actually I didn't - but I figured out how it works!the rivers are basically a subtraction from the very basic land-shape layer, so I just have to edit that layer again and it works. No harm done, since that layer is not visible anyway, it only functions as the general area to which all other layers are restricted.
I guess those are the dangers of blindly following a tutorial without understanding what exactly is happening there...
I edited the rivers a little bit again, so that even the top one looks more natural and also adjusted the colors.
Anyhow, the most important question for me is now: How big does that land look to you? Does it seem big enough to be a continent?
leend3.jpg
Yeah, I'm sad that Wilbur isn't available for other platforms, or at least its source code for generating terrain - from all I know the software appears to be free.Originally Posted by Lyrillies
Developing a fractal terrain generator is one of my long term projects. I already wrote the terrain generation part, but it doesn't make rivers.
Honestly? No...
It looks beautiful, but it looks like an island. Maybe a large island, but still an island.
Obviously it would depend on your scale... if you made a single inch or pixel represent a vast space.. but then the mountains would look off, and...idk. I suppose there's a way to make it look like a continent, but to *me* it looks like an island right now.
Zach, if it's free that might just be the reason why there's no mac version… But your project sounds extremely interesting! is that a generator for random terrain or would that include a function where you can set a certain general shape for the terrain which is then converted into fractals?
Jalyha: thanks!
Oh, I wish I could help with that... the whole image size/resolution thing still totally baffles me
I'm not very bright with that sort of thing... I'm 150% visual
I think the detail in the water might be part of it... If it were a continent, where the water hits the land... the whiter parts at the shorelines, it would seem narrower by comparison.
Mostly, though, I think it's something with the mountains
hmm okay, I know I'm uploading new versions like crazy here and I'm sorry for that - I just hate going to bed feeling like I didn't accomplish anything
So I changed quite a bit here, obviously, mainly the water - and the mountains again. I think those need at least to be a bit darker, but at least the water looks better now, right? This is really difficult…
And thanks for all your help, Jalyha, I'm very grateful for that!
leend4.jpg
I think so
I'm really not the best one to help, lol. I'm just getting used to looking at things from a bird's eye point of view.
In my opion, one of the main reason that makes your continent looking like an island is its form. You have a "teardrop" form globally, and it's a classic form of those islands made of sand/crumbly rock shaped by the current of a river. A quick sketch for exemple :
Sketcg.jpg
I would change (just a little) this by breaking a little bit the form. But I think you've already began with your last one. Like the general idea and the colors btw.
Last edited by Ilanthar; 01-30-2014 at 07:06 AM. Reason: Forgot my advice
oh that makes a lot of sense, thanks for that information Ilanthar! I never knew that this shape was typical for small islands, so I would've never thought of it as a potential problem…
Hmm unfortunately I've grown rather fond of it during the past ten years of working on this world. So either I'll add a few islands in the south or need to find a way to make it work despite its shape. Islands probably wouldn't hurt, that's just more space to invent interesting things
Maybe I also need to rethink the vegetation on the continent. Originally it was planned to be (almost) completely covered by desert. I already changed that in favor of having some green areas cause I think that also helps in making it look bigger. Now if there was even more variation it would probably help with my problem, but then how do I explain that with the backstory?
I guess I'll have to think about that. Probably need to figure out first just how exactly climate, climate zones and wind work in my world...
What if it was just... a *little* less like a perfect tear?
That could help, but it shouldn't affect your story/world *too* much. I mean you don't describe every single feature of the land, right?
Like, say... (Beware my elite MSPaint skillz!)
Here, red would be the land outline, green is where your SAME mountain range(s) would end up That would mean the same green/foresty areas you have could be bigger, but you'd gain space for desert too:
not an island.jpg
Also, "desert" is an area without a lot of rain. It can still be green, if there's water from elsewhere... like a gigantic river flowing from somewhere that *does* have rain.
A place can also be hot and dry (or hot and humid) even with plenty of precipitation, if there's stuff sopping up that water.
I don't know what you've written so I can't tell how much that will help (or not ... )
Anyway... okbye
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