[Buying or not] Can I export a generate world from Fractal T to CC3

Douell

Hi there,

I'm currently trying to create a fantasy world in CC3+, but I'm struggling to aim for something "topographic real".
I now wonder if I could buy Fractal Terrain 3 to generate automatically worlds until I found one I like, then import it on CC3+ to add icons and items.

Does anyone know if it's possible ?

If yes, how easy is it to generate world in FT3 and to export it ?

Thank you community,

Guillaume

taustinoc

The short answer is yes, "you can do that". The long answer is "but it won't look like it does in Fractal Terrains." It gives you a starting point in terms of coastlines and such, but then the real work begins.

Douell

So basically it's just a sea with the "contour" of the continents ?

Josh.P.

Yes and no. There is color to it but CC3+ is not a 3d program and therefore cannot display the information in the same way as FT3. It's definitely possible though. I've seen some amazing work where people have used FT3 to generate the world map, loaded the maps into CC3+ and then created detailed versions of each segment.

The Mad Cartographer is doing the largest FT3 to CC3+ project that I know of. He has been mapping his world of Ruvor which started as a FT3 world.

Monsen

As said above, CC3+ and FT3 are two very different programs with very different capabilities.

You do have a lot of options what to include when exporting from FT3 to CC3+, such as height contours to represent topological information. These height contours will be similar to what you can see on many modern maps, and can give a very detailed topological view in CC3+, although it won't have the same point detail as FT3 has, as height contours represents a range of values.

Another thing to consider when exporting maps from FT3 though is what details you actually want, and this is largely dependent on the type of map you wish to produce in CC3+. Most fantasy styles uses symbols to represent things like hills and mountains, and those doesn't work too well when combined with more detailed height contours.
Personally (for fantasy maps) I like to generate the world in FT3, export coastlines only, and then use the FT3 world as a guide for making mountain ranges and such using symbols. I then keep the FT3 world around whenever I need to access data that can't be represented well on the CC3+ map, such as exact height, climate, calculating terrain profiles, etc.
For me, FT3 and CC3+ works very well together, but I think the keyword here is together, don't expect to generate a world in FT3, export it and have it appear visually identical to as it did in FT, the idea behind exporting to CC3+ is to be able to make a map representing what you see in FT, not get the exact visuals and work with them.

ScottA

I use FT and CC3+ similar to what Remy said. I create my world in FT, import it into CC3+ as a drawing, trace the coastlines and then leave it in CC3+ as a sheet to be a guide to where to put mountains, etc. It works pretty well that way. If all you wanted to do was put icons down for towns and label lakes and mountains, I suppose you could just import an FT image into CC3+ and do that, but you wouldn't be able to edit the image as it would be just an image and not polygons, which is what CC3+ uses. But then you could do that in GIMP or Photoshop or any other graphics program.

Loopysue

Another example of a CC3 world map generated in FT3 is the Community Atlas:

http://atlas.monsen.cc

Monsen

Posted By: LoopysueAnother example of a CC3 world map generated in FT3 is the Community Atlas:

http://atlas.monsen.cc/

Just note that the world map image on the site is an image export directly from FT3, that is NOT a CC3+ map, but you can download the CC3+ world map file by clicking the fcw button, which is a FT3 export.

Douell

Those are tons of good advices, many thanks to all.

As proposed I think i will generate a world in FT3, export the contours in CC3+ to add the fantasy symbols and I will comeback to FT3 whenever i need to get topographic information.

Is it easy in FT3 to make important changes ? Such as doubling the height of a mountain, change the course of a river, etc...

JimP

I prefer to export the map from FT3, and then import the png, or fcw, into CC3+ and modify it there.

I have exported a continent from FT3, brought it up in a smaller template, and labelled it as an island.

There are several ways to do mountains in CC3/CC3+. Use different colors, or different bitmap fills, to show a range of heights. Like a topographic map. Or use mountain symbols, and label them with text and an arrow. 20,000 feet --> ( It looks better in CC3/CC3+)

Here is one method, I no longer use it because it can become tedious:

I created layers for elevation ranges, added bitmap fills for each of those layers and added them to a template.

So my maps have varous bitmaps, shades of green, brown, and icey blue, for varous elevation ranges. Shades of blue for the depths.

Color chart for Crestar surface maps you will need the bitmap fills linked there to. Or create your own bitmap fills.