Mapping With Gimp
Warning: This tutorial is image heavy please do not be put off i have gone into extra details and this as made the tutorial little longer then expected.
This Tutorial as been written for all those who would like to create their own map but do not have photoshop, this as been written for the use with GIMP which is a free program which can be obtained from the internet.
open your base folder and drag into GIMP your map_height.tga this should open the file
now with your map_heights.TGA open click on the eye dropper tool and take a sample of the sea, click the layers menu and select new layer this creates a layer
call the layer Temp or anything you like but make sure the layer as the layer fill type selected as white.
Your map should go white but don't worry the map is behind this layer if you do not have a layer dialog box you can show it from Dialogs>>Layers
there is know two layers your map_heights and the new temp layer all good?
if you click on the eye icon on your temp layer you will render it invisible and be able to see the layer behind.
now with you temp layer visible select the bucket tool and click anywhere into the white of the temp layer this will fill the background with the map_height.tag ocean.
The Temp layer should look like this in the layers dialog box
now with your map_heights layer selected click image in the menu and scroll down to canvas size...
a new dialog box will open with the original height and width pixels
in this order
1) click on the chain and break it (if not you with get auto calculated values)
2) set your new desired height and width i have chosen 301x401 remember to write this values down becuase you are going to need them again
3) make sure layers is set to none we just want raw pixels if you forget to do this step you will get a CTD.
4)click Resize and watch that map grow.
now the map as expanded to the east and south we seems to have an off set area use the scale tool on the temp layer only and drag the box until it fits and remove the offset area.
(note i seem to have lost the picture will upload this very soon)
now back into the layer dialog box select the map_heights layer and click the raise button this will place the map_height layer above the temp layer.
now left mouse click on the map_height layer and select merge down now we should have only one layer.
like so.
save the file if you get this GIMP message then you will need to remove the fill lock this why the tutorial is loooonngggg...
find the file you are editing in this case map_height.tag right click and down to properties remove the tick from read only and click ok
you will need to repeat the above step with the map_ground_types and remember to use the appropriate colors for the sea.
we are now going to canvas the map_regions file this file is much smaller then our map_heights and map_ground_types.tga its actually have the size of their original values. so include a new layer behind this file as explained with the map_heights and canvas this baby to 150x200 as half of 301 is 150.5 and half 401 is 200.5 but we do not use the .5 (from the map_heights)
you will also need to set the canva of the following
map_climates.tga (301x401)
map_fog.tga(301x401)
map_features.tga(150x200)
map_trade_routes.tga(150x200)
map_roughness.tga(300x400) this file needs to be 1 pixel shorter on both height and width compared to map_heights don't ask why i don;t know it probably as something to do with the game border.
and one more thing before you start your campaign these values insidethe
descr_terrain.txt will need to be edited to match the map_regions new height and width
Code:
dimensions
{
width 150
height 200
}
heights
{
min_sea_height -3406.782
max_land_height 7511.272
}
roughness
{
min 50.000
max 200.000
}
fractal
{
multiplier 0.500
}
lattitude
{
min 22.000
max 56.000
}
so if you get if save these file and test your campaign you should get something like this
also delete map.rwm and heights.hgt from the base folder the map.rwn will rebuild the heights.hgt not really necessary but there is a python tool in the downloads which will rebuild this if you want.
to paint some landmass we are going to have to increase the size of map_regions to the same size of map_heights (301x401) pixels
now scale the image
these are the value that are needed.
after scaling map_regions it should look like this... mine looks weird becuase i had to save these pictures as JPEG.
now we have all three file the same size map_regions map_heights map_ground_types all at 301x401 pixels.