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Large 3D terrain generator

Akanaar Neverwinter Nights Project

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Postby Aaron » Sun Dec 03, 2006 6:56 am

Hello,

My biggest gripe atm is water and how it's generated. Our world map was imported from Fractal Terrains and to get the Lake and Ocean differences is a nightmare. Lakes that are miles inland are converted into inland seas (why).


My answer depends on whether you using a direct heightfield import, or importing the map as a design map.

- Selective Mosaic Rendering


This is technically possible on:
- Attributes map
- Normals map
- Texture map
- Alpha maps
This is not possible on:
- Heightfield
- Water map
- Salinity map
- Light map (for shadows, anyhow.)

The problem with some of the maps are that the calculations are not "well bounded"; each region may depend on the region next to it. In these cases, it would be a nightmare trying to render the areas as tiles, and have them line up afterwards.

In any case, I'm not likely to implement a selective tile rendering option soon, but what I will do is export the functions required to render (some of the) calculations as tiles, and let plugin developers do what they will with them.

- Road paths


Still thinking about this one. Maybe I should think faster...

- Rivers


Rivers are definitely on the list for the release after next. So is heightfield editing.

- Vegetation mapping


Okay, I've brought vegetation forward on the to-do list. Also for the release after next (hopefully.)

Having a units converter to nwn2 units would be good too. Has anyone thought about direct 3Dmax exporting so that when the plugins become available we can load them via passing through max, ie. export from L3DT to Max, import to NWN2?


I'm going to wimp-out of this; the 3DS format is too hairy for me, and I don't do any mesh work, so I don't have the required tools to test the export plugin. Anyone? Anyone?

Anther idea would be having a plugin that directly exports the various nwn2 file formats, terrain, water, etc. into a directory that could then be imported directly by the ToolSet.


Could you list the requirements?

Cheerio,
Aaron.
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Postby Shealladh » Sun Dec 03, 2006 10:50 pm

aaron wrote:Hello,

My biggest gripe atm is water and how it's generated. Our world map was imported from Fractal Terrains and to get the Lake and Ocean differences is a nightmare. Lakes that are miles inland are converted into inland seas (why).


My answer depends on whether you using a direct heightfield import, or importing the map as a design map.


My answer there would be direct heightfiled import.


Having a units converter to nwn2 units would be good too. Has anyone thought about direct 3Dmax exporting so that when the plugins become available we can load them via passing through max, ie. export from L3DT to Max, import to NWN2?


I'm going to wimp-out of this; the 3DS format is too hairy for me, and I don't do any mesh work, so I don't have the required tools to test the export plugin. Anyone? Anyone?


I maybe able to get some of the guys over at Modellers Resource Consortium (MRC) to help with that one. I am about to really start to learn 3dmax myself.


Anther idea would be having a plugin that directly exports the various nwn2 file formats, terrain, water, etc. into a directory that could then be imported directly by the ToolSet.


Could you list the requirements?

Cheerio,
Aaron.


The only place to find file formats is usually on the nwn2boards, but after searching this is one of the only one's I came across NW Citidal's Wiki which isn't final as yet. I think everyone has nutted out most of them but no one has compiled these together :cry:

There was also a statement from the Atari Manager who said they are looking to release these in the future and maybe some in-house tools that Obsidian used to create nwn2. Coming from Atari, I'll believe it when I see it.

Thanx for the post Aaron and been awhile since I came back here, but finally on the net 24/7 now, so I hope to pop in and out regualry.
[/url]
I take solice from the fact that I know nothing...compared to the rest of the world.
Shealladh
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Postby Aaron » Mon Dec 04, 2006 12:00 am

Hi Shealladh,

Shealladh wrote:My answer there would be direct heightfiled import.


