> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://wesyc.gitbook.io/voronoimapmaker/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://wesyc.gitbook.io/voronoimapmaker/tutorials/map-from-a-preset.md).

# Making a Map from a Preset

![](https://3805039795-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FGZSrmXCQuRmtnN4PwZD2%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-ddfc6371adf21970c20fc9508a522e40d66d37cf%2Fmap-from-a-preset-result-v1_0.png?alt=media)

In this tutorial, you'll make your own Voronoi Map from the **Mountain River 2 km** preset and adjust its settings.

At the end you will be able to:

* Create a Voronoi Map asset from a preset.
* Change the preset's settings to reshape the map.
* Bake the map onto a Landscape.

**Before You Begin**

* Unreal Engine with the Voronoi Map Maker plugin enabled: see [Installing the Plugin](/voronoimapmaker/get-started/installation.md), and the [Quick Start](/voronoimapmaker/tutorials/quick-start.md) if you're new to Unreal Engine.

## 1. Creating a Voronoi Map Asset

1. In your project's **Content** folder, click **Add** and choose **Voronoi Map Maker** > **Voronoi Map**.

   The **New Voronoi Map** dialog opens.

   ![](https://3805039795-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FGZSrmXCQuRmtnN4PwZD2%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-eb9d9ee479373b4f6a4bfb43439459baf678933a%2Fquick-start-new-map-dialog-v1_0.png?alt=media)
2. Set **Preset** to **Mountain River 2 km**.
3. Leave **Seed** as it is, or type in any number you like. Each seed gives you a different map, so yours won't match the pictures here. The settings below still change it the same way.
4. Click **Create**, and name the asset `VM_MountainRiver`.

## 2. Learning the Map Editor

![The map editor, with the mode buttons (1), the colour modes (2), the overlays (3), the left panel (4) and the map (5).](https://3805039795-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FGZSrmXCQuRmtnN4PwZD2%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-634b11e762695cd94ea81368ad45a013b941edbc%2Fmap-from-a-preset-map-editor-v1_0.png?alt=media)

|   | Part         | What it does                                                                                                                                                     |
| - | ------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 1 | Mode buttons | Switch between **Map Settings**, **Paint** and **Bake**.                                                                                                         |
| 2 | Colour modes | Colour the map by height and vegetation (**Combined**), by height (**Elevation**) or by vegetation (**Vegetation**).                                             |
| 3 | Overlays     | Show or hide **POIs** (villages and outposts), **Roads**, **Contours** and **Cells** on the map. **View Options** sets the height range and the contour spacing. |
| 4 | Left panel   | The settings or tools for the mode you're in.                                                                                                                    |
| 5 | Map          | Drag with the right or middle mouse button to pan, and scroll to zoom. **Zoom to fit**, on the toolbar, shows the whole map.                                     |

The map is made up of cells, each about 64 m across. Every cell is either land or water, and has its own height and vegetation. You can turn on **Cells** to see them.

## 3. Changing Map Settings

Every slider in the left panel changes your map. When you change and release the slider, or enter a value, the map updates.

Start with **Land share (%)**, which sets how much of the map is covered by land.

1. Drag **Land share (%)** to `60` and release it.

   The sea takes a larger portion of the map.
2. Drag **Land share (%)** to `90` and release it.

   The sea is reduced, and the land fills most of the map.

   ![](https://3805039795-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FGZSrmXCQuRmtnN4PwZD2%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-2e5f4c69b7e0b37fee834c1a05a73c04ce7bb1b0%2Fquick-start-land-share-v1_0.png?alt=media)

   ![](https://3805039795-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FGZSrmXCQuRmtnN4PwZD2%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-b5e3beb0430aa9dcee1f62445203f040a5a8b7f5%2Fmap-from-a-preset-reset-default-v1_0.png?alt=media)
3. Click **Reset to Default** at the end of **Land share (%)** to set it back to `78`.

Next, try **Lake width (m)**, which is how wide each lake is where it meets the lower plain. The starting number comes from your seed, somewhere between 150 and 220 m.

4. Drag **Lake width (m)** to `380` and release it.

   The lakes get wider, and the villages and roads move to fit around them.

