PLACEMENT MAPS

1. Create a new 24-bit black image in your photo editing program at 1280x1280 resolution.

2. Immediately change it to 8-bit 256 colors.

3. You need to "Index" the colors you'll be using to place your vegetation by:
In Photoshop: At the top, select "Image" + "Mode" + "Indexed Color" + "Custom".
In Paint Shop Pro: At the top, select "Colors" + "Edit Plalette".

4. A plalette with many small squares will pop up. You can change the color of each square by double clicking it causing a "color picker" to pop up.

5. Each palette index color, corresponds directly to the vegetation list in the .est files. If you look at one the .est files, which are in your "EcoSystem" folder, you will see "Vegetation_1" ... blah blah blah .... "Vegetation_2" .... blah blah blah... such as:

[EcoSystem] Description="Dry Desert"
Method=Auto
PlacementBmp=NONE
NorthAngle=0.0
ProbabilityTga=none
[Vegetation_1]*
Name=DrySaguaro01
BillboardName=DryDesert_LOD3.tga
MeanHeight=30.0
MinHeight=25.0
MaxHeight=35.0
MeanRadius=6.0
MinRadius=5.0
MaxRadius=7.0
ULeft=4
URight=84
VBottom=217
VTop=3
UCenter=49
MeanSlope=20.0
StandardDeviationSlope=3.0
MeanAltitude=0.5
StandardDeviationAltitude=0.5
UsePlanarLighting=0
BlendLODs=0
NumCollisionObjects=1
CollisionObject1=GEOMETRY

Each .est file (Desert, Tropical, Forest, etc.) has different amount of vegetations in them, so make sure you give each piece a color.
[NOTE: You can open an .est file using "WordPad".] These vegetation entries* (#'s) correspond to the palette index colors you pick for your placement map. The colors you choose on the palette is strictly up to you. The particular color you pick DOES NOT MATTER - the palette indexe #'s DO MATTER. In other words, if you look inside "DryDesert.est" you will see that Vegetation_4 is DryTumbleweed. So, everywhere you paint a pixel on your placement map using palette index color 4 you will get a dry tumbleweed on your track.

Keep in mind that the palette index STARTS WITH ZERO, NOT ONE. ALWAYS make palette index zero BLACK and use that as your background color.

[IMPORTANT NOTE: You will not see the results of the placement map in the editor until you save and reload your project in Armadillo. You will see the results of the probability map immediately.]

6. Now that you have indexed the colors for the .est file you'll be using, take the 256x256 image you used for the prob map and copy & paste it into the center of your 1280x1280 placement map and start applying the vegetation. Make sure it is rotated CCW, the same as in the prob map. You can put the 256x256 on a different layer and delete the layer after you've applied your 1 pixel color dots.

7. Save and name your Placement Map (yourtrackname)_place.bmp and put it in the folder where your track is located - usually your "Projects" folder.

Happy Track Making.....

Aloha, Maui_cool