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Socoder -> Art and Sound -> Heightmap Generator?

Tue, 15 Jun 2010, 23:43
Erebel55
Hope this is the right place for this..
I know that I've been through a few good ones..just can't seem to find them again.

I'm just looking for a free heightmap generator.

Preferably one that exports to .raw but if not that is ok. I don't need any world editors or anything like that..just want large heightmaps. Anyone know of any?

Thanks.

*Edit*
Or Maybe if anyone knows how to create them in gimp?

-=-=-
Lava Monkey
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lvm.lavamonkey
Wed, 16 Jun 2010, 01:59
Jayenkai
Note : Jay is crap at 3D, and this is entirely based upon his assumptions of how 3D works!!!

Isn't a heightmap just a grayscale image. Use your favourite image editor. Black = low, White = high. Doodle, Save, load, job done.

hmm.. maybe, maybe not.. Works for terrain, anyway..

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Wed, 16 Jun 2010, 04:17
HoboBen
This should be easy enough to translate into your language of choice: link

In gimp, off the top of my head, it's in render > clouds

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Wed, 16 Jun 2010, 07:45
Erebel55
Well sure Jay, it is that simple in theory..but the problem with just using my favorite image editor is that the maps look very sharp and erratic..they don't look natural or smooth at all.

Hobo, thanks for the link..I'll check that out.

I've also tried hme's heightmap generator..but it crashed a lot on my machine...so I gave that up.

-=-=-
Lava Monkey
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lvm.lavamonkey
Wed, 16 Jun 2010, 08:29
Jayenkai
If you use a little blur, and reduce the contrast a little, you can make the sharp and erratic edges disappear.

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Wed, 16 Jun 2010, 09:01
Erebel55
Ok, I'll do some experimenting. Thanks Jay
Wed, 16 Jun 2010, 10:31
JL235
Most image editors support fuzzy brushes. They have gradients for their edges and so should help create less sharp terrain. You can also try painting with a low amount of alpha, so your only marginally altering the height of terrain on each stroke.

With Gimp you can also select regions and when you apply blurs they will only be applied to that blur. This can allow you to blur an indevidual hill.
Wed, 16 Jun 2010, 10:38
Erebel55
Alright, I think I'm going to stick with Gimp to create my heightmaps then..hopefully I can get them looking nice. Thanks for the suggestions JL235.

-=-=-
Lava Monkey
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lvm.lavamonkey
Wed, 16 Jun 2010, 11:13
JL235
I'd also recommend using layers. One layer for the ground, another layer for a hill on that ground, another layer for providing general surface bumps.

If you set the layers to addition (or something similar) then each layer will add it's changes to the last. i.e. a hill to be added to the ground and appear on top rather then replace that section of ground.

You can then also use the alpha of each layer to adjust how much of an impact that piece of ground will have. This is useful if you have a hill that is the right shape but is too high and steep. You can just lower it's alpha to lower it's emphasis.
Wed, 16 Jun 2010, 11:24
Erebel55
Again thank you If I wasn't such a scrub in image programs maybe I would be able to figure this out myself

-=-=-
Lava Monkey
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lvm.lavamonkey