Quick Question about FT3 and Terraformer
LadieStorm
🖼️ 50 images Surveyor
So I was finally able to purchase Fractal Terrains 3, thanks to a great gift from a couple of good friends 
. It came with a zipped file called Teraformer, from Bill Crouch. If I understand correctly this is possibly an add on to FT3 in a similar vein to the CSUAC, or Bogie's Mapping Objects. Is there a specific way to install it? I would assume that I would just extract all into the FT3 folder... but then I know that when I make assumptions in reference to software programs, I usually screw things up, so I thought I would ask first.
I'm currently going through the essentials guide, and realizing I may be in WAY over my head, here! elevations, climate, weather.... I know all of these things are important... but I have no idea how they work. I knew that FT3 was a world builder, and I need that for my Laerysia campaign... but I need to be able to create the continental shapes and placement... and I'm sure there has to be a way to do that.
After I finish the essentials guide, I will be going through the Tome... and then I will probably be plaguing the forum with more insane questions... so be warned! lol
. It came with a zipped file called Teraformer, from Bill Crouch. If I understand correctly this is possibly an add on to FT3 in a similar vein to the CSUAC, or Bogie's Mapping Objects. Is there a specific way to install it? I would assume that I would just extract all into the FT3 folder... but then I know that when I make assumptions in reference to software programs, I usually screw things up, so I thought I would ask first.I'm currently going through the essentials guide, and realizing I may be in WAY over my head, here! elevations, climate, weather.... I know all of these things are important... but I have no idea how they work. I knew that FT3 was a world builder, and I need that for my Laerysia campaign... but I need to be able to create the continental shapes and placement... and I'm sure there has to be a way to do that.
After I finish the essentials guide, I will be going through the Tome... and then I will probably be plaguing the forum with more insane questions... so be warned! lol
Comments
FT3 is both very simple and quite complex. You can generate new random worlds in seconds, export them to CC3+ and take it from there, or you can do a lot of thinkering with all kind of things in FT3 and spend your time there customizing the world.
Edit: Ninja'd by Jim
I would recommend learning FT3 before you start messing with Teraformer. I spent a chunk of time working through the tutorial / install instructions and it's far from a straight-forward process. I went in frustrated wondering why there wasn't a simple one page guide on where to put each folder but the more you read the more you realize that that's not the way it works. There was one folder that had to go somewhere specific but from my testing the other folders are basically put somewhere for you to browse and select when you later start putting in overlays. If you focus on learning FT3 before you move into Teraformer you will probably have a more enjoyable time. That was my learning anyway.
There is a series of buttons on the left that can be used to raise and lower the land among other things. That will let you shape the land how you please. It doesn't look like a quick or enjoyable process though and my hat goes off to Thiatas who has made an incredible map manually within FT3.
There's a few of us messing with FT3 in the FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1830466227284189/
I spent a whole day just playing with the colors. Alot of which did come from Teraformer so it might be worth installing those. You can make some really interesting planets.
Will be following this thread for any tutorials to help identify how to import stuff. I assume it's in the Tome but I havn't got that far through yet. It would probably involve importing a height map I suspect.
I want to create it in Fractal Terrains, because I want it to look like a real world map. But I also want the separate continents and islands, I have one bay with a river that I want to keep the general look of. I've been messing with the parameters in Fractal Terrains, and checking out the randomly generated worlds, they are all pangeas. Here is the world I'm trying to create, or at least a good facsimile of it.
As for importing and editing custom landmasses into FT3, there are several tutorials but, as Monsen mentioned, results vary. Here are some, there may be more:
- Ralf created a tutorial a while back for importing CC2 maps into Fractal Terrains. LINK
- Personally, I followed more recent tutorials from forum member Old Guy. LINK
- And, jslayton created an old tutorial about tweaking FT settings and using certain FT features to tweak/edit generated worlds. LINK
I hope those can help. Maybe other folks can point to additional information.I'll be honest and tell you that I've never had the time to learn FT enough to make realistic looking edits to my custom landmasses. They don't look remotely as good as the randomly-generated worlds that FT does so well. That doesn't mean it can't be done, but I don't think I'll have the time to learn the software well enough to do what I want. If you want a randomly-generated world quickly, FT is amazing. If you need a very specific custom world, it's going to take some work.
Cheers,
~Dogtag
- 645: Simple create mode
- 665: Importing field height from CC3+ maps
But Monsen, I will keep an eye out on those pages
I found jslayton's tutorial especially helpful. It takes time and patience but with practice you should be able to make a world that is at least similar to what you have posted if you are up for drawing it by hand.
I can't add much about Terraformer, But I wrote a number of tutorials for FT3. I hope they are useful.
- Basic Editing
- Prescale Offset Editing
- Removing Inland Seas
- Flattening Mountains
- Re-Shaping Mountains
If you search around the site, I wrote some others as well.It takes some time to develop proficiency, but it is time well spent. No other program can create such beautiful maps. Looking forward to seeing what you guys create!