DIY corrected_regions map

[Spur]

While I was converting the M2 map to a bigger size, I really missed the debug file (corrected_regions.tga) that RTW produced. This is a little work-around I came up with until CA releases info on all switches in config etc.

The main problem is that the regions map gets out of alignment with the other maps, making placement along coastlines very iffy.

Here's what you do:

make a copy of the map_heights.tga and resize it in a new file. Remove the waterm (select with magic wand set too 100 and delete), and resize it to the regions map size (using nearest neighbour, in ps).

Copy it as a new layer into your regions map file, and change its blending mode to linear dodge (or overlay, whatever you prefer - I find linear dodge easier)

Now comes the interesting part: CTRL-click the layer with the heights map copy, so it should select a perfect outline of its land/sea border - there are less handy ways to do this too, but ctrl click is easiest I think.

should look like this now:



now when you select the layer with the regions map info, you can edit it at will while the SELECTION lines remain visible of the heights map.

By changing the workarea by pressing CTRL-SHFT-I (for Inverse) you can switch from the land to the water area. With the pencil you can then make any corrections without screwing the wrong area. You can keep changing between the two at will.

There are a few more tricks to do some parts quicker, but this is clearest, I hope... Good luck :)

[Makanyane]

Good info thanks, I was about to post before and say you were wrong as I've always generated my map_regions off the resized map_heights coastline via layers and its never accurately tied up with corrected_regions (under RTW).

Whilst experimenting to show difference I realised flaw was that I was using PaintShopPro - and only resize option in that not to merge blue and black colours is pixel resize, which apparently gives some shaping anomalies and a general up and right shift (possibly to do with the way it copes with the odd pixel difference) - luckily before making a complete **** out of myself I double checked in PhotoShop Elements and it does appear that nearest neighbour resizing in that does give accurate overlay between resized heights and corrected_regions (under RTW).

Would be interesting to know what options are available in GIMP as that's the other one most people seem to use - and whether or not they work as desired?!

[Spur]

it does appear that nearest neighbour resizing in that does give accurate overlay between resized heights and corrected_regions (under RTW).

Well, not only in RTW, fortunately also in M2. I had a LOT of problems with ports, naturally, and they are all solved now.

Yes nearest neighbour is for a lot of purposes far too crude, but since it introduces no new RGB values that can give problems (like anti-aliasing), is perfect for the job here. BTW with resize you get the option to set it, yet with a LOT of tools (rotate, warp etc you apparently cannot - well, not true, it just does nto show there - set the GENERAL options in Preferences to nearest neighbour, and volia - those toolies suddenly become usable for our mapping purposes too now, without creating any tell-tale purple splots in the maps.

BTW this is just a temporary workaround, we plan on including an automated tooly in the upcoming toolbox to do all this for you, in about .2 seconds flat.