Terrain systems - any automated ones?
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There are a few terrain tools; TerraEd, A.L.E., TED, Swift Terrain System, etc. However, none of them suit my needs - I think.
I thought the Swift Terrain System would - but it works off a heightmap. Most other terrain tools are designed on the basis that you create a terrain by crafting the terrain by hand.
The problem for me is I can't be bothered to hand-create a terrain. So, I am wondering if there are any automatic terrain utilities out there that basically randomally create the terrains with river beds and roads/pathways on them - all by the press of a button (obviously with a certain amount of configuration)?
I've started to write my own - but then I thought 'surely someone else has already done this'. In truth, I can't be bothered to write my own (especially, if someone has already done this) which is why I am querying if such a terrain tool already exists.
So if you have such a terrain system then now is the time to pipe-up and shout about it.
I've tried a few algorithms, and it is HARD stuff. I wanted to make a system where you could stipulate 10 points arbitrarily, and you would get a smooth rolling terrain taking in all those points. Still stumped I have to say.
Well, my system is very basic - I only started it tonight. It chucks a random terrain by looping through the terrain and then throwing a random number (which is changeable) - if the value is 0 then it does not modify the terrain at that point, if it is greater than 0 then it throws another random variable to set a random height. I then go through another loop to then concentrate on the areas that have a height, by throwing random variables around the point to smooth the peak by lowering the surround, and then looping for some of those surround points which are above a certain height (yet lower than the master peak).
Applying a road/river bed system is another loop to then auto-carve a flattened or auto-bevelled path through the terrain.
However, I can't be bothered to write it - there must be some out there that are completed and will be much better than mine.
use a fractal system to create them, quick easy, and then convert the fractal heights to heightmaps.
Ummm, Milkshape has a terrain generator. With random heightmap creation incourperated. Exports to crap loads of formats to!
Mmm, I haven't seen a terrain generator in Milkshape.
However, I don't want a utility that just creates a terrain. I want one that randomally auto-puts in roads/paths and river beds. Oh, and it needs to texture the thing accordingly too.
So, in a nutshell I don't want to have to do any work creating the terrain.
oh... your out of luck even the easy ones you need to do some work.
The one that came closest to what you wanted was MapTile3d by Rifraf. It had an autopaint feature where you could paint an area and it would fill in a larger area.
Mmm, guess I'll just have to continue writing my own app.
However, I'd still rather someone else write it for me - any volunteers?
What about people that have already written terrain tools - how about you?
If you don't want to put any effort in what-so-ever, why don't you just pay someone to make you some terrains?
>>The problem for me is I can't be bothered to hand-create a terrain
So you are after something like this
Sorry to get your hopes up but I havn't finished it ! I plan to though, one day....
Peek teaser! :P
Anyway, I get the impression Puki is too lazy to even click a few buttons. :)
the best terrain systems are seein in torque and unreal tools.
You paint the terrain height and then you paint the textures, which are automatically blended thanks to vertex manipulation.
That "Becky Rose" thing is okay - but it probably won't auto-do the roads/pathways and river beds. Plus, remember I want it all textured properly too. So basically, it just auto-outputs a complete ready-to-go-terrain - roads textured in properly with blending/multi-texturing - basically, it produces something that looks like a level someone hand-crafted.
If the app produced a terrain I didn't like - I just press a button and it gives me another - I keep doing it until I get one I like.
I don't mind adding objects to the terrain myself - like trees/foliage and buildings, etc. I can sort that myself.
I'm working on my own terrain tool to do this for me - but I'd rather someone else wrote it for me - for free, then they get to sell it to everyone - it's not like I will just have it.
I do like the look of TerraEd, A.L.E., TED, and I think they are good value for money - but there is no way I am going to sit there and make a terrain, when they could probably quite easily produce new products or updates of those tools to do what I want.
It's like with textures - I don't do textures, I just nick mine from the internet and commercial games. Same with sound, music and models - I don't design anything myself.
If you want to see some good terrains and one of the best ways how to create them check the Trainz game. Those Aussies from Auran have created one of the best terrain systems in a game and even if one does not like train simulators the game is worth its money for the terrain creation alone.
Barney
Interesting, "Barnabius" - interesting.
However, if I buy this 'Trainz' and it does not do what I want then one night, I can not say which, you will awake from deep sleep and find me standing over your bed with my favourite squeeky bone in my mouth - squeak, squeak.
Would you like this automated system that allows you to not make any effort to cost money, or would you like it to be free? Or would you prefer if the author paid you to not do any work, using a free automated system?
http://www.world-machine.com is pretty good, the free version is usable for non-commercial purposes.
Interesting choice of options their "halo" - I'm not sure. However, I am still awaiting someone to produce the goods. I think there is a market for this type of application - obviously, aimed at lazy people. I'd pay for it, but the author would be wise to release it to the masses. I still think the authors of current terrain applications could pull this off.