hi guys...being that i'm mostly a LW guy I'm hoping you can shed some light on this for me... I am trying to creat a island out of the shape o a logo. What is the best way t do it? Do i need to model it in LW and Import it? is there a way I could use a balck and white image of the logo as an elevation map?..or something totally different? thanks for th help in advance :-)

You's almost got it already.

You can use a black and white image for elevation of a terrain.

Just create a default terrain in your scene and double click on it.

You will have to hit 'reset' to set the altitudes to zero across your terrain, change the resolution to increase the definition of your logo (not too high, 1024x1024 should be ok) and the select 'Picture' on the left of the terrain editor.

I only want to add to Agiels words that there is a highly underrated little application availabale at Cornucopia3D in the store - Tools section. altTerrainBuilder This can help you a lot in doing what you want to do. You especially should see what the creator has done with it. Absolutely amazing.

hey thanks guys... really responsive little forum you guys have here :-) I'll give it a try...(and let you know if i have problems) ;-) Thanks again!

If you just use the heightmap + Terrain Editor, you'll end up with a logo + spikey mountains. Then you use the altitude sliders along the bottom of the editor to 'clamp' the high and low altitudes. That flattens your logo, if you want. You can also use the scale control back in the main program, remembering that vertical is 'Z' in Vue.

Several of us where just using this method to create 'lightning' models, for a challenge in Corucopias Lighting & Atmosphere thread.

Also, as Bruno pointed out in another thread:
"..'Filter Altitudes' button in the terrain editor ( 2nd icon from the left in the upper right corner of the terrain editor), then use a filter from the round clip collection."

I'm also a fan of AltTerrain Builder.

ok guys..I'm almost there...2 more questions (please) 1) where the heck is the solid growth!? I looked at the tutorial of it in action...but i can't see where teh mouse clicks to make it work!!? :-P 2) are thre any water presets? I can't seem to find any? BTW...cool little program! Alot easier than LW to learn whew one more thing...thanks for being so helpful! Pete

No problem about questions. Always a pleasure. SolidGrowth is the name of a E-on patented technique. It means that when you create several plant of one species that each is slightly different than all others. And this even works in Ecosystems. Very special, very different to other packages. Not to forget to mention that you have to create new plants, not copy the ones you already have in the scene. Water? #1 there are some good threads here in the forum, it is worth it doing a search for that. Especially for foam between beach and water - is a very interesting thing you will find out about functions in Infinite. #2 there is an excellent tutorial in the Infinite manual - animated ocean. You MUST read and do that to get wonderful realistic looking ocean waves. Even animated. I directly saved the function that was the result of this tutorial so that i have it at hand whenever i need waves.

ok...so how do i get to the solid growth? the tutorial on the website shows it in action...but I can't see what the mouse is doing? kinda odd. It just kind of duplicates on it's own?! look: http://www.e-onsoftware.com/support/tutorials/?page=5 i'll do a search in the forum. I thought there would be a few pre-built options like there is for the land. I don't have the book as I got a copy of VUE from a LW special..Upgrade and get it free. Only thing is I just got disks...no manul :-(...but it was a still a great deal!!!! thanks again wabe (off to look at forum for water)

A manual in pdf format i think you can download from E-ons site - where you download your updates as well (when i remember it right). SolidGrowth in work? You select a species by clicking a little longer on the vegetation icon to the left of the screen. Then you get the collection overview for plant species. Or you go through the menu of course. Should work as well. Now, to get a second plant of the same species as lastly selected you simply click (shortly) on the vegetation icon again. Another slighly different plant is created. SolidGrowth at work!

ok...i see that now...also got so ater threads bookmarked :-) is solid groth suppose to mave the palnt around..or you do that manually? They copy on topp of each other now?

No, moving is your job i would say. What you maybe mean are ecosystems. There the objects you "eco" are spread out over the object that you cover more or less automatically.

Just thought I would chirp in with a note to anybody who doesn't totally understand E-on's terminology;
Ecosystem is just E-on's name for their version of "Instancing" in other applications.

Cheers