Texture Tool

Texture Tool

The texture tool is used to create terrain texture layers and to paint them on the terrain by using the brushes.

BattleForge is using a layer-based system, which means that you can create a terrain layer by combining four
different textures into one layer.
A layer is, if created, always in the map, but you can change the opacity to define which parts of the layers are visible or not, so you can create hard cuts or smooth transitions between the layers.

You can have up to 32 texture layers, you can name them, change the sort order, duplicate them and create Layersets or Prefabs for later use.
Its similar to graphic programs like Adobe Photoshop, if you know how to use the layers there, then you shouldn't have any big problems with the texture tool.

When you start the editor for the first time, some parts of the tool may be hidden. To reveal them click on the
small arrow on the left side of the window.

On the left side of the tool you can see the folders view and the view of the textures the selected folder contains.You can change the size of the texture tumbnails in the bottom left corner of the tool via the drop down menu.
On top of the view are five tabs: Color, Blending, Normal, Specular and Prefab.

Texture Tool

Color - The colormap is a normal texture to get colors and structures into the map.

Blending - Blending defines how the transitions between the layers will be.

Normal - The normalmap is used to get more details into the terrain without modelling it in the geometry of the map. Its used to create small rocks, cracks and roughness.

Specular - The specular map is used to get reflection into the map. Its used to create reflections on ice or stones, etc...

Prefab - You can save layers as prefabs, if you saved a layer then you will find it under this tab.
To create a layer you have to uset hose four kind of textures to combine them intoa layer thats fits into your map.

On the right side of the tool you can see the layer overview. At the bottom of the list is the first layer, if you create a new one it will be put on top of it. It’s the same order like in the map, which means that the layer at the bottom of the list will be the layer at the bottom of the map, every layer on top of it will paint over this layer if you paint in it.

To fill your layer with the textures your need click on the layer to select it and then click on the texture you want to use in the folders view.

Leayer

Indicated on the left side of the single layer you can see if you have assigned textures or if a components is still missing.

C - Colormap is assigned
B - Blending is assigned
N - Normalmap is assigned
S - Specular is assigned

Below the layers view is the command panel for the layers, where you can create new layers, rename them, duplicate them, delete them, and save and load them as prefabs.
New - Creates a new layer on top of the list.
Rename - Renames the currently selected layer. You can also doubleclick the layer
to change the name.
Duplicate - Creates a copy with all the assigned informations, like name and used textures,
of the currently selected layer on top of the selected layer.
Delete - Deletes the selected layer.
Load - Opens the load dialogue window to open a saved layer, also known as prefab. You can also find the prefabs of saved layers in the prefab tab in the folders view.

Save - Saves the selected layer.

Below the command panel are the mousetools, you need to texture your map, with their settings.

Blend Factor - Blend Factor defines how the blending of a layer works. A small value
will create hard cuts, a higher value will create smoother transitions.
This setting affects the whole layer. To set the blend factor for a layer select the layer and
change the value, you will see the changings on the layer directly in the map.
Below the command panel are the mousetools, you need to texture your map, with their settings.
Opacity - is the value to define in which steps or on which opacity the layer will be set when you paint the opacity on a layer into the map.
Texturize - is a mousetool, so you have to click this button to paint into the map, that sets the opacity on the point you paint to a fix value.
Texturize additively - This is a mousetool that adds or removes the opacity on the point you paint by the value you’ve set. To add opacity to the layer press and hold the left mousebutton and move the mouse, to remove the opacity press and hold the right mousebutton while
moving the mouse.
After you have created your layers and you are happy with them, you should save them as a layerset for later use.
You can do this with the Save Layerset button at the top of the tool. All of your layers will be saved to a file with
all the informations assigned to the layers, like assigned textures and names and sort order.
To load them in a new map just use the Load Layerset button and all the layer will be loaded.
[Attention] The informations in the map, how you have textured the terrain will not be saved as a layerset.

The Brushsettings are working like the default ones, but there is one difference. For more information click here. The difference to the common brushes is that in this tool you have the Inc by Grid Option, which means that when you’ve activated Snap to Grid within this tool and you’ve activated Inc by Grid, the increasing and decreasing of the brush is also snapped to the grid, the 1,4m grid.

Example

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