TESAnnwyn   - Make your mark on the Otherworld

TESAnnwyn is a 3D landscape height map importer/exporter utility for TES3: Morrowind, TES4: Oblivion, Fallout3 and TES5: Skyrim computer games. With TESAnnwyn you can import and export RAW/BMP image files containing containing height map data to and from a 3D landscape for all games, import/export the Vertex Colour RGB image data to or from a 24-bit colour BMP and export TES3/TES4 texture placement map(s) for re-importing in to any game. With the import facility you can emboss/engrave images or photographs on to the landscape as well as real world height map data (such as mountain ranges). With 32-bit files, a full detail height-range of 486,626 km in increments of 14cm is possible!

The various export formats (RAW and BMP) are useful for embossing/engraving photographs or other images on to the landscape, rescaling in any dimension or rotating the image in a standard image editing package (such as the free Gimp, or Adobe Photoshop) or creating your own maps.

TESAnnwyn will automatically correct underflow/overflow landscape errors that can occur with steep heightmaps as well as report on the height range of import images and exported game landscapes.

The decoding of the TES landscape, TES record formats and the writing of this program has been done entirely by myself. Apart from what I've already added to the TES4 Wiki, AFAIK little information seems to exist on the net regarding the format TES uses for landscapes in both games.

TESAnnwyn can do all of the following:

• Export any TES3 landscape from one or more ESM/ESP(s) to an 8/16/32-bit RAW file or 8-bit Greyscale, 16/32-bit colour BMP.
• Export any TES4 Worldspace landscape from one or more ESM/ESP to an 8/16/32-bit RAW file or 8-bit Greyscale, 16/32-bit colour BMP.
• Export the Vertex Colour map from a TES3 landscape or TES4 Worldspace landscape to a 24-bit colour BMP.
• Export a texture placement map from a TES3 landscape or texture layered maps for a TES4 landscape.
• Import any 8/16/32-bit RAW or BMP image containing heightmap data in to a TES3 or TES4 landscape and calculate the normals for correct shading.
• Import a 24-bit BMP Vertex Colour map over a TES3 or TES4 heightmap import.
• Import a TES3 exported texture placement map in to TES3 or TES4 so the land has the land has its original textures. When imported to TES4, the TES3 textures are replaced with TES4's nearest versions using the same method as TESPort.
• Import TES4 exported texture layer placement maps in to a TES4 land so all the original texture layers are in their original positions. You can swap textures by modifying the text dat file produced after the export.
• Forcably texture the entire landscape in any single base texture - for TES4 this includes the 3D fauna textures or your own custom texture.
• Use large height ranges, full detail range up to 7km for 16-bit files (at least 4x what the official Construction set achieves with the same data). Up to nearly 490 million metres with 32-bit files. Mount Everest is now possible. :)
• Import real-world height maps (e.g. mountain ranges), or your own geometric structures (e.g. Egyptian Pyramids) in to both games.
• Import massive landscapes, literally hundreds or thousands of square miles and play them in game (NB TES3 is very slow, but TES4 is playable).
• Re-scale, off-set and limit the height of all data points when importing/exporting.
• Emboss or Engrave any image you like (e.g. a photograph, text etc) on to the landscape.
• Produce square cell grid images on heightmap and Vertex Colour map image exports.
• Shift the starting cell position for the imported landscape to avoid conflicts with other landscapes.
• Use image files of any dimensions (i.e. not limited to the 1024x1024 quads of the official Construction Set).
• Optionally prevent the importing of flat wilderness cells (to avoid wasted landscape cells).
• Automatically rescale greyscale BMP exports for the full available 8-bit range, if desired.
• Generate Cell sized NIF files from a TES4 Worldspace ESM/ESP (part of the LOD2 project, still in development).
• Doesn't crash, create seam problems, or require splitting of image files like the official Construction Set importer does.