When we will see the map-making manual?

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exsonic01
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When we will see the map-making manual?

Post by exsonic01 »

I know devs are busy, but it would be great if AB provide at least early version of map-making manual. This will be greatly helpful for current modders and future modders.

I can help with QGIS, but I'm not sure about GIMP (or photoshop) and AB map editor. I'm not that good at GIMP or Photoshop, and I'm learning about AB map editor.

All happy new year!
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tebeinteresno
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Location: Russia

RE: When we will see the map-making manual?

Post by tebeinteresno »

I hope for this or next week. Sorry.
Now I'm on holidays with family so its difficult to get together and finish it (I revised something in the tutorial, in this piece had to be redone)
you will need a gimp (or photoshop) at least only at the stage of initial terrain data, but technically I think it will be possible to somehow contrive and try to do it inside QGIS. but I think it will be some tricky.
If you download data from OSM in QGIS, then this vector shape can be cut out of a raster square, and you will receive raster data with transparency with the correct location relative to the relief. The only thing that remains is to correctly repaint the desired color so that the game understands that it is a forest, a river, a road, and so on. and this thing is most convenient to do in a graphic editor.
although it seems to me you can try to repaint this data directly into the QGIS
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tebeinteresno
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RE: When we will see the map-making manual?

Post by tebeinteresno »

Here at least a palette of colors of different types of terrain.
Do not pay attention to the column "urban". We kind of got rid of this scheme.

Also
Paved road1 - Highway
Paved road2 - Minor road
Paved road3 - Regular road
Dirt road1 - regular dirt road
Dirt road2 - dirt road + tree row
stream - regular stream
stream (frozen) - stream + tree row
Attachments
terrain_palette.zip
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exsonic01
Posts: 1133
Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2016 6:45 pm
Location: Somewhere deep in appalachian valley in PA

RE: When we will see the map-making manual?

Post by exsonic01 »

ORIGINAL: tebeinteresno

I hope for this or next week. Sorry.
Now I'm on holidays with family so its difficult to get together and finish it (I revised something in the tutorial, in this piece had to be redone)
you will need a gimp (or photoshop) at least only at the stage of initial terrain data, but technically I think it will be possible to somehow contrive and try to do it inside QGIS. but I think it will be some tricky.
If you download data from OSM in QGIS, then this vector shape can be cut out of a raster square, and you will receive raster data with transparency with the correct location relative to the relief. The only thing that remains is to correctly repaint the desired color so that the game understands that it is a forest, a river, a road, and so on. and this thing is most convenient to do in a graphic editor.
although it seems to me you can try to repaint this data directly into the QGIS
Thanks for your update.

It is interesting to hear that we can finish pre-map editing from QGIS without GIMP or photoshop, I'm curious how can we prepare map from QGIS, and about 'raster square' option. I will search for raster square.

I think It would be great if both options (QGIS -> AB map editor and QGIS -> GIMP/Photoshop -> AB map editor) are introduced in map-making manual, that will help any future modders.
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tebeinteresno
Posts: 108
Joined: Tue Jul 28, 2015 4:50 am
Location: Russia

RE: When we will see the map-making manual?

Post by tebeinteresno »

ORIGINAL: exsonic01
Thanks for your update.

It is interesting to hear that we can finish pre-map editing from QGIS without GIMP or photoshop, I'm curious how can we prepare map from QGIS, and about 'raster square' option. I will search for raster square.

I think It would be great if both options (QGIS -> AB map editor and QGIS -> GIMP/Photoshop -> AB map editor) are introduced in map-making manual, that will help any future modders.

when I talked about 'raster squares', I meant Height.bmp. When you cut a height map from the data, then you get a relief data - raster square 2048x2048. And it appears in QGIS layers, so you can donload some vector data from other sources and cut out them from relief data. In result you will have the data with resolution what you need.
That cutting automaticly convert vector data to raster, then you can recolor that data in style-menu inside QGIS.
The idea was cut every vector data from leief data and recolor them in QGIS and at the end you will have bunch of layers, rivers, roads, forest, fields, buildings, etc. And after that render them in one file and work with that file in AB editor.
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storm rider
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Joined: Wed Mar 13, 2013 6:19 pm

RE: When we will see the map-making manual?

Post by storm rider »

ORIGINAL: exsonic01
ORIGINAL: tebeinteresno

I hope for this or next week. Sorry.
Now I'm on holidays with family so its difficult to get together and finish it (I revised something in the tutorial, in this piece had to be redone)
you will need a gimp (or photoshop) at least only at the stage of initial terrain data, but technically I think it will be possible to somehow contrive and try to do it inside QGIS. but I think it will be some tricky.
If you download data from OSM in QGIS, then this vector shape can be cut out of a raster square, and you will receive raster data with transparency with the correct location relative to the relief. The only thing that remains is to correctly repaint the desired color so that the game understands that it is a forest, a river, a road, and so on. and this thing is most convenient to do in a graphic editor.
although it seems to me you can try to repaint this data directly into the QGIS
Thanks for your update.

It is interesting to hear that we can finish pre-map editing from QGIS without GIMP or photoshop, I'm curious how can we prepare map from QGIS, and about 'raster square' option. I will search for raster square.

I think It would be great if both options (QGIS -> AB map editor and QGIS -> GIMP/Photoshop -> AB map editor) are introduced in map-making manual, that will help any future modders.

Nothing replaces an image editor. The secret to work with good image editors is to understand how to work with layers and masks.
exsonic01
Posts: 1133
Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2016 6:45 pm
Location: Somewhere deep in appalachian valley in PA

RE: When we will see the map-making manual?

Post by exsonic01 »

ORIGINAL: tebeinteresno
when I talked about 'raster squares', I meant Height.bmp. When you cut a height map from the data, then you get a relief data - raster square 2048x2048. And it appears in QGIS layers, so you can donload some vector data from other sources and cut out them from relief data. In result you will have the data with resolution what you need.
That cutting automaticly convert vector data to raster, then you can recolor that data in style-menu inside QGIS.
The idea was cut every vector data from leief data and recolor them in QGIS and at the end you will have bunch of layers, rivers, roads, forest, fields, buildings, etc. And after that render them in one file and work with that file in AB editor.

Well, someone shared me a style for height.bmp for QGIS, so we can do height bmp from QGIS. But I wish to learn about the process of cutting vectors from OSM and make a river, buildings, and etc layers. So, you mean you are cutting vectors from maps like OSM or OCM, and convert them to raster layer, than change the color using AB palette from QGIS, is this correct?

I think I used to know how to get road, river, and etc from vector maps like OSM or Google Road, but I completely forget. So it would be great if your manual could explain those process.
exsonic01
Posts: 1133
Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2016 6:45 pm
Location: Somewhere deep in appalachian valley in PA

RE: When we will see the map-making manual?

Post by exsonic01 »

ORIGINAL: storm rider
Nothing replaces an image editor. The secret to work with good image editors is to understand how to work with layers and masks.

I know image editors are powerfull, but just I still feel hard for image editor so I'm just looking for optimal and easiest way to prepare terrain.bmp.
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