Issue with FT3 map - really slow and not displaying properly

Hi all,

I have an issue with a FT3 map I've been working on.

I started working on this at the end of last year and returned to it recently. I used some real world data as the basis for this map. It was working fine previously, however when I open the file now it doesn't look right - the landmasses don't show up and there is just a strange green faint outline showing the landmasses that I have previously drawn - I have attached images of how it looked previously when it was working and how it looks now. It is also really slow to the point of being unworkable.

It seems to stop working after I exported an image of the map as a BMP file, not sure if that is relevant or not? Also, it doesn't seem to be a .ftw file anymore (I don't know what kind of file type it is, but it must have been a .ftw file at some point as I created and saved it in/from FT3!). I have tried saving it as a .ftw file and that doesn't help. I also updated FT3 to the most recent version yesterday and that doesn't seem to have done anything either.

Any advice would be much appreciated! I would really like to save this and not have to start again!

Thanks

Ross

Comments

  • LoopysueLoopysue ProFantasy 🖼️ 40 images Cartographer
    Hello Johno :)

    I'm having trouble downloading your zip file, so I can't see the images.

    This file you saved last year. When you save an FT3 world you have to type the filename and the full extension as well. If you don't type ".ftw" at the end of the filename (having usually deleted it by typing the name) then it won't appear to be an ftw file and won't have the usual icon. You can put that right by editing the filename to include the proper extension.
  • jslaytonjslayton Moderator, ProFantasy Mapmaker
    edited August 2018
    A likely cause of this problem is that you moved or deleted the binary data from your hard disk. FT3 relies on the external binary data files that you specify to generate its altitudes. Without the external file, FT3 will run slowly (due to an error happening at every pixel evaluation) and will only show information contained within the .ftw file. In this case, that information would be the outlines that you drew.

    You can prevent this sort of problem in the future by using the Tools>>Actions>>Burn In To Surface feature, which transfers any data into the offset channel of the .ftw file at the editing resolution of the .ftw file.
  • Hi Loopysue and jslayton, thanks a lot for your comments.

    Loopysue - I have attached the image of what it looks like now separately here, and I'll attach what it looked like before in another comment, hopefully that will enable you to see it. And thanks for the heads up on the file name - I tried doing what you said and saving as with an .ftw extension but it didn't solve the issue.

    Jslayton - do you mean the binary data from the real world data I was using? Thanks for the tip on Burn In to Surface Feature. Do you know if there is a way to salvage this file or do I have to start again?

    Thanks
  • Here is what it used to look like...
  • LoopysueLoopysue ProFantasy 🖼️ 40 images Cartographer
    edited August 2018
    That looks like a really interesting coastline, and it would be a shame if it was lost.

    I forgot to say that you also have to make sure that you use Save As... from the file menu, and make sure you have the Save as type... set to Fractal Terrain files (*.ftw).

    None of the other export or save as options are FT3 files.

    Mind you - after a year, you probably can't remember exactly how you saved that file ;)
  • jslaytonjslayton Moderator, ProFantasy Mapmaker
    Posted By: johno22do you mean the binary data from the real world data I was using?
    Yes. FT uses the data from the file and can't show any data without that file being in the same place that it was when you defined the file. You should be able to use File>>New with a binary surface to attach the file from a different location to the ftw file.
    Posted By: johno22Do you know if there is a way to salvage this file or do I have to start again?
    If you don't have the original binary file, it might be difficult to salvage the ftw file.
Sign In or Register to comment.