[SKETCHi]

[h1]Abstract Landscape in Terragen[/h1]
Here is an example of what we will be making.


For this tutorial you will need Photoshop and Terragen (only tested in Terragen 0.9).

1. Making the terrain map.
 a. Open Photoshop.
 b. Make a new image, 257x257. With a black background.
 c. Select the Gradient tool . Use these settings.
 
 Screen Shot
Remember. White = High, Black = Low.
 d. Begin by making a circle, then make another circle inside of that. Continue this. Vary the gradient distant as you go. Do this as many times as you want, try not to go too crazy.
 Screen Shot
 e. Image > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast. This will bring the height up and add more variants. Use these settings.
 Screen Shot
 f. Filter > Blur > Blur. Filter > Blur > Blur More. This will soften the edges and give a more gradual change in the landscape.

2. Saving the terrain map. (There are two sets of instructions here, one for Mac and one for Windows)
 a. Now that we have our abstract terrain made, lets save it so we can import it to Terragen.
 b. Terragen can only import specific file types. For this tutorial we will be using a BMP file on Mac and a RAW file on Windows.
 c. On Mac, File > Save As... > BMP.
 Screen Shot
  i. However, there seems to be a problem on Windows so, File > Save As... > RAW.
d. If you are using Windows, select "Non Interleaved Order" from the pop up box.
 Screen Shot

3. Importing the terrain map.
 a. So, we have it all saved. Lets get it into Terragen.
 b. Open the Landscape window. In the top right corner of the window theres a button with a blank page icon. Click it. Choose import from the menu.
 Screen Shot
 c. Now, select Image from the drop down menu. Click Import and find the BMP you saved in Photoshop.
 Screen Shot

4. Location.
 a. Select a good location, preferably one near a white area. Move the camera by draging the green and red dots in the bottom right corner of the Rendering Control window.
 Screen Shot
 b. Click the Render Preview button to see what your final outcome will look like.
 Screen Shot
 c. At this point, you can add all of the surface maps and stuff like that.

5. Render Final Image To... File.

Finished!

If you like this tutorial, please Click Here to register.

Click the link below to download the Photoshop file for the terrain map I created.
Terragen - Abstract Landscape PSD

[Smeck]

Nice tut sketchi, I'm using it right away =)

[FullMetal_One]

Awesome dude... I'll try this later

EDIT: man it's hard

[SKETCHi]

Whats hard? Hard to follow the tutorial, or hard to do in general?

[FullMetal_One]

HArd to do in general..my mountains are steep high lol

[SKETCHi]

Try using softer gradients.

[ZT]

heheh, that looks pretty cool

[Saven]

wil do AsAp

[Blitz]

what terragen have you got? how do you get it? mine doesnt seem to have the import BMP bit :/ ah soz 0.9

[Blaze]

i dont know where to get terragen

[Blitz]

lol gtd

[ek3s]

hi.. I'm like 100% newbie at terragen, got the app this morning and am on a mission for knowledge on using it...

I seen ur tut, nicley done may i add, and thought I'd have a bash. Except I has a lil problem.

The photoshop part is no prob, its when I try to import the .BMP to Terragen is where it breaks down..
I dont have that little blank page icon, but I have the import button.

I have tried to import the .BMP with no joy, also I have the options of importing an 8-bit/16-bit .SGI file or an uncompressed .TRG file, and an 8-bit .RAW file.

So I saved the gradient jobbie as all of these, the only ones that worked was the .RAW file, but only if it was interlaced, and even then it was very sharp and well ... cr@p ( even after a massive gussian blur and "blur more" a few times)

I'll stick a couple of links on and if you have time you can see what my terragen layout is like and all the properties for the .BMP i made, hopefully you will be able to see where I borked up.

Links :
.BMP Properties >>CLICK<<
Terragen Layout >>CLICK<<

Sry about the mahoosive essay jobbie, but its been doing my head in for hours and a lil help would be spot on.

One other question, kinda off topic.. how comes my avatar and sig are not showing?

cya >.<

[Blitz]

you got to save as a .raw m8

[ek3s]

you got to save as a .raw m8

I have done, when saving i get 2 options interlaced and something else, cant member now...

one of them come out with lines across it, the other comes out as really sharp jagged shapes..
I tried bluring the terrain map so i could just make out what it was then importing the .raw file, but still the same thing :/

[Blitz]

intelaced and non interlaced? well i dont know which one im not one for terragen tbh. Try them both... and try moving your camera angle about you might have it in the rong place.

also the sharp jagged egdes, i think that depends ont he quality you render it at or something try messing about with the settings

and your avatar lool... have you put in the direct link? or athe forums link with the BB code etc? you need to sue the direct link, host the image on www.imageshack.us