Heightmap customization - Azgaar/Fantasy-Map-Generator GitHub Wiki

Heightmap customization is a process of Heightmap creation controlled by user in opposite to a random generation. There are 5 main customization flows available:

• edit the current heightmap
• draw heightmap from the scratch
• apply one of existing heightmap templates
• edit or create a new heightmap template
• convert image into a heightmap.

I would recommend to set up a template or convert image as a first step and then use paint brushes to fine tune the heightmap.

To start customization click on the arrow button to open the Menu. Open the Tools tab and click on Heightmap.

Click on:

• the Erase button to remove everything except the Heightmap and edit the pure heightmap.
• the Keep button to keep data assigned to every cell and edit only the landmass without changing the coastline.
• the Risk button to keep all data assigned to every cell and edit the whole Heightmap*.
• the Cancel button to abort changing the heightmap.

* Like the button says the Risk option is risky and can cause some issues. Use this option only if you know what you are doing and save a .map file before using it.

• To draw a map click on Paint Brushes
• To apply or edit template click on Template Editor
• To convert image click on Image Converter
• To see a heightmap preview click on Heightmap Preview
• To see a semi-3d Heightmap view click on Perspective View

Once you are satisfied with the Heightmap, click on Exit Customization. To minimize the failure risk the button activates only where there are at least 200 land cells.

• Radius (top slider) - slider to control Radius for brushes
• Power (bottom slider) - slider to control the intensity of brushes
• Raise - increase cell height by power value, drag for continuous usage
• Elevate - drag to gradually increase cell height by power value
• Lower - decrease cell height by power value, drag for continuous usage
• Depress - drag to gradually decrease cell height
• Align - fit cell's height to the first tagged cell, drag for continuous usage
• Smooth - smooth cell height, drag the map for continuous usage
• Disrupt - randomize heights a bit, drag for continuous usage
• Checkbox “change only land cells” - this option allows you to prevent you from changing the coastline

• Un-do - step back, works only for a Heightmap customization
• Re-do - step forward, works only for a Heightmap customization
• Rescaler - slider to rescale all cells
• Condition - conditional Height rescaler
• Smooth - smooth all heights a bit
• Disrupt - randomize all heights a bit
• Clear - set all heights to 0

Please see template editor

• - Upload image

  • Here you can upload the image you’d like to convert into a Heightmap.
  • You can upload colored or b/w images.
  • Recommended are b/w images with black being ocean

• - Auto-assign colors based on luminosity

  • This option assigns the colors to heights based on their luminosity.

• - Auto-assign colors based on hue

  • This option assigns the colors to heights based on their hue.

• - Reduce the number of colors

  • Here you can reduce the number of colors of the image.
  • This obviously reduces the number of heights to assign.
  • The minimal number is 3.

• - Increase the number of colors

  • Here you can increase the number of colors of the image.
  • This also increases the number of heights to assign.
  • The maximal number is 256.

• - Complete the assignment

  • This completes the assignment of colors.
  • All not assigned colors will be considered an ocean.

You also can assign the colors by hand. To do so click on a color and then select a height by clicking on the bar above.