Terrain Editing

[J@mes]

I have opened the file is red and various colors of green

[Goatbuster3000]

The three shades of red represent water, with the lightest being the most shallow. I'd suggest you add your island using the color (0,0,0), which represents wilderness. I do this in photoshop by layering the map_heights on top of the map_ground_types, then making the heights more transparent and adding the island to the ground types. Then, delete the map_heights layer and save. I'm sorry if this is not what you're looking for.

[J@mes]

sorry i will explain i have edited the map_height.tga in paint color = 1 , 1 , 1

do i need to edit all three for my island to show?

[Goatbuster3000]

In order to get the island to show up on the campaign map, you'll need need to edit:
map_ground_types
map_heights
map_regions

Hope this helps, James

[J@mes]

In order to get the island to show up on the campaign map, you'll need need to edit:
map_ground_types
map_heights
map_regions

Hope this helps, James

do i need to edit all three at once in layers in photoshop?

[Goatbuster3000]

I always do. It makes it a lot easier. Although, you'll need to resize your map_regions to the size of the heights and ground_types. I suggest using the nearest neighbor option in the image size window.

[J@mes]

do i still need to resize if i just paint a few islands like around the Caribbean.

Thanks again goatbuster and wilddog.

[wilddog]

I think I lost the plot in this conversation somewhere.

Map heights needs to be changed. Map ground types needs to be changed in line with map heights. Map regions will generate via the old and the new heights but you don't see it. I'm not sure what expanding a map regions to a map heights size is suppose to achieve except a crash as the game doesn't use it and expects the map regions to be smaller.

Depending on the size and pixels used in maps heights would determine whether or not the island would show at all. eg if you had a single pixel line in map heights running through say 3 pixels but all horizontally or vertically (but on even pixels) it won't show as they ain't the ones used to generate the smaller map-regions.tga (or equivalent that gets built into the map.rwm).

[J@mes]

i think i just became confussed with my own thead :o(

[J@mes]

you have a step by step beginner tutorial to editing the terrain?

[Goatbuster3000]

By terrain, are you referring to the textures on the map, or adding completely new land masses, such as the islands you wish to add? I know, modding can be confusing at times

[J@mes]

By terrain, are you referring to the textures on the map, or adding completely new land masses, such as the islands you wish to add? I know, modding can be confusing at times

adding completely new land mass

[Goatbuster3000]

Ok, here's my Goat's Guide to Adding an Island or Something...

It works for me, so it should work for you.

First, you'll need to edit three files:
map_regions
map_ground_types
map_heights

Open these three files in photoshop, and take notice of the size of the ground_types and heights file. A map of size 510x510 would have a heights and ground_types size of 1021x1021. I'll work with these proportions for this mini tutorial.

After the three files are open, select the map_regions file and then go to Image in the toolbar at the top. Then, go to the 'Image Size' option and click it. Once the window pops up, it'll look something like this (Note: I'm saving these as JPGs, so it messes with the quality a bit):


Then, change it to look like this (once again, this is assuming the map_heights is 1021x1021 pixels):
http://img74.imageshack.us/img74/4975/40257786ok5.jpg

The nearest neighbor setting at the bottom is critical for keeping the pixels solid and not blurring the image. Now, resize it and all three files should be the same size.

Next, copy the map_regions image, use the rectangular marquee tool, or this thing:

And select all of the map_regions in its window. Copy with either ctrl+c or going to edit and copy, then paste it within the map_ground_types file. If you cannot see the layers, go to Window and select Layers. This will bring up a window with all of the layers listed in the 'Layers' tab. Now, do the same thing with the heights. Copy, and paste it into the map_ground_types file. Minimize the file windows for both map_regions and map_heights, we'll need them later. Your Layer window should look something like this. (Note, I've named my layers, just for clarity):


Now comes the actual act of adding the island or landmass. For this, I'll create an island to the right of the British Isles. Just for those curious, I'm using the The Long Road map. I set the color to be something that would work with map_heights (I'm using 16,16,16). Make sure that in your layers tab you have map_heights or the layer containing map_heights selected. Now, with your color and layer selected, add your island. Mine looks like this:


Now, I'm going to add the island simply as a part of London, but you could easily add a new region to that, but there are tutorials to do that. Now, for me, I set the opacity to 0, so my project looks like this:


Make sure you've selected the new layer containing map_regions. Mine is called map_regions. I took the eyedropper tool to copy the color of London's province. Now, you're going to have to select the map_heights layer again and change the opacity to something higher. 36% works fine for me. Reselect the map_regions file, because we're finally going to add the island to this file. Using the pencil tool, you're going to essentially trace the island from map_heights. This picture will let you know what it's supposed to look like while doing it:


Color the rest of the island in. and it should now be fully added to your map_regions. Next, set the opacities for both map_regions and map_heights to be about 36%, so you can see the map_ground_types but still see the island. It should look something like this:


Take a color that works with map_ground_types (I use 0,0,0) and notice I have the map_ground_types layer selected. We're going to add the final piece to the puzzle here Simply color over the island in the map_ground_types layer with the 0,0,0 color. It should look like this once done:


Now, set all of the opacities back to 100%. Now, we have to get all of the images back to their respective files.

