Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Fairaday]

Hi,

It looks like this is a generally quiet forum, so that's cool.

I stumbled upon some of Monk's maps about a year ago on Cartographer's Guild, while looking for topographic maps of Middle Earth. I'm really impressed by the scale of this project, and congratulate everyone on a job well done so far.

Eventually, I'd love to have a giant 4'x4' high res map of ME, with all the labels and as much 'real world' detail as possible. If there's any way I can help with this, I'd love to do so.

-William

www.williamfairaday.com

[monks]

Hi Fairaday, welcome to the boards!

 I noticed you regged on the old forums as well. Not sure how you did that since the front end appears broken to me, but hey, you'll find a lot of old discussion over there, but over here is the place to be.
 There's a chap who contacted RedRobes about making a woodcut or a poster?...or something. I'm not sure where we are up to with that.

 At the moment, at least for the next month, I'm very busy with a game project and I can't render out anything, or get at individual map layers until I swap out the hard disk. I did render out a pretty cool map but it's actually a bit innacurate and based on the old terrain. The latest terrain is a lot better.
 RedRobes has a render too from his software which we use in the make process. Hopefully he'll chime in. I'd like to create a map with contour lines in a more modern style, using map layers. Robes version is more an artistic render- we use his software to create the texture maps. So we'll combine the output from his to get the vegetation maps and they'll go into any final renders we make.

monks

[Morcrist]

Hey there. You guys are awesome, the work you've done and the time you've taken to do it. Massive kudos! Bringing alive Tolkien's world...there's just something so incredible about being able to immerse yourself therein.

And speaking of massive, that's what brought me here. I'm a big Minecraft fan. Me and my 3 daughters have been playing it for years. I'm a bigger Tolkien fan, having first started on the Hobbit/LOTR back when I was 10 or 11. I also got my first ICE MERP module at that time, Isengard, and later got into Rolemaster and picked up many more modules. Unfortunately I had a...not a mid-life crisis but a early-life crisis? heh, and ended up actually throwing away tons of Rolemaster/MERP stuff when I was 16.

After I grew up and got a job I was on eBay about 15 years later and saw that there was an active market for the old RM/MERP sourcebooks and modules so I bought a few for nostalgia. Well, I found myself buying a couple more and then when a 'lot' came up which contained pretty much every single ICE/MERP book they put out I bought it for $1500. The guy selling it to me happened to know Terry Amthor, and was actually able to get him to sign a copy of Ardor for me. /blissfulsigh

Anyway, massive. I encountered the MCME project in Minecraft a while back, got on their server, and looked around. They had done some impressive things. Of particular interest to me was Moria. Probably the fact that I'm a purist combined with a huge dose of anal resulted in me being left a little less satisfied than I should have been (their work is super epic, without a doubt). More recently I found thebearman (http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/massive-middle-earth-map/)/BEskind (http://www.minecraftforum.net/topic/1691501-wip-massive-middle-earth-map-with-sample-downloads/) and his massive middle-earth project (http://massivemiddleearth.com). He appears to be using source from ICE as well, at least for topography. I got interested in adding other people's structures into his massive Minecraft map (it's roughly 24000 x 24000 blocks and takes up ~10gb) since he's only working on the landscape.

Which brings me here. I was starting to get a little dissatisfied with his map. Sound familiar? Heh heh. Basically I'm now looking for a heightmap of NW Middle-Earth I can use to get a starting point for some terrain in World Painter. I'd like to make my own topograhical/landscape map for use in Minecraft and was hoping you guys could help.

I've spent a couple hours trying to find some data I could use to generate said heightmap the last couple days. No luck. I'm an Outerra supporter as well but I don't know if that would be helpful in the way of getting the data I need from the OTX file(s). I installed Global Mapper (2 week trial) so I can convert probably anything I would need to use to export a heightmap from.

I'll go ahead and make a post in the other thread that's already started, but that's me in a nutshell.

Thanks again for the huge amount of time and effort you guys have put into this project and I look forward to more wonderful things from you guys in future!

Take care.

