Middle-earth campaign map (Dawnless Days)
Marmoset render of the textured terrain
First step of the creation process started in 3dsMax using splines.
Macro detail geometry was applied as a skin wrap modifier to all splines.
Once the terrain was in a mesh form I had to do some cleanup and minor tweaks.
Topographical illustration of Base height map (export from 3dsMax) and final Gaea height map
Final Gaea preview (Footer shows different passes\areas with different simulation settings)
(Ocean, Ocean spread - used to create coastlines, Rivers, Lakes, Ash mountains, Other mountains)
Campaign overview featuring the final map ingame
Mordor, Emyn Muil, Anórien
Gap of Lhûn, Blue mountains, the Shire
Mirkwood, Long Lake, Erebor, Rhovanion
Lebennin & Lossarnach, South Ithilien, Nurn, Umbar, Haradwaith
In 2023 I have had the pleasure of creating heightmap for Dawnless Days (Total War: Attila mod).
The mod uses slightly altered map of Tolkien's Middle-earth (such as the addition of the red mountains in the east). The team has authored a concept with key locations, biomes and navigation paths. That image was used as template for my creation.
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I started in 3dsMax tracing rivers and outlining mountains, hills and water borders. Then I would slowly add detail with more contour lines. It was important the all rivers followed a natural, down slope towards a lake or the ocean. I achieved that by creating a macro geometry. Started very low poly and raised the north eastern edge, then slowly added mountain ridges and rough paths for rivers. This macro terrain was used to deform the contour lines and those curves were turned into geometry (Terrain modifier).
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I would then make minor polygonal edits and bake a heightmap onto a plane. This heightmap was used a base for further terrain simulation. I have tried using World Machine, World Creator but ultimately settled on Gaea because of performance, preview quality, feature set and being able to export at 8k. I also reused the curves to bake masks for the ocean, rivers, lakes and mountains.
TW: Attila campaign map has a number of technical caveats, one of them being the and seabed height which has to be flat and fairly close to the ocean level (it took a few attempts of playing with levels and testing ingame). After finishing the heightmap and normal map, the modding team made some minor adjustments as the campaign development progressed. The campaign is now fully out and the team has done an amazing job, go check it out!
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I had reused the heightmap to create textured version for personal projects. If you want to use the heightmap, you can download the files here https://www.moddb.com/addons/map-of-middle-earth-textures
Let me know if you have questions!
