Hill smoothing trick

[icebreakr 3107]

Since BIS still didn't release any newer tools for the community, I would like to share couple of tricks with you.

Smoothing out certain sections like coasts usually takes hours since there is no tool for smoothing out larger sections of the grid.

So there are three options:

1. Smoothing out larger areas if you don't have any objects placed

- you can work with fast Photoshop/Gimp when editing terrain.png file and importing it back quickly with Project>Import terrain from picture

2. Smoothing out larger areas if you already have a gazillion objects placedon map

Option 1 doesn't work if you have a lot of objects placed or better - it does, but can take up to 8+ hours for a single import ;) bad programming. Here's a solution when you have 100,000+ objects placed and you need to make a new island or smooth something out:

- click Project and Export Terrain into picture. Use yourproject\source\terrain folder and save as 1.pbl

- when new window appears write down on a piece of paper upper two numbers that are faded out (min & max)

- open L3DT app (its free, download it) and click Import heightfield. Define min & max you wrote down on paper. You should have an exact replica of V3 terrain.

- click on 3D icon and use much friendlier editor as BIS has, simply fixing the sectors where roads go or where you have a steep coast

- for easier navigation export your sat_lco to a smaller sized 1024x1024 image and import it too so you can see where the road go etc. You can use V3>Project>export map as image to make a map where you can see where the vegetation, buildings and roads are.

- when you're done close 3D mode and refresh heightfield map. Click CTRL-E or rightclick-Export and save it as XYZ file

- go to Visitor3 and Project>Import terrain from XYZ and pick that new .xyz file. It should only take couple seconds and you're new terrain will be imported with exact same water height. Voila.

3. Smoothing out small sections

Third option is cool if you only have a steep hill you didn't notice before.

- create a new road with single straight object, possibly wider as you can (runway tiles work great)

- make a road starting with straight piece and add a few 25+25+25 objects

- copy the road and make it look like this, you can overlay it a bit too:

- place it over the steep area that you want to flatten and select all 6 roads

- use Scripts>Add & Run script and pick from BIS tools folder "smoothroads.vis" script

- I recommend Constant slope, use it & voila - new coast is here:

:)

Hope that helps novice mapmakers and new guys working in BIS/Brno (joke) ;)

Edited March 11, 2012 by IceBreakr

[minimalaco 30]

actually is a good trick for these situations occupy smoothroad, in clafghan did something similar with FOB'S :P

But we have a problem working with grid of 2.5 m, the smoothroads not work, someone has had this problem with small grids? even grid of 4m, the smoothroads not work well in all sectors of the way.

BIS, Please FIX this :)

[[aps]gnat 28]

Thanks Icebreakr

..... would be soooo much simpler if both programs (L3DT & Visitor) allowed import AND export of XYZ file format ...... :(

[Robster 11]

erm

My dear friend IceB: I should tell that you can import quickly your new heights... I mean it does not take 8+ hours to import new terrain from image using this simple method... taught by -who else- Mr. Bushlurker (!)

This is how this quick import method works:

1. Open your pew and make everything visible on it (objects, locations names, roads...)

2. Select all and Copy

3. Delete all... yes delete all (be sure to make a previous backup just in case)

4. Import your new PBL (it will take just a few seconds)

5. Paste absolute (shift+V)

Voilà!

:p

EDIT: As a tip: is important to work within max and min heights frame if you do not want to alter your terrain shape... I mean if you do not want to alter span like function as Wilbur would actually conceive it...

ATM I go for DEM to get my main draft -> L3dt/Wilbur/EarthSculptor to get better resolution on noticed natural accidents (riverbeds, strong slopes, cliffs, terraces...) -> PS to get finer details where everything else doesn't suit ... this process comes as a mix when you can import quickly as I already told you...

Saludos pepón!!!!

EDIT2: Gnat: you can export from l3dt to XYZ... I guess you have to look for some free to install plugin...

I bet you don't guess who told me ... yep Mr. Bushlurker hahaha

Edited March 11, 2012 by Robster

[icebreakr 3107]

That works Robster, I used that for Panthera, but it still takes ~5min for copypaste ;) and it seems it brakes down bridges and docks heights - all objects that have preset height values?

[[aps]gnat 28]

EDIT2: Gnat: you can export from l3dt to XYZ... I guess you have to look for some free to install plugin...

Yes, but you can't import ..... so the edit pipeline is broken.

[bushlurker 45]

L3DT does both Import & Export in .XYZ format... the only real obvious shortcoming is Visitors inability to export .xyz, which IS a pain, especially since it does that confusing thing with the two sets of max/min values that Ice mentioned...

B

[Robster 11]

@Gnat: I see your point, but L3dt does not import a new heightfield... so vis3 breaks the XYZ pipeline and l3dt wouldn't even recognize something like that... that's our mapper life :(

Anyways, that gradient tool available on PS can help with slopes & smooth and does a perfect job on a beach shore... it just requires some tests to be sure everything will be ok...

I get best results applying "soft light" -"luz suave" sorry I do not have english version of PS- at 10% opacity with some gaussian blur around 1 px... just for not touching min & max presets I get sure that former layer is blocked and always visible... and never work over the whole image... just that part that need some fix and that will never be that most deeper or higher area... for this very reason I can't use Wilbur since it always recompute the whole thing -even when you just change a tiny place- and thus bridges, roads and other objects begin to appear misplaced...

