Why is this not possible?
by Richard Preziosi · in Torque Game Engine · 02/28/2007 (7:12 pm) · 23 replies
I was trying to make just a slightly bumpy terrain height map so I was using the render clouds/difference clouds and using 32,32,32 and 36,36,36 for the colors and 256x256 file size. and nomatter how I blend or blur it, my terrains always come out as solid circles sticking straight up into the sky, I've used Ken's mathematics to set the maxterrainheight and all that.
So can the engine only accept certain grayscale colors and not the shades inbetween, or why is it always the same thing. I'm just really confused, cause I don't really want to draw out a contour map or whatever.
So can the engine only accept certain grayscale colors and not the shades inbetween, or why is it always the same thing. I'm just really confused, cause I don't really want to draw out a contour map or whatever.
#2
here is my terrain without the math applied.
Also, how come when I use colors with such a little height difference, it appears so huge in game, just not getting it. Thanks.
02/28/2007 (8:28 pm)
Here is my terrain with the math applied.here is my terrain without the math applied.
Also, how come when I use colors with such a little height difference, it appears so huge in game, just not getting it. Thanks.
#3
02/28/2007 (9:41 pm)
Is your hight map a JPG or an PNG?
#4
02/28/2007 (10:11 pm)
Png, I was under the impression that was the best choice. 
#6
But this looks like it should be OK. Maybe try to make the grey scale have a smaller range between white and black? So all are a greyish colour?
02/28/2007 (10:51 pm)
You can also try the smooth operation.But this looks like it should be OK. Maybe try to make the grey scale have a smaller range between white and black? So all are a greyish colour?
#8
With any height map you should spread out the elevations so that
the minimum is close to 0,0,0 and the max is close to 255,255,255.
That will give you the smoothest terrain, with or without the math.
If you're using 32,32,32 and 36,36,36 - that will give you five elevation
levels, and that's exactly what you have in the without-math image.
Also note that the height range in the PNG only partially affects the height
of the terrain - the MinHeight and MaxHeight of the TerrainBlock can set
the actual height to nearly anything, no matter what the PNG says.
02/28/2007 (11:11 pm)
This looks like you don't have enough height difference in the PNG.With any height map you should spread out the elevations so that
the minimum is close to 0,0,0 and the max is close to 255,255,255.
That will give you the smoothest terrain, with or without the math.
If you're using 32,32,32 and 36,36,36 - that will give you five elevation
levels, and that's exactly what you have in the without-math image.
Also note that the height range in the PNG only partially affects the height
of the terrain - the MinHeight and MaxHeight of the TerrainBlock can set
the actual height to nearly anything, no matter what the PNG says.
#10
03/01/2007 (8:28 am)
Ok, I think I misunderstood what Ken was trying to convey in his book. Assuming that I if I only wanted elevation, as in just a bumpy but still flat surface, I still need to use black to white? I'll play around some more with that I guess, thanks.
#11
03/01/2007 (12:02 pm)
I tried what berserk said, and it seemed to work exceptionally better, is there any reason why the yellow and blue produce much better results than doing it in grayscale?
#13
I was talking to whoever posted the pictures (Rich).
I never saw your post, it looks like it was posted while I was writing mine.
Note that your colors are light cyan and yellow - blue is (0,0,255).
If anyone is interested,
I have an island creator program on my web site that draws all kinds of random islands and saves them as 256x256 BMP's that can be easily imported into Torque. They're more lifelike looking than any other technique I've seen.
The download is on the page:
[url] www.PacificCoastTravels.com/Downloads/Islands.htm [/url]
That page is also the user manual for the program.
03/03/2007 (9:33 am)
Berserk,I was talking to whoever posted the pictures (Rich).
I never saw your post, it looks like it was posted while I was writing mine.
Note that your colors are light cyan and yellow - blue is (0,0,255).
If anyone is interested,
I have an island creator program on my web site that draws all kinds of random islands and saves them as 256x256 BMP's that can be easily imported into Torque. They're more lifelike looking than any other technique I've seen.
The download is on the page:
[url] www.PacificCoastTravels.com/Downloads/Islands.htm [/url]
That page is also the user manual for the program.
#14
03/03/2007 (9:48 am)
@Mike-That looks like a very handy application. The download link on the page is not working though.
#16
03/03/2007 (8:14 pm)
This is an Awesome application Mike. Thanks!
#18
It's a program that auto-creates terrain. Awesome application! Be sure to go over the readme file, it explains everything.
@Mike- This is very useful, thanks again!
03/04/2007 (3:26 am)
@Berserk- Here is the link www.PacificCoastTravels.com/Downloads/Islands.htmIt's a program that auto-creates terrain. Awesome application! Be sure to go over the readme file, it explains everything.
@Mike- This is very useful, thanks again!
#19
I did one just like it last week and it worked.
Here it is with straight html, instead of the Torque Markup Language:
www.PacificCoastTravels.com/Downloads/Islands.htm
03/04/2007 (8:27 am)
The link that I list above should be clickable, I don't know why it isn't. I did one just like it last week and it worked.
Here it is with straight html, instead of the Torque Markup Language:
www.PacificCoastTravels.com/Downloads/Islands.htm
Torque Owner Edward Smith
Silencersoft
Do you have the image so you can post it?