Overview

The Height Map tools allow you to sculpt terrain mesh to create hills, valleys, plateaus similar terrain features.

This guide covers the available Height Map tools in the Age of Empires IV Content Editor and how to use them.

Terrain Deform After Map Generation!

When you use any mechanism to re-generate your map such as the Terrain Layout tool, it will un-do all terrain deform changes you have made to your map.

To not lose your work, make sure you are satisfied with the generation of your base map before you begin making terrain deform changes.

Opening the Height Map Tools

To open the Height Map tools, use the Tool Bar underneath the Main Menu and click on the "mountain" icon.

You can also access the Height Map tools by going to the Scenario Tree and navigating to Terrain > Height Map

Twin Brushes

You can have up to two terrain heightfield brushes selected at the same time, one keyed to your Left Mouse Button and the other keyed to your Right Mouse Button.

This allows you to easily and smoothly switch between two brushes as you work.

Brush Tool Settings

Many of the various brushes here share the same settings, detailed below.

Not all brushes will possess all the settings detailed below, but when they appear, they work as described.

Feather

The ratio of Hardness to Softness of the brush.

When changed, you will see the inner circle of the brush gizmo get larger or smaller.

Gusto

Gusto affects the scope of the changes to the mesh.

More gusto means larger or greater changes to the mesh, with lower values resulting in less changes.

Mode

One of the most basic settings of a brush, a brush's Mode changes its core behavior.

Additive raises hills
Subtractive creates valleys
Flatten levels an area
Roughen adds noise to the texture
Smoothen subtracts noise from the texture

A set of alternate Mode settings are found in the Set Height Brush tool.

Set sets the terrain height to a specific selected value
Add adds to the terrain height a specific selected value
Subtract subtracts from the terrain height a specific selected value

Shape

Changes the shape of the brush to either a Circle or a Square.

Size

Allows you to set the size of the brush.

You can quickly change this setting by pressing CTRL and scrolling the Middle Mouse Button.

Strength

The strength or effectiveness of the tool or brush on the terrain.

Mechanically, this setting controls how fast the brush moves towards the target value.

Height

Only available for the Set Height Brush tool, this function allows you to set a height value for the tool to use.

It can be used to either paint a specific height (e.g. to create a butte or plateau) or add/remove a specific height (e.g. to create a ridge or a ditch).

Using the Height Map Tool

The Height Map tools consist of a number of specialized brushes, each with a unique function.

These brushes and their uses are detailed below.

Feathered Tip Sculpt Brush

The default terrain sculpting brush, this tool allows you to raise, lower, flatten, and add/remove noise from the terrain while adjusting the feathering effect of the edges of the brush.

Textured Tip Sculpt Brush

The second main terrain brush, this brush allows you to raise, lower, flatten, and add/remove noise within a pre-loaded texture.

To prepare this brush, you must first load a texture to the brush using the Texture control.

Age of Empires IV does not provide a library of pre-loaded textures, but you can load any image on your computer that contains a texture or pattern to set the shape of the brush.

Feather Tip Extrude Brush

This is a specialized tool that can lift or push down either a circle or square.

The various profiles allowed by this tool include Catenary, Dome, Linear, Sigmoid, and Terrance

Textured Tip Extrude Brush

This is a specialized tool that can lift or push down either a circle or square with a randomized pattern of texture.

Set Height Brush

This tool allows you to either Set a terrain height, Add a height value to where you paint, or Subtract a height value from where you paint.

Ramp Brush

Connects different terrain mesh height with a connecting ramp.