How To: Generate Superb Heightmaps :)

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Caesius
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Re: How To: Generate Superb Heightmaps :)

Post by Caesius »

I can't get the green buttons to show up for the heightmaps. The "elevation" folder has an animation showing it's loading; right-clicking and going to "Properties" shows the source as http://armadillo.geog.kcl.ac.uk/portal/ ... vation.kmz which times out. I'm pretty sure the server is down, but does everyone else have the same problem?
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Re: How To: Generate Superb Heightmaps :)

Post by Caesius »

Ugh. Got it to work but now I can't figure out how to thin the DEMs. It says it's supposed to be under File -> Save DEM -> Thin DEM but it's not there.
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Re: How To: Generate Superb Heightmaps :)

Post by sootynz »

MicroDem has changed

Select Raster GIS --> Thin DEM (Decimate)

The excellent tutorial by MGSteve is a little out of date. I've updated it into a word doc, with some extras from this topic. If anyone wants to add this to the wiki, please feel free.
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Creating heightmaps.doc
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Caesius
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Re: How To: Generate Superb Heightmaps :)

Post by Caesius »

Here's an improved version of the Japan map that was posted near the start of the "heightmaps on request" thread. It's square and thus perfect for 2048x2048 maps. However, this map has a high water:land ratio, so unless you set Towns and Industries to "Low" the map is going to be very tightly packed.
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JAPAN1.png
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Linux, MicroDEM

Post by jdeagles »

I'd not seen the Linux instructions previously so used MicroDEM under Wine. The dialogue boxes are a pain in the arse and you have to manually change some of the window properties so everything doesn't disappear on you, but I managed to stitch a few tiles together to a good standard. If you're having trouble stitching a large area together in the GIMP then it may be worth a shot...
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Re: How To: Generate Superb Heightmaps :)

Post by sootynz »

A Scenario for New Zealand's South Island with Arctic/Alpine climate .
This uses George's ECS Wood vector grf to situate forests on broken terrain. Hopefully a challenge, provided you dont bulldoze the Southern Alps flat. Some valuable resources on the West coast, with all the industry on the East. There are only two power stations and one oil refinery. The towns are situated as close as I can get them, the industries roughly and intended to make a good game.

You need to load the ECS wood vector from http://george.zernebok.net/newgrf/newgrf.html and some suitable vehicle sets that will transport "wood products".

On the scenario map you can clearly see the Alpine fault line http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpine_Fault. Another big earthquake is due any time soon.


version 2 (minor additions), requires 0.7.0
NZ_SI_arctic2.scn
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Last edited by sootynz on 29 Apr 2009 03:01, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: How To: Generate Superb Heightmaps :)

Post by Beardie »

Can someone please help me and tell me why the land isn't going upto the edges of my map please like this.
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Re: How To: Generate Superb Heightmaps :)

Post by CommanderZ »

It is limitation of OTTD - there must be a one tile wide strip of land on map borders. I agree it is quite annoying "feature". All inland maps look very weird :(

I managed to remove this limitation from TGen, but borderline tiles still canot be affected ingame and there are vast graphical glitches :(
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Re: How To: Generate Superb Heightmaps :)

Post by Beardie »

So i am assuming it happens to everyones maps then.
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Re: How To: Generate Superb Heightmaps :)

Post by Flamelord »

A "limitation of OTTD" would generally indicate that it happens to all maps in OTTD.
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Re: How To: Generate Superb Heightmaps :)

Post by TGVfan »

Anyone who can tell me how to do this in Mac OSX Leopard?
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Re: How To: Generate Superb Heightmaps :)

Post by tigerface »

@ sootynz: thanks for the update to this it made my life so much happier :D

Just one little thing: the bit where it talks about merging the DEMs, there are the two options (merge single/merge multiple), it'd be great if you could just distinguish that you need to hit single there - took me hours!!

I wish the wiki on applying patches was as comprehensible as this guide, then I could use the realistic height map patch..
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Re: How To: Generate Superb Heightmaps :)

Post by Gremnon »

I'm going to be irritatingly demanding here, but since my computer doesn't have the resources do handle this...
Could someone possibly do a heightmap for either or both of the Channel Islands? Please?
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Re: How To: Generate Superb Heightmaps :)

Post by tigerface »

i made one for you 512x512 tell me what u think. I didn't put any towns on yet tho, I'll let you do the long, tedious bits.. :D

edit: fix in attachment
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Last edited by tigerface on 11 Aug 2008 17:35, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: How To: Generate Superb Heightmaps :)

Post by Gremnon »

Not quite what I was expecting, but it should make an interesting challenge... and not just in placing everythibng accuratly.

Thanks. I'm happy now...
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Re: How To: Generate Superb Heightmaps :)

Post by wolkottept »

Hi all,

For those who do not have the time to create the map by hand. My patch that creates a realistic map automatically might be helpful. It makes it possible to create the heightmap as well as placement of towns and waterbodies (rivers, lakes etc.).

The creation of the PNG files is automated too (include downloading the necessary SRTM data etc.).

Have a look at Patch: Create realistic heightmap, water & town placement (http://www.tt-forums.net/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=33956)

Suggestions are welcome.
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Re: How To: Generate Superb Heightmaps :)

Post by Arjuna »

I know this isn't a general request thread but I have tried making a map of a segment of the north american east coast without any success at all. I tried following the steps described in this thread and tried installing the patch described in the post above mine but my knowledge about things like these is very limited.

What I would like is to go back to the wonderful days of Railroad Tycoon (the first one) and play a map of east USA, something like in the picture below.
east_usa.gif
east_usa.gif (333.36 KiB) Viewed 2294 times
Would it be possible for anyone with more skills than I have to make a map out of this or something similar? As long as Pittsburgh, Washington and New York is in there I'm happy.

Thanks in advance.

Oh and great forum, just discovered it. Been playing Transport Tycoon since it came out :).
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Re: How To: Generate Superb Heightmaps :)

Post by wolkottept »

Hi Arjuna,

Attached a map of size 1024x512 with roughly the selected area you asked for including the realistic placement of water and cities. Would this be a good start?

A screenshot of the eastern half of the map is visible with the PNG below
Screenshot of the scenario (eastern half)
Screenshot of the scenario (eastern half)
east_coast_screenshot.png (77.76 KiB) Viewed 2340 times
If you desire some other settings (size of map, climate type, less or more cities etc.) you can create your own version with my patch "Patch: Create realistic heightmap, water & town placement". A compiled version for Windows is made a available in this topic too.

The necessary PNG files for the patch and your "east_coast" map can be downloaded from my webspace: http://wwwhome.cs.utwente.nl/~wolkottep ... _coast.tgz
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east_coast.scn
Scenario of the east coast of the USA (including cities and waterbodies). Temperate climate. Map size 1024x512
(198.83 KiB) Downloaded 295 times
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Re: How To: Generate Superb Heightmaps :)

Post by Arjuna »

Wow, thanks a bunch Wolkottept!

I'll be sure to give your patch another try some day cuz it seems like a really great tool.

Thanks again.
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Re: How To: Generate Superb Heightmaps :)

Post by DonRazzi »

TGVfan wrote:Anyone who can tell me how to do this in Mac OSX Leopard?
Goolge a program called LandSerf. it will do the merging job fine, but it seems not to be as performant as microdem is, cause it's written in Java.

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