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Vi Shenley
Still Rezzing
Join date: 24 Oct 2006
Posts: 103
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09-07-2008 10:48
Hi,
I have got the hang of creating raw files for single regions. What I would like to do now is to create a seamless terrain that covers 4 regions in a 2x2 grid.
What is the best way to go about this? I can use Terragen and Photoshop.
Vi
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Incanus Merlin
Not User Serviceable
Join date: 12 Apr 2007
Posts: 583
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09-07-2008 12:49
Hello Vi
I don't use Terragen myself, but I should think Photoshop and layers would work just fine. Desmond might know more as I know he uses .raw files significantly - hopefully he'll spot this thread.
Inc
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Lee Ponzu
What Would Steve Do?
Join date: 28 Jun 2006
Posts: 1,770
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09-07-2008 13:19
I think you should be able to create a 512x512 terrain file, and then carefully crop it into four adjacent 256x256 ones.
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So many monkeys, so little Shakespeare.
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Jackson Rickenbacker
Registered User
Join date: 8 Oct 2006
Posts: 601
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09-07-2008 15:02
I just did this with a 512x512 layered map on Photoshop, though some tweaking inworld with the land tools gave me much better all-around looks Have a look 
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Jackson
http://secondlifesims.com
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Zoha Boa
Registered User
Join date: 12 Mar 2007
Posts: 2,893
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09-07-2008 16:44
From: Lee Ponzu I think you should be able to create a 512x512 terrain file, and then carefully crop it into four adjacent 256x256 ones. that works perfect, we have done it before.
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Desmond Shang
Guvnah of Caledon
Join date: 14 Mar 2005
Posts: 5,250
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09-07-2008 17:57
Yeap, that's what I do too!
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 Steampunk Victorian, Well-Mannered Caledon!
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Ceera Murakami
Texture Artist / Builder
Join date: 9 Sep 2005
Posts: 7,750
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09-07-2008 21:24
Yep. I just make a larger Photoshop file, and slice it up. I tend to make mune 2x as large as I want, si use a 512 x 512 area for each sim, and then reduce just before slicing it up.
One trick though!
If you cut a section out of a larger heightmap, sometimes you will get a "flashing" on the edges that were the outer edges of the original larger heighmap. By this I mean a rough edge that sticks up, right at the edge, when the .raw file is applied.
The problem here is that the cut section is trying to anti-alias the edge to the area beyond the cut. So you get a one-pixel rough edge that is slightly lighter, and therefore higher, than you wanted it.
An easy fix for that is to slice out your 256 x 256 sections, as planned, then, when you paste it into a new document to import into a .raw file, put a guideline at the edges of the 256 x 256 file. Now change the canvas size to 260 x 260, which gives you a small border around the edge. Paste another copy of the heightmap into the file, and streach it out to the new edges, then move that to be the layer under the actual undistorted heightmap. Now crop to the desired 256 x 256 original, and the resulting file will have no distortions on the edges.
Why? Because slightly sreaching the layer below the one that you wanted makes a border that is just about exactly the same shades fo grey as the pixels at the intended cut line. This means that any anti-aliasing caused by cutting or cropping is using the same values on each side of the cut, and no distortion is introduced!
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Rock Vacirca
riches to rags
Join date: 18 Oct 2006
Posts: 1,093
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09-08-2008 05:17
Hi Vi,
The simplest way of achieving your goal is to create your heightfield as normal using whichever app you prefer, but in 512x512 pixels (for a 2x2 grid), then split the image into 4 using the incredibly simple application Split and Tile Image Splitter 2.07d (free to use 40 times, then US$20 to buy). Just 2 clicks to achieve what you want, couldn't be simpler.
This also answers your cross-post in the textures forum.
Rock
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