   ![](https://3805039795-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FGZSrmXCQuRmtnN4PwZD2%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-29fc146fba20d9463f25fc0f2ea9617425c99850%2Fquick-start-lake-width-v1_0.png?alt=media)

## 4. Baking to the Landscape

The map is only in the `VM_MountainRiver` asset. Baking writes it into a new level's Landscape.

1. On the toolbar, click **Bake**.

   ![Bake mode, with the Paint Layers (1), Water (2), Actors (3) and Landscape (4) sections, and the Bake to New Level button (5).](https://3805039795-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FGZSrmXCQuRmtnN4PwZD2%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-05b79ac6215c85f6946d4e03ad62af02d8c21e73%2Fmap-from-a-preset-bake-panel-v1_0.png?alt=media)

   |   | Section          | What it holds                                                                                                  |
   | - | ---------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
   | 1 | **Paint Layers** | The names of the Landscape material's layers. They default to the demo material's names.                       |
   | 2 | **Water**        | How much the bake changes the coastline, and how deep the sea bed is.                                          |
   | 3 | **Actors**       | The Blueprints spawned for each village, outpost and bridge, and whether the bake regenerates the level's PCG. |
   | 4 | **Landscape**    | Which Landscape to bake onto. When the level has only one, Voronoi Map Maker picks it for you.                 |
2. Click **Bake to New Level** (5).

   While the bake runs, **Bake to New Level** is greyed out and a progress bar shows at the bottom right of the editor. The bake goes through these steps, in order:

   1. Removes every actor the last bake spawned.
   2. Writes the height data into the Landscape, on a landscape edit layer named `VoronoiBake`.
   3. Paints the vegetation, road and beach layers.
   4. Sets the roads as Landscape splines.
   5. Spawns the bridge, village and outpost Blueprints on the map.
   6. Regenerates the level's PCG.
3. When the progress bar is done, go to the level viewport to see the result.

   ![](https://3805039795-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FGZSrmXCQuRmtnN4PwZD2%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-b5f0691052c8a660555ab21bad36baf90a143b5f%2Fquick-start-plan-and-bake-v1_0.png?alt=media)

## Troubleshooting

* **Bake to New Level is greyed out.** Wait until any bake in progress finishes, and stop Play In Editor if it's running.
* **The trees didn't change with the new map.** Make sure to turn on **Regenerate the level's PCG** in the **Actors** section, then bake again. If it still fails, move the PCG volume to regenerate it.
* **Parts of the Landscape are missing or black.** A name in **Paint Layers** doesn't match any layer in your Landscape material. Change it to match one of the layers in your material.
* **A road has a red number on it.** That part of the road is steeper than the **Steepest secondary road (°)** setting in the **Roads** section of **Map Settings** allows. The number is how steep it is, in degrees. You can fix it with **Grade** in **Paint**, and [Building a Map from Scratch](/voronoimapmaker/tutorials/build-from-scratch.md) shows how.

### Limitations

Voronoi Map Maker won't get every road right, so expect to fix a few by hand. Where a road meets a bridge, the ground is sometimes too steep for the road. The map editor marks those spots with a red number showing how steep they are. Try **Grade** on them first. If the number doesn't go away, even out the ground with **Smooth** or **Flatten**.

![](https://3805039795-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FGZSrmXCQuRmtnN4PwZD2%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-a342976392948760d8ba09a41d3f41250f52ca82%2Fquick-start-steep-road-map-v1_0.png?alt=media)

Roads can also take odd routes. A road can only climb so steeply, and on a steep hillside the only way up is to wind back and forth. This shows up in the level after you bake. To straighten a road, drag its spline points in Unreal's **Landscape** mode.

![](https://3805039795-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FGZSrmXCQuRmtnN4PwZD2%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-669b90bda40b30c14a8ec5903234274c4fb66574%2Fmap-from-a-preset-fix-winding-road-v1_0.gif?alt=media)

## Next

* [Building a Map from Scratch](/voronoimapmaker/tutorials/build-from-scratch.md).
* [Creating a Landscape](/voronoimapmaker/how-to/make-a-landscape.md).