# Landscape Grass Variety are not aligning correctly to surface if density is low **URL:** \ **Category:** World Creation\ **Tags:** landscape-grass-type, unreal-engine, UE5-0, bug-report\ **Created:** [March 10, 2022, 7:29am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/landscape-grass-variety-are-not-aligning-correctly-to-surface-if-density-is-low/505561 "2022-03-10T07:29:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TheRealBiomes](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/therealbiomes/32/1017675_2.png) [@TheRealBiomes](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/TheRealBiomes)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2022, 7:29am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/landscape-grass-variety-are-not-aligning-correctly-to-surface-if-density-is-low/505561/1 "2022-03-10T07:29:15Z")
If a Landscape Grass Variety has a low density, it will not align correctly to Landscape. Groups of rocks, sticks and other horizontal meshes will look like they are floating or sticking out of the landscape. This can mostly be observed near the edges of a sculpted cliff or in similar areas where the angle is changing strongly. The only workaround is to increase the density of the Grass Variety or not have any sculpted cliffs in the landscape. Check the attached/linked project to easily see the issue: > **[Meet Google Drive – One place for all your files](https://accounts.google.com/ServiceLogin?service=wise&passive=1209600&continue=https:%2F%2Fdrive.google.com%2Ffile%2Fd%2F17ZH3hNd0KA-AeRmT0knERS_JjDz9MLB9%2Fview?usp%3Dsharing&followup=https:%2F%2Fdrive.google.com%2Ffile%2Fd%2F17ZH3hNd0KA-AeRmT0knERS_JjDz9MLB9%2Fview?usp%3Dsharing)** > > Google Drive is a free way to keep your files backed up and easy to reach from any phone, tablet, or computer. Start with 15GB of Google storage – free. ---
**Author:** ![Rooster128](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@Rooster128](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Rooster128)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2023, 12:35pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/landscape-grass-variety-are-not-aligning-correctly-to-surface-if-density-is-low/505561/2 "2023-06-11T12:35:44Z")
I have noticed this too- it seems the normal being read for alignment is not accurate, things always end up looking skewed when I turn that on. ---
**Author:** ![MostHost\_LA](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/mosthost_la/32/907035_2.png) [@MostHost\_LA](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/MostHost_LA)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2023, 5:15pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/landscape-grass-variety-are-not-aligning-correctly-to-surface-if-density-is-low/505561/3 "2023-06-11T17:15:08Z")
The “normal” is 1m squared by default. So, if your grass mesh is smaller than that, you can basically guarantee that it will fall outside of the tile and not be precisely aligned. The thing is it really doesn’t matter. Proper grass will be longer and dip under the landscape / grow above it as needed via vertex displacement. Proper vegetation will also grow towards the light vector, which is now possible since the sun/athmosphere updates provide a light vector in materials. ---
**Author:** ![TheRealBiomes](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/therealbiomes/32/1017675_2.png) [@TheRealBiomes](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/TheRealBiomes)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2023, 3:06pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/landscape-grass-variety-are-not-aligning-correctly-to-surface-if-density-is-low/505561/4 "2023-06-13T15:06:19Z")
It does matter though, it’s causing weird visual artifact with no great alternative solution, but mainly just waiting for the new GPU scattering tools for PCG at this point, doubt they will touch LGTs now. ---
**Author:** ![MostHost\_LA](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/mosthost_la/32/907035_2.png) [@MostHost\_LA](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/MostHost_LA)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2023, 4:30pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/landscape-grass-variety-are-not-aligning-correctly-to-surface-if-density-is-low/505561/5 "2023-06-13T16:30:43Z")
> [@TheRealBiomes](#): > > it’s causing weird visual artifact with no great alternative solution Thats a bad asset you are using as grass. With a properly made asset there are no problems, visual or otherwise. Also the align to grid option is necessary for the grass elements not to fall on the edges of the landscape. The properly made assets would obviate for that as well, but distributing 2 sets of proper assets one on grid and a smaller one off grid would most likely always look best. ---
