Possible solution for detailed terrain

[Emdek]

Observing progress of attempts to improve cliffs by Berg I've got idea (as later pointed out already used in another game) to use models to get more detailed cliffs since even with nice textures they look like stripes on hills or walls (as terrain is quite "flat").
There was another solution proposed in the past, to give more height map points per tile, but:

• it won't allow to create some effects ("cave" like or hangover for example - only slight ones, to don't get issues with units movements);
• it will waste memory for most of terrain (mostly "flat" parts);

The latter could be fixed by saving more details only when needed, but that would get more complex then (and still won't allow detail effects mentioned above)...

So I'm proposing adding new feature like objects (not destroyable and not passable) for each tile set, roughly corresponding in shape to current cliff tiles (including transitions ones), with exception that we should have more than one for each existing corresponding tile (to get more variety).
That would be for new maps only probably (unless there will be nice algorithm to translate existing ones) and require slight redoing to take advantage of them.
It could be used to mark not passable cliffs in cleaner way (for example have boolean property deciding if it should or not to be - I think that we might have that already).
Also that could be used to get rid off flat craters (not destroyable but passable), even if (as Berg pointed) it would lead to slight wheels sinking - that is better than flat craters anyway.
The main issue I find is that it might be hard to nicely, seamless blend them with flat terrain.

[Rman Virgil]

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In the spirit of a picture is worth a thousand words...

A very tiny sampling of what is possible doing Cliff as 3D Model Features, re-doing current Boulder Features and doing trick features with pass-though, over-hang like these cargo containers which you can readily re-imagine being done instead as natural craggy rocky formations actually found all over the world (like Utah has some famous landmarks of such formations).

- Regards, RV.
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[Emdek]

Rman Virgil, thanks for these screens, this show what exactly I would like to see in future.

[Rman Virgil]

Rman Virgil, thanks for these screens, this show what exactly I would like to see in future.

Your welcome.

I should also mention my 3 teamates whose hard work was essential to makeing the above possible: Chojun, Grim & Remus (aka, Watermellon) - a shout out fellas... it was a special, fun time, workin with you all. WZ 2200 still lives on in many non-obvious ways, don't ya know.

- Regards, RV.
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[Jorzi]

You can do pretty good cliffs by just bumping the ground resolution, too

[Rman Virgil]

You can do pretty good cliffs by just bumping the ground resolution, too

Truely lovely.
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[Emdek]

You can do pretty good cliffs by just bumping the ground resolution, too

Yes, this is what I've called "more height map points".
But it has some disadvantages and less possibilities.

[Rman Virgil]

You can do pretty good cliffs by just bumping the ground resolution, too

Yes, this is what I've called "more height map points".

But it has some disadvantages and less possibilities.

Agree Emdek.

And I did experiment quite extensively in my Aqua Coop project a few years back when FlaME was 1st released (against the v.2.3x binary) along the lines of trying to do what jorzi is showing in his screen with the v.3x new terrain renderer. The mapping techniques involved were painstacking & very little, if at all, explored at that time. The reason for this I know was because Edit World was extremely cumbersome to use for this effect whereas FlaME was a sheer joy in comparison to achieve these results. This was one of many reasons why I fell in love with FlaME right out of the release gate & immediately told Flail13 that his tool would likely initiate a new renaissance of map making since most had been discouraged for many years because of Edit World's funkiness.

Here are a few screens. There are hundreds in my project thread:

viewtopic.php?t=4758

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[aubergine]

@Jorzi - how do you get the quality looking so good? Is that a mod or something?

[Searge-Major]

You can do pretty good cliffs by just bumping the ground resolution, too

You make a warzone look incredible...



Not that Rman's cliffs are not noteworthy, of course.

Cool work guys.

[Berg]

[aubergine]

Giant pimples or a Martian landscape?

[Rman Virgil]

Giant pimples or a Martian landscape?

Micrometeorite impact craters caused by Dr Reed's Lunar NEXUS contingent catapulting lunar rock at Project Enclaves a la Robert Heinlein's SF classic "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress". It always comes back to compelling narrative tropes, don't ya know.

http://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&s ... ih=284#p=0

@ Berg: Sweet. I know Lav would have drooled over it for his original campaign maps.

- Regards, RV.
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[effigy]

wz2100-20120313_103153-Calamity-T1.jpg

Tank droids drive over those?

[Berg]

Tank droids drive over those?

the definition of them need editing and thats up to whom ever decides what is needed in features and what fits and gets the method of feature render and terrain render to gel they seem to be at war ATM.

crater.tar.gz

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