Cliff tool
From AgeofWiki
| Explore the Editor Functions from |
| The Terrain Menu |
| Terrain Menu |
| Editor Functions |
Basic Use Of Tool
This tool is used to paint a Cliff terrain onto a map. Age of Empires and AOE II gave us only one type of cliff terrain, with an angle restriction and a fixed height. In Age of Empires 3, you can make cliffs spanning almost any height imaginable, in a wide variety of natural terrain schemes, and facing in any direction. The Cliff tool may be used to make Canyons and Mesas if the height is set to a value below the default terrain elevation.
Cliffs: Select a Cliff type from the palette which represents the type of map you want to make. The default palette (All) contains all cliff types.
Edit cliff tool: Click this to edit a cliff segment already on the map.
Bluff tool: Click this to make cliffs that will stand out above the default terrain. Resets cliff heights to be relative to the default terrain.
Canyon tool: Click this to make gullies or canyons that will be lower than the default terrain. Resets cliff and canyon depth to be relative to the default terrain.
Edit Brush: Click this to edit the cliff brush size, shape, and properties.
Decrease brush size: Decreases brush size by 1 small map unit.
Increase brush size: Increases brush size by 1 small map unit.
Height: Sets an absolute numeric value for the height of the cliff. Default terrain height for cliff tool is 9.500. If you use World>Map elevation to raise or lower the absolute height of the entire map, your default flat terrain height will vary, so remember to adjust the height of your starting Cliffs accordingly.
Advanced Use Of Tool
Advanced cliff makers can start to blend different Cliff paint masks to get different effects. Mix and match closely related Cliff types (such as Amazon and Bayou shown above) to get natural-looking effects and variations. Use the Cliff tool with height set below the water level to create underwater Cliffs and shoals, as shown in Guide to Underwater Buildings, Units, and Terrains. You may also use the Cliff tool at "ground level" to repair cliffs that have lost definition due to building placement or terrain adjustments:
Here a placed Artillery Foundry has erased part of my cliff face. To restore it, I open Cliff Tool and right-click the flat ground to set cliff height at default or 4.000. I select Amazon cliff paint mask to repair my Amazon cliff.
Now I left-click in the area of the Artillery Foundry to convert the sloping face to a cliff face again.
Needles and Ship Rocks: Since the Cliff tool default brush has a minimum size, you must use a method similar to the above, if you wish to make very narrow or sharp rocky outcroppings (needles, chimney rocks, or ship rocks). Here's a quick advanced cliff trick done in the Painted Desert (the War Chiefs content):
Place some cliffs of the appropriate terrain type on the map. Use the Terrain height eyedropper tool in the Editor toolbar to copy and create 1-unit-wide "needles" at the cliff height. Use the Terrain height eyedropper tool at default ground level to shape and refine the "needles".
Use the Cliff Tool set to the appropriate cliff type. Right-click over the default ground level to set the Cliff Height at default or 4.000. Move the cliff brush close to (but not overlapping) the base of the "needles" and left-click to convert them to cliff terrain bits. Use cliff "needles" sparingly, because they are impassable terrain and may interfere with building and expansion of your colony.
Use the Edit cliff tool to change the Cliff paint mask.
Go to the mapwork page to find out more advanced ways of using this tool.
