Overview

The Terrain Layout Tool allows you to quickly create a handcrafted map by "painting" your desired terrain types on a grid, which is then translated into a map layout.

This process is much faster than crafting every element of a map's terrain by hand, and allows you to more precisely control the structure of your map's terrain and features.

After generating a map with the Terrain Layout Tool, it will load the Content Editor, where you may continue to edit your map.

How the Terrain Layout Tool Works

The Terrain Layout Tool uses a grid that allows you to "paint" a selection of terrain types into the individual squares. This grid is then used as a blueprint to generate your map.

If you wish to have a more detailed grid with smaller squares, use the Resize function in the top left of the interface to change the grid size. The number of squares in the grid has no effect on map size, it simply dictates the level of detail you can create with your grid.

You can set the Biome and Size of your map using the controls below the grid interface.

Once you enter this information, the Terrain Layout Tool will then generate a map based on your grid.

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Accessing the Terrain Layout Tool

You can access the Terrain Layout Tool through the main menu when creating a new map.

To create a map using the Terrain Layout Tool, perform the following steps:

Open the Age of Empires IV Content Editor and select Create a New Mod.
From the menu that appears, select Crafted Map and press OK.
Select Intermediate option to create a new map from the Terrain Layout Tool and press Next.
The Terrain Layout Tool will then open, allowing you to begin working on the grid your new map.