Importing Heightmap Terrain into World Editor

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Tools UI References

Model Viewer  •  World Editor  •  Terrain Generator

Working with Terrain

About Terrain  •  Using L3DT Pro  •  Using EarthSculptor  •  Using PnP TerrainCreator  •  Importing Heightmap Terrain  •  Using Mosaic Creator

Other Tools

Third-Party Tools  •  Creating Skyboxes with Terragen

This article describes how to use generated heightmap and alpha maps in your world.

Importing mosaics into the asset repository

Before you can use a heightmap and alpha maps with Multiverse tools or the Multiverse Client, you must import them into your asset repository. Follow these steps to import the heightmap mosaic and both alpha map mosaics:

1. Launch the Multiverse Asset Importer. Make sure that the tool is pointed at the correct Asset Repository.
2. Select Mosaic from the Asset Type drop-down selection.
3. Enter the filename of the mosaic (.mmf) file using the Mosaic: text box, or by pressing the button labeled ... and browsing to the file.
4. A list of files in the same folder as the mmf file will appear on the left. Use Drag and Drop to drag the image tiles that belong to this mosaic into the text box on the right labeled Optional Textures.
5. Enter a description of this mosaic in the Description field if you like.
6. Choose File | Save Asset As... to save the mosaic to the asset repository.
7. To import more mosaics, choose File | New Asset, and return to step #2.

Loading a mosaic heightmap terrain into World Editor

This section assumes that you have used the Asset Importer to import the heightmap mosaic into your Asset Repository.

1. Launch the Multiverse World Editor
2. From the File menu, select New World. Enter a name for your world and click the OK button to create the new world.
3. Click on the plus (+) sign next to the World line in the Tree View, to expand the items under it.
4. Right Click on the Terrain item in the Tree View, and select Load Terrain from the menu.
5. Using the menu at the bottom of the file selection dialog, change the file type from the default (.mvt) to L3DT Mosaic Heightfield files (*.mmf).
6. Browse to the Textures folder in your asset repository, and select your heightmap mosaic file, then press the Open button.
7. You should now see your terrain in the World View.

Using alpha splatting for terrain texturing

This section assumes that you have created alpha maps with L3DT, have exported them as mosaics, and have imported them into your asset repository using the Multiverse Asset Importer.

1. Select the Terrain item in the tree view.
2. In the Property View, change the Display Type property to Alpha Splat.
3. In the Tree View, expand the Terrain item, so that you can see the Terrain Display item under it. Select the Terrain Display item.
4. You will notice that your terrain has turned black in the World View. This is normal, and will be corrected soon.
5. In the Property View, enter the names of your two Alpha map mosaics, without the .mmf filename extension, as the values for the properties Alpha0MosaicName and Alpha1MosaicName. If the alpha maps were generated with L3DT Pro, then these you will want to enter the value of Alpha1 for value of Alpha0MosaicName and Alpha2 as the value of Alpha1MosaicName.
6. Enter the value l3dt-detailmap.jpg for the DetailTextureName property.
7. It is now time to refer back to the Texture Names and Layer numbers that you recorded when you exported the alpha maps from L3DT. Find the texture name for layer 1. The value to enter for the Layer1TextureName property is l3dt- followed by the texture name from L3DT, followed by .jpg. So for example, if the texture name listed in L3DT was grass1, you would enter the value of l3dt-grass1.jpg.
8. Repeat the last set for all the terrain textures that were listed by L3DT at the time that you exported the alpha maps. As you enter the texture names, you should see those parts of your terrain that use those texture become visible in the World View.