Making Maps Using Height-Map Terrains

[Monitor57]

---------> Map Making <------------

 

---------> Height Mapping [ Using displacement modifier and 3ds max 6] <------------

 

 

ok, in order to follow this tutorial you need 3ds max ( 5, 6 or 7, these 3 version are pretty similar so it shudnt be too hard to follow)

 

do what i say and you will all be fine, now i used 3ds max 6 for this tutorial, but as i said it shouldnt be too hard to follow if you have 5 or 7

 

-----> Brief <------

 

Iv noticed that there is alot of new map projects popping up from everywhere, and then when they show off the 1st island.. its not pretty lol

so this is why i made this tutorial, to help u get a good result and a nice finish

 

Step 1 <---------

 

Ok, boot up 3ds max and create a plane (in this example i made a plane with 50 polys vertical and horizontal, then made it 200 wide and 200 tall)

 

as you can see in these screens:

 

 

 

-----

 

Step 2 <---------

 

Click the modifiers drop down menu and select "Displace"

 

 

-----

 

Step 3 <---------

 

(this is unbelievably easy)

 

now select the bitmap tab shown below, and then use your hieght map image:

 

 

in this example i found this image on Google image search, and it works nicely for this tutorial

 

 

------

 

The basics of height maps <--------

 

umm how do i put this, make the shape of the land u want, then shade it.. the brighter the colour the higher u are making it and the darker the colour the lower you are making it

 

NOTE: ALWAYS USE GREYSCALE!!

 

Step 4 <--------

 

now we have our height map applied, time to sdjust the settings to how much u want it to modify the hieght of your plane:

 

 

Adjust to neccsesary, the decay will soften it up and the strength is how much u want it to be aplied

 

and then you have your result, now how easy was that!?

 

 

there are other ways of doing this, modeling it all by hand is 1 option but this is the way the majority tend to do it,

(how do you think Illspirit made Myriad islands base land to such vast detail?)

 

if there are any problems you have had with my tutorial please post in here and sharew so i can help all of you who may have that problem

 

thank you.

 

 

 

i'll elaborate a bit more;

On your displacement map, white is high, and black is low. Say your makign a mountain; the peak of the mountain at teh very top would be the whitest, and the bottom way below would be black, which grayscale in the middle, getting lighter as you go higher up (the mountain).

 

One problem i have with using a displacemnt map, is you still get the jagged edges at the top of the mesh. The Decay you mentioned, never works right for me. so what i do is apply the Relax Modifier (Parametric Deformers -> Relax). Relax also gives you a bit more flexibility in how the mesh is smoothed out, allowing for different effects.

 

Terrain and Mesh deformations can also be done by creating a plane, and converting it to an editable poly; then deforming the mesh using soft selection. But this is monitor's tutorial, and i wont hijack it anymore.

 

^^ useful info by ashdexx

 

 

- M57

Edited May 16, 2005 by Monitor57

[Suction Testicle Man]

Good job Mon, I'm adding it to the archive now

 

/me stamps approval

 

 

[-GRAVITY2-]

OMG thanks so much. I love you so much Monitor if only you did this earlier. I thought illy did it all by hand so i tried to but im wrong. Thanks so much.

[DexX]

i'll elaborate a bit more;

On your displacement map, white is high, and black is low. Say your making a mountain; the peak of the mountain at the very top would be the whitest, and the bottom way below would be black, with grayscale in the middle, getting lighter as you go higher up (the mountain).

 

One problem i have with using a displacemnt map, is you still get the jagged edges at the top of the mesh. The Decay you mentioned, never works right for me. so what i do is apply the Relax Modifier (Parametric Deformers -> Relax). Relax also gives you a bit more flexibility in how the mesh is smoothed out, allowing for different effects.

 

Terrain and Mesh deformations can also be done by creating a plane, and converting it to an editable poly; then deforming the mesh using soft selection. But this is monitor's tutorial, and i wont hijack it anymore.

 

Nice Monitor

[mickarrow]

This little tut was really needed. Good job man.

Maybe you could add something about keeping the polycount under control though.

[Monitor57]

cheers, keeping the polycount under control with this method isnt easy as the poly's are placed as a grid, so the less poly's u use the less detail and shape you are going to have in your land, and yes this does lead to high polywaste, but its worthit on a scale as large as this

 

 

 

- M57

[JernejL]

"displace modifier".. duh, this technique is called height-map terrain!

 

[Suction Testicle Man]

"displace modifier".. duh, this technique is called height-map terrain!

Yeah? Updated.

