Terrain Tile
by Chris Sargent · in Torque 3D Professional · 09/29/2009 (8:11 pm) · 28 replies
This is a repost only because i'm not sure where I should post in the T3D private forums or the public ones.
I noticed that the tile feature for terrain is still not functional. I created a rather large terrain, selected tile, and went in play mode. It took my character awhile, but eventually he was able to walk right off the terrain and stand next to the terrain block.
Will this feature be turned on at some point, or is there something I am supposed to be doing to enable it.
Thanks,
I noticed that the tile feature for terrain is still not functional. I created a rather large terrain, selected tile, and went in play mode. It took my character awhile, but eventually he was able to walk right off the terrain and stand next to the terrain block.
Will this feature be turned on at some point, or is there something I am supposed to be doing to enable it.
Thanks,
About the author
#2
09/29/2009 (9:54 pm)
I'm pretty sure it was confirmed that it wasn't going to be enabled.
#3
I'm aware there are other options to keep players from walking off the terrain block and such but they, in my opinion, contribute to an artificial feeling for a game there by destroying immersion.
09/29/2009 (9:57 pm)
If they aren't going to have it enabled then the option for it should not be in the editor :PI'm aware there are other options to keep players from walking off the terrain block and such but they, in my opinion, contribute to an artificial feeling for a game there by destroying immersion.
#4
So what would you rather have first?
Infinite tiling of a single TerrainBlock *or* the ability to stitch multiple TerrainBlocks into a much larger terrain?
Whatever isn't done in 1.1 will get moved into 1.2... we have alot of really cool stuff coming up.
09/30/2009 (1:39 am)
Yea it got prioritized down as we got into cruch in 1.0.... there were some higher priority issues to address.So what would you rather have first?
Infinite tiling of a single TerrainBlock *or* the ability to stitch multiple TerrainBlocks into a much larger terrain?
Whatever isn't done in 1.1 will get moved into 1.2... we have alot of really cool stuff coming up.
#5
09/30/2009 (1:45 am)
That is easy, stitching. You can simulate repeating with it :) 
#6
09/30/2009 (2:34 am)
Stitching fo sho.
#8
09/30/2009 (10:49 am)
Thanks Tom for the response. 
#9
What will have the bigger hit to frame rate?
I would prefer stitching if it included some kind of paging system (or whatever the correct term is for this) which would load and unload the different sections of terrain based on distance. Otherwise I would vote for infinite tiling.
Does some of that cool stuff involve things like terrain optimizations? I think in some early beta threads things like occlusion culling were mentioned...
Thanks
09/30/2009 (1:20 pm)
re: tiling vs stitchingWhat will have the bigger hit to frame rate?
I would prefer stitching if it included some kind of paging system (or whatever the correct term is for this) which would load and unload the different sections of terrain based on distance. Otherwise I would vote for infinite tiling.
Does some of that cool stuff involve things like terrain optimizations? I think in some early beta threads things like occlusion culling were mentioned...
Thanks
#10
09/30/2009 (2:36 pm)
@Gerry: paging is not feasible. What would happen to objects on unpaged areas? They would fall through the ground, because there's no terrain there.
#11
09/30/2009 (3:33 pm)
I haven't fully looked at RC1 yet due to work, but how do you go about stiching to land masses together?
#12
You link them to ( "group them with" ... again whatever the correct term might be ) the terrain block on which they reside and page them in and out as well, or some other object management solution that has been proposed here before ( which would also deal with the precision problem based on distance from the world origin )... but this is getting beyond the subject of optimized terrain...
For a lot of people the world doesn't have to be huge, and fully populated with objects and npcs etc., but just look like it is, which is why tiling might be better than stitching, *if* it is less computationally expensive.
@Chris an ideal solution for that hasn't been implemented yet...
whether it should be is what is being discussed, seems to me.
09/30/2009 (4:05 pm)
Quote: What would happen to objects on unpaged areas?
You link them to ( "group them with" ... again whatever the correct term might be ) the terrain block on which they reside and page them in and out as well, or some other object management solution that has been proposed here before ( which would also deal with the precision problem based on distance from the world origin )... but this is getting beyond the subject of optimized terrain...