**Author:** ![Rooster128](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@Rooster128](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Rooster128)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2023, 6:19pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/landscape-grass-variety-are-not-aligning-correctly-to-surface-if-density-is-low/505561/6 "2023-06-16T18:19:43Z")
Interesting choice of words calling them “bad assets” for not aligning with this tool- something other engines have easily been able to do forever now (the other foliage tools seem to do it correctly too) - you’d assume this tool would be able to correctly align too. But thanks for the info- good to know how it works, I guess it limits what kind of assets you can use with this method. ---
**Author:** ![MostHost\_LA](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/mosthost_la/32/907035_2.png) [@MostHost\_LA](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/MostHost_LA)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2023, 8:21pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/landscape-grass-variety-are-not-aligning-correctly-to-surface-if-density-is-low/505561/7 "2023-06-16T20:21:54Z")
This doesn’t just happen on this engine. Likely, a badly made asset is going to be badly placed by any automated system. Some of the reasons why the asset is bad (if i did not mention them above already) coud be: Wrong object pivot. Lack of custom/proper collision. Badly planned mesh structure. Too small/too large a mesh. Badly planned mesh material (grass). Other engine centric reasons not related to the meshes could be: Bad landscape geometry. Bad landscape collision. Moving the landscape from where the engine places it (can cause grass maps to go nuts). ---
**Author:** ![TheRealBiomes](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/therealbiomes/32/1017675_2.png) [@TheRealBiomes](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/TheRealBiomes)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2023, 12:57am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/landscape-grass-variety-are-not-aligning-correctly-to-surface-if-density-is-low/505561/8 "2023-08-03T00:57:53Z")
There seems to be a misunderstanding. The assets are obviously completely fine and high quality and well made 🙂 You can see very similar assets in Epic’s own demos or in Quixel’s work. If those people don’t know how to make the correct assets, who does ;)? Also, the aligning works perfectly fine with our assets. (and any other asset) of any size. The only issue is that the alignment no longer works, if the density is decreased. ---
**Author:** ![RecourseDesign](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/recoursedesign/32/1194503_2.png) [@RecourseDesign](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/RecourseDesign)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2023, 1:08am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/landscape-grass-variety-are-not-aligning-correctly-to-surface-if-density-is-low/505561/9 "2023-08-03T01:08:47Z")
I’ve used this with good success in the past (oh, just saw your question on there about getting it working in UE5 - it looks like WorldPartition breaks it, it works with a single landscape) > **[Floating Foliage Fixer in Blueprints - UE Marketplace](https://www.unrealengine.com/marketplace/en-US/product/floating-foliage-fixer)** > > Ensures foliage is not sticking out the ground on a slope ---
**Author:** ![RecourseDesign](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/recoursedesign/32/1194503_2.png) [@RecourseDesign](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/RecourseDesign)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2023, 1:50am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/landscape-grass-variety-are-not-aligning-correctly-to-surface-if-density-is-low/505561/10 "2023-08-03T01:50:30Z")
I’ve been thinking - it looks like that plugin is no longer supported, and one of my tools, rdBPtools already enumerates all foliage, and also has a tool for dropping to ground, so it’s a simple task of checking the normal and subtracting a little off the z position - something I can add very easily. I’m going to add that feature for the next version. If it’s that you’re looking for a solution to give your customers - maybe this will work? Also, something similar for splines, I noticed your comment that you recommend your customers turn off collision (definitely speeds it up). I have another tool I’m in the process of polishing ready to release - rdSplinetools that splits up splines into smaller sections that are very fast to edit. The tool is c++ - but to allow for the full spline experience, it has to send commands to the blueprint spline being used to populate the spline (telling each section it’s start position, matching up start-end point movements, and snapping to sockets). If you were interested in supporting those commands in your own spline blueprints, it would speed up your and your customers editing - and you could advertise it supported the high-speed editing as a feature… DM for a release candidate to have look at if you’re interested - and here’s the WIP site: > **[rdSplineTools - Recourse Design ltd.](https://recourse.nz/index.php/rdsplinetools/)** > > Last Updated: 22nd June 2023 Latest Version: TBA rdSplineTools is an Editor Plugin that speeds up the editing of large splines in your Unreal Engine levels by huge amounts without the need to move to other forms of spline mesh creation. It seamlessly...