 

 

[Monitor57]

"displace modifier".. duh, this technique is called height-map terrain!

Yeah? Updated.

 

 

<3D

wow, never knew that.. and everyone i spoke to has always referred to it as the displacement modifier (the name of the process)

 

 

- M57

[DexX]

its not either or, both terms are correct for different parts of the procedure.

 

The image that the terrain is based on, is the "heightmap".

 

The modifier you need to use is a/known as displacement map/mapping.

[Suction Testicle Man]

Oh, well if it's the same I guess I'll just leave it

 

I might update the layout in a bit Mon - add tables and things.

 

 

[djjack]

How I make to perfectly calculate the size of my plan so that the land if rabbet with the image that I will be to use?

 

Terrain i need use

 

 

 

[Opius]

Problem: That isn't a heightmap. It's an aerial photo.

 

Heightmaps have the highpoints as white and the low points as black, not highlights as white and shadows as blacks.

 

To give a sense of scale, VCs game world is 4096x4096, end to end.

[dertyjerzian]

I like this tutorial, that modifier was covered for this type of use so much faster than any actual book I ever read! good job! You know what I would like to seet though ? I'd like to see properly texturing an island as a tutorial. I have been experimenting with many things in GTA lately and most things I try cause a crash. No idea why, or how to check lol. I'm pretty sure that Terrain crashes have to do withA: I use DreamScape and B I don't texture them because when I do they look crazy. I know I'm going to have to UV a beach and then the half each/ half grass area, and then the full grass further inland, but I really don't feel like doing until there's a tut :Plol

 

EDIT: This is more of anew request, but I figured the writer would be a good person to bring this to his attention. Nonetheless, I'm going to drop a quote of myself into the requests sticky too.

[djjack]

Problem: That isn't a heightmap. It's an aerial photo.

 

Heightmaps have the highpoints as white and the low points as black, not highlights as white and shadows as blacks.

 

To give a sense of scale, VCs game world is 4096x4096, end to end.

THANK'S OPIUS FOR THE EXPLANATION

[-=4EVER=-]

help

http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/9629/dd3tr.png

how to put texture???

 

 

very,very,very,very sorry for BAD ENGLISH!!

[cR]

 

Here's a nice example disp for ya'll... Let's see what you can do

[AleXXX]

"displace modifier".. duh, this technique is called height-map terrain!

Height-mapping? I thought, it is effect for creation Bump!

[FATALiC]

how about a caves tutorial? this doesn't help me with what i want to do

[[NX] Joao.pt]

How i can make height maps?

[Supdario]

Joao.pt' date='Oct 29 2005, 18:15'] How i can make height maps?

This tut learns it

Read the first post

[Arma12]

Hi,

 

Ok here the deal, I have got a map using your tutorial and the same heightmap you used.

 

So where do I go next as regards to texturing and basically getting that map into GTA SA?

 

Sorry if I shouldn't have replied here.

 

Arma12

Edited November 15, 2005 by Arma12

[Monitor57]

Hi,

 

Ok here the deal, I have got a map using your tutorial and the same heightmap you used.

 

So where do I go next as regards to texturing and basically getting that map into GTA SA?

 

Sorry if I shouldn't have replied here.

 

Arma12

i have not yet got any Map objects into SA and fully functional as of yet. Maybe somebody else here may be able to help you or maybe you can search the tutuorial forum for a possible answer?

 

 

sorry.

 

 

 

- M57

[bqwec]

Hello, I was just wondering if anyone knows of any way to turn a TOPO map into a heightmap picture. This would be great,

BQWEC

[Grant_has_a_dream]

OMG thanks so much, took me about 30mins to make the greyscale, 10 mins to perfect the map, and about 5 mins to get it all ingame and functional. Thanks alot.

 

 

 

Edited January 20, 2006 by Grant_has_a_dream

[waddle48]

Hey, sorry for the BUMP!

 

I'm just wondering, how can i reduce the polycount of a heightmap i've made?

 

I mean because when i generated it, it was about 26000 polys >_<

 

Oh, and also, is it 1000 poly limit or more?

[Monitor57]

Hey, sorry for the BUMP!

 

I'm just wondering, how can i reduce the polycount of a heightmap i've made?

 

I mean because when i generated it, it was about 26000 polys >_<

 

Oh, and also, is it 1000 poly limit or more?

you can either reduce the poly's by using the "optimize" modeifier on the mesh after creating, or at the start you may reduce the amount of width/height segments used for the heightmap.

 

 

-M57

 

 

 

 

[woozie-moo]

Hey this is a great tut,but how do I make a cave?