operations and effects

[Chett]

noob here just reading your tutorial on road building I realize that one thing I am far from sure of is the effect of various calculations on each other. Since you recalculate the map to correct errors in the painting I realize that the point in map making I start trying to change terrain details will make a big difference. It might help to have a 'tree' somewhere either a sort of flow chart or maybe just a suggestion list on order of operations. It seems to me right now like I have to get all the 'big' layout done before I try to detail things like terrain types, not my usual way ...

[Aaron]

Hi Chett,

Here's something I sketched up a few years ago, in response to a similar question:



It's now a little out of date, as the terrain normals are now dependent on the attributes map when bump-mapping is enabled. Also, the 'per pixel land types' linkages were previously optional but are now constant. This image also doesn't include the specular light map, but it's an academic difference because that feature is only included in the Pro developmental build.

A further clue to the order of operations is given in the calculation queue wizard, which runs calculations in their proper order.

Best regards,
Aaron.

[Chett]

This actually is a big help. The queue is fine until you start doing things like going back and forth using 2d/3d edits (lost somehow half the road I bulldozed, but only half) but I am fanatic about lots of backups so no big deal.

And while I am here, wheres the mud? I was going to try and define a climate but since the tutorial on adding materials isn't done and my xml is not so good I figured to copy/edit existing materials to see how it came out. I found std_mud listed in the materials but no graphics file to go with it so the 'copy' was actually blank. I have not cross checked all the names and files but some missing stuff might explain why I am not having much luck making a swamp.

[Aaron]

Hi Chett,

You should not need to edit XML files to copy/modify/edit climates. The climate/land type/material/etc editor windows are sufficient for all such tasks.

The textures associated with each material are listed in the 'texture/bump-map layer list' in the material editor. The mud material should have two texture layers, both of which use the 'common\ground\dirt1.jpg' image in the climate resources folder.

Even so, I'm not sure you need to copy or edit materials just yet - not unless you don't like the look of the mud material, that is. My suggestion in the other thread was that you copy a climate and modifying a land type to use the mud material. This process does not require any materials to be copied or edited.

Cheerio,
Aaron.

[Chett]

The problem is I don't know what your mud looks like ... its not in the resources. There may be other textures missing I have not done a name by name check but that one is most certainly not there.
Wouldn't be that mush of a big deal, I have plenty of textures but not the normals map to go with them

oops I read that too quick, mud is dirt 1? ok I have that, and no doesnt look much like mud But fixable

[Aaron]

Hi Chett,

Materials often (re-)use textures with different names. To see what a material looks like, use the 'preview' button in the material editor. This will render an area of the material's texture map and the bump map.

Cheerio,
Aaron.