Deform Mode

With this mode you can deform a selected terrain. The tab is devided into three parts: Mode, Heightmap, Settings.

Within "mode" you can select how to deform the terrain. With every change here, there are also changed the settings within the last part: the Settings area. Here you are a short description of all of the four modes and their settings. A brief explanation about heighmap you´ll find within the chapter heightmap.

Deform

This is the standard mode. If you move the mouse over the terrain (in the engine), a deform display appears which is made of red dots that symbolize the radius. Clicking left, the terrain will be deformed at the mouse position in the direction of Max Height (Settings). Holding the [alt] key the same time, the terrain will deform in the direction of "Min Height" (Settings).

Deform Settings

Brush Type	Gives the way in which the the terrain shall be heightened within the radius. With Circle the furthest vertices are deformed squarely slower then the inner ones - which gives the image of a hemisphere. With Square all vertices are deformed in the same velocity which gives the image of a box. With Pyramid the outer vertices are deformed linearly slower so the image of a pyramid is created.
Radius	Gives the radius of the deformation
Max Height	Gives the height in quants; up to this height the vertices are deformed at left click.
Min Height	Gives the height in quants; up to this height the vertices are deformed at left click + [alt] key.
Strength	Gives the strength of the deformation (how fast to deform).

Smooth

With the smooth mode the vertices within the radius are smoothed accordingly to their heights. This gives the image of a smooth terrain.

Smooth Settings

Brush Type	Like deform settings
Radius	Gives the radius of the deformation
Smoothness-Factor	Gives the strength of the smoothing

Generate Heightmap

In this area it is possible to generate a heightmap. So you can create a realistic looking terrain with valleys and hills, without hard working on deformations. GED uses the noise algorithm. Most of the names for this values may be kind of unfamiliar at first, however here you can play around without bigger problems. Therefor below you won´t find any mathematically explanations of the terms but only what they are doing. Every "higher" / "lower" within the following list refers to the initial value of the according property.

Generate Heightmap Settings

Maximum Height	This height (in quants) corresponds to the height value of 255 (white) on the heightmap. So increasing this value allways leads to a increase of the maximum height of the terrain after generating.
Frequency	Lower values smooth the terrain, heigher values result in sharp edges.
Passes	Smoothing effekt with lower values.
Coarseness	Heigher values lead to sharper boundaries between high and low areas, with lower values these are more smoothed.
Size	Higher values allow more valleys and hills, lower values less.
Seed	If you leave the settings done above as they are, and press several times the Generate button, the generated hightmap won´t change. Changing this "movement" value you can generate various heihtmaps with the same settings.
Lacunarity	A very complex setting that principally handels the pathway of the coast lines.

Paint Heightmap / Smooth Heightmap

Depending on whether "Paint on Heightmap" is activated within the Terrain-Settings, as a fourth mode Paint Heightmap respectively Smooth Heightmap appears. Paint Heightmap allows all of the features that Smooth Heightmap includes also. Therefor this manual only refers to Paint Heightmap.

This mode allows to paint directely onto the heightmap. Left clicking here leads to an increase of the height of the terrain, right clicking lowers it.

Paint Heightmap Settings

Smoothness Factor	Increasing this value leads to a stronger smoothing effect on clicking the "Smooth Heightmap" button.
Maximum Height	This height (in quants) corresponds to the height value of 255 (white) on the heightmap. So increasing this value allways leads to an increase of the maximum height on painting.
Brush Size	Brush size in pixels to be painted with onto the heightmap.
Strength	The strength to be painted with.

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