Commands used in this guide
Making a heightmap and then rendering it to a high quality texture can be really hard. However with the help of World Machine (WM), and the usage of WM templates from other maps, this process has become 10x less hard. (though still hard) :)
Guide SectionS
What will you learn
How to turn this into that

You will learn the basics of creating a heightmap (or extracting one from an existing (old) Spring map and using that, with the metal map, to render beautiful maps with the help of World Machine (full version is needed)
Needed tools:
1. A Photo-editor like Photoshop or Gimp
2. Mapping Software: World Machine
List of tools and useful links
- Spring Map Compiler: Github.com/Beherith
- Example map-file of: Crescent_Bay_Clean_v3.tmd World Machine tips
- Advanced mapping guide and World Machine tips: Advanced SpringRTS Mapping Guide by Beherith
- Do's and don'ts regarding map style/design: BAR Mapping Design Philosophy
Heightmap
1. Making a heightmap
Here we will explain how to make a new heightmap. There are many possible ways, this is covering the basics.
1.1 Heightmap format & dimensions
A heightmap should be a 16-bit grayscale file, exported to an 16-bit PNG.
1.2 Building a heightmap
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1.3 Optimizing a heightmap
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2. Extracting a existing heightmap
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Metalmap
3. Making a metalmap
Here we will explain how to make a new heightmap. There are many possible ways, this is covering the basics.
3.1 Metalmap format & dimensions
A heightmap should be a 16-bit grayscale file, exported to an 16-bit PNG.
3.2 Painting metalspots
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3.3 What about a (full) metalmap
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4. Extracting a existing metalmap
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Rendering
5. Rendering in World Machine
Here we will explain how to render in World Machine, based on a template file.
5.1 Getting the template file(s)
A heightmap should be a 16-bit grayscale file, exported to an 16-bit PNG.
5.2 Setup of your WM file
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5.3 Importing your heightmap
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5.4 Config of your render/export
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5.5 Rendering
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6. Your first renders and files
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