Raw Terrain Files

On the island purchasing page, it is stated that I can send my own terrain file to create my own specialized island. The only explanation provided is a link to tiki:
http://secondlife.com/tiki/tiki-index.php?page=RawTerrainFile
...where it is said "Many commercial and shareware tools exist for creating terrain files. Existing real world terrain data is also available from various sources that can be useful starting points for creating your own height fields."

Could anybody tell me how to find these "many tools" and "sources"? I'm sure I am just not entering the right search words in Google... But I don't get anything useful...

Also... It would be great if somebody could give me some suggestions on what tool is the best so that I don't have to spend a few weeks on a dozen different tools before finding the best one... ))))

Many thanks in advance

P.S.: Sorry if I am posting in the wrong forum... I couldn't find a forum pertinent for raw terrain files so I picked "land management"

Hello Dale. I moved the post from the SLLM forum to Design and Texures so that you can get some feedback. The SLLM forum is post only and will not generate any discussion. Hopefully somone can help out with this.

Dale -- while I haven't actually played with the raw terrain files yet, I would guess they are basically a displacement map, which typically is a black to white image (grayscale), with black representing the lowest areas of the terrain, and the white representing the highest (or vice versa). While you could probably find many 3D applications that would allow you to work on this (Maya, 3DStudio, etc.), you probably could also edit the image in a 2D application like Photoshop or PSP; as most displacement maps are usually gradients from black to white (or the ones i've seen are) 2D image editing programs can usually do it.

The benefit of a 3D program that would do it is that it would allow you to see a model of the terrain before you uploaded it, most likely.

One other thing -- I heard a horror story about someone downloading their raw terrain map and uploading a new one that put much of their existing builds under the land, which of course in turn sent the sunken items back to inventory. So, even if this is just a slim possibility (and hopefully was just rumor), it would be wise to work on your terrain map in areas you didn't have much built until you get the hang of it.

I dont know how they prefer files, but if .dem (and I think .dtm files available there) then ya can try http://edcwww.cr.usgs.gov fot terrain maps of US.

Or perhaps Tere has it right. .dem files (digitial elevation model) are very handy to use for terrain, and perhaps this is what SL uses. In that case, you'll need a 3D program for sure.

SL uses ".raw" files as explained on the island purchasing page...

My question is what tool is the best? A software... To produced .RAW files based on an island created out of my brain (not from any existing RL terrains).

The riki reference states that there are many tools....

http://secondlife.com/tiki/tiki-index.php?page=RawTerrainFile

...I just can't find them!

After a few more hours on Google... I found this:
http://www.world-machine.com
It can export to .RAW but it seems a bit like an overkill for what SL needs, no?

Furthermore, if I understand it right, the raw files would just cover elevations, not textures by elevation which would have to be redefined in SL afterward, right? Or am I missing something?

Has anybody done a raw terrain file for an island before? With what tools?

Thanks in advance.

I was puzzled with that too, but looking at their explanations it looks like you just set up a photoshop file at 256x256 pixels with all the appropriate channels, and use gray scale values of 0-255 to convey info.

But I really don't know.

I've done a few RAW files, and I just use photoshop. Setting up a RAW file from scratch can be a bit of a pain, so the easiest way is to simply export the RAW file from your island, then open and modify it in photoshop.

I also did a little googling to try and find a terrain tool, but was unable to find anything that was open source or relatively in-expensive that supported the format

Bryce makes its landscapes using greyscale images. Its cool.

This site on Gamedev.net has a series of tutorials on openGL which include source for making a terrain reader using a simple RAW file. This could probably be turned into a useful utility quickly.

http://nehe.gamedev.net/data/lessons/lesson.asp?lesson=34

i use this on outside projects, and it works well enugh
http://www.planetside.co.uk/


it lets you edit the greyscale releif maps you need for SL, and view your progress in realtime 3d (so you can move around in it)

you will probally need to export just the terain info and load it up in a paint program to add the other 12 (or whatever) channels for SL's land options

but its better than nothing

After much trial an error I settled on using PhotoShop to edit channel 2 if I remember correctly. The challenge for me was figuring out what the different greyscale values represent in terms of terrain height. I raised and lowered my island by 100m a few times before I got it right (good thing it was empty).

I tried terragen and did not have any luck; however, I did not try loading the raw file it produces into PhotoShop and then add the other channels, as another poster mentioned. I'll try that since editiing with PhotoShop is rudimentary at best - it is difficult to imagine a complex 3-d landscape using a flat moddel viewed from above.

Does anyone have a raw terrain file i can have, or purchase. That has just a square shape with room around the edge for boats. Also with a mountain on the far end. North end, for example.

If you still need this, I can make you one.

[email]lee.ponzu@yahoo.com[/email]

ooh wrong answer for a wrong thread.

Sorry! Ty but I actually got a flat terrain file for my island months back.

Mac users should use BACKHOE. Its free--and its called BACKHOE, dammit!

LOL. thx, Lee

As I work with EasyGen (which is something that is not compatable to Second Life, as far as I know, it's designed for the Quake 3 engine) I am using a soo called heightmap. I find it intresting to know that Second Life works with the same aspects as I read what you all actually write down and can be valuable knowledge....

So are those files then made (as easygen only supports JPEG) also just "photoshop" files or is there a whole different idea behind it. Since you guys talk about a *.RAW file, i asume I can forget about JPEG / TGA / BMP

well the raw file is a 13 channel nasty, no software out there is going to exactly match the SL format

basic terain sculpting can be done with just about any editor out there, rather it be a image editor or a terain generator, but you will end up back in paint to add the other channels, which control things like water level, parcel info and some other stuff, noone says you have to use those channels in your raw file but they have to be in there

make map
open in paint (real paint like photoshop, gimp, or psp ect)
add other channels
save as raw

untill someone goes nuts and makes a SL editor thats the way it is... and considering its soo ez to just take a image and add the other stuff to it i doubt its on the top of most developers list's

Yes, nice tool. But it is called Backhoe(unless there are two).

Got an URL? I'm finding lots of wild pictures of heavy machinery...

Backhoe is at:
http://www.notabene-sl.com/Backhoe/

Hey - Anyone know whether black is seen as 0 or 255 when being read by the linden terrain module?

Dont want to end up with a black hole where mountains should be

If you screw up black/white working in an empty sim, you just invert the image to flip the elevations to the correct orientation.


If you have a photo editor or paint program and want to try making terrain by hand, what you want to use is a diffused-edge additive paintbrush, that slowly adds a little more shading as you continue to "rub" the tool across the same area.

This allows you to smoothly build up hills and terrain without steep, jagged, straight white-to-black edges.

Due to the way the terrain is rendered, a sudden white/black or other steep gradient will have a sawtooth appearance in certain directions, and generally looks bad.

I haven't tried this, as my sim isn't here yet, though I'm going to make a blind assumption here.

I would guess that the same 0 value for the in world color chooser, would equal the same color value that SL reads in it's RAW files. Same would apply for 255.

If I am wrong please correct me, else I'll find out when I get my sim lol.

- Sam

I don't have any advice on tools for you, but I just accidentally happened across a bit more information about creating .raw terrain files for SL which may or may not be helpful. Seemed to have a few tips in it.

Here is the link, from the knowledgebase:
http://secondlife.com/knowledgebase/article.php?id=288

-- Rachel