Secondary Editing Phase - Part One - Smoothing Things Out
So now we're at the point where I need to smooth things out and start preparing for the routing of rivers and the placement (or replacement, if you will) of lakes. I've tried a number of different methods to smooth the terrain, but haven't settled on which one I like the best at this point.
Method 01 utilizes the scripting feature in FTPro. Although it's not perfect, the script I wrote for this attempts to simulate the Filter>>Mathematical>>Exponent feature in Wilbur by lowering the scale value slightly then smoothing both the scale and the land offset. Before each increment of lowering and smoothing, I run a quick basin fill, via the script, in an attempt to create plains-like areas.
Method 02 is, for the most part, the same as Method 01. However, before running the script, I lower and smooth the roughness some, following the same increments that the script follows. The results are a little smoother in the "flat" areas and gives me a better transition from shores to highlands.
Method 03 is a direct application of the Filter>>Mathematical>>Exponent feature in Wilbur. The actual process requires a manual fill of the existing lakes before applying the exponent, and then finishes off with a basin fill.
Method 04 is a combination of Method 01 followed by Method 03. It holds on to a bit more terrain variation than Method 03 alone.
Method 05 is a combination of Method 02 followed by Method 03. It holds on to a bit more terrain variation than Method 03 alone, but not quite as much as Method 04.
Methods 03 through 05 result in a moderate loss of detail when zooming in for a more localized view of the terrain. However, those three methods would let me take advantage of Wilbur's erosion filters which, IMHO, produce better results than FTPro's incise flow feature alone. So the question I'm faced with is deciding which method to use.
As it stands right now, I'm leaning towards Method 02 since it preserves both detail and a certain level of terrain variety. Method 04 is a close second, and I might be able to crank up the editing resolution to some degree in FTPro, prior to exporting the world as an .mdr file. Still, I'd have to do this within the memory limits of my system and would still lose some portion of the detail on more localized levels.
I'm open to suggestions here. If anyone has any thoughts on which method looks best or a better way to approach this portion of the editing, I'd appreciate the input. For now, however, this will be the last update, at least for a couple of days while I try to make a decision about which method to use.
GW
Reply With Quote
