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3D Game Programming All in One. By Kenneth C. Finney. Chapter 12 Terrains. Terrains. For outdoor game environments Terrain is a topography model combined with ground cover textures. Terrains. Terrains Explained Tiles are the basic terrain unit
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3D Game Programming All in One • By Kenneth C. Finney
Terrains • For outdoor game environments • Terrain is a topography model combined with ground cover textures
Terrains • Terrains Explained • Tiles are the basic terrain unit • Terrain tiles are a collection of polygons, like any other 3D model
Terrains • Terrains Explained • Fidelity : accuracy of terrain • Spread : uniqueness of terrain areas, related to tile repetition • Freedom : ability of player characters to move within the terrain
Terrains • Terrains Explained • Terrain Data can be obtained from • U.S. Geological Survey • Formats: • Digital Elevation Model (DEM) • Digital Terrain Model (DTM) • Spatial Data Transfer Standard (SDTS)
Terrains • Terrain Modeling • External modeling method: terrain as another object in the game world • Internal method: game engine contains specialized terrain rendering code
Terrains • Height Maps • Grayscale images (8 bits per pixel) that represent terrain • Similar to topographical maps • Resolution is an issue (leads to either small tiles, or poor fidelity)
Terrains • Terrain Cover • Textures used to represent soil types, flora, debris, and litter • Grass, Flowers, Dirt, Pebbles • Rocks, Trash, Litter, Pavement • Concrete, Moss, Sand, Stone
Terrains • Tiling • Issues similar to those found in structure textures • seamless transitions • appropriate lighting
Terrains • Lab 1: Terrain • Use paint program to create height map from a contour map • Mathematically determine required image sizes • Use the Terraform Editor to add height map game world
Terrains • Applying Terrain Cover • Cover textures look best when created for tiling • Use grid textures to assist with sizing and sight lines • Paint terrain using the built-in Torque Terrain Texture Painter
Terrains • Lab 2: Terrain Cover • Use images to create terrain cover • Use the Terrain Texture Painter to apply terrain cover • Add terrain cover (materials) to available selection • Use guide images to apply cover
Summary • Terrain = topography + cover • Terrain characteristics: fidelity, spread, freedom • Source data: USGS (real world), maps, onsite measurement • Height-maps are like topographical maps • Adjust height-maps to match game world size