First attempts with Fractal Terrains 3

Greetings, this is my first post here.

I have downloaded the trial version of FT3. My project is to take an existing fantasy map (format .png) and transform it in a realistic fractal version.
After some time I could transfer the coastline from png format into FT3 and edited it (with a significant help from the cartographer's board).
I have many problems with the transformation of a flat contour map into a fractal version with mountains and fractal coastline but this is not the reason of my post.

The reason is that I have to decide whether I buy the product or not.
90 % of my problems are due to the fact that I didn't find a real manual and the "help" function in FT3 is of no help in most cases. For instance all functions have several parameters and while the "help" gives a general definition of the function, one has no idea what the function is supposed to do.
After 3 days of working with FT3 I still can't make the sense of the Tools Moundtain and Profiled mound. Sometimes they create 90 000 ft high mountains and sometimes a mix of 20 km deep crater and mountains. Rougness edit creates lakes in the middle of continents that I don't want, lowering sea creates land on the border of a selection. I still don't know how to fractalize the coast while conserving its general shape. Etc.

So my first post is simple.
If I buy the software, is there a manual that actually explains the functions of Tools and Actions as well as a description what a variation of a parameter does ?
Thanks.

Comments

  • Actually, as an owner of FT3, I have to say there is a barely adequate manual, but there are various tutorials around that help. However, my big beef is about the almost impossibility of exporting a CC3 or even png file into FT3. Can anyone help here with that aspect of things.
  • I have been using File menu -> Export World and choose a seldction under that list. For Traveller I use Cosmographer template.

    Or I use File Menu -> 'Save Campaign Cartographer file' and give it a name when the output requester pops up. I delect the items from the map I don't want, then start adding things like naitons, citiees, etc.
  • Jim P, I really wanted to go the other way around, ie CC3 to FT3, not FT3 to CC3 (which is simple)
  • edited September 2014
    Posted By: qwalkerActually, as an owner of FT3, I have to say there is a barely adequate manual, but there are various tutorials around that help. However, my big beef is about the almost impossibility of exporting a CC3 or even png file into FT3. Can anyone help here with that aspect of things.
    There is a method to do this. Another forum member wrote instructions on his blog HERE

    It is somewhat complicated and requires photo editing software as well as the WILBUR software from HERE

    I've never done this myself, though it IS on my never ending list of things to play around with.
  • Tried these - very very complex. Pity Profantasy can't engineer somehow an import of a complete CC3 world into FT3. But thanks anyway for the reply - it's just that I have already tried these, and boy, not only complex, but very clunky.
  • RalfRalf Administrator, ProFantasy 🖼️ 18 images Mapmaker
    edited September 2014
    Importing a CC3 map into FT§ is not a trivial thing, because the two underlying systems are completely different. FT3 to CC3 is doable, since a FT3 file has a lot more data and you just select what you need, strip out the rest, and convert it to vector format. The other way around, you would need to create a lot of data that does not exist in CC3 from scratch. And (unfortunately) it's not like we can simply assign a task group of half a dozen programmers to work a year on it. ;)

    If someone has a cloning machine and would allow us to create a few copies of Joe Slayton, me might be able to do something about that.
  • Posted By: qwalkerJim P, I really wanted to go the other way around, ie CC3 to FT3, not FT3 to CC3 (which is simple)
    My apologies, I was posting when tired again.
  • DogtagDogtag Moderator, Betatester Traveler
    edited September 2014
    Posted By: JimPMy apologies, I was posting when tired again.
    Hard to avoid when you're officially retired!     *rimshot* image

    ~Dogtag
  • Posted By: Dogtag
    Posted By: JimPMy apologies, I was posting when tired again.
    Hard to avoid when you're officiallyretired!*rimshot*image

    ~Dogtag
    Not to wander off topic but my relatives seem to find things for me to do.
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