TED - Terrain EDitor v0.25

Posted By: Superku

TED - Terrain EDitor v0.25 - 12/19/11 18:40

Another one? Yes, I've started a new editor inspired by Rondidon and ... my own post. Right now this editor only supports drawing blend maps for terrains and models (with a hmp like UV mapping).

It's the first version with hardcoded textures and the like but if you're interested, I will release a useable open source version soon.

The blendmap & shader currently support 4 textures, but I will add support for a 5th texture later. The blendmap (extern, filename_blendmap.tga) is entSkin1, the other 4 textures are material skins.

Controls:
Move the camera with WASD + right mouse button, paint with the left mouse button on the active channel (currently you cannot click the textures on the right bar to activate the specific channel, but press 1,2,3 or 4 or use the slider to switch between channels).
Erase channel with Shift + left mouse button.
Ignore higher layers/ paint opaque over all other layers with Ctrl+ left mouse button (or check the box on the lower left).

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epwaCRWQBnE

Download: http://www.superku.de/TEDv0.25.zip

Posted By: GreenDeveloper

Re: TED - Terrain EDitor - 12/19/11 19:01

hmm.. it's look nice

Posted By: PadMalcom

Re: TED - Terrain EDitor - 12/19/11 22:12

Looks good, 2 things:

- Will you implement height map editing tools?
- Could you add a round preview area for round brushes?

Posted By: FBL

Re: TED - Terrain EDitor - 12/19/11 22:25

Is the preview area done with a decal?

Posted By: Rondidon

Re: TED - Terrain EDitor - 12/19/11 22:27

I think hight map editing isn`t neccessary because GED does this job well. On the other hand GED can`t edit blendmaps for MDL files.
TED is able to create blendmaps for types of models that GED can`t edit. It`s perfect for texturing terrains made with Blender or Terragen.

Posted By: Superku

Re: TED - Terrain EDitor - 12/19/11 22:58

Thanks!
I may implement height map editing tools but only when HeelX shows me how to save hmp files!

Yes, a round preview area is planned and yes, it's a decal. There's a GameStudio (?) bug, though, sometimes the decal is rotated by 45� and I don't know why.

Posted By: FBL

Re: TED - Terrain EDitor - 12/19/11 23:37

Everyone is into terrain editig right now it seems.

I'm also working on some terrain based editing tool. But it is mainly for level creation for a specific game and thus only allows basic terrain modification like influencing shader settings and placing objects.
Other stuff like setting up a timeline and events is special game content.

The terrain itself is created via heightmap which cannot be modified in the editor. It's possible to pick different skins, though.

Currently not much is working as I was struggling with the Windows.Forms (.NET) integration up to now. But it seems like I got it stable now and can start adding functionality.

Posted By: jenGs

Re: TED - Terrain EDitor - 12/20/11 02:44

I wanted to texture my MDLs like terrain, too. You know, with vertical rocks on which the texture is not streched or in case of a blendmap not hard to paint on.
And with unlimited textures.
So I modified the fixed function effect of the acknex template shaders. Of course, if you use a lot of textures it will be slow. But you always could /should slice your terrain-MDL, especially for lod iusses.
Here a small tipp, if you want to have cliffs with non streched textures or artifacs and no bad mood while you are painting on it, you could use UV relaxing. I am using 3dsmax at work, there is a nice function that let's you relax the texture within the uv 0-1 bounds. So the points of the mesh are planar. It works pretty good. But I don't know if Blender has such a function as well. I always hated the interface of Blender ... And the tutorials - Hey look at that, see how easy it is only press this button and this other button and press a lot of keys to do this and that - what the hell ...
Perhaps the tips are helpful for somebody. If not, just ignore me

Posted By: lostclimate

Re: TED - Terrain EDitor - 12/20/11 03:54

Yes blenders unwrapping does a goods job of unwrapping evenly.

