Creating Terrain like in ARK

Development Asset Creation
1

Hey guys,

i’ve seen that ARK (that game in the launcher) has a great world. i want to know how to achive a world like this. its just ue4 or its world machine? iam searching for high quality tutorials that gives me a setp by step tutorial from start to finish to get in the end a high quality terrain in ue4 with textures etc. maybe you know sth.

2

There are no step by step tutorials for that kind of stuff, but you can use a combination between different one:

world machine -> ?v=PglKkG0Ja8A
material -> ?v=tsXVP0fykBM or take a look at the materials from the landscape demo/kit demo
landscape tool -> ?v=2Lx-drupqls
more information -> https://docs.unrealengine/latest/INT/Engine/Landscape/index.html

So use a tool like world machine to create the heightmap and the weight maps - import everything - set up the materials - add some more modifications to the landscape (with the landscape tool) :slight_smile:

3

i got 2 questions:

  1. when i textured my terrain which comes from a highmap and want to add later on sth with the landscape (for example raise some locations up). does these areas get texture distortion?

  2. it is possible to import my finished terrain to another project that i create? so that my materials layers and all stuff comes just over to another one?

4

You will have to copy everything to the new project -> so the map file + right click on the material - migrate - choose the folder.
But always keep in mind that you shouldnt change the folder structure, otherwise you will lose some references :slight_smile:

5

After you moved a folder, right click the old moved folder, and pick Fix up redirectors in folder. This way you can change folder structure.

6

I"ve not researched alternatives, but just be aware, if you want a ‘tiled’ world , you can’t achieve that with WM unless you pay for the ‘pro’ version .

You could also just use something simple like this in a pinch:

://www.rioki.org/2014/08/23/procedural-terrain-ue4.html

7

i’ve the pro version of wm. so this should not be a problem. but thanks

8

Another question i have is how to make caves that are connected to the world itself. can i just sculpt a cave or dungeon into my existing terrain?

9

No, you will have to do that with meshes.

  1. cut a hole into the landscape (visibility tool)
  2. now you can do it in two ways:
    -either create rocks + place them in the level so that it looks like a cave
    -or export the heightmap and create a cave mesh + place it into the level + add some small props to make it look better :slight_smile: