Random Map Technique

[RobA]

Wow! how long did the process take, Rob? I really like that look and this might give me an answer for my Map on the WIP section. The style looks just right.

I'm assuming you are referring to the forced perspective mountains...
All you need are:
1) POVRay
2) A b/w heightfield
3) A colour texture overlay

And the following snip of POV code (rendered out as a 800x800 image):

global_settings { assumed_gamma 2.2 }    
#include "colors.inc"

camera{location <0,4,-8>*25000 direction z*41700 look_at 0 up y right 2.24*x}        

light_source{ <-1000,100,-1000>/2 White*1.5 }
light_source{<0000,1000,0> White*1.5}

height_field {
  "hf_map.png" smooth 
  pigment {image_map {"hf_image.png"} rotate x*90 }
  translate <-.5, 0, -.5>
  scale <12, 0.6, 12>         
  no_shadow 
}

Attached are the heightfield png (from my source GIMP image, the heightfield is almost a by-product of the technique I am working on) and the texture map - the map image with no shadings in the mountainous areas (again, this is one of the layers from the technique I am working on). I kept the water and grassland/forest shadings as I didn't include them in the heightfield.

-Rob A>