Posted By: PadMalcom

Re: TED - Terrain EDitor - 12/20/11 08:00

@Firoball: Would be nice to have a tutorial on how to integrate a GS-Engine frame into a .NET-Application!

Posted By: gri

Re: TED - Terrain EDitor - 12/20/11 09:27

hi,

Program/ Engine is crashing down.

Try GS folder/samples/terrain.hmp

A8 Version V8.30.5 com

Posted By: Superku

new version 0.25 - 12/20/11 18:10

Thanks gri, it was the pixel instructions that failed on this terrain's DDS texture.

There's a new version, now with basic terrain deformation tools (it's the same brush, just check "Deform" - deformation is not saved for now), custom/ easily exchangeable textures and a simple automatic blendmap generator (the result can be seen in the picture below), just press [H].

Originally Posted By: readme

== TED v0.25 ==

The primary focus of this tool is the creation of blendmaps.
You can LOAD terrains (hmp) and models (mdl) but most features only work with terrain
(don't try to deform a model).
Currently, 4 textures are supported but I'm working on support for 5 textures.

Suppose your terrain is called "terrain.hmp". Then the program will look for
"terrain_blendmap.tga". If that file does not exist, an empty blendmap will be created.
Entity-Skins are ignored (for now), you will have to use the textures on the right-hand
side of the screen. You can replace them with Shift+Leftclick on the thumbnail.

If you press SAVE, your blendmap will be written into "terrain_blendmap.tga" and the
4 skin texture names and their scale factors will be saved in "terrain_config.txt".
Terrain deformation will not be saved, yet.

== Controls ==

Right Mouse + WASD - Camera (accelerate with Shift)
F1,F2,F3 - Switch Brush Mode
Mousewheel - Change Brush Size

## Paint ##

Left Mouse - Paint
Left Mouse + Ctrl - Paint Opaque/ Ignore Layers
Left Mouse + Shift - Erase
1,2,3,4 - Switch Channels
Left Mouse + Shift on Texture - Replace Texture (Dialog Window)
H - Basic Automatic Blendmap Generation

## Deform ##

Left Mouse - Raise
Left Mouse + Shift - Lower
Left Mouse + Ctrl - Smooth
Space - Recalculate Terrain Collision Hull
(this should be done after a few deformations,
otherwise you will notice the marker's offset)

== What's new? ==

v0.25:

- Basic DEFORMation mode, results cannot be saved for now.
- Many Bugfixes
- Custom Textures
- Save Feature
- Create a height-dependent Blendmap automatically with [H].
- Change Brush Size with Mousewheel
- circle preview marker and other small things

Download: http://www.superku.de/TEDv0.25.zip

EDIT: Blendmapgenerator and deformation only work with hmp.

Posted By: PadMalcom

Re: new version 0.25 - 12/20/11 18:35

"Haaaave you met TED?"

The editor is getting really good! Please add a min and a max raise level for the deform tool and a way tool so that you can define a start and an end point and the editor creats a flat path between those 2 points.

Posted By: sivan

Re: new version 0.25 - 12/22/11 07:44

it's time for a terrain editor contest

I'm also integrating into my little level maker a terrain height and texture editing tool, but since I own only the "poor" version of 3DGS (Extra), I can make it for the single skin+detail map, and for the ffe multitexturing modes at the moment...
And a question:
Can anyone tell me how much faster is the shader than the ffe multitexturing? I'm planning to upgrade to Commercial at a time, because it seems to worth the price...

Posted By: HeelX

Re: new version 0.25 - 12/22/11 08:19

Originally Posted By: sivan

it's time for a terrain editor contest

I would be in, but only if it would be an official contest.

Posted By: sivan

Re: new version 0.25 - 12/22/11 09:09

I just wrote it for fun, but anyway Conitec could earn a lot by making various editor contests... (alternative game level maker, terrain maker, model viewer, gui based animation editor etc.)
but I'm really interested in how the new editor in development could look...

