Can't Ungroup FT3 Export

Dogtag · December 2016

So, I've been experimenting with an idea to get my world more or less into FT3 so i could export it to CC3. My experiment has mostly been succesful (woo-hoo!).

HOWEVER...

I exported the FT3 map to CC3 as Coastlines Only. The result was pretty satisfying. I think it could use some tweaks but overall, I was pretty happy. Until I discovered that all the entities appear to be grouped. Permanently. I cannot, for the life of me ungroup them. I've unlocked groups and then ungrouped. Over an over to no avail. I even tried moving everything to the common sheet, unlocking groups, and then using CLIPCOPY to another instance.

Nope. Everything stays grouped.

I would be grateful for any suggestions. If it helps, I've attached the FCW.

Thanks,
~Dogtag

Monsen · December 2016

It isn't grouped, it is multipolied. Use Explode. (Note, you can change whether it will multipoly the contours or not in the FT3 export settings.)

Loopysue · December 2016

I never use multipoly because of that problem. It can cause a lot of headaches!

You have my sympathy Dogtag!

Dogtag · December 2016

That was, indeed, the issue Monsen, thanks. I guess it never occurred to me that FT3 would multipoly all the landmasses. In fact, I don't know that I've ever seen multipoly used that way. Huh.

Of course, the successful import had its own issues, not the least of which being that changing the land to be like the default style land tool created wack-a-doodle node spasms with the outlines.

So, I removed the outlines and added a glow to mimic the look of the outline. This is the imported experimental FT world, copied into a map made with the CA106 style "Ancient Realms," (sans any outline on the COASTLINE sheet). The "outline" is an Outer Glow effect set to the same color as the default landmass outline, with an Opacity of 100%, a Range of 0.2, a Blur of 0, and the Effect Units are Percent of Drawing Extents Width.

[Image_7237]

Thanks for your help. One more hurdle down on my quest to generate an FT version of my campaign world.

Cheers,
~Dogtag

Monsen · December 2016

Posted By: DogtagI guess it never occurred to me that FT3 would multipoly all the landmasses.

It multipolies each contour level (no matter if it is part of a single landmass or not) This is necessary to be able to make "holes", most prominently for lakes, but also for things like valleys and such if you export height contours beside the coastline.

[Deleted User] · December 2016

Keep us appraised of your steps to go from CC3+ to FT - I am OK with FT to CC

Dogtag · December 2016

Yeah, when I edited the export settings, I saw that it was multipolying the countour levels.

So, if you don't multipoly the contour levels, does it not export the lakes? I'm not worried about the valleys and stuff since I'm only doing the coastline. I haven't double-checked against the FT3 world but it looks like the export may be sans lakes, unless that speck in the NE is a lake. I'm guessing it may be a tight inlet that the glow couldn't make except at the larger round part. I'll have to check.

Monsen · December 2016

It does export the lake. Or, to be more precise, it exports the coastline around the lake. However, when not mutipolying, these coastlines tends to be hidden by the landmass.

Dogtag · December 2016

@qwalker: I'm sorry to disappoint you but I'm not going from CC3 to FT (although I suppose the technique could be adapted). I have never been able to make a satisfactory version of my game world in CC3, for a number of reasons. I've wanted to generate an FT version for... well, for a long time. But making a custom map, to spec, in FT3 is nigh impossible for me. I tried importing a sketch of my world into FT, hoping I could edit it. I was able to import it (thanks to Old Guy's tutorials) and I did get a result, but unfortunately, it looked just like the sketch I made when I was 18, when I drew it to fill an 8.5x11" piece of paper — and it looks like it. And my FT editing skills are right up there with my oil painting skills. I can make something, but it rarely looks the way it should.

What I've been playing with now is the idea of Frankensteining my game world out of multiple FT3 worlds. I've been generating worlds that have landmasses that I could use as part of my game world. I haven't done it yet, this was the experiment. The map above was made from two separate FT worlds, exported to PNG. then cut apart, rotated, moved around, and reassembled. Then converted to grayscale and imported into Wilbur and exported out again as an MDR. Then, imported back into FT and exported to CC3.

It's actually easier to do than to explain. BUT... yes, once I have a system in place and get it all working, I'll be happy to document it for anyone else who wants to give it a try.

There's still a way to go, I think. First, the detail of the coastline just isn't there. And there's the lake issue. But this is a promising step in the right direction.

Cheers,
~Dogtag

Dogtag · December 2016

Posted By: MonsenIt does export the lake. Or, to be more precise, it exports the coastline around the lake. However, when not mutipolying, these coastlines tends to be hidden by the landmass.

That figures.

[Deleted User] · December 2016

Delete the COASTLINE Sheet (nothing is on it, and rename CONTOURS (OUTLINE) Sheet to COASTLINE. Your lake coastlines will now appear, and you could fill them how you like (I add LAKES to my sheets, Select all the lake coastlines, and give the all the Sheet property of LAKES; and a Solid fill (or appropriate lake fill), and an appropriate colour. Press OK. The select the outline in black, the 'p' then Do It. and your 'blue' lakes will be outlined in black. This is how I do it anyway. I also give the outline of the lakes the Sheet property of COASTLINE, so you can fiddle with different effects of water and coast separately. I reattach my version of your .fcw (the Lake coulr is awful, but you can fix this)

Dogtag · December 2016

That's awesome info! Thanks, qwalker.

But does that only apply when FT multipolies? The FCW I attached earlier was the multipoly export.

[Deleted User] · December 2016

I think so

jslayton · December 2016

The multiply thing should be a setting on the export definition.

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Can't Ungroup FT3 Export

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