[monks]

 Hi Morcrist, sounds like a very similar story to mine.  Sounds like a great idea. Yes I've seen the Minecraft projects. They're pretty amazing. I think the plan is to have vector line input into Outerra for tunnels, and a procedural engine to flesh them out at run time. Don't quote me on the exact details though. It's going to need something like that for extremely large enviroments.
 You approached us at a bad time really. We've had a few people ask us over the last 6 months and I've had to say the same thing to them as well. I'm in the middle of a game project for a studio and all of my me-dem projects are on a backup hd because I ran out of space on my computer. So I can't render anything out. The old renders are nowhere near the finished state of the latest terrain, it's not worth using to be honest. I can have a look to see if I still have the original output files from the last render before it got converted to the Outerra native format. Other than that, folks will have to wait a couple of months- could be a little as a few weeks- before I can go again.
 Our "policy" for want of a better word, is to not give out the terrain at full res. We could give you a 10K terrain and you could always upsample it.

monks

[Falasion]

Hi there
First, sorry for my bad english. I´m from Germany and work as a Traffic-Planer (don´t know if this is the right Job Title
I´m Geograph and work in my Job with ArcGIS for a long time.
And, of course, I´m a Great Fan of Arda and all the things there (Read Lotr and Silmarilion minimum onetime every Year since the last 20 Year). Creating Maps from Middle Earth is long time a Hobby, but not in this fantastic way you did 

kr
Fala

[monks]

Hi Falasion, welcome to the boards!

 We looked into this about 4 years ago, along with using NASA's Google Earth equivalent; Worldwind. We found that Google Earth did not support user defined heightmaps- not even the Pro version. It supported everything else, but not the terrain itself. Maybe that's changed, I don't know.
 Worldwind on the other hand does support people using their own terrain data. Although it's not got the following/resources GE has. We did have a guy over on the old boards who knocked a map up (without terrain) : 
 Outerra has a Google Earth map which you can invoke in the lower right of the screen. It will show the corresponding GE maps for the current location in Outerra. Cameni said that it would be possible to make a similar thing for ours.
 I can output kmz, and GE formats from Global Mapper where all the core project data is. I've never tried it though, I'm sure it's not that difficult. Global Mapper also supports the 3D kmz format.
 We have a guy on here who creates the online map. He's called Skystrider...Jermemy van Gelder.

 Hmm, yes, traffic planner is good

monks

[GodotWaits]

Hi all,

I'm new to Outerra/Anteworld and MeDEM, but I expect I'll be sticking around for quite some time. It's truly amazing what can be achieved with this technology.

I'm also VERY new to 3D modelling, but have a keen eye for detail and would very much like to aid in this development. Tolkien's lore is my favourite of all (aside from the ancient stories of my nation) and I feel that P. Jackson realised many of the finer details of Middle Earth, and would love to bring some models to this project if I can.

I hope to become involved in the community in whatever way I can, and would appreciate any tips on the software and use of software for modelling!


Thanks to everyone involved in this monstrous achievement and sharing with us all

I'd like to thank monks for sending me this way, I'm grateful for the welcome.

GodotWaits

[Fell1ntoGrace]

Hi Everyone,

First off I have to say that this is an awesome undertaking! I can't wait to see how this project changes and grows.  I am somewhat familiar with 3D modeling as well as GIS software and would be more than willing to help with whatever is needed! Good luck with everything!

[Redrobes]

Hi guys & welcome,

Yeah I think the 3D modelling is the thing that were most lacking. The terrain side is well tedious and involves a lot of memory, harddrive, set up etc but the 3D modelling side we would like to get some places modeled.

I dont think they need to be at all fine detail. I think right now we would settle for some boxes and cones and stuff just marking out the size and scale of the places. The scaling does need to be right tho so anyone with a keen interest in the books is more valuable right now than great 3D skills. Enthusiasm and perseverance are the killer traits for medem because it does get a bit tedious at times and we make no progress for months before getting a surge and new demo material out.