For a lot of people the world doesn't have to be huge, and fully populated with objects and npcs etc., but just look like it is, which is why tiling might be better than stitching, *if* it is less computationally expensive.
@Chris an ideal solution for that hasn't been implemented yet...
whether it should be is what is being discussed, seems to me.
#13
As Manoel says you have to deal with what happens when an area is paged out. By having a unified system objects will be notified when they are about to be paged in/out so you can customize the behavior.
For instance when a AI is paged out you may transfer his state to disk, or move the AI into a different simulation which fakes complex behaviors when unseen by the player.
I really can't wait to see this implemented... but we have some higher priority tasks to address first.
@Chris - There is no current method... but i plan to have it implemented in 1.1.
09/30/2009 (4:16 pm)
Paging is difficult and it will be addressed in the future with streaming/paging system that works around SceneObjects... and not specific to TerrainBlock.As Manoel says you have to deal with what happens when an area is paged out. By having a unified system objects will be notified when they are about to be paged in/out so you can customize the behavior.
For instance when a AI is paged out you may transfer his state to disk, or move the AI into a different simulation which fakes complex behaviors when unseen by the player.
I really can't wait to see this implemented... but we have some higher priority tasks to address first.
@Chris - There is no current method... but i plan to have it implemented in 1.1.
#14
09/30/2009 (4:19 pm)
@Tom - The paging system you describe sounds like it would be an awesome addition. I'd love to see it too.
#15
09/30/2009 (4:21 pm)
Sounds great too me. Thanks for the replies.
#16
but thanks for the info.
Can we deal with tiling vs stitching and what might be better in terms of framerate etc.? What do you advise Tom?
09/30/2009 (4:22 pm)
Ok, forget I mentioned that dreaded concept of "paging"... ^__^but thanks for the info.
Can we deal with tiling vs stitching and what might be better in terms of framerate etc.? What do you advise Tom?
#17
What specifically are you trying to solve with infinite tiled terrain?
09/30/2009 (4:24 pm)
@Gerry - Tiling is a completely different thing than paging or stitching... its not even very good IMO.What specifically are you trying to solve with infinite tiled terrain?
#18
I usually prefer not to limit a character's movement by artificial means because, at least to me, that destroys my immersion and reminds me that it's just a game. Of course I deal with RPG's.
I realise for now, i can use a water plane, and that will solve my problem.
09/30/2009 (4:33 pm)
well I wanted to be able to stand on my highest mountain and not see the end of my land mass that is what I was going for with tiling.I usually prefer not to limit a character's movement by artificial means because, at least to me, that destroys my immersion and reminds me that it's just a game. Of course I deal with RPG's.
I realise for now, i can use a water plane, and that will solve my problem.
#19
What I am looking to develop is an rpg kinda game that covers a huge world, but I realize that I don't have to have it all in memory at once and can be broken up into missions or levels. I would still like it to look like a vast world in looking out towards the horizon and not restrict myself to being on an island looking out over the sea, if you know what I mean. I would like it to be more sandbox-like with the player going where they want rather than a world-on-a-rail where the game constrains the path choices of the player.
edit/ ya, what Chris said too... ^_^
09/30/2009 (4:39 pm)
Just trying to get enough info to be able to give an informed answer to your question really:Quote:Infinite tiling of a single TerrainBlock *or* the ability to stitch multiple TerrainBlocks into a much larger terrain?
What I am looking to develop is an rpg kinda game that covers a huge world, but I realize that I don't have to have it all in memory at once and can be broken up into missions or levels. I would still like it to look like a vast world in looking out towards the horizon and not restrict myself to being on an island looking out over the sea, if you know what I mean. I would like it to be more sandbox-like with the player going where they want rather than a world-on-a-rail where the game constrains the path choices of the player.
edit/ ya, what Chris said too... ^_^
#20
09/30/2009 (4:54 pm)
Gerry that is exactly what I was trying to say. With the water plane everything turns into islands which isn't ideal either in all situations. 
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