Terrain Editing

netyoda

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Oct 18, 2017
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I have written a guide gleaned from information provided by The Tiny Pebble, on what the Terrain (.trn) files contain and how to use them to modify your planet's terrain.

This has been written by someone who previously knew nothing about terrain editing, taking guidance remotely.

If anyone has any modifications/enlightenment to the information provided, they will always be appreciated, as well as additional clarification on the dark arts.

Link Updated
 
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netyoda

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Oct 18, 2017
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Nicely written guides on your site. :D
Thanks Timbab - if only I knew how to actually do it now :p

As I learn stuff I'm trying to document it, to help others on the same path. LordKator has helped me out at lot, as have many other members of the teams on here, Emu and Holocron, so I want to give back as I learn.
 

Lasko

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The fractal group is used to create all the patterns you see in, well, pretty much everything.

Without an actual editor to view the patterns, it's a trial an error area.

Each pattern is usually used, either with a colorramp to give an organic feel to the texture, to give a shading effect to an otherwise flat colour. Like say sand on Tatooine... The stock texture colour is obviously a solid yellowy orange, but the fractal pattern and colorramp will make it look more natural adding slight shading variations over a wide area.

The other, is usually the AffectorHeightFractal. This is used to produce the height, size and shapes of the terrain you walk on. Depending on the fractal pattern and the height value you set you can make anything from the gently rolling grasslands of Naboo to the jagged mountainous regions of Mustafar.

There are some other uses, but that'll do for now. :)
 

Bapper

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Nov 28, 2018
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Nice guide Netyoda, thank you.

When creating planets I always have trouble trying to discover how to add the air traffic that usually flies over major NPC cities like Theed, ME, Bestine etc. Would you or anyone else in the community know how I would enable this please?

Regards,
Bapper
 

Valkyra

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Aug 31, 2010
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The Pre-CU client also has version 0000 of FBIT, which can be used to apply a bitmap-type image-file for certain parts of the planet's height filtering, just FYI (wasn't used until CU afaik which uses version 0001 for Kash zones and Mustafar, though they added one on Tatooine's trn I think more towards the end of CU.)

I tried viewing the linked guide but seems there's a HTTP 502 error right now :(
 

netyoda

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Thanks @Valkyra, strange about the 502 error, I must upgrade to version 0.12 alpha of the internet ;)

I'll go and read up on FBIT - I presume it's a grayscale image used like a displacement map?

No need to answer, I must go explore and will cry back here if I don't find anything.

Great clarification and more teasers there @Lasko, do you mind if I incorporate the info into the guide?
 
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netyoda

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Oct 18, 2017
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@Valkyra you've saved me decades of work with the info on FBIT!

My planetary land masses are now in place as I want them, now it's time to work out these bloody fractals and floras :p Lots to do but the outline is there.

I'm also trying to find the iff/cdf/ wherever the planet map name is referenced :p I'll happily take a freebie on this one.

download.png
 

Valkyra

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@Valkyra you've saved me decades of work with the info on FBIT!

My planetary land masses are now in place as I want them, now it's time to work out these bloody fractals and floras :p Lots to do but the outline is there.

I'm also trying to find the iff/cdf/ wherever the planet map name is referenced:p I'll happily take a freebie on this one.

View attachment 371
Cool, glad it helped. :)

The planet name should be in the stf's, depending on what you are referring to (might be planet_n.stf), unless you meant somewhere else.
 

netyoda

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Cool, glad it helped. :)

The planet name should be in the stf's, depending on what you are referring to (might be planet_n.stf), unless you meant somewhere else.
It was the reference to the planet map image that I was looking for, it turned out to be in ui/ui_planet_map.inc - thanks to @mezzanine for that
 
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