Terrain Help

Development Asset Creation
1

So i’m at the point where i want to start working on a terrain. And i have some questions for you Level Designers. What i want to do is have quite a big world but it will hurt performance to make one big landscape. So would it work if i were to make smaller landscapes in different scenes and somehow have it stream the new terrain where it should be when you get close.Without any loading screens or pauses in gameplay. And having that work for as far as i want it to go.? For example lets say i have level 1 and in in a valley. there is a road i can follow that leads to the top of the hill (but the terrain ends when you get to the top). but when you are a certain distance from the top of the hill the terrain from level 2 spawns in that connects to level 1. And then have level 1 despawn when you get a certain distance away.

Or am i just over thinking this and is there a way easier way to do something like this.?

Basically, I want to achieve large terrain without much loading or lag but not never ending. Some examples would be. Rust,Arma 3.

2

Hi Firezown,

With the recent release of 4.3.1 we now have our World Composition tool that will help with large open worlds like this and allow you to do level streaming. You can set up your landscapes in a grid patternso that each landscape is its own level, as you get closer you can have the distance set for it to load and unload.

Thanks!

3

Ok, Thanks alot!

4

Ok this works how i wanted it to. But i have 1 question. if i sculpt a mountain on the edge of Terrain 1 and it want it to continue on Terrain 2. Is there a easier way to get it the same height and shape without resculpting on the other side. Because everytime i try to get it the same height it goes over or lower and you have nasty lines in the terrain that lead to nothingness.

5

At the moment there isn’t a way to handle this aside from eyeing it and using assets to cover this. has walked a user through this before, but I’m having trouble finding his forum thread where he helped the user with multiple landscapes.

Users have definitely requested to be able to edit both terrains at the same time to be able to get a smoother seam.

6

Is there a way to merge like in UDK until you get it how you want?

7

:frowning: Unfortunately I have deleted that video. But you still have to sculpt a little bit. Here are the steps:

  1. add the two landscapes
  2. they should overlapp a little bit at the connection line
  3. now increase or decrease one part of the landscape
  4. fixed ^^

I will upload a video in some sec (but it could also take longer :p)

Edit:

Before I start recording the video. Do you use heightmaps or have you created the mountain in the ue4?

8

I used the ingame terrain. But i might import heightmaps later.

9

Ok, then I will record a video that shows both processes :wink:

10
  1. Make an 8k terrain.
  2. Modify it, do whatever you want.
  3. Export it to a TGA.
  4. Split the TGA up into 4 sections using a 2D editing program
  5. Bring those 4 pieces back into UE4 as separate landscapes
  6. Use the Landscape Gizmo to copy/paste layer info into your quads (this part might be a pain in the ***)

Now I haven’t done this, not entirely sure how UE handles terrain verts at render time when they are edge to edge.

11

There are two ways how you could do it:

  1. the one that suggested (easiest one ^^)
  2. How I do it in this video ( I just overlapped those two landscapes and then I modified it with the smooth/erosion/sculpt tool):
    &feature=youtu.be
12

saving this thread!!! Thanks Firezown for asking this!

13

Thanks, This helps alot!