terrain construction

[JulyForToday]

First off, let me say I'm sorry for not being around much at all, and that I've not tried to do this earlier.

I've spent a little time cleaning up the mesh based off of the map, but I made it with a grayscale displacement map. Ultimately it's just to show what it would end up looking like, so it will need redoing in order to make a clean terrain.

I've been messing around with other stuff too (NeoAxis engine if anyone else is interested in that...). I'm finding myself wishing there was some way to include shaded materials, and HDR into Uru. But right now thats rather unimportant.

The biggest thing is I need somewhere to upload the blend file. The packed blend file is about 4.2 mb. I can ultimately upload it to one of those free file hosts, but I wanted to know if there are any plans, or if there already exists somewhere to put any project files. It would be very nice to have a central location to keep things. And potentially having it set up with a CVS...

Either way, I've got AIM, so if you want me to send you the files pm me, or if everyone demands it, I'll host it somewhere.

[Lontahv]

I use blender sculpt-mode on a very subdivided plane when I make my terrains, which results in a very clean mesh.

[Chacal]

We do need a file repository.

[Paradox]

Send me an email or drop by CyanChat and I can host it for you.

I do think that a repository is something that would be very useful for the GoW and that will require lots of discussion in the coming weeks.

[Aloys]

I agree, it's a question that's been raised several times in the past. That should definitely be one of the first job for the Council.

[JulyForToday]

[quote=Lontahv]I use blender sculpt-mode on a very subdivided plane when I make my terrains, which results in a very clean mesh. [/quote]

Actually... the displaced mesh I have is in effect, exactly what your talking about (except I didn't have to sculpt it by hand in blender). It is clean until you need to accommodate certain 'features' into the mesh. For an example, use the sculpt tool to make a landscape, then add a plane for 'sea level'. Notice where the terrain and water meet. If you boolean the terrain using that plane, you will *not* have a clean mesh. Not that you have to boolean the mesh. But a custom made mesh for the terrain would be able to be more efficient, easier to texture, and arguably better looking. And if done right, can be clean too.

[Lontahv]

If you use a smooth brush JFT you can get a very smooth mesh on the edge.

[Lontahv]

And also I don't see why we need to do anything to the terrain once it's textured--item are supposed to sit on top of the ground rather than be fused to it.

[Paradox]

The terrain file is available to download at http://www.guildofwriters.com/Yinfara.blend.

[Lontahv]

Let's take a look at Relto's mesh.



HMMMM looks like they use the sculpt-mode/hight-map method.