Multi-Terrain zones...
by Mitovo · in Torque Game Engine · 11/09/2007 (8:12 am) · 2 replies
So I've been following the terrain discussions here over time and pretty much the same topics come up...
Creating a higher-resolution terrain so you can get more detail, less "chunkyness" and less stretched-out looking textures. The answer to this is to set the square size smaller for the terrain. The drawback to this is that you end up with a smaller map area.
Another question is allowing for paged terrain to create a seamless world instead of distinct zones. Minions of Mirth achieves this as one example.
I'm kinda curious about something in-between, a sort of compromise that achieves higher terrain and texture resolution without sacrificing map area. I've looked for this in the forums, but didn't find anything about it. So I'm going to bring it up here.
Has anyone approached the idea of having zone-based environments that are comprised of 4 or more terrains stitched together? So you're in a single zone, comprised of 3x3 or 2x2 or even 6x6 individual terrain blocks? Maybe even odd ones like 6x2, or even 8x1... say for something like a long, narrow canyon area or something.
This way you can have your cake and eat it, too... smaller terrain square sizes (6, 8, etc), and larger terrain areas, since you have stitched 4 or more together into a single zone.
I suppose one solution to this could be to use the TGEA/Atlas terrain. Personally, though it's an awesome tech, I'm not a fan of it. I prefer having more hands-on access to editing and modifying the terrain as needed, without having to exit the TGEA editor. Apparently Atlas terrain doesn't provide for this.
Can't see why this couldn't be done - again, with appropriate programming done. Just curious if anyone's attempted it?
Thanks.
Creating a higher-resolution terrain so you can get more detail, less "chunkyness" and less stretched-out looking textures. The answer to this is to set the square size smaller for the terrain. The drawback to this is that you end up with a smaller map area.
Another question is allowing for paged terrain to create a seamless world instead of distinct zones. Minions of Mirth achieves this as one example.
I'm kinda curious about something in-between, a sort of compromise that achieves higher terrain and texture resolution without sacrificing map area. I've looked for this in the forums, but didn't find anything about it. So I'm going to bring it up here.
Has anyone approached the idea of having zone-based environments that are comprised of 4 or more terrains stitched together? So you're in a single zone, comprised of 3x3 or 2x2 or even 6x6 individual terrain blocks? Maybe even odd ones like 6x2, or even 8x1... say for something like a long, narrow canyon area or something.
This way you can have your cake and eat it, too... smaller terrain square sizes (6, 8, etc), and larger terrain areas, since you have stitched 4 or more together into a single zone.
I suppose one solution to this could be to use the TGEA/Atlas terrain. Personally, though it's an awesome tech, I'm not a fan of it. I prefer having more hands-on access to editing and modifying the terrain as needed, without having to exit the TGEA editor. Apparently Atlas terrain doesn't provide for this.
Can't see why this couldn't be done - again, with appropriate programming done. Just curious if anyone's attempted it?
Thanks.
About the author
#2
So it looks like in your case, you're using it essentially for a large seamless world. In my example, I'd still have zones (though seamless is a nice idea, too), but each zone would be comprised of multiple terrain blocks.
How does the editing work with your setup? I'm kinda curious of how something like that is handled, while maintaining consistency from one terrain chunk to the next.
Like, in Lineage 2, which is built on the Unreal 2 engine, they've found a way to create a seamless world by streaming maps in real-time (given the size of a typical UE2 map, that's no small feat). I always wonder how they maintain consistency from one map to the next...
Here's a link to a shot (huge pic) of the overworld map, you can see the distinct "grid pattern" in some places where one map file ends and the other begins....
Clicky Here
So how do you edit something like that? Maybe some kind of normalizing routine that goes through each terrain file and checks each edge with its neighboring ones, adjusting the heights to an average of the two?
11/09/2007 (11:13 am)
Heheh that is funny, you even use the same canyon example :)So it looks like in your case, you're using it essentially for a large seamless world. In my example, I'd still have zones (though seamless is a nice idea, too), but each zone would be comprised of multiple terrain blocks.
How does the editing work with your setup? I'm kinda curious of how something like that is handled, while maintaining consistency from one terrain chunk to the next.
Like, in Lineage 2, which is built on the Unreal 2 engine, they've found a way to create a seamless world by streaming maps in real-time (given the size of a typical UE2 map, that's no small feat). I always wonder how they maintain consistency from one map to the next...
Here's a link to a shot (huge pic) of the overworld map, you can see the distinct "grid pattern" in some places where one map file ends and the other begins....
Clicky Here
So how do you edit something like that? Maybe some kind of normalizing routine that goes through each terrain file and checks each edge with its neighboring ones, adjusting the heights to an average of the two?
Torque Owner Trenton Shaffer
garagegames.com/mg/forums/result.thread.php?qt=18551 *edit
One day I'll release it as a resource ... after I release my indie game that uses it in 2008. ;)