Can't export heightmap

[IceDreamer]

OK so I found my ancient old map in the vault, and want to refine it in future. I'm told I can correct and refine the heightmap in photoshop. However, I can find no method of taking the map and exporting it as a RAW so I can do this. I'm using the official editor.

[Krapougnak]

Editor/Elevation/Edit Layer Properties(top left)/Export Heightmap

[IceDreamer]

OK so I've managed to do that, but it's not going to be very helpful it seems. The RAW has only a surface resemblance to the map... I've no idea how it is supposed to be representing elevation, but I thought it would be Black = lowest elevation and White = Highest. Instead it appears to be working on some kind of contour method, but that means wherever I have any kind of mountains it just looks like white noise. Rubbish, and certainly I can't preform meaningful adjustments.

Also, the standard save as RAW in Photoshop doesn't seem to make a file the editor likes. Is there anything special I've got to do?

[Krapougnak]

Export HeightmapEdit

select all and copy merged on master, paste in to export and save
for proper heightmap export, an action is needed (for same output every time):
Flatten Image
Brightness -10 & Contrast -80 (my values)
Save as "heightmap_export.raw" (1 Channel, 16 bit, IBM PC)

Ensure proper settings in your export-action early.

http://supcom.wikia.com/wiki/Height-_/_ ... ting_tools

[IceDreamer]

That's a fantastic link mate, thanks. One issue: I can only assume that is using unofficial editor, as the heightmap exported by the official one looks nothing like that. Would you recommend using the unofficial one as better than the GPG?

[Krapougnak]

Yes this wiki uses the Unofficial Editor with photoshop I don't know if there is a tutorial out there for the Official Map Editor and photoshop though. have a look at this one in case...

http://supcom.wikia.com/wiki/MapEditTutorial_Lesson_2

[IceDreamer]

OK... So, I downloaded the HazardX Editor. I can't open up my map :/ Not sure why, the normal one sees it. It is currently in two locations, in the Maps folder under Supreme Commander, and also in the Maps folder in the My Games directory. The HazardX editor sees the maps in the Supreme Commander directory, but not mine.

In that directory, I opened up the folders of the default maps and found .psd documents which appear to be heightmaps more similar to what I was expecting. They look nothing like what the Default Editor threw our for my map, which you can see here:

http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo10 ... dc757b.jpg

As you can see, this looks more like a contour system than the more intuitive height = brightness which I expected, and which I see in the default maps.

How can I get HazardX Editor to see my map?
Why does the heightmap I got from the Official Editor look such a mess?

Thanks in advance everyone :p

[IceDreamer]

OK so I'm well into constructing a heightmap and have hit a significant double snag with using Photoshop.

1: At the edges of cliffs, I am for some reason getting a DIP DOWN at the base of the cliff. There seems to be no reason for it, not one visible in PS anyway.

2: Even values in PS of just 1 RGB apart seem unable to get a smooth, gentle slope. It comes in shelves, with each shelf itself fairly sharp. At least on my monitor, I can't really get anything in between RGB values, so how the heck does on get a smooth slope?!

[IceDreamer]

Problem 1 seems to be happening only in HazardX's editor. That program bloody sucks, last time I'm booting THAT up.