Roads and tracks in terrain
by Lars Nielsen · in Torque Game Engine · 02/22/2006 (5:27 am) · 18 replies
I'm working on a project where I need a terrain with lots of roads and tracks. The easiest way to create the basic terrain is obviously using the terraineditor, but that still leaves me without roads and tracks.
So far I've come up with two theoretical solutions;
A) Mold the terrain using terraineditor and add roads and tracks as interiors. It would require a lot of modeling on the roads and give some problems blending them in with the terrain.
B) Model the terrain as one big interior, with the possible risk of seriously overloading the system.
I know I could try both approaches, but since this might not be the first time someone has come across this kind of problem I'm hoping to save some time using your experience.
Lars
So far I've come up with two theoretical solutions;
A) Mold the terrain using terraineditor and add roads and tracks as interiors. It would require a lot of modeling on the roads and give some problems blending them in with the terrain.
B) Model the terrain as one big interior, with the possible risk of seriously overloading the system.
I know I could try both approaches, but since this might not be the first time someone has come across this kind of problem I'm hoping to save some time using your experience.
Lars
#2
Lars
02/22/2006 (6:21 am)
For a fairly flat area I can see method A being relatively easy. The Problem is that my terrain will be very uneven. Thats why I tend to believe most in method B for this particular project.Lars
#3
you can do this first with Interiors.
Don't won't to make house advertising, but if you want to take a look at our shop we have two packs of street interiors => 3D-Diggers Webshop, or directly City Streets 01 and Street2 -Avenue-.
This will take a lot of modeling presure from you.
A second choice were to create it from the terrain it self and texture the roads and street as you wish, also you can add special behaviours to the textures, so you can speed up the cars or movement of the characters.
Okay also this work with the textures of the DIFs.
02/22/2006 (8:04 am)
Hello Lars,you can do this first with Interiors.
Don't won't to make house advertising, but if you want to take a look at our shop we have two packs of street interiors => 3D-Diggers Webshop, or directly City Streets 01 and Street2 -Avenue-.
This will take a lot of modeling presure from you.
A second choice were to create it from the terrain it self and texture the roads and street as you wish, also you can add special behaviours to the textures, so you can speed up the cars or movement of the characters.
Okay also this work with the textures of the DIFs.
#4
Lars
02/22/2006 (10:00 am)
First of all; Nice work :) It won't be too usefull for my project though, as its mainly nature/forrest type terrain I'm working on. Anyways - I think I'll just dive in, and use interiors. I may be wiser in a month or two...Lars
#6
Lars
02/22/2006 (10:45 am)
Thanks...That might actually save me a lot of work. I'll look into it immediately.Lars
#7
02/22/2006 (7:09 pm)
Wow..nice catch Stefan...TLK continues to suprise me! I had forgotten about projected decals, and didn't even know about terrain projected textures!
#8
03/01/2006 (6:02 am)
Nice ! How does it affect frame rate ? Is it like baking shadow ?
#9
03/01/2006 (9:50 am)
I haven't noticed any framerate drop. I have about 8 of those textures in my scene, of which about half to all are on screen at a time and the effect on framerate is negligible compared to the some interiors. Theoretically they should affect framerate (a tiny little bit) more than baked shadows, since these are part of the terrain texture, which is rendered anyway. 
#10
03/01/2006 (9:55 am)
Stefan - do you have any screenshots?
#11
This one uses the detail textures of the lighting kit (although they're just slightly visible)
03/01/2006 (10:13 am)
Sure, although, the projected textures are actually only used for the roads, but here you go:This one uses the detail textures of the lighting kit (although they're just slightly visible)
#12
http://www.mafia-game.com/scrshots/01051305.jpg
03/01/2006 (4:39 pm)
What about curves in a road? like this:http://www.mafia-game.com/scrshots/01051305.jpg
#13
03/01/2006 (10:13 pm)
A curve shouldn't be a problem using projected textures, I'm currently working on those. Slopes,however, are more difficult, since the textures is projected onto the poly right underneath the middle of the texture. the slope of the projected texture is then only the slope of this poly.
#14
03/02/2006 (5:23 am)
Slopes would be a nice add, but are not nessisairy.. Curves would be great enough. Could you explain a little bit more codewise how you are doing this? Would be greatly appreciated.
#15
03/02/2006 (5:32 am)
I can't explain that much, since I just used the stock Torque Lighting Kit without any modifications. The textures and interiors are actually for a content pack, so I try to use existing features without engine modifications.
#16
03/02/2006 (6:55 am)
Ah allright, Could you let me know if the curve thing worked out? And so, post a screenshot? I might be interrested in buying the lighting kit for it.
#17
As in, end to end matching..
Creative use 5*'s!
03/02/2006 (7:27 am)
Lineing thoes up must be a bitch to work out ...As in, end to end matching..
Creative use 5*'s!
#18
I'm currently working on another building, so I'm not focusing on the roads right now, but I guess I'll get to that in a couple of days. I'll post a screenshot then.
03/08/2006 (4:32 am)
@Allyn: Lining the texture up wasn't that bad actually, took only a few moments. I'm not sure yet about the curves.I'm currently working on another building, so I'm not focusing on the roads right now, but I guess I'll get to that in a couple of days. I'll post a screenshot then.
Torque Owner Neil Marshall