Posted By: Redeemer

Re: new version 0.25 - 12/23/11 00:18

This looks like a pretty good tool, although currently I see nothing that justifies its existence. In case I'm wrong I'd really like to be corrected, but doesn't MED already allow you to easily modify terrain and create blend maps?

Regardless, in my honest opinion heightmap terrains are really boring anyway. They were interesting a decade or two ago when people first began putting them in video games but now whenever I see one I can only think of its limitations. Generally speaking, every heightmap terrain looks the same to me, and I can never be very immersed in a video game whose defining terrain feature is endless rolling hills.

This is entering the realm of a tangent, but Rage was graphically appealing to me not just because of the consistent 60 FPS and its unique texturing system but also because it never resorted to using heightmaps to define its geometry anywhere in the world.

Posted By: HeelX

Re: new version 0.25 - 12/23/11 00:36

Fallout 3 was using heightmap terrain, too, but they used additional mesh pieces to get concave portions, like cliffs or the like. And I found Fallout 3 very appealing...

Posted By: Rondidon

Re: new version 0.25 - 12/23/11 06:02

Quote:

currently I see nothing that justifies its existence.

The tool enables you to edit blendmaps and hightmaps in realtime for MDL files aswell as HMP Terrains. MED and GED can handle HMPs only as far as I know. That`s a big advantage for people who are working with external modelling solutions like Blender.

Posted By: sivan

Re: new version 0.25 - 12/23/11 11:30

as I remember there are some hmp editing functions in WED too... but these default tools only toys, cannot provide realistic result alone. at the moment Terragen or L3DT or Earthsculptor is needed, but their export options usually don't work well with 3dgs, only with heightmap images that could result in quality loss...
so I think a 3DGS specific new tool is required, but that should generate realistic terrains, not only edit them, which is not simple at all (e.g. simulating erosion). and such a work should be promoted by Conitec somehow... (e.g. Unity has a 3rd party extension tool for this purpose)

Posted By: Superku

Re: new version 0.25 - 12/23/11 15:20

Yes, the main purpose of this editor is to provide blendmap painting for hmp and mdl terrain (and basic terrain deformation).

Quote:

but doesn't MED already allow you to easily modify terrain and create blend maps?

How do you create blend maps in MED? And the terrain editing tools are not really good.

Posted By: Redeemer

Re: new version 0.25 - 12/24/11 23:05

Originally Posted By: HeelX

Fallout 3 was using heightmap terrain, too, but they used additional mesh pieces to get concave portions, like cliffs or the like. And I found Fallout 3 very appealing...

I'm aware that both Fallout 3 and Oblivion used heightmaps to define their game worlds. I'm glad you enjoyed that, but I didn't.

Originally Posted By: Superku

How do you create blend maps in MED?

Aren't blend maps simply a special skin that's referenced by a terrain shader? In combination with Photoshop, MSPaint, or even the paint tools built into MED couldn't you techincally create a blend map? Or am I simply mistaken in this?

Originally Posted By: Superku

the terrain editing tools are not really good.

There's room for improvement but I personally found them workable.

Posted By: lostclimate

Re: new version 0.25 - 12/25/11 04:38

Quote:

Originally Posted By: Superku

How do you create blend maps in MED?

Yeah if you want a s#177y looking terrain. Its a very non-precise method.

Posted By: gri

Re: new version 0.25 - 02/08/12 09:45

hey Superku,

any news on this ?

I got the problem that the paintposition doesnt match to the mousecursorpos.

It has a big offset. In deformmode it works. Do you work on this again ?

Posted By: Superku

Re: new version 0.25 - 02/08/12 14:25

Hm do you have a regular uv mapping like it's the case with hmp terrains? Otherwise it won't work, yet.

As I will have to create blendmaps myself for my next project, I will continue this editor later this year (I will probably remove the deformation mode), but for now the development is on hold, sorry.