Terraformer/Mapper Tutorial?

[RogerStenning 0]

I've searched and I've read and, oh good grief, the list goes on, I can't find a bleep bleep ding dong tutorial for either Terraformer or Mapper aimed at a luddite like me.

To put it into perspective: I've got a Fractal Terrains* output image that I want to bring into Mapper, and thence into SC4D. Mapper receives the file OK, and as the very brief blurb points out, one then has to bring it into SC4D and render/correct every region square. NOT good. It's all in something like two hundred little city boxes - AAGH! It'd take like forever to render the darn thing each itty bitty quare at a time, so now I'm thinking Terraformer. And this is where I hit the brick wall: No flippin' tutorials!

Here's the stick: I'm 45, folks, and you whipper snappers have all the advantages of computer training in schools these days (we were lucky if there was a ZX Spectrum between five hundred of us in my day!), so be nice - remember, Uncles, like Grandparents, are devious in the ways of revenge

Here's the carrot: Thanks in advance for all help

PS: I may be frustrated, bt at least my sense of humour's intact - I had a good laugh writing this

* Fractal Terrains, Capaign Catrographer, and so on, are made by ProFantasy Software (engine based on FastCad IIRC), which are a range of computer-based cartographic packages aimed at traditional Role Playing Gamers like me

[CaptCity 4,788]

Moving to the Mapping Community Board Room.

[drunkapple 1,743]

Only 200, some of my maps I make have 400 so stop your complaining, the real beauty of this is you do not have to render them all at once before playing any individual city tile. I have to render them all for an in game pic.

Terraformer like Mapper imports to the game but also does not do the final render, they will still need to be open and saved.

You can find my tutorial here for all ways including terraformer of importing maps

Here's your stick. I'm old, I know things, sonny.

Here's your carrot. You're more than welcome.

PS. My sense of humour is always intact.

...It's goodnight from me . And it's goodnight from him. Goodnight.

PPS. There's pictures too.

Cheers

drunk(always)

[RogerStenning 0]

Originally posted by: drunkapple

Only 200, some of my maps I make have 400 so stop your complaining,quote>

LOL

Originally posted by: drunkapple

the real beauty of this is you do not have to render them all at once before playing any individual city tile. I have to render them all for an in game pic.quote>

That was the hellish proiblem here too - ho hum!

Originally posted by: drunkapple

Terraformer like Mapper imports to the game but also does not do the final render, they will still need to be open and saved.quote>

Oh... rude words!

Originally posted by: drunkapple

You can find my tutorial here for all ways including terraformer of importing mapsquote>

Cool - I'll have a dekko - thanks

Originally posted by: drunkapple

Here's your stick. I'm old, I know things, sonny.quote>

Works for me

Originally posted by: drunkapple

Here's your carrot. You're more than welcome.quote>

Originally posted by: drunkapple

PS. My sense of humour is always intact.

...It's goodnight from me . And it's goodnight from him. Goodnight.

PPS. There's pictures too.quote>

Oooooooo

Originally posted by: drunkapple

Cheers

drunk(always)quote>

Cheers again for the reply - I'd batten down the hatches and expect more questions

Cheers,

Roger

[RogerStenning 0]

OK, good tutorial - that's certainly helping - thanks

Main question of the moment - I notice that in SC4D, the size of the cities is arbitrarily set, some are large, some are small, a few are inbetween; I also note that there does not seem to be a way of making large or small cities in Mapper - is this actually the case, or is there a way to move those grid lines, to make say a series of large cities, and thus simplify importation into SC4D?

[SC4BOY 20]

The size of the city tiles within a region is controlled by a small .bmp file named config.bmp and in the same folder as your region. This .bmp file is editable by most "Picture" programs.. I just use paint since its readily available.. it is very small so use the "view" "zoom" "large" menu selection. The color of the pixels determine the size of the city tile created. A Red pixel is a small tile, a 2x2 set of green pixels are a medium tile, and a 4x4 set of blue pixels are a large city tile.

The problem with editing it in a created region is that it resets the region to all flat and will lose your terraforming (or "rendering" as it is often called. The revision of an already created region is easy, but involves several steps and some auxilliary programs. This link may help here if you wish to do that

If you set the config.bmp for your region in a folder named for the region before you create it in SC4, it will be correct from the start

You might find THIS THREAD to be useful and contains links to further your knowledge. There is a very informative set of Mapping Info in the Omnibus section of SC4 (link via the buttons on the dark blue bar at the top of your web page)

[RogerStenning 0]

That's EXCELLENT info there - many, many thanks