Terrain questions from a newbie

Hello everybody

I've used Blitz2D and BlitzPlus for a while now, and I've gotten more and more interested in 3D-programming. I learned Blitz by making a game, and though I had to re-write some stuff a couple of times as my Blitz-skills got better, I really think it was a very effective way of learning it. Therefore I figured I'd take the same approach on Blitz3D. I know pretty much about 3D-stuff, I've modelled and rendered 3D-pictures for quite a few years. I've also been involved in the making of a 3D racing game that never got finished.
Anyways, in the 3D game I worked on we had a terrain just like the terrain in blitz, a huge grid with different Y-values. I was pleased to see that LOD is handled by the terrain commands in Blitz, that's great.
So, here's a few questions for you!

1: A grid-terrain cannot be used to create any shapes, for example, you can't create tunnels or completely vertical walls. For an outdoor level with lots of structures and things, would you still base things around a grid-terrain, then add objects to this, or would you skip the grid-terrain and use a level completely made up by objects?

2: Are there commands for LOD that can be used for any objects in Blitz3D?

3: Should huge terrain objects be split up in several smaller to speed things up, or is stuff like that handled automatically?

4: Does Blitz3D have built in support for different kinds of fog? Distance fog? Layered fog? If not, how would you create for example fog in a valley in Blitz3D?

I think this is it for now!
Thanks in advance.

--
Martin

1. IMO terrains are only good for natural-sloped/curved landscapes, hills etc. For an outdoor level, use a terrain, but place buildings onto this. For indoor level, I wouldnt bother with a terrain.

2. um...better ask somone more techy :)

3. um.. AFAIK terrains work pretty well even if theyre quite big because of the way they work. Although, they can be tiled and maybe somone with a better knowledge can help more

4. Camera fog works for slowly fading distant objects in to avoid pop-up, although this is monochromatic. For the fog valley, some sprite/particle technique is probably best

Thanks for your replies! In question no 3 I mean objects that are not Blitz3D "terrain"-objects, but huge objects that make up a level, if you choose that instead of the terrain-object approach.

lucky, I caught this as I have your answers.
Believe it or not many people are now useing meshes for terrains and forgetting about terrains completly. I have a mesh thats HUGE which iwill be demoing shortly on http://www.3dhangout.com
Fact is it only take aroudn 5000 polies. Teh tirck is is to have all your models in b3d format.
As for fog. You set that up with camera settings. Lookin the 3dcommamdn section of blitz 3d for camera controls. IT will describe to you how to setup fog.
Another way to aid in all this is a command called hide entity go check that command as well. I hope this helps.

So if the model is in b3d-format, it's OK with huge meshes for terrain?