High Quality World Environments

Community Community & Industry Discussion
41

Yeah, nice landscapes!

I used World Machine with that UDK plugin in the past, the one that split the seperate maps (erosion, flow, etc) at the output. It’s a brilliant way to get really amazing results. The problem I’ve always had is what someone said above - they aren’t really customizable to a certain gametype, because in large parts the design is still random. I tried working with heightmaps of my own as a base, back then. But somehow gave up, because the heightmaps were buggy, and I had problems using the right format (between UDK and World Machine).

Now, long speech follow up: two things would really be awesome. 1) If you find a way to use custom created heightmaps as a base for the terrain. So you can design the maps with a gametype in mind; it could also mean, people uploading their heightmaps for you to use. 2) Ground terrain and detail material. You wrote about vegetation once, however the sceenshots are all from an air perspective. A map should have some gras and detail vegetation, rocks scattered where it fits. A 20$ investment into Speedtree may be the key to this.

Please take as constructive criticism. I just think you can offer a more complete product, which is actually directly usable in a prototype or game. A visually complete experience.

42

Hi SinKing, What you have asked for is exactly what asset pack is about. It gives you 50 base set-ups (some tillable as an extra), Video tutorial series from start to finish from creating your base maps in image tool, explicit customisation for the use end user wants, using 3d app for texture creation, removing texture stretching on near to horizontal rock faces, Baking AO, Colour map, Direct lighting, indirect lighting, light maps, normal maps, displace maps, 16 bit height maps ready to export to UE4.

Should also add, Im not using any plugin for UDK export, I watched a few vids of that technique a few months back and have never seen anyone come up with something that looks good, but i may look at it in the future if someone can prove me wrong. I use base maps all the time with world machine, works fine if you setup the node system correctly. But even then i really only use the procedural tool for interesting height elevations and importantly masks maps for my separate texturing layers to match the elevation file.

All the real good stuff is then done in the image editor, then into 3d app for mixing with object space procedural mapping technique. It’s the only way to avoid nasty texture issues on near to vertical surfaces. All is explained within the asset pack ill be selling that also includes tyhe start to finish video tutorial system.

Also manually sculpting your terrains to get exactly what you want from your modified terrain, Procedurally generated texture mapping. Also mixing multiple base maps from the asset pack into 1 map ready for export (e.g being able to mix say 4-5 height maps with textures and masks into 1 exportable height map and all corresponding textures and masks to you new modified result. Then finaly we end up in UE4 editor, importing, lighting, render settings, post pro, lightmass, and custom shader setup.

Ive done a quick video rip from one of the tutorial sections that covers creating your custom height map after sculpting and modification using path tracer for explicit quality, should help clear things up a little.

To be honest i think 50 terrains (with extra tillable versions of certain maps, about 15) with finished texture composite file for texture base, 3D scene file for then editing and procedural texturing, sculpting for what you exactly want the outcome for, 3d scene file to then bake the texture maps from your modified 3d scene & your now custom version of the height map needed to match your edited terrain.

Then also start to finish video tutorials of the whole process for $30-35 dollars (not even pounds) which epic will then take 30%, and i have to cover the tax cost isn’t a bad deal.

To be honest the only way i could make your life any easier would be to add a MAKE GAME FOR ME BUTTON. And i can’t see my self doing that any time soon :slight_smile:

Cheers KB://youtube.com/=4KcqYoIZ0Jo

43

What I don’t understand then is why you create random looking terrains. Instead, why not make a couple of random ones (e.g. for flight simulation) and offering a few that respresent a certain gametype (e.g. with mockup bases in CSG architecture, choke points and capture points); trigger locations don’t have to be functional, but offer something visually as a means of prototyping game functionality with a certain map type. These big terrains look like you just clicked “generate” in World Machine and did a bit of cleaning and stitching up afterwards.

I know stuff is a lot of work, but I have to judge you by the images you offer, not by the text you write. If however what you write above is how it is going to be, series could additionally be offered to e.g. Digital Tutors, or Eat3D, as a tutorial series for those interested in Landscaping. I always wanted something like it, provided it is complete and lets you design your own maps with the help of World Machine. 'Cause it is great looking stuff and a shame when it can’t be put to use, except for vistas or gameplay that can be tweaked to work on an open-world map.

If it has all the features you describe in the last paragraphs, I’ll be among the first orders! The inbuilt terrain features are good in UDK + U4, but they don’t quite cut it without some customization. Btw. I figured, I’d send you that link to the UDK layer macro for world machine. is really useful, if you set up your material in UnrealEd in a way that lets you use the separate maps to tweak your landscape material layers.
http://forum.world-machine.com/index.php?topic=1995.0

44

Hey SinKing, It’s a catch 22 mate. If i purposely built maps for a specific game style then it’s useless to else. The reason ive done it way is the 50 terrains have quite a large set of different terrain types like deserts, islands, mountains etc etc, But was also the idea of the tutorial series.

Because were using a 3D application to generate our own final texture sets for UE4 and custom height map after editing to make sure modified terrain matches the new texture set we can use the power of the 3D application nature.

For example you could load in 1 of the more flat grassy billowy terrain maps (say one of the tillable versions ive made) and use as the base layer, add say 3x3 tiling for the displace map UV’s. Then you could import another height map from another one of the terrain’s from the pack that was maybe one of the islands, use out mask map for the area to make a vertex weight selection on the terrain and only apply that second height map to only that area from the island that has grass and mountains over the top of the first displaced tillable terrain.

Because we also have the mask maps for the second terrain we can use that then blend between the colour/grass rock area’s/normal maps from the first map imported to the second. then means grassy area’s will only appear on grassy area’s even on the first map that also match the second, same for rock surfaces. So what you would end up with at that point is a brand new terrain that mixed both those original terrains but will look completely different.

We could then do process again with a third terrain from the map pack etc etc etc. Because we have 50 base terrains the outcome for the end user will mean by do with random settings your never end up with a final modified terrain that anyone else who bought the map pack will have. Take into account we can also hand sculpt the terrain to add new details or remove old one’s you can tailor the map for exactly what your purposes are. Each terrain also has the original photoshop file that was used to generate the original maps for each terrain. But as ive layered the file with grass/rocks/ all masked you could go back in and add your own grass color map/textures, same for rock etc. Again meaning even your colour maps are completely customisable so you don’t have to use the originals ive provided.

It’s a very powerful way of terrain generation and texturing. But because we have our modified scene in the 3D app that we can bake our final textures and height maps from we don’t have to stick to the same resolutions. You could build and bake out a 8000x8000 res set of maps or 16000x16000. To take things even further UE4 terrain tool can now use tiled terrains (e.g 1 big terrain you made with each terrain tile could be split into 4 or 8 sets of individual texture maps for separate sections of terrain within the editor. Trust me, it works well.

Cheers

KB

45

Hey man, all of your images are down (Or maybe it’s my computer). I was hoping to see your work as the video is amazing and inspiring.