How I build areas with a good source map

indio · Post by **indio** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 10:04 am

This is YATT in action.

Here's the source map.

Here's the height map I made in Photoshop. (155x155 pixels is good for 24x24 areas.

And here's the area:
http://www.thesilvermarches.net/uploads/cotd_south.jpg

indio · Post by **indio** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 11:21 am

Worry about finessing heights and introducing land-feature subtleties later. Worry about what the right tree or placeable is later. Get basic textures in, placehold the rest, take a break.

This is 2 hours after creating the area in YATT.

http://www.thesilvermarches.net/uploads/cotd_2hours.jpg

darrenhfx · Post by **darrenhfx** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 1:18 pm

*picks up jaw*

I asked Cipher about posting a thread asking people what they have in their builder's toolbox... in hopes to make the building process as efficient and painless as humanly possible.

Indio maybe you could make a quick post with what you have been using to help you build in terms of aids, devices, plug-ins.. whatever you've discovered that could possibly help some of the folks (like me) labour through area building.

That's friggin' awesome work!

Aelred · Post by **Aelred** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 2:04 pm

Indio - I'd love to try using the YATT - but my tech knowledge stinks - If you have a chance Indio - could you PLEASE give me a sort of step by step mini YATT course for DUMMIES?

(So it takes the intensity of the grays and turns them into a heightmap?
Ideally then a map with no buildings would work best?
Can it use a purely topographical map - cipher's map/interactive atlas has really clear topography lines over Mount Waterdeep. and I see you can blank out everything else - very cool. Also it only works in the "walkable area" and not on the decorative borders?)

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 2:10 pm

If there isn't a YATT tute out there, an indio-written walkthrough could certainly waltz onto our wiki.

HEEGZ · Post by **HEEGZ** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 4:24 pm

HOLY SHIT I am going to have to give this a try...

darrenhfx · Post by **darrenhfx** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 9:09 pm

Just dl'd YATT and look forward to playing with it this weekend.

Is getting the right scale, from map scale to game area scale, a problem?

indio · Post by **indio** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 10:03 pm

http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums/vi ... &forum=113

That's a walkthrough that should help. Ignore the parts about The World Machine if you've got a source map.

The basics are that YATT translates height maps. All I did was make a height map out of the CotD (Greyscale and lessened the contrast) then change the size to 155x155 (which makes a 12x12 area).

Once you've got a height map, stick the YATT plugin in the Plugin directory, start the toolset, load the plugin, go File/Input Images, select your image, then selected Area/Build Area from Image.

Voila.

ç i p h é r · Post by **ç i p h é r** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 11:59 pm

12x12? So 310x310 would approximate a 24x24 area then?

indio · Post by **indio** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 1:19 am

I'm not very mathematical, so it's hard for me to explain.

A 155x155 makes a 12x12 area, but really it's a 24x24 area as the 4 square border is competely filled as well once YATT is finished. Hence, when you enlarge the area to 24x24, the original 12x12 now fits perfectly within the new enlarged area.

God I hope that makes sense. In truth, experimentation will serve better than any explanation I can offer.

Aelred · Post by **Aelred** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 3:07 am

There is a ratio guide here:

http://nwn2yatt.sourceforge.net/

Just tested - a bitmap that is 289x289 will fill the entire 32x32 area.

indio · Post by **indio** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 4:46 am

Here are some screens to show where I'm at. Probably 60% ready to be handed to an interior designer. Of course, the exterior is going into the mod, where the HDM/Resident Builder can place grass and as many dynamic features as they think their server can handle. This is the essentials.

Rick7475 · Post by **Rick7475** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 5:29 am

Wow! Dinky little towns like Daggerford and Dagger Falls could have the exteriors done in a day ....

ç i p h é r · Post by **ç i p h é r** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 5:55 am

Looks wonderful Indio, even if it's just the essentials.

Aelred · Post by **Aelred** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 1:53 pm

Nice Indio - The statues!!!!! How the heck did you do that? and what placeable is under them?

Nice idea sinking the temple to only have the domes showing too!