FTPro - Custom Rainfall/Temperature scales

[Master TMO]

Asking here and the ProFantasy forums, and will post any answer I get on one to the other.

I am wanting to export a grayscale image of the rainfall and temperature models from my FTPro world. For Altitude, it's easy to create a custom color scale using a text editor, but apparently the scales for Rain and Temp are a binary file. You can build a custom scale through the GUI, but it is *extremely* difficult to do if you have many colors, and I'm wanting to do a full 256 color scale.

Does anyone know a way I can create a custom *.bcl file from an external source for this?

Thanks

[waldronate]

I would recommend using the built-in tools in FT. On the rainfall tab of Lighting and Color, set # colors to 256. Then click the Lowest box and select black. Then, while holding down the Shift key, click on the Highest Value and (still holding down the Shift key) click white. The color list should be a full grayscale value.

This technique works for any two colors, because Shift triggers use of full RGB colors rather than the more limited Campaign Cartographer palette when picking and interpolating colors. Doing the above steps without holding down Shift will get you a 16-color step; holding down Shift gets the full 256-color ramp.

[Master TMO]

Worked great! Thanks!

[ravells]

Wow, I never knew about that shift-click trick! Thanks Joe!!!

[Ramah]

<Thread hijack>

Waldronate, I'd just like to offer my thanks for your support of this community. I know rep is only another form of epeen and it's not why you do it but the fact that your rep is so low shows that it is basically a flawed system. The fact is that you and your Wilbur program (and the others you program and maintain through ProFantasy etc.) deserve far more rep than someone who just churns out a map a week, often with little thought put into it and often using the tools you've created (and I would include myself in that list btw).
Unfortunately your presence on this board is less visible than a new map, despite the fact that you always seem to be around to answer any problems people have with your programs in a matter of hours. Like with most things though the person in the background doesn't receive the recognition they deserve.

So again, thanks for the support, man... also... why no contributor badge?

</Thread hijack>

[Steel General]

Well said Ramah, we should probably rectify that.

[Ascension]

Well said, and seconded...thirded.

[jtougas]

<Thread hijack>

Waldronate, I'd just like to offer my thanks for your support of this community. I know rep is only another form of epeen and it's not why you do it but the fact that your rep is so low shows that it is basically a flawed system. The fact is that you and your Wilbur program (and the others you program and maintain through ProFantasy etc.) deserve far more rep than someone who just churns out a map a week, often with little thought put into it and often using the tools you've created (and I would include myself in that list btw).
Unfortunately your presence on this board is less visible than a new map, despite the fact that you always seem to be around to answer any problems people have with your programs in a matter of hours. Like with most things though the person in the background doesn't receive the recognition they deserve.

So again, thanks for the support, man... also... why no contributor badge?

</Thread hijack>

Absolutely ! I feel guilty that I've never bothered to acknowledge how great a contribution your stuff has been to me and my mapping. I use Wilbur all the time. Thanks SO much

[Diamond]

... also... why no contributor badge?

Another vote from me. I don't currently have Wilbur, but it's on my 'to get and master' list, and I'm sure I'll be picking his brains about it before too long. It just can't be beat for creating realistic landforms.

[ravells]

Absolutely Ramah....could not agree more. Contributor's badge awarded!

Thanks Joe, and sorry for being so blind to all of the help you've given to people here for so long.