Help/Topology Tab
The Topology Menu provides the tools for creating various types of terrain. In this section you will learn how to make hills, valleys, mountains, lakes and rivers.
Click on the Topology Tab (or press the F1 key) to open the Topology Menu. Here you will see a number of different tools that can be used to shape the terrain. Hold your mouse cursor over each one to see a short description as well as the appropriate Hotkey to press. To see the whole menu as in the diagram above, click on the “Advanced” button to expand the menu.
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Height up (U)
Click on the Height Up icon to select the
Height Up tool, and notice that your mouse cursor changes
to a circle. This circle is the “area of influence” for your cursor
when using the land shaping tools.
Click LMB once near the center of your baseboard. The terrain is stretched upwards, if you hold LMB it will continue to rise.
Height down (D)
Move to a flat area then make an indentation by clickin LMB where you want
to lower the terrain. The size of the cursor circle determines the amount
of land that is lowered and the sensitivity determines how
quickly it lowers.
Adjust height (A)
Adjust Height allows finer control of the up
and down movement. Click LMB and hold then
push your mouse away from you to raise the
terrain. Click LMB and hold then pull the mouse
towards you to lower the terrain.
Radius
Click LMB on the Radius Tool and move to either side to change the circle of influence. Right to enlarge (“+”), left to minimize (“-”).
Sensitivity
Click LMB on the Sensitivity Tool and move to either side to change the amount of height changed each time the circle of influence is affected. Right to enlarge (“+”), left to minimize (“-”).
Get height
Select Get Height (G), then Click RMB on the side of
a hill. Notice that the number in the Height Value
field changes. You have captured the height of the
spot you clicked on.
Use height
Click on Use Height (H) Then Click LMB to apply the
selected Height Value to the terrain. The Use Height
tool creates a plateau at your selected height and
the radius of your cursor circle determines the
amount of land that is leveled at one time.
Click LMB+H then move your mouse around the terrain to
plateau a broader section.
Plateu
Plateau (P) creates a plateau at the current height of the
compass. Click LMB on the side of a hill to create
a plateau at that level by raising or lowering the
terrain.
Height value field
As an alternative to Get Height to select a Height Value, you
can also enter specific height in the Height Value field. You
can enter positive or negative values. Negative values allow
you to depress the terrain.
Add water
To create a “riverbed”, make your circle radius as
small as possible. Next, enter -10 in the Height Value
field. Then click on Use Height. Now make your
riverbed by Click LMB+H, then “painting” the new height
along the terrain creating your riverbed as shown below.
Now Click LMB on Add Water (W)
and paint the water texture along the
riverbed by Clicking LMB and moving
your mouse around. The radius of the
cursor circle determines the texture panel size. You results
will look like that shown below where we have partially
completed the “water painting” job.
Paint enough squares so that they will
cover the area of your riverbed.
Remove water
Click LMB on Remove Water (Q) and you then delete the water texture one panel at a time by Clicking LMB on each water panel.
Adjust water height (E)
Select the Adjust Water Height
tool and Click LMB and hold (on the water texture) then drag
your mouse forward and back, adjusting the water texture
height until it is the appropriate
height. Note how it properly fills
the riverbed as you move the water
downward.
Add ground (X)
Select the Add Ground
(X) tool. Click LMB in the void just off the edge of
the baseboard to add another baseboard in that direction.
Delete ground
Click LMB on the Delete Section button. Then Click
LMB on any baseboard section to delete it.
Advanced
The Advanced features menu can be opened and closed by using Shift-F1 or clicking on the Advanced Tab.
Displacement map
A displacement map is a grayscale image
used to create an instant height map.
Direction
Move the direction dial in the directon you wish the grayscale map to be put down on the baseboard
Repeat the process using the Valley grayscale map to build
a valley. Then move the Direction dial and increase the
Threshold dial. Click LMB on Fill Area once more. This time
the valley is bigger and faces a different direction. By holding
Shift whilst selecting your area, larger areas are selected at
one time.
Threshold
Move the Threshold dial to increase the size of the height change set on the displacement map.
Select area
Click on Select Area (B). Click LMB and drag the
mouse to make a large square as shown below.
The size of the square (or rectangle)
determines the area that will be affected by the next
operation.
Fill area
Scroll through the Displacement Maps, then click on Fill Area (F). The
terrain is instantly transformed into the shape determined by
the grayscale images of the displacement map chosen.
Cancel selection
Click LMB on Cancel Selection (D) to cancel the
selection.
Get displacement
Click on Select Area (B). Click LMB on the baseboard
and drag the mouse to make a large square that
covers an existing area of modified terrain. Now
click the “Get Displacement” button and you’ll notice that a
displacement map has been derived from the shape of the
terrain. This can now be used to apply the same terrain effect
in another area.