@IceB: I usually have an empty copy of pew for quick reference... once I am satisfied with results I apply permanent changes...

There you have a proof of concept...

We see some cracked slope in the horizon when taking a short fly over this map...

And this is getting closer to what we would expect to see when approaching that area...

Saludillos!

Edited March 12, 2012 by Robster

[[aps]gnat 28]

L3DT does both Import & Export in .XYZ format...

Huh? I have the paid version and its missing.

Can you hint where the feature is?

@Robster

Nice .... I just gotta get a decend paint program .....

[Synide 0]

Gnat;2118659']Can you hint where the feature is?

Ctrl-E (Export Active Layer) while you're on the 'heightfield' layer, select XYZ from the dropdownlist combobox. Probably a good idea to change options to Y-up as well.

While L3DT can import & export xyz/xzy... V3PE can only import as a standard option (V3 can both import & export outta the box). But you can export the necessary terrain grid height values to a textual xzy file with V3Script. Alternatively I could hack up a quick tool to just dump the elevations data from a .pew to an xzy file... or ask Mikero or T_D todo it... :P.

If you guys wanted that sorta thing you could have just asked... myself or one of the other knowledgeable chaps in this area hanging about could'a done that literally years ago for ewes.

Edited March 12, 2012 by Synide

[icebreakr 3107]

[APS]Gnat: did u miss my first post "Click CTRL-E or rightclick-Export and save it as XYZ file"?

Synide: that would be great!

[[aps]gnat 28]

Alternatively I could hack up a quick tool to just dump the elevations data from a .pew to an xzy file

Awesome, yes please.

I suspect thats faste/easier than a V3 script !

EDIT: XYZ is not listed as an option in the formats I can save as .................

...... might have to check what version I have.

Edited March 12, 2012 by [APS]Gnat

[icebreakr 3107]

You're not looking at the right place ;)

Open up heightfield in l3dt then File>Export>Export map layer... you select Heightfield and under file formats you have XYZ listed.

[mikero 79]

Gnat;2118235']Thanks Icebreakr

..... would be soooo much simpler if both programs (L3DT & Visitor) allowed import AND export of XYZ file format ...... :(

ExportXYZ NameOfPew

https://dev-heaven.net/projects/mikero-pbodll/files

enjoy

[Robster 11]

Aleluya bro!!!!!

EDIT: Now we will be getting even closer to real data on DEMs... ATM I was using Google Earth to compare my reference peak heights, so this comparing process will be much easier if we can keep elevation data as "clear" as possible, I mean clear for ourselves assuring that we won't get any undesired or uncontrolled change... many thanks Sir!

Edited March 12, 2012 by Robster

[icebreakr 3107]

Once again, community doing the job of developers :) good job Mikero!

[[aps]gnat 28]

O M G

[Donny 10]

Hi,

at the momemt I am using this smoothing trick with my project.

Not for a Hill, but for the roads, I always get around that script cause of fear to destroy something.

So my question, erhm how long did that normally takes?

I am running this script now for since a hour, and it seems to no end :confused:

greetings

[icebreakr 3107]

If it runs more than a minute you need to cancel the process - delete the road (tip: export it, reimport it at same start location). Known bug, sometimes it hangs if you have a very long road with a hill in-between the start and end point.

I've been thinking. If the community would throw together finances for new tools - development cycle of a "new SDK", would that be an option for A3? It could be a totally separate project from the actual game.

[Donny 10]

Thanks for the tip,

sadly this wont work too, but now I have used another method, I took some invisible road pieces and check my road in bulldozer and if it was too strange I take this invisible road pieces and smoothed it, works good :)

Even that method for smoothing sharp edges at plained areas works great, gets a new natural look

thanks :)

[kremator 1064]

Maye be a good idea to post further info about your method too Donny.

[icebreakr 3107]

Road placement over bumpy terrain doesn't work exactly 100% times, so I recommend the method Bushlurker described on Pg.1 (via L3DT).

[Donny 10]

Ok, great I watched over it an there you can clearly see where the terrain is bumpy, a bit smoothing and cliffing alright :)

At first I go though the hole streetmap with my Bulldozer in visitor and push the terrain to geht the road smooth, now with that l3dt trick it is even better.

The other method @kremator was a similiar to icebreakr's trick with the smoothroad script, but I dont selecte the road itself I took invisible road pieces shorten or enlarge them how I need it and then put this over the street and run the script, so the same as the hill smoothing :)

I hoped to get rid of this broken street pieces, there are some cuts in the street, also clutter goes on some places over it, but it seems to not help.

[bushlurker 45]

After far too much trial and error, I've noticed that sometimes, when the "smooth roads script" seems to just run forever, it's because the starting keypoint is at a weird angle...

Try doubleclicking the keypoint at the beginning of the road, and if it's at some crazy angle like 270.3 degrees, change it to 270 degrees and try again.....

I've found that most times that's enough to encourage the script to actually complete... then it's just a matter of tidying the edges manually.....

B