Terrain Control User Interface

Sadly, this User Interface (UI) is outdated. You can still use it to create maps, but you'll also need an old version of Terrain Control (2.2.4) and an old version of Minecraft (1.3.1). Maps exported by it still work fine on the modern versions of Terrain Control. The UI cannot properly load modern Terrain Control configs.

So, what is this so called TerrainControl UI?

Well, this is a User Interface, somehow a hull (a so called High-Level-Component) for the config Files. It is no plugin, so you will not have to start this with Craftbukkit or another Minecraft related software. Just doubleclick the .jar File will do. What you will see after the intro is a new Project, a default World. Here you can edit the WorldConfig.ini, just as you did it before. You'll find different Tabs, most of them in the same order as in the config File itself. When you look on your left, there are some Tabs called World, Biome, Custom and Bo2s. When you change your focus to Biome, you'll find the settings for the Biome Configs. Also almost equal to the Config file itself. BUT: There are quite nice changes in the Resource and Mob Spawning section, but will have a look at them later... And then there is the CustomBiome Tab (WIP) Where you can find all your custom Biomes listed, you ever created (with the UI/loaded into the UI). You can add a description, add some photos and send them to your friends by exporting them into zip-Files_(WIP)_. Last but not least the Bo2s section is deactivated. I'll have to write a lot of code to get that working. It will provide a list of all Bo2s, a 3D preview (maybe even 3D editor?), an import for schematics, and so on... But what is this? There is a small picture at the right top of this UI.... let's press the refresh Button... and yes, this is the BiomeMap, you know from the /tc map command. You can always refresh the Map, it will use the project settings you just added.

The first Page when you open TC_UI

And what should this be good for?

It's a little bit like a Touchscreen. A mouse is faster, more precise, more efficent, and you don't have to clean it every 20 seconds. But a touchscreen is intuitive and so easier to understand. It is psychologically easier to use a User Interface than to tip boring black text into boring black-white ConfigFiles. But is it of any use? Well, it prevents a lot of common mistakes, here a short list:

It is not possible to use malformed settings, eg. BiomeMode:FromImaaaage
You can not input wrong number formats, eg. WaterLevelMin:0.5
The numbers have min and max values, so you can't use to big or small values, e.g BiomeTemperature:-15 Some of those values also have changing Max Values, like IceSize. This varible depends on GenerationDepth and when you change GenerationDepth, the UI will check, if all other values still fit. (WorldHeight as limit is WIP)
Depending on what BiomeMode you choose, some variables won't affect your work. So the OldGenerator-Tab is disabled, until you select that Generation Mode.
You'll never again forget to add your custom Biome to NormalBiomes. It is done by the UI.

Well, this is nice, but are there tools for "pros"?

The already mentioned Biome map will help you to test your Border/Isle-settings as well as your Biome/land/ice-rarity/size and so on.
You can easily reuse the resources you once created in one of your other Biomes. Just select "use here" and you've got it. You can also decide to copy all the settings to every biome so when you change the maxAltitude in one Biome it is copied to every ther Biome this resource is in use.
The Mob Spawning section works quite similar to the Resource Section. Additionally you have some nice Pictures of the Creatures as well as some stats of them.
With the TestWorld Button the UI sets up an Craftbukkit Server, adds TC to plugins, copies your configs, sets your seed, sets the game mode to creative and starts the server. You just have to start your MC client and add the server to your multiplayer list (server adress: localhost)
with testBiome you got the same setup than with TestWorld, but the worldconfig is modified so only the selected Biome will be tested.
Save your worlds in handy zip-files and send them around the world.
This is still WIP, other tools will follow.

Mob Spawning

This sounds nice, where are the negative aspects?

Well, I don't think there are to many negative aspects, because: This is just modifying config files, if you want you can always go back to them and work on the old way.

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