Terrain Editors for TSE???
by Azmodeus · in Torque Game Engine Advanced · 10/13/2005 (2:44 pm) · 18 replies
I hope that the community might know of a terrain editor that features the following:
1. Draw BMP/GIF/JPG images on the terrain of different sizes
2. Tile above using the size of the image
3. export height map and jpg for use with TSE
4a. not make my machine crawl with really big maps (and i mean BIG maps)
OR 4b. have the ability to seam 2 smaller maps together (ie load 2 maps in and seam them up on the edges)
Basicaly I have lots of tiles that are very high resolution that I want to use to create my map (paths, grass, etc that are already blended as I want them.
I need to be able to draw these tiles/decals on the ground where i want them and then move the terrain height to where i want it.
I am workign with several smaller maps that will be drawn using TSE. I need them to seam up along the edges or worse case, have a really big map that i can edit without making my machine crawl while doing it.
Any help out there?
1. Draw BMP/GIF/JPG images on the terrain of different sizes
2. Tile above using the size of the image
3. export height map and jpg for use with TSE
4a. not make my machine crawl with really big maps (and i mean BIG maps)
OR 4b. have the ability to seam 2 smaller maps together (ie load 2 maps in and seam them up on the edges)
Basicaly I have lots of tiles that are very high resolution that I want to use to create my map (paths, grass, etc that are already blended as I want them.
I need to be able to draw these tiles/decals on the ground where i want them and then move the terrain height to where i want it.
I am workign with several smaller maps that will be drawn using TSE. I need them to seam up along the edges or worse case, have a really big map that i can edit without making my machine crawl while doing it.
Any help out there?
#2
That said, L3DT is one good one, and there are a good half dozen other editors. Have you tried them?
10/13/2005 (3:22 pm)
Most of the terrain editors out there aren't really geared for the size datasets that Atlas allows. Fine grained control will be tough. Do be aware that if you have less ram than the heightfield or mesh will take, almost any editor is going to chug. You want at least a gig if you're targeting large data sets.That said, L3DT is one good one, and there are a good half dozen other editors. Have you tried them?
#3
But I might have to just do one large one.
I will look into L3DT and see its feature set.
10/13/2005 (4:48 pm)
NO i havnt. I have looked at some but none of them will let me load in more than 1 map so I can make the seams the same height or atleast look like it is seamed well.But I might have to just do one large one.
I will look into L3DT and see its feature set.
#5
But I might have to just do one large one.
I will look into L3DT and see its feature set.
10/13/2005 (6:20 pm)
NO i havnt. I have looked at some but none of them will let me load in more than 1 map so I can make the seams the same height or atleast look like it is seamed well.But I might have to just do one large one.
I will look into L3DT and see its feature set.
#6
THe blender just doesnt do terrain justice.
10/13/2005 (6:27 pm)
I have seen the HCT. But i am wanting to paint very high detailed terrain tiles that I already have that look very good.THe blender just doesnt do terrain justice.
#7
10/13/2005 (9:41 pm)
Can you give some numbers on what size terrains you're trying to work with?
#9
Does that mean my terrain is 8192x8192 meters?
Our thoughts were to break this up into smaller chunks (4k x 4k) and edit them one at a time and then mesh them together using a terrain editor that could load in multiple maps at a time.
Over time we will be adding on to the edges of our world as new areas are developed.
10/14/2005 (11:27 am)
We are building our world from the inside out so to speak. We will be expanding our world as we need to. Right now our world we have envisioned as 32K x 32K jpg image that will be laid onto a 8192x8192 height field.Does that mean my terrain is 8192x8192 meters?
Our thoughts were to break this up into smaller chunks (4k x 4k) and edit them one at a time and then mesh them together using a terrain editor that could load in multiple maps at a time.
Over time we will be adding on to the edges of our world as new areas are developed.
#10
What we were doing to create our textures again is to use a 2d map editor and draw the textures on the 2d map. But then I need a way to add in my heights (visually move the ground up/down) to match the terrain texture that I have.
