Detail changes not "saving" and recalculating

[Roy]

I did a random detail map and edited some changes to it. I hit "Calculate" to get the heightmap.

I went into 3D on the heightmap and then ESC. I toggled from the Detail to the Heightmap and made some changes to the Detail map (basically, I wanted to remove all the landscape from the edges and have the edges be all water).

I deleted the old heightmap (I think it was a hmf file?) from the folder where I had saved the project. I saved the Project again and the Detail map again.

I again ran the calculation for the Heightmap, but the Heightmap is the same as the first and none of my changes were done. The Detail map shows no landmasses near the edges, but the heightmap does (even though I deleted the heightmap file and recalculated).

I'm using the Pro version.

Anyone know why?

[Aaron]

Hi Roy,

From your post it seems that the design map did save OK, since you seem to be happy with the shape of the design map at the end. The issue here seems to be that the heightfield doesn't seem to sufficiently resemble the design map.

The heightfield is always generated from the current design map, but it is not necessarily a high-fidelity copy. Depending on the settings in your design map, the output heightfield may end up quite different to the shape of your design map. For example, very high noise or erosion settings will change the terrain shape. This may result in land being at the edge of your map even though you have designed it to be underwater.

Can you please send me the project file ("[projectname].proj"), design map file ("[projectname]_DM.dmf") and the height map file ("[projectname]_HF.hfz") so that I can have a look? (to aaron@bundysoft.com). I'll be able to give you a definitive answer once I can see the files.

Best regards,
Aaron.

[Roy]

Thank you, Aaron. I deleted the heightmap file thinking that it would start over and now I can't get it to even create one using that file. Without the heightmap, you probably can't tell what's going on.

I'm just going to start over. I searched the forums before posting and did not see anyone else with that type of error, so this must be just one of those flukes.

If I keep getting this error, I will send those files over. Thanks.

[Chett]

You might look at the diagram aaron posted in answer to one of my questions, not all maps feed into all maps ...

[Aaron]

Hi Roy,

It's generally not a good idea, and certainly not necessary, to delete files from projects. If you'd like to overwrite the heightfield, you can simply re-generate it. Each time you use the 'Operations->Heightfield->Generate map' option (or click the 'heightfield' option in the calculation queue), the heightfield is cleared and re-generated. If you're feeling paranoid, you can also use the 'File->Close->Close map' option to manually remove the heightfield from the project before re-generating it, but the heightfield calculation does this anyway, so there's not much point.

I deleted the heightmap file thinking that it would start over and now I can't get it to even create one using that file.

What is the problem exactly? Is L3DT throwing error messages? If so, what?

Cheerio,
Aaron.