Terraforming

From Virtual Worlds

Most of notes on terraforming (changing elevations, creating adn modifying landforms) describe how to do it using small "hand tools" that you can select form the Second Life menu. This method, although relatively easy to "play with," is hardly acceptable when you need to terraform significant areas, or do create terrain forms on a newly acquired island. To do that you should edit original RAW file. Below, we describe both methods.

Editing RAW Files

The download and upload of the files from and to Second Life can be done only when you are logged as the "land owner." In order to modify RAW files, you will need Photoshop (and knowledge of its basic tools/procedures).

• In the main menu select "World"
• Select "Region/Estate..."
• In the new menu window select "Terrain" tab
• Click on the "Download RAW terrain"
• Save RAW terrain file somewhere on your computer, naming it, for example, "MyIsland_Original.raw"
• Open Photoshop
• Open MyIsland_Original.raw. Photoshop will ask you to confirm internal parameters of the file. Make sure that
  • dimensions are 256 x 256 pixels
  • there are 13 channels and the check box near parameter "interleaved" is marked
  • depth is 8 bits
  • header's size is 0 bytes
• The map of the island will open in reddish-brown colors

Color of each pixel reflects its height. You can experiment with changing colors of different pixels literally "drawing" relief of your island. In our experience, however, in a vast majority of cases the best original topography of the land for business use is "flat as a table." If you need to create local terraforms (mountains, lakes, valleys, etc.) later, you can do it using "hand tools method" described below. To make your island flat, simply pick a "mid-range" brownish color using Photoshop's color picker and dump it on the whole island using color bucket tool. Save the file under a new name (for example, MyIsland_Modified.raw) and upload it (World -> Region/Estate -> Terrain tab -> Upload RAW terrain. If you are satisfied with the result, you might want to "Bake Terrain" (same menu). If you mess something up later, when working with the hand tools, you can always revert to the "baked terrain"

"Hand Tools" Method

• Right click on your land and chose "Edit Land" from the pie menu
• Select the "Select Land" option and then left click and drag your mouse, holding down the left mouse button down as you move the mouse across the terrain. You will see a yellow bounding box as you do so. The box bounds the area where you change the landforms. Note: You do not have to select an area to work on, but it might save a lot of grief to do so.
• Once you have selected the area, you can then choose from flatten land, raise land, lower land, smooth land, and roughen land options.
• A dropdown on the Edit Land panel permits you to use Small, Medium or Large brush size for edits to your land. Small should be used for more detailed or sharper cuts into your land, the large brush for wider and more serious changes.
• If you do not the result, hit the "revert land" button and then the "apply to selection" button and your land will revert back to the way it was originally. Note: the land will revert to its original state. previous edits that you might have liked will be lost!