10/17/2005 (11:22 pm)
Well I have looked at L3DT, and while it is good at generating a heightfield, its resolution of gif's for the texture's are very poor. Ie, it spreads a 512x512 grass gif that I supplied it over an area of 32x32 meters. I am wanting alot more detailed grass textures.What we were doing to create our textures again is to use a 2d map editor and draw the textures on the 2d map. But then I need a way to add in my heights (visually move the ground up/down) to match the terrain texture that I have.
#11
Interestingly enough, L3DT also generates normal maps.... not sure if I could take advantage of this by generating a normal map for a very high detailed terrain, then applying that normal map to a lower-detailed version of the same terrain, but it would be a good way to go for things like flight simulators, etc that need larger less detailed terrains.
10/19/2005 (11:36 pm)
I use L3DT just to generate a light map, then I use Photoshop to overlay my own textures, blending it with the light map to provide the shadows, etc. That gives me really fine control over texture placement, yet still gives me a very detailed lightmap.Interestingly enough, L3DT also generates normal maps.... not sure if I could take advantage of this by generating a normal map for a very high detailed terrain, then applying that normal map to a lower-detailed version of the same terrain, but it would be a good way to go for things like flight simulators, etc that need larger less detailed terrains.
#12
* terrains don't fit well due to error metric
* textures appear white when you are far from the chunk. (your player is on chunk (0,0) and is looking to chunk (0,1); chunk (0,1) texture is white when you are relatively away form this one)
10/19/2005 (11:45 pm)
@azmodeus :Quote:Does that mean my terrain is 8192x8192 meters?No, heightfields are dots, and only dots. when you generate chunk files you must specify spaces between these dots. You can do this with the thrid parameter of generateChunkFileFromRaw16. You can specify one meter or heigth meter if you want. If you specify 8, your terrain size is going to be 8192 * 8 torque units (meters).
Quote:Our thoughts were to break this up into smaller chunks (4k x 4k) and edit them one at a time and then mesh them together using a terrain editor that could load in multiple maps at a time.You can do this, but when you're going to place each terrains in your mission file you're going to encounter the following problems :
* terrains don't fit well due to error metric
* textures appear white when you are far from the chunk. (your player is on chunk (0,0) and is looking to chunk (0,1); chunk (0,1) texture is white when you are relatively away form this one)
Quote:I am wanting alot more detailed grass texturesI'm currently working on this in HTC.
Quote:But then I need a way to add in my heights (visually move the ground up/down) to match the terrain texture that I haveI'm trying to get this work in HTC. At the momment you can't do this. But I think to export a 256x256 portion of the map to a jpg texture, allowing to edit it in TGE, and re-exporting it to HTC for including it. (This procedure is here to allow you to import TGE areas in TSE).
#14
Nice program. Limited to 1024x1024 heightfield maps but it's a very easy to use program. Lets you also layer textures and paint them onto the terrain. Highly recommended.
11/10/2005 (3:26 pm)
I would suggest http://freeworld3d.orgNice program. Limited to 1024x1024 heightfield maps but it's a very easy to use program. Lets you also layer textures and paint them onto the terrain. Highly recommended.
#15
Nice program. Limited to 1024x1024 heightfield maps but it's a very easy to use program. Lets you also layer textures and paint them onto the terrain. Highly recommended.
11/10/2005 (3:35 pm)
I would suggest http://freeworld3d.orgNice program. Limited to 1024x1024 heightfield maps but it's a very easy to use program. Lets you also layer textures and paint them onto the terrain. Highly recommended.
#16
Lastest URL for L3DT is: http://bundysoft.com/L3DT/
12/10/2005 (2:57 pm)
For those interested, L3DT has moved and also now supports alof of the features I was originally looking for.Lastest URL for L3DT is: http://bundysoft.com/L3DT/
Torque 3D Owner James Bond