[PytonPago]

Hi guys & welcome,
I dont think they need to be at all fine detail. I think right now we would settle for some boxes and cones and stuff just marking out the size and scale of the places. The scaling does need to be right tho so anyone with a keen interest in the books is more valuable right now than great 3D skills.

 Seems like an idea - going trough all the cities/villages overlays and marking whyte a semi-transparent box (just placing that correct shape-size box there) all the structures placing. At one, it would show people, what structures need to be done to future, and at second would give some open-hand to slight terrain adjustments and road-building.

As for models, its thought at OT to make a website for placing OT models (free and payware) for users to choose/buy and select to add to your OT. A separate section there for MeDem models wont be much of problem to do ... But now, is the focus on weather and a way of rivers(-vector based) implementation (also i think they will do the multiplayer before it too, to give it a little push). So the site has to wait a little. (thats why those vehicle/object-sections were made at their forum)

As Redrobes says, it would be nice getting close to the books looks of the structures. So if you got the books read and some idea of some of those buildings, you could put yourself to work. Going trough various forums for info and sketches would not be a bad idea.

[monks]

Hi folks, welcome to the boards! I think instead of boxes and cones we could try import some Minecraft locations to get up and running. But whatever gets the job done really.

 What if we offer that guy who made the Minas Tirith model some $...see if he'll bite. 

 Pyton, everyone here, do you want to take something on? A site?

monks

[PytonPago]

Pyton, everyone here, do you want to take something on? A site?

 ... future OT project development stuff talk there. ... Dont worry doe, i think the community grows nicely, we will stand behind you, wowing, as at the ME planet gets better step by step.

What if we offer that guy who made the Minas Tirith model some $...see if he'll bite.

Stuff fundrise ! 5 bucks on Gimli - we just need that shorty, beardy, ancient butt kicking funny guy.

But back to topic session. (... i have a part at OTs but why the heck not)

Im an chemistry student from Svk. Crossed OT around 2-3 years ago and sticking at them for some time now. Was a big paper-craft modeller, so now im poking into 3D modelling in free time. Interested in all engineering and sciences. A fan of LotR too ( just as half of the planet ) and have a thing for dragons n fantasy worlds. Planning to contribute in the future by few buildings here too ...   and yes - hi there all !

[monks]

We need someone to get these models into Outerra quickly. Is anybody game for volunteering? All it need is for downloads with the help of Morcrist and for someone to convert them to obj. I could do it but I'm slow -not had much experience with getting models into Outerra. Besides I'm tied up running an improved biomes tex off for the next release and vid. The vid will follow the story across the map so we need as many of those models in as we can. We have a bit of a timeframe on this as well because we're doing this for an magazine article. All help will be credited of course.
 So if you're up for it let us know!

[PytonPago]

We need someone to get these models into Outerra quickly. Is anybody game for volunteering? All it need is for downloads with the help of Morcrist and for someone to convert them to obj. I could do it but I'm slow -not had much experience with getting models into Outerra. Besides I'm tied up running an improved biomes tex off for the next release and vid. The vid will follow the story across the map so we need as many of those models in as we can. We have a bit of a timeframe on this as well because we're doing this for an magazine article. All help will be credited of course.
 So if you're up for it let us know!

Wow ... when is the deadline ? (hope at least month and half) ... will try to run across 3D model pages and see if some people have something or a free-time interest.

[monks]

Thanks Pyton, all help appreciated! Uhmmm, I can't say exactly when, but I'm thinking less than that really. I think if we have the following we'll be good....
 Just get as many as you can. We can decide which ones to use once we have them.
 
Minas Tirith
Barad Dur
something for The Shire...I think MineCraft is the place to go. Reg over on planetMinecraft and have a look I think.
Bree would be nice. I saw one on MineCraft.
As would Weathertop. A single tower will be good enough for that.
Rivendell is a tricky one. There's one on MineCraft but there's a lot of terrain in it. It'd be worth trying.
Argonath. I've seen models on Google Warehouse I'm sure. Minecraft as well.
Isengard. That's a popular one.
Helm's Deep. Morcrist posted one..will take a look shortly.

PatB posted some in the min ME-DEM thread on Outerra.

monks