images/template5.png) + +Trough works exactly like Range, except that it lowers height. + +Delete all the instructions and click on the + +The + instruction adds height - it can have a negative value to lower height. + +Change the V to 20 so your whole line looks like this: +Add V:20 to all cells + +Run it and it will change to whole map to land at sea-level - remember that 20 is just above sea-level. +Add a Strait - it only has 2 values, width and direction: +w - width +d - vertical or horizontal + +Run it and you will see land divided by a river somewhere - note that you cannot control the location. + +![Heightmap showing a strait](https://evolvedexperiment.github.io/FMGImages/images/template6.png) + +Multiply works similar to add, except you have slightly better control to adjust small things, so multiplying by 1.1 +will make raise land slightly - smaller changes to low values, and larger changes to high values. You can multiply +by decimals as well, so multiply by 0.8 will lower everything a bit. + +The last one is smooth - this should probably be at the end - all cell heights are averaged by their neighbours heights. +This means land next to a pit will lower, and land next to a hill will rise. Smooth removes any spiky bits near land +and generally makes performance better on the FMG. + +![Heightmap showing a strait between two hilly areas.](https://evolvedexperiment.github.io/FMGImages/images/template7.png)