Terrain Texture Editor

Terrain Texture Editor
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Starting The Terrain Texture Editor

Start the Mission Editor by pressing F11.
Start the Terrain Texture Editor by pressing F8.

The Terrain Texture Editor Preview Window

After the Terraformer, the Terrain Texture Editor is probably the second most complicated tool in the mission editor tool kit. Again, we're faced with an array of operations which can be performed, based on various factors and settings. When all is said and done, this tool's main goal is to allow us to place textures on our terrain via selection algorithms and calculations. The end result of said placement can be a very natural or un-natural looking landscape. Like the Terraformer, we have the Preview Window, Operations Tree, and Settings Window. In addition, we have a Textures List, snuggled in-between the settings window and the operations tree.

The Texture Editor Textures List (Loading Textures)

Before we can start texturing our terrain, we need to decide which textures will be part of our palette. To load a terrain, simple click the Add Material. button and select a terrain from the dialog that comes up:

The Terrain Texture Editor places our textures in layers. The first (top-most) texture in the Texture List is the base layer. This is the texture that is visible if no other textures get applied to a point on the terrain. In this case, we have selected the grass texture as our base texture:

Subsequently added Materials are always placed at the end of the list. These textures are applied based on an algorithm and settings (or Placement Operations):

In the case that two textures (besides the base texture) are applied to the same pixel on the terrain, they are blended.

Terrain Texture Editor Operations

Fractal Distortion (Base Filter)

Table 4.49.

Every Texture gets a base filter called Fractal Distortion the purpose of this filter is to provide randomness to the way the textures are placed. The interface is very similar to the Terraformer's fBm generator. The major difference is the scale interface. To be honest I don't have a real clue as to the exact function of this device in this context, but I can hand wave it. I'm guessing that control points are levels of detail and that the vertical scale affects how much of the prior texture(s) show through this texture after blending. i.e. if a point is at the bottom, 100% of the prior texture shows through this texture (this texture not applied) and if a point is at the top, 0% of the prior texture shows through this texture.

Place by Fractal

Table 4.50.

Again, I'm puzzled by the exact function of this filter. It looks just like the default Fractal Distortion Filter with the addition of a checkbox saying we can ignore the default Distortion filter. I think there must be some history here otherwise, why would the designers have provided two fractal filters?

Well, your mileage with this and the prior filter will vary. I suggest that you experiment with them and see what you get. In my opinion, the following filters are more interesting for adding specific texturing affects.

Place by Height

Table 4.51.

This was the first filter that really made sense to me when I looked at it. The premise of this filter is simple. Basically, it places textures at certain delineated bands (or elevations) and blends them based on the vertical setting for that band. I'll show the result of this in the examples below.

Place by Slope

Table 4.52.

As with the Height Filter, this filter is relatively straightforward. The left side of the scale represents less steep terrain and the right side represents more steep terrain. Again, the vertical scale is the blending factor.

Place by Water Level

Table 4.53.

	This last filter allows us to place a texture at or below the water level we set in our Terraformer. This is useful if you are building an island or have a large lake, but I suggest avoiding it otherwise. Instead, for smaller bodies of water, you can hand paint using the Texture Painter, which we'll be talking about soon. Because is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, I'm including some sample pictures of the Terrain Texture Editor in use:
	Base layer of grass only.
	Grass base with detail1 texture placed by Fractal.
	Grass base with detail1 applied by height. Notice height setting set to place only at highest elevation band.
	Grass base with detail applied by slope. Notice slope setting set to place only on least steep (flattest) areas.
	Grass base with detail1 and patch set to apply at same elevation (by height). Notice blending of detail1 and patchy.

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