Cut the map_heights layer from this file, and paste it back into your original map_heights file. In your layers window, select the copied layer (layer 1) and select the merge down option:

Save it and close.

With the map_regions layer selected, use the box tool and select the whole image, then cut (ctrl + x) and paste it back into the map_regions file window you minimized earlier. It should look just like the original, but with an island in it. Go to Image->Image Size and resize it the exact same way we did before, but this time, we're making it smaller. The dimensions should be 510x510, but yours may vary. Make sure to keep nearest neighbor selected. Do the same merge down method as before and save.

The only thing left should be your map_ground_types file, which was the file that we used to add the island into (you know, the one with the layers). You may have to delete the other two layers from this file. This can be easily done with right click, delete layer. Save and close this.

That should be all there is to it. If my cursed TLR folder hadn't been corrupted, I'd post screens. Perhaps later I'll add more examples. If you wish to get the map to work, you'll have to start a new campaign. Also, don't forget to delete your map.rwm file. I hope this helps any of you, this is the first "tutorial" I've written and I'd like it if people posted either suggestions or comments. I'd be especially grateful if anyone were able to point out my mistakes. I made this in the course of an hour or so, and I know it may be a bit sloppy. Take care and I hope this helps some of you!

PS: Do any of you think I should post this in the tutorials section? I'm not sure if it's important enough

Best regards, Goatbuster

[wilddog]

PS: Do any of you think I should post this in the tutorials section? I'm not sure if it's important enough

Well I guess that's one way of doing it and explains why you were increasing the regions map size in order to reduce it again!.

Personally its not the way I would do it but I've always used a mixture of the old paintshop pro stuff and now photoshop elements (still trying to make up my mind on whether to get the new CS3 when its out).

I do all the overlaying bits when I want to edit the map ground types (and amend map heights) but map regions is simply map heights reduced using nearest neighbour and colour in the regions as you want. So if you have an old map you overlay the old regions on the 'new reduced heights' map and colour the differences. .. and if you don't then it will probably be catered for as part of the map.rwm creation process when the game 'creates' a new corrected regions map anyway (It used to do this in BI but for some reason doesn''t generate it physically in M2TW but the process is the same).

[Gundug]

Socal_infidel (is that like So-Cal, as in the Southern California hot rodders?), I find that you can safely get rid of the .hgt file after making changes. It's never re-generated by the game, but the maps will work fine. Have you also deleted the map_heights.rwm? The game must regenerate that file from your edited heights tga in order for changes to appear.

Edit: too late - wilddog beat me to the punch.

[Socal_infidel]

Indeed, Socal = SOuthern CAlifornia (although I'm now in NYC)...

Thanks wilddog, the thing is I literally cannot make any changes to Malta it seems. I've gotten so frustrated that I've done crazy stuff like editing both the heights and ground types file to link the island to Sicily...the game starts up just fine. And the island is still as it is in vanilla...and like I said, I even tried burying it under wonder by dousing it in the appropriate files with the water RGB values. It still appears as it does in Vanilla.

That's why I was wondering if you need to delete the heights.hgt in order to add NEW land masses to the map.

As opposed to editing already existing land masses, as I've since been able to add settlements to Palma, Lesbos and the island to the east of where Athens would be (Negroponte). But there all I did was color the exisiting land masss 1 1 1 in heights.tga and edit ground_types.tga to appropriate colors on those islands.

Thanks again!

[wilddog]

Socal_infidel.. er... that's why I started my post

delete maps.rwm and delete map_heights.Hgt

Yes delete both the above correct the errors and away you go. If that still isn't working you're using a short cut to a copy of the game in a different directory.

[Socal_infidel]

man im dumb. need to get rest instead of trying to add settlement on Malta, I guess. thanks a bunch.

[wilddog]

Just don't forget to add the log bit into your .cfg if you haven't done it so any error come up.

[J@mes]

What are the colors types used in map_heights and types?
I.E 0,0,0 1,1,1? if i wanted to map a settlement to an island like palma, which file would i need to edit in order to allow a settlement and port?