Building terrain - TTLG Forums

Bardic on 25/3/2007 at 21:26

Ok, I am working on the ground for my thief level and running into some problems. Mostly because I don't know any of the 3d programs and the fact that I am basing this on a real place and I want to get it just right.

I have started with a Google Maps picture:
(http://img339.imageshack.us/my.php?image=googlecabinew1.jpg)

Inline Image:

http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/1705/googlecabinew1.th.jpg

I used that to make my greyscale height map and blurred and speckled until it looked good:
(http://img221.imageshack.us/my.php?image=cabinheightrf5.jpg)

Inline Image:

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/5152/cabinheightrf5.th.jpg

From there I need some advice on which program to use. I have been able to do it with 3d world studio
(http://img236.imageshack.us/my.php?image=3dworldfj7.jpg)

Inline Image:

http://img236.imageshack.us/img236/1583/3dworldfj7.th.jpg

then export it in .x, open it in milkshape, export to .3ds, open that in 3ds max, and finally export it to .tim for use in thief. Overall a very long process, mostly just the time it takes to convert to each format. Would most people just build it from scratch in 3ds max?

Oh, and does anyone know the scale for things in 3ds max? In thief I am filling a box 1024x1024 ft (16,000x16,000 units?)

nomad of the pacific on 26/3/2007 at 02:27

This might not be very useful to you...

I know quite a few people who do their modeling in Max, but I do mine in Lightwave. I do my texturing in Max and export to .tim from there. You should be able to model in Anim8tor and go directly to .3ds from there. It's free and served me well when I was messing with Dromed, but isn't up to par with the more professional (expensive) programs.

Ziemanskye on 26/3/2007 at 06:50

If you leave Max set to generic units, the scale is 1 GU to 1 Unreal Unit, so a 1024x1024 object in max is the same in game.

A 16,000Unit^2 smesh migh cause problems though, since I just tried a 13,000^2 and it kept crashing the editor.

Judith on 26/3/2007 at 09:11

Creating terrain in T3 is a time consuming process, not that the shaping is hard, but if you want to achieve something better than one shape with one texture and one footstep sound - it's going to be tricky :)

But for your first experiments I'd recommend using 3dsmax and start working with simple 'sheet' shape - set it to desired size (it's good to stick to some standard editing sizes - 512, 1024, 2048, etc.) and adjust complexity of the surface, but ensure it's around 1000 vertices, or you may have some problems then (crashing the T3editor, for instance :)) Experiment with 'soft selection' option, it should give you nice results, creating hills or valleys is great with this one. If you want to avoid placement problems under T3ed, ensure that all the border vertices are placed eg. in one row and one height, and the coordinates are the whole numbers, preferably a multiplication of 8 or 16 (it's annoying, but it's best to check every border vertex for that). When your smesh is finally complete, also check it's pivot placement and alignment, in order not to see your terrain spawned upside down or on the wrong side under the editor.

Sluggs on 27/3/2007 at 11:18

(http://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=112902) This program might be useful to you.

Bardic on 27/3/2007 at 16:45

I'm downloading the stuff for that program Sluggs, it looks like it might be fun to try. The first terrain type tool I saw a long time ago was Terra edit, but it was just so time consuming to adjust vertices one by one.

I have actually managed to get my mesh split up in 3ds max and exported so that each one can be skinned the way it needs to be. I had to increase my vertex pool sizes and it runs slower than a dog when I play it, but it has come a long way. Sluggs program might take my height map better then 3d World Studio so we will see if it can give me better results. And I think I need to make super low poly meshes for the distance to be replaced when you get closer.

str8g8 on 2/4/2007 at 17:02

You can use the displacement tool in 3dsmax to turn a grayscale heightmap into terrain.

Bardic on 5/4/2007 at 07:07

Displace then optimize does work very well. I couldn't find any information on it until I knew what I was looking for in Max. Thanks.

I finally have the scale figured out. If I make my mesh at 512x512 I have to scale it 37 times for it to fit my map correctly. So I have some splitting to do, again.

Ziemanskye on 5/4/2007 at 10:10

Or you could try building one 37 times bigger :p

Might not work out so good, but it could, and at least that way it can have the collisions right rather than the messes up DrawScale property version.

Judith on 5/4/2007 at 15:12

I'd think about the textures too. If you plan to put one simple grass texture on it, then it's no problem, but what about, grass, sand and road for example?