Actually that was wanted that way, i had back there the *sarkasm* "Genious" Idea to force Players depending by Landscape into certain Unit Types. Oberon and Oran Uteros were the Extremes - with Oberon forcing the One starting in Ice Heights to build Planes, to creat Mexes in the deep holes. Oran Uteros forced Hovercrafts, because those were the Only Units able to build Underwatermexes into the Acid. (The Underwater Mexes get not attacked).
Back there in Yilith, i had that thing with the deformable Terrain, but most people never used 2 CrawlBombs to blow for example a way for the Subs into that one unpassable "Bridge" in the River...
My Advice - never use strategic Riddles in the Maps... they are only exploited by the knowers and hated by the surprised.. and work only once...
PicassoCT, how exactly do you render a 3d-model to a heightmap?
I've tried messing with 3ds max's gradient maps but I can't get the thing to do what I want
I creat a Polygone Object switch into the Sideview
Then i switch into the Material Editor, choose instead of a Texture a Gradient, that is black white as Standard setting. After this i put selfilumination to 100 to erase Disturbin Shadows, and ativate the function to show the Texture/Material in 3D Scene.
Now select the Object, select all Polygons and drag& drop the Material out of the Material Editor on the Object.
Now select the Object again, and add the UVW-Map Modifier - you should now see in the Options of the Modifier the Button-> Plane , hit it. Now you should see the Gradient laying over the Object, from north to south, or west to east.
Hit now, in the Stack (the list of Modifiers that lays upon an Object) the UVW-Mapping, and choose the Gizmo, with this, you can rotate the Plane(not the Object), which will, after some 90 Degrees, will lead into white Heights and Grey Depths. So far so good.
Now, return to the usual UVW-Map Modifier Options. Hit (Sorry i forgot the Button Name) the "Fit in" Button, so that your Mountain is pure white, and the deepest Seabed is pure black.
If all this worked, return to the Material Editor, open the Gradient again, and choose the Gradient that is exactly in the Middle. This is 50 % Grey, the Water Level. On the Darker Side, add a Gradientmark that is Blue and bring it as close as possible to 50 % Grey. Now you see were on your Heightmap Water is going to be. Change the Height as you wish. Delete the BlueColourkey again.
Finally. Take a TargetCamera, place it over the Map, activate "orthogonal" Rendering and Render the Heightmap.
Finnish it.
Hint: If you have great Planes, and don`t want to use lowpath to smoth it, put another colourkey into the Gradient, watch for Spots on the Plane, Add another Colourkey till the Spots vannish, make those Colourkeys the same Greylevel, then first Key had.
Has the Lava Selfilumination or is the Lava in Spring Engine Water? The Engine Water is difficult, you may have Problems making the Lava brighter. But you can add Geos under Water (just search the topic in this Forum) so that the lave will smoke...
Oh and by the Way... loooooks very nice.... And don`t overdo it - i even moddled the Metallmap for Yilith, and screwed it that way..
Sorry i don`t know a way - but you could make it very thin Water (There is this stage, were you see the Wavetops through the Ground. Maybee you can have the Texture (of the Landscape, with the Damage of the Wavetops. It is worth a ExperiMental Map, but i am busy at the Trenches - and Lathan seems to be drunk again, and does not reply to my Barbwire Request. Maybee i avoided Feature-placement for to long, to be worth a Reply.
Good luck - if you try, post the REsults.
I did a really fast and cheap Map testing it - and Units are only damaged in Water, if they are fully in it. See it yourself, i wanted to know what Acid and deformable Terrain can do. The Wavetops do not damage Unit. Sorry for that Advice.
I made a new working version of TheSwamp and it is fun- i played it...and if you use Artillery it is the Unique Experience of a rapidly changing Landscape - and the Fact that lonely Units rushing into the enemy Middle have more chances to do Damage then Great Groups who disappear into the Earth...
