A Few Noobie Questions About Map Creation Using Both ADK and WM2

[AP_Studios]

@Be4st187;690937

Ah ok. I have already Googled for tiled settings many times which lead me to about 5 different setting types and resolutions with no explanation, but if you say it will be pointless, then I have no need for it. My map is going to be roughly 50% bigger than The Island in land mass and about 20% more ocean, so making sure that I reduce performance issues is paramount (which was why I was trying to go tiled as not all my landscape fits into the standard 127x127, 32x32 layout forcing me to add more components to add the rest of the map). If I set my resolution to 2017, can I still have my map set to 127x127, 32x32? I have read a few things stating that is what the island is set to, any smaller and the map will be too small and if set it to 255x255, 16x16, it will cause performance issues but will be the same size as 127x127, 32x32 which is again, pointless and unnecessary.

After seeing how the Center, Island and Scorched were made, I can add trees to the levels as I do them, hide them when that level is done and move on the the next level I assume. From what I understand with a tutorial I read, only a few large trees are kept on the persistent level with the landscape and the rest are hidden within a level. Forgive me if any of my ideas are incorrect as I am an utter beginner. I try to watch tutorials from modders, designers and Unreal themselves, but I get lost and switch off when they talk about things that I am not currently trying to do in my project and probably miss a few facts that I should really know. Some video’s I have watched 3 times over just in case. Lol

here is the copy/paste easy method:

In World Machine: Tile Build
Tile Resolution - Custom 2017 x 2017
Tiles per Side - 4 x 4
Blending Percentage - 100%
Share edge vertices - tick
Flip Y-axis orientation - tick

In UE4 (ADK)
Create a new level with a sky-box pre-built or not.
Save the file with the Planet or location name.
Open the world settings and check the box labeled “Enable World Composition”

…Then…

Open the levels window.
Click the Levels drop down menu in the upper-left of the levels window.
Select “Import Tiled Landscape…”
Click the “Select heightmap Tiles…” button.
Navigate to the folder where you saved the raw heightmap images from World Machine
Select all the tiled files. (e.g. Planet_Name_x0_y0)
Change the Z scale. Times the world height used from World Machine by 0.1953125 and enter that number in Z scale.
Then click “Import”
Select all the Planet_Name_x#_y# levels in the Levels window
Right click and select load to see if the imported properly.

https://wiki.unrealengine.com/World_Machine_to_UE4_using_World_Composition
Dont worry about the weightmaps and all that splatmap **** unless you really want to use it. You can use them if you want to get into using them for importing how the landscape paint is set quickly. Ask around in forums for that one. I never used splats in the end i painted them all in.

What i ended up doing:

Single mesh for the landscape
i used the world comp for foliage only
i did a “section” per area. Example "this is my jungle area here, so, new map, Jungle_1_Near, Jungle_1_Far (yup, 2 new maps for foliage).
Paint my near and far.
Unload and make 2 new maps for whatever area i was going for now.
This allows the landscape to be loaded and only the actual culling items be on a sub map.

Imagine your map as a drawing. Slice it into 10 sections using a grid. There is your Near and Far submaps.
Really the only part of the map design thats going to get you “stuck” is the foliage. Even with my own company project, using 4.14/4.15 its the same issue. I have to use the same methods, but i get to use the proc foliage volumes … yummy volumes. you guys are missing out lol.
You will 100% have to make subs for your foliage, no way around it. You can mess with tile build and hope for the best, or, visually “cut” your sections and submap your foliage there.