I’m completely new to this program, but not so new to Terragen. Are there any tutorials I can pick up, any macros I can write, or just any recommendations that will help ease my learning curve?
Thanks everyone,
Patrick
Welcome! 
Experimenting is propably the best way to learn to handle WM.
But looking at the example files should also help understanding, how WM and the different devices work.
If you haven’t seen it yet - there are a device reference and a manual included.
Prior to WM 1.0 there were a few tutorials lurking around… I kind of lost the whereabouts of them as they’ve become a bit outdated: The devices looked uglier :roll: and some of them got replaced… However, if you find any tutorial for previous versions, it is bound to teach you something as well.
The most important, I think, is to understand how a “terrain” flows in the graph, through all devices, and that each device operates some change on it. From then, you need to know what a given device does, and try to combine them in order to reach a desired effect.
The key basic aspects to know in WM are:
- devices can operate changes
- devices can be limited to do their changes on a certain area (masks)
- devices can produce an output that is usefull for “masking” other devices (to limit the application of other devices)
- some devices can combine/choose between several terrains
- some devices are usefull for fine tuning some terrains
After you know what devices do, you only need to use your favorite ones, and experiment with different possibilities and parameters to come up with a “best” set of values.
I know it is a bit hard to use the trial and error method, but ofcourse, there is another extremely important source of information and “un-panic-izer”: This forum! 
So ask at will, and those of us with more knowledge and experience will gladly help!
I will just chime in as well and say that the User’s Guide, which is included with every download of WM, has Chapers 1 and 2 devoted to getting you up to speed on how the heck to do anything in WM.
Once you’ve read those, the best bet is to start trying to put together some terrains of your own. I’d recommend trying to only capture a “global” feel rather than local features at first. (What I mean is, try to create a “canyon” or “rugged mountains” or “sand dunes” type of terrain rather than " I want a canyon right here, and a river running over THERE"). If you get the feel right, you can explore the world and find many interesting vistas!
As Fil says, the best bet if you’ve done the above and are confused is to just start asking questions!
And don’t forget the Device Reference, which has detailed info on each device and its function. You can access the Device Reference either from the Help and Web menu, or even better, with the Help button in each and every device. This button will link you straight to the page with info about that specific device. Very handy!
- Oshyan