Importing CC3 into Fractal

I have used CC2/CC3 for years and have a set of maps that I have spent hours and hours upon. I would like to expand my world and include temperature and weather and such. Fractal Terrains seems like to tool to do it, but I want to be able to import my CC3 maps into Fractal and then generate the rest of the world. Is this possible. There is a hint in the short Fractal manual that makes me think so, but I don't know how to access the full Fractal manual to find out. I don't want to buy Fractal just to be disappointed. Anybody have an answer for me?

Comments

  • edited September 2009
    Thanks for your good question safrt. I am relatively new to ProFantasy's software and have been wondering about this too.

    I've definitely been able to export from FTPro to CC3 for fairly basic whole-world maps but have not tried the other way around. You use the "File > Save as CC2 file" option and you can turn off/on the rainfall and temperature data as needed, as well as set the granularity of contours (for example, you might want 10 or 100 foot intervals) and a few other bits and pieces.

    In FTPro there is a concept of importing a bitmap as an overlay. In the manual they use clouds as an example. I suppose you could do this:

    1. Generate a random world that looks vaguely close to what you have in mind.
    2. Refine it using the raise and lower tools etc. in FTPro.
    3. Save your CC3 files as a bitmap and place them as an overlay in FTPro.
    4. Tidy up the connecting land-masses i.e. so they don't have coastlines with obvious square corners in them.

    I think it would involve a lot of fiddling around. There would be other issues such as how to manage the continuity of colour and fonts, and you'd have to prepare the CC3 files by removing frames, compass roses etc. and possibly rescaling them. I'm not sure how to get around that.

    Alternatively, FTPro permits worlds to be created from binary files. You can import a map of Earth this way - the data file is shipped with FTPro. I don't yet know enough about using CC3 to know if/how to create those.

    Like I said, a good question. I am looking forward to learning if/how others have tackled it.
  • RalfRalf Administrator, ProFantasy 🖼️ 18 images Mapmaker
    I've written a tutorial on how to import an existing world into Fractal Terrains. It was done with CC2 Pro and the previous version of FT, but all the principles are still valid. I'm sure it's possible to improve on it now.
  • Thanks Ralf. Having only bought the two products 22 days ago I am still learning. I downloaded your pdf but I think it will be a while until I'm brave enough to try it!

    I was playing around with FT -> CC3 exports today. Is there a way to carry the contours across as layers?
  • RalfRalf Administrator, ProFantasy 🖼️ 18 images Mapmaker
    Posted By: vikkiw
    I was playing around with FT -> CC3 exports today. Is there a way to carry the contours across as layers?
    Unfortunately no, not in this version of FT. What I have done in the past is to multipoly and color-code the contours. That way it is easiest to select them individually and put them on their own layers in CC3.
  • I do a bitmap export. Import that into its own layer in CC3, then draw the land and ocean contours into a new map. Delete the bitmap.

    Save as to a series of filenames often. Filename001, filename002, etc.
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