Creating multilevel cities

[Jorrtappen]

Please pass on your knowledge.

I've been experimenting with building a city on multiple layer like in Karkand where the walls raise and lower the city to different levels.

I've been working with the stonewalls ( you know, the one's that fit with the stairwalls ) and I can fit the pieces together.

But the terrain at the upper level close to the wall is giving me problems. I cant get it flat and nice close to the wall without terrains showing at the base of the wall or the other way around if I'm levelling it out at the base.

Tried to hide the terrain with various sidewalks but it do not look nice. The checkered outline is nice on the edge but not in the middle.

How do you get around this problem? Theres so many citymaps so someone of you must have been doing this nicely.

[-R|F-Glitch]

Re: Creating multilevel cities

Try using platform and the grid mode with 100 strenth and 2 brush size. If you figured out how to make the ramps I will bow to you.

[jdogg88-Fed]

Re: Creating multilevel cities

yeah i havnt got the ramp thing fiqured out just yet

[-R|F-Glitch]

Re: Creating multilevel cities

I was readin that you would have to create a height map for the rams but I'm not going to look into this anyfurther. If you want to just go to gotfrag and search ramps.

[JamieB-[DEagle]]

Re: Creating multilevel cities

There is a section in one of the 6 EA official tutorials about how to make heightmaps. They are actually pretty easy to do and were used in a lot of the standard maps in the game. It does however involve starting from scratch knowing that you are going to need to use it for best results...

Basically you draw your map top-down in photoshop, and use white to represent highest point areas, black for lowest point areas and shades of grey for the in-between heights.

[xO^MausOr]

Re: Creating multilevel cities

...so to place a ramp you need to create a new layer, make a selection and apply a gradient to it. Give you a nice uniform slope. A bit difficult getting the height right though. Open your current HeightmapPrimary.raw in PS and compare the shades of grey to the height in-game, with a bit of fiddling you should get it right.

[Cobra_SFX]

Re: Creating multilevel cities

Or ... Place a sloped road there with the splines - it should shape the terrain to the road (to an extent) (For a smoother ramp / slope)

Edit ...

I also made slopes using the level tool and dragging it uphill slightly quicker until it was kinda sloped then used the smooth tool over it - works ok for a rough slope

Pic 3 - right hand side - "rough slope"

http://www.mods-r-us.net/forums.php?m=posts&q=1979&n=last&PHPSESSID=e9e61e7ea3d732b5a7f55e1afde31d98#bottom

[JamieB-[DEagle]]

Re: Creating multilevel cities

I am using the PS and heightmap thing for a new map of mine which is a bit of a fun mess around in jeeps, but it seems to work ok. The only thing is that you need to get your heightmap right before texturing the level otherwise you end up in all sorts of trouble with invisible floors !

[Kasper1978]

Re: Creating multilevel cities

To make a multilevel city, first, start with the bottom floor, then put your wall to see how high you want your wall. Use the grid and place the edge of the wall at the grid. Then use the level tool at 2 brush size and 100 strength. It's reall just trial and error until you learn how to get it right every time.

http://putfile.com/pic.php?pic=9/24709340613.jpg&s=x4

To make a ramp, well, it was difficult for me until I taught myself this super easy method to make a very even slope in less then 2 minutes.

Pick the level tool.
2 brush and 100 strength

http://putfile.com/pic.php?pic=9/24709344885.jpg&s=x4

Note the red circles I scribbled in the following screenshot. You must make sure the 'cliff' part looks like this. Also notice the far right. How I made the steps go far beyond. That is to make the slope even. We will fix that part at the end.

http://putfile.com/pic.php?pic=9/24709343027.jpg&s=x4

Pick the smooth tool
2 brush and 100 strength
start from the top, middle of the ramp. just go left and right on the first 'bump'. make sure you go beyond the edge of the ramp, but not too far.
then work on the next lower bump.

Keep going until you get to the bottom. Note the red circle here

http://putfile.com/pic.php?pic=9/24709350333.jpg&s=x4

This is how far you must use the smooth tool.

and voila!

http://putfile.com/pic.php?pic=9/24709352963.jpg&s=x4

you have your ramp. It takes about 2 minutes to do... not long at all.

then it's the clean up part.
2 brush and 100 strength
level tool
http://putfile.com/pic.php?pic=9/24709355346.jpg&s=x4
I'm sure you can figure out this part. What I do it, save it first, then try and fix this part. If I accidentaly mess up the ramp, I reload, and try again.

I hope this helps