L3DT and "lego" terrain
by Sean Finkel · in Torque 3D Professional · 08/27/2009 (10:29 am) · 8 replies
I just purchased T3D about a week ago and have been playing with it, trying to learn some of the basics of the world editor.
I am trying to use L3DT to bring a heightmap in. I create one in L3DT, export the heightmap as a BMP, then import into T3D. This goes fine.
The problem is, every single heightmap I have imported this way (generated by L3DT), the terrain comes in looking like it was built from legos. Here is a screenshot showing what I mean. Any help on how to make this smooth on the import, w/o me having to use the smoothing tool over the entire terrain?
I am trying to use L3DT to bring a heightmap in. I create one in L3DT, export the heightmap as a BMP, then import into T3D. This goes fine.
The problem is, every single heightmap I have imported this way (generated by L3DT), the terrain comes in looking like it was built from legos. Here is a screenshot showing what I mean. Any help on how to make this smooth on the import, w/o me having to use the smoothing tool over the entire terrain?
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#2
08/27/2009 (10:48 am)
Still a *little* blocky, but MUCH better. thank you! 
#3
www.garagegames.com/community/resources/view/17275
08/27/2009 (10:59 am)
No Problem. Since you are using L3DT, maybe this resource written by Jacob might help you:www.garagegames.com/community/resources/view/17275
#4
08/27/2009 (12:35 pm)
Check the color depth of your exported heightmap image -- you want 16 bits and not 8 (which is what looks like happened in your screenshot).
#5
08/27/2009 (12:39 pm)
Thanks for the resource! And no, I ensured it was 16bit. I even tried 24 bit to see if that made a difference. So far, the PNG option seems to work the best.
#6
I hope that was coherent... Haven't slept in way too long... again :)
08/27/2009 (3:37 pm)
I think the 24 bit export is 8 bits per colour channel? If it is it's still treated as an 8 bit heightfield, at least I think it is. There have been a few of us that ran into this recently so there are some threads floating around that have good explanations.I hope that was coherent... Haven't slept in way too long... again :)
#7
I noticed that the filesize of a PNG that was generated with L3DT is much much bigger then that with paintshop, so it could be a compression problem in the fileformats.
08/28/2009 (3:04 am)
I had more or less the same problem. I Had made a terrain in L3DT and exported it as a PNG, but after loading in T3D I was not satisfied with it, so I loaded the PNG in paintshop pro and flipped the image. After saving the file in paintshop and importing it again in T3D it looked the same as the screenshot above.I noticed that the filesize of a PNG that was generated with L3DT is much much bigger then that with paintshop, so it could be a compression problem in the fileformats.
#8
If its not 16bit per channel its gonna look crappy on initial import.
There is a terrain smoothing operation in the 'Terrain' menu when in the terrain editor. It should remove those effects, but it doesn't beat getting the right data in the first place.
08/30/2009 (4:59 pm)
For sure that is a 8bit per channel height map... those always look like that.If its not 16bit per channel its gonna look crappy on initial import.
There is a terrain smoothing operation in the 'Terrain' menu when in the terrain editor. It should remove those effects, but it doesn't beat getting the right data in the first place.
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