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t3d terrain - overlay outline on top ?

by Jeff Yaskus · in Torque 3D Beginner · 07/08/2014 (11:40 am) · 6 replies

I am working on creating a t3d level based on a real world location.
My current example, is a trail around a lake ...

Is there a way to add a bitmap as a "overlay" on top of the terrain ?
I have a top down view / map and would like to overlay it on my terrain.

So I can then paint down textures or such, using my "overlay" as a template.
And when, done ... remove this overlay, leaving the terrain in-tact.

Any suggestions on how this could be accomplished ?
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Torque 3D Owner Joseph Mueller
#1
07/08/2014 (12:15 pm)
You could try creating a simple polygon in your modeling program, using your overlay map as the texture. Import it into Torque, lay it flat on the terrain, then scale it to the size you want. Paint your terrain textures, then delete the polygon. Just off the top of my head, but it should work.

Torque Owner Daniel Buckmaster
T3D Steering Committee
#2
07/08/2014 (1:00 pm)
A large decal? Or, with Joseph's approach, you could paint the terrain while it's flat, then deform it afterwards.

Torque Owner Jeff Yaskus
jy games
#3
07/08/2014 (1:18 pm)
As a programmer type (non modeler) was hoping for some solution that didn't involve a modeling program.

I thought I had seen this question addressed in the past ... but vaguely recall the steps and cant seem to find it using the search tools.

And was hoping to find an example, to work from :)

Starting to think it would need to be a transparent overlay to work effectively.

But I am sure others out there have taken a satellite photo and somehow stretched it over a t3d level ... then drawn their textures and such ... and removed the overlay when done ...

Torque Owner 000
-
#4
07/08/2014 (2:04 pm)
You could set your photo as a texture layer covering the entirety of the terrain mesh, Diffuse with the right sizing should do the trick. Then select your grass/rock/etc. and paint over the photo reference texture.

Sorta like this:
i.imgur.com/OO6QHwa.jpg

Torque Owner Jeff Yaskus
jy games
#5
07/08/2014 (2:13 pm)
Just realized I sort of asked this question before ...
www.garagegames.com/community/forums/viewthread/130680

And the final answer was from Dan Webb:
"In T3D open the terrain painter and select EDIT for the diffuse map. When prompted navigate to the folder where your satellite image is stored, and set the size of the diffuse map to the pixel resolution of said satellite image. Done."

<-- going to see if can make that work!

EDIT: Doh! Now that I posted this, I see Mack had the same idea! :)

Torque Owner Nils Eikelenboom
Studio DimSum
#6
07/09/2014 (12:23 am)
Another method could be to paint the terrain textures in Photoshop (or similar) in layers on top of your sat photo and export those as RBG channels or B&W and import with the "Import terrain" function in T3D.

(Edit) Like this:
i-dropper.net/torque/import_terrain_textures.jpg

But I'd say that the other solution is much less complicated and WYSIWYG; that's why I'm doing it like that my self nowadays!! :)