Having trouble with Fractal Terrains 3's detail

mikemullally

Hi, I have just started with Fractal Terrains 3, and was struggling to figure out how to raise and lower the map to the right level of detail. My editing size was at small, but I have now updated that to the maximum custom size. The problem is that the parts if the map I already edited now have a blocky view, and when I try to edit in the new editing size I can't seem to remove the blocky look. Any ideas?

The picture below shows the original blocky look, plus my attempt at fixing them which create a different type of blocky look (but still doesn't look natural).

Terraformer_Author

Go to MAP > WORLD SETTINGS > EDITING from the top of the FT3 toolbar. When you are in the "WORLD SETTINGS" window - open the "EDITING" tab - and set the "Editing Size to 4096 (ultra HD?) - or whatever resolution that you are wanting - and then DO NOT CLOSE THE WORLD SETTINGS > EDITING WINDOW, but keep it open in your work space. MAKE SURE THAT YOU CHECK THE BOX TO ENABLE PRESCALE OFFSET EDITING - AND THAT YOU HIT THE "APPLY" BUTTON!!! This ends step #1 - step #2 next post...

Terraformer_Author

Now click "REGENERATE" on the "MAP" drop down menu...Let me know what happens, if that doesn't fix it - then go to TOOLS > GLOBAL SMOOTH > PRESCALE LAND OFFSET, and choose "AMOUNT -> 1" and hit the "OK" button and see if that does any good, if it doesn't - let us know. Hopefully Joe Slayton will chime in on this eventually.

mikemullally

Thanks for the quick reply!

Unfortunately that didn't improve the look at all, the blocky look is still there just the same. Any other ideas?

Terraformer_Author

Ok - let's try just to recreate the world AFTER you have reset the editing resolution in the "Editing" sub tab. Go to "WORLD SETTINGS" > "PRIMARY", and WITHOUT CHANGING - BUT KEEPING your original "WORLD SEED" number - simply hit the "APPLY" button and that's it. You might want to write the "WORLD SEED" number down if you want to keep this world - and if all else fails - then you'll have to probably recreate the world from scratch by inputting the "WORLD SEED" number of this world into the "SYNTHETIC WORLD" dialogue window when you start a new world, but what I would do is just try this before recreating the whole world all over again - and just wait for Joe Slayton to respond to the thread. He programmed most of FT3 (as far as I know) - so he knows it better than his own freckles.

jslayton

Judging from the faceted look of the terrain, I would guess that you started with a very low resolution editing surface, did some editing and then bumped up the editing resolution (or that did a Burn Into Terrain operation or imported from an image). FT does a bilinear interpolation on the resize and that's what causes the facets. At this point, pretty much all that you can do is to smooth the offset editing to reduce the faceting (selecting the worst offending areas and feathering the selection before doing the blur will help). As much as I hate to say it, you might be best served in the long run by viewing what you have done as a learning experience and starting over (save your existing file, copy it as a backup, then use next world and prev world to wipe any editing).

I like to think that http://www.ridgenet.net/~jslayton/CGTutorial/index.html is a good starting point for doing stuff in FT.

JimP

Posted By: Terraformer_AuthorOk - let's try just to recreate the world AFTER you have reset the editing resolution in the "Editing" sub tab. Go to "WORLD SETTINGS" > "PRIMARY", and WITHOUT CHANGING - BUT KEEPING your original "WORLD SEED" number - simply hit the "APPLY" button and that's it. You might want to write the "WORLD SEED" number down if you want to keep this world - and if all else fails - then you'll have to probably recreate the world from scratch by inputting the "WORLD SEED" number of this world into the "SYNTHETIC WORLD" dialogue window when you start a new world

I agree. I do this for my Traveller export maps from FT3. Also Roughness, Percent Sea, and Land Size. That way if I want to go back, as you suggest, and do more work on that world, I have the details I need.

Terraformer_Author

Posted By: jslaytonJudging from the faceted look of the terrain, I would guess that you started with a very low resolution editing surface, did some editing and then bumped up the editing resolution (or that did a Burn Into Terrain operation or imported from an image). FT does a bilinear interpolation on the resize and that's what causes the facets. At this point, pretty much all that you can do is to smooth the offset editing to reduce the faceting (selecting the worst offending areas and feathering the selection before doing the blur will help). As much as I hate to say it, you might be best served in the long run by viewing what you have done as a learning experience and starting over (save your existing file, copy it as a backup, then use next world and prev world to wipe any editing).

I like to think that http://www.ridgenet.net/~jslayton/CGTutorial/index.html is a good starting point for doing stuff in FT.

Yep - I have screwed up big time by not backing up my files before.

Terraformer_Author

Posted By: JimP

Posted By: Terraformer_AuthorOk - let's try just to recreate the world AFTER you have reset the editing resolution in the "Editing" sub tab. Go to "WORLD SETTINGS" > "PRIMARY", and WITHOUT CHANGING - BUT KEEPING your original "WORLD SEED" number - simply hit the "APPLY" button and that's it. You might want to write the "WORLD SEED" number down if you want to keep this world - and if all else fails - then you'll have to probably recreate the world from scratch by inputting the "WORLD SEED" number of this world into the "SYNTHETIC WORLD" dialogue window when you start a new world

I agree. I do this for my Traveller export maps from FT3. Also Roughness, Percent Sea, and Land Size. That way if I want to go back, as you suggest, and do more work on that world, I have the details I need.

Jim I'm taking notes on all of this stuff - primo educational material!

JimP

You're welcome. I try not to put my foot in my mouth as often as i used to.

mikemullally

Thanks guys - much appreciated. Written off to learning experience...