alpha maps from L3DT

[wantafanta 13]

i followed the tutorial for importing a map from L3dt into terrain builder and it said you can use alpha maps generated in l3dt but theres no other information aside from that. if anyone can fill me in here itd be apreciated since i cant find anything in regards to this on the bohemia wiki or a few google searches

[geozero 10]

I am new to this but don't you need the following:

• heightmap.xyz
  
• normal
  
• sat map (satelite)
  
• mask
  

And you'd need the maplegend and layers config file. Plus a few other things.

[bushlurker 45]

i followed the tutorial for importing a map from L3dt into terrain builder and it said you can use alpha maps generated in l3dt but theres no other information aside from that.

Technically, once you've generated an "Attributes Layer" for your heightmap you can generate "Alpha Masks" - these are basically a single B&W image for each of the colours/surfaces used on your Attributes layer".

EG : if you had "Red" where all the "Rock" areas were on your AM layer, then your "Rock" Alpha Map would consist of an image with all of the "Rock areas" in white on a black background (or vice versa - I can never remember).

So - yes - you could generate a whole load of these - one for each surface type - then you could load them all into photoshop one after the other - deleting the "background" colour and recolouring the other little areas with - "Red for Rock" etc..

The end result would be a coloured "Mask Image" - with different colours where each of your surfaces are.

But - your "Attributes Layer" IS a "coloured Mask Image with different colours where each of your surfaces are" already...

... and you can export it directly...

Remember, you can edit the individual surfaces in a Climate and specify which "simple colour" is used for each surface - so if you do that before generating your AM Layer you can specify "Red for Rock", "Green for Grass", etc before you make the AM Layer, then when it's ready just export that for your mask - step thru the other necessary layers until you get to the Texture Layer stage - then export that too (use .bmp in both cases), and you have a "Sat Image" and a matching Mask using the colours you want...

B