[C4:AC][Programming][Graphics] Terrain textures

[ForesterSOF]

Ability to make custom maps in Civ4 for PBEMs

[Senethro]

Has anyone experimented with terrain in the meantime?

[ForesterSOF]

I am looking at the moment of using a MOD to set foundations of the map then through a combination of Atlas, Map View, and World Painter I am hopping to be able to do what I want.

The big thing at the moment seems to be making my foundation map.

I am looking at an easy way to setup land mass placement and size.

99% of the stuff is in my head or bitss and pieces have been done. Nothing complete like taking a bmp and turning it into a map.

[ForesterSOF]

Forget the MOD thing.

In using World Painter, Mapview and C4EV2 I am able to customize maps and player info.

Now to look at how I can read, edit, save dds files.

[Padmewan]

I'd be very interested in any terrain modding you come up with. You can use GIMP with DDS plugin to mod existing textures, which is probably the easiest way to as far as getting transitions right, etc. However, one thing GIMP can't handle is Mip Maps, which save GPU 3D processing power. To make sure your terrain is low-end friendly, you'll eventually need Mip Maps, but you can get by with one layer for the time being, assuming you are playtesting on a robust system.

[ForesterSOF]

P4/2.0/512 ram

[Rubin]

I've had another go at creating Chiron. The original SMAC/X textures seemed awfully dark, so I made the rainy and moist tiles slightly brighter/greener and the default Civ4 water tiles (including rivers/floodplains) and hills darker.

For some extra fun, I tried to recreate the Xenofungus (using tundra tiles) I recall seeing in some of the SMAC/X Secret Project movies.

Here are some screenshots:

All textures are flat (no rockiness), but the default *detail.dds files really add a nice touch to the textures.

Is this the texture style we are looking for?

Edit: Images deleted.

[wgabrie]

Nice photos Rubin! BTW your fungus texture realy stands out. I just realize the rest of the terrain looks drab, colorless, and boring-purple in compairison.

I think with SMAC/X's limited colors, it uses the same hues from the "skin-tone" section of pallet. Maybe you can re-color the ground's dirt/rock to look closer the the ones seen in the movie clips.

[PJayTycy]

I am also a proponent of a more vivid color scheme than the default smac one.

Good work on the fungus.

[Rubin]

Haha, I have no idea how Chiron would look fashioned in more vivid colors. All the Secret Project movies I recall either depict xenofungal plains, earthlike desert or some simple earth landscaping (mountains).

Perhaps if the SMAC/X mineral, nutrient and energy resources were added the place would lighten up a bit? Perhaps with a bit of rockiness too?

I think the result I came up with is how I would imagine Chiron's colors (based on the game, of course). The river banks are the wrong color, though.

If we can add two additional sets of terrain (based on the recolored terrain used), these could become rocky and rolling tiles. Each set would only consist of three texture files, so it would not be much work doing those textures.

Here's the small terrain MOD: Edit 3: File deleted.

wgabrie, PJayTycy: Can you provide some images of the less boring, more vivid style you are suggesting?

Edit: Here's a different approach to the color scheme. Are these colors less boring? Do they suit our vision of the style better?

Edit 2: Image deleted.

[MMC]

Wow.... where'd you get that interface or did you make it yourself?

As for the terrain, I think I prefer the original terrains, but they may benefit by being made fractionally lighter.

[PJayTycy]

Rubin, it's just your red fungus looks so much more attractive than the purple one.

However, the terrain is not what should catch our attention, so the original coulours are probably best for gameplay.

[ForesterSOF]

I am sooooo jelous.

It looks to good to be true.

[Rubin]

MMC, I believe Firaxis is responsible for the alternative graphics/interface in my previous post--and I think you can find some of the artwork for this interface in the SMAC/X files.

---

Ok, I went ahead and installed a 3D editor that can handle the .nif format. By accident I stumbled upon the jungle feature textures and decided to do a quick recolor.

This is how it turned out:

Edit: Images deleted.

I was a bit disappointed at the 3D model representing Xenofungus and how the texture shows, but I guess we are able to create a new model and then simply apply the xenofungal color scheme.

So, how does Xenofungus look? Is it just "flat" like tundra, grassland, plains, etc.? Or is it like a forest? Or something inbetween? Like a sandstorm or insect swarm?

[ForesterSOF]

IMHO it is like tundra or a ground Juniper