Satellite Mountains

[cpcunningham]

WIP on trying to learn satellite views of mountains for the world map I'm creating. The image is a test of some mountains I created following Keith Davies' "Yet Another Mountain tutorial."
Struggling with trying to create the right colour pallette and its set up as a gradient so when I do a map gradient I can get the right amount of the colours I'm after in the right order.
CCfantasy map_mtns height map.png

[Ilanthar]

Interesting. The looks is very convincing except for the summits/ridge lines, imho.

[cpcunningham]

Yes. Agree. Ridge lines are a particular bug-a-boo I'm still working on.
Anything specific about them, in your view?
Thx
CC

[cpcunningham]

### Latest WIP ###
The latest attempt with the mountains in the central region.

Fantasy map central mtns height map_withrivers.png

[Josiah VE]

These look amazing!

[cpcunningham]

oK. Here's my second round at trying to get the Eastern mountain range (see above in 1st post) the way I'd like with a method I can replicate (or remember for that matter).
fantasy map_mtns height map.png

[Vardelm]

I agree with the other posters: these look FANTASTIC!!!!

I have read through that tutorial before, and did again. My main question is how you ended up getting it to look like you used an erosion simulator like Wilbur? I have played with similar methods from that tutorial and just got blobs. I must know your secrets!

[cpcunningham]

... I must know your secrets!

Height maps. Real world height maps. With the tutorial that was working the best for me (arsheesh, I think, although I try them all and cherry pick), I was spending a lot of time during the blending stage, between the mountains & hills, and still not getting the shape I was liking from real world maps. So I went to the source. I carve out the sections of height map I like, fit them together with some blending or adding to the "height" or "depth" colours (white & black), then make heavy use of masking in GIMP.
I'm stuck, now, trying to simplify the steps so that I can remember & repeat the process (the GIMP files for the central mountain chain - 2 above- is so cluttered and changed from off-the -cuff experimentation I can't repeat accurately what I did, so I'm going back & starting over.
Masking is the key. It just makes experimentation & change so much easier. Although, having 5-8 bump map layers is too unwieldy - especially when I want to add a Forest layer or the Rivers as a layer below the mountain structure (so its just a matter of carving away at the geology to expose what river I want showing & then easy to change the water colour if I want).
If I get the process scaled down to something workable, rather than me just acting on a whim with this colour or that filter applied - then I'll post it.
CC

[cpcunningham]

### Latest WIP ###

Here's the western range in this maps region. The space between is where a cataclysmic chasm cuts across the continent, making travel across this range risky.
Cavanwest mtns height map_colour version1.png

[Josiah VE]

These are more great mountains. The terrain is very well done.
For some reason the mountains almost look like clay.
I think the forest could use some work, although when zoomed out it is fine.