Matrix Games Forums

I'm still looking for the way to get the proper 'height.bmp' and base map for terrain for this game using QGIS. I love this hobby, but spending $550 for single software for this project seems too much to me... Before I ask to any people who have GM, I wish to try as much as possible using QGIS. This would be eventually better for this game's moders, using open source freeware to start modding.

My question is, how should I set up the contour color gradient for this game? As I wrote in my previous post:

I can set up some contour gradient options from this screen.

But I'm still not sure what should be the gap(m) between each contour colorss, and how the color gradient should be chosen. As we read from previous post, (tm.asp?m=4556489&mpage=1&key=�) this game's contour have some rules to follow. I'm quoting from that post.

Red channels are 0-255 in meters. If a height value goes over 255, then add 1 to the green channel and then go back to red=0.

Formula is (Red Channel) + (Green Channel * 255).

For example: if a pixel value is RGB (171,1,0) then the height is (171) + (1 * 255) = 426

Another example: if a pixel value is RGB (107,2,0) then the height is (107) + (2 * 255) = 617

This was originally a design that worked with a program called Global Mapper (I think that is the name).

So, it seems that AB's color gradient for contour decided by RGB values except blue color, right?

Are there any discrete color difference to decide the height difference? For example, from my above example, single discrete color line represents 13m difference per each color. Some other game use more number of color difference, to show 10m per each color difference. Are there any rules regarding such height difference per each level of color difference for AB?

What other rules should I need to consider?

It starts at -512m below sea level with (RGB =0,0,0), so -256m below sea level is actually (RGB =0,1,8), 0 m is (RGB =0,2,16), 256m above sea level (RGB = 0,3,24).

ORIGINAL: 22sec

It starts at -512m below sea level with (RGB =0,0,0), so -256m below sea level is actually (RGB =0,1,8), 0 m is (RGB =0,2,16), 256m above sea level (RGB = 0,3,24).

Thanks, but previous post mentioned that this game's terrain.bmp does not use blue color... So are we using blue color?

Also, rules here seems not clear to me. What is the relation among red, green, and blue here?

You don't need to buy a software to do this. Tell me where you want a map and I'll email you a height map.

The game doesn’t read the blue. If I remember correctly it was added in the custom shader to help make the different elevations stand out.

ORIGINAL: 22sec
The game doesn’t read the blue. If I remember correctly it was added in the custom shader to help make the different elevations stand out.

OK... then should I need to use blue color as well for that custom shader option?
Wow, this terrain.bmp is very complicated than I expected. Could you give me a good governing equation for R,G,B numbers?

ORIGINAL: Adam Rinkleff

You don't need to buy a software to do this. Tell me where you want a map and I'll email you a height map.

Thank you Adam, I just wish to try with free software as much as possible before I ask help to others with GM.