I see. For an imported heightfield, water is flooded using a water plane, so that all land below a certain elevation (0m, by default) is flooded with a uniform water type (sea, by default.) The algorithm is quite simple, and doesn't check things like whether the resulting water body is connected to the edge of the map, and if so, make it sea. I could do that, of course, but it would make the operation up to twice as slow, and there are workarounds in any case:

1) Select the delete water body mouse tool (red cross over blue blob on toolbar).
2) Click on an offending inland sea.
3) Select the water flooding tool (tap on toolbar).
4) Select 'lake', and set 'water level' to 0m.
5) Click on location of former lake.
6) Repeat step 1 for other inland seas.

If you expect you'll be doing this a lot in future, I can put upgrading the water plane calculation on my todo list.

I maybe able to get some of the guys over at Modellers Resource Consortium (MRC) to help with that one. I am about to really start to learn 3dmax myself.


That would be groovy.

The only place to find file formats is usually on the nwn2boards, but after searching this is one of the only one's I came across NW Citidal's Wiki which isn't final as yet. I think everyone has nutted out most of them but no one has compiled these together :cry:


If you don't mind, I'll wait for a complete list (which maps in which formats with which names.) Other developers are of course welcome to start on their own plugins.

Cheers,
Aaron.
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Postby Shealladh » Mon Dec 04, 2006 9:39 am

aaron wrote:Hi Shealladh,

Shealladh wrote:My answer there would be direct heightfiled import.


I see. For an imported heightfield, water is flooded using a water plane, so that all land below a certain elevation (0m, by default) is flooded with a uniform water type (sea, by default.) The algorithm is quite simple, and doesn't check things like whether the resulting water body is connected to the edge of the map, and if so, make it sea. I could do that, of course, but it would make the operation up to twice as slow, and there are workarounds in any case:

1) Select the delete water body mouse tool (red cross over blue blob on toolbar).
2) Click on an offending inland sea.
3) Select the water flooding tool (tap on toolbar).
4) Select 'lake', and set 'water level' to 0m.
5) Click on location of former lake.
6) Repeat step 1 for other inland seas.

If you expect you'll be doing this a lot in future, I can put upgrading the water plane calculation on my todo list.



Thanx for tips, they'll come in handy.
As for the water plane caluclation, this is a must for me but maybe for claculation-time reasons, you could have this as a tickbox to either include/exclude, just an idea but I do need this function myself.


I maybe able to get some of the guys over at Modellers Resource Consortium (MRC) to help with that one. I am about to really start to learn 3dmax myself.


That would be groovy.

The only place to find file formats is usually on the nwn2boards, but after searching this is one of the only one's I came across NW Citidal's Wiki which isn't final as yet. I think everyone has nutted out most of them but no one has compiled these together :cry:


If you don't mind, I'll wait for a complete list (which maps in which formats with which names.) Other developers are of course welcome to start on their own plugins.

Cheers,
Aaron.


I've been trouliing the boards looking for these specific file formats and I haven't had much luck in doing so. But as soon as they are available I will either post them in the forum or maybe on a seperate page somewhere.

Thanx again mate.

Dave
I take solice from the fact that I know nothing...compared to the rest of the world.
Shealladh
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Posts: 49
Joined: Fri Sep 29, 2006 1:52 pm
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Postby Aaron » Mon Dec 04, 2006 11:19 am

Hello Shealladh,

Shealladh wrote:As for the water plane calculation, this is a must for me but maybe for calculation-time reasons, you could have this as a tickbox to either include/exclude, just an idea but I do need this function myself.


Okay, it's on the to-do list. The next time I look at the water flooding code I'll pop this in.

Cheers,
Aaron.
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Location: Melbourne, Australia

Postby Shealladh » Mon Dec 04, 2006 12:52 pm

aaron wrote:Hello Shealladh,

Shealladh wrote:As for the water plane calculation, this is a must for me but maybe for calculation-time reasons, you could have this as a tickbox to either include/exclude, just an idea but I do need this function myself.


Okay, it's on the to-do list. The next time I look at the water flooding code I'll pop this in.

Cheers,
Aaron.


Cheers
I take solice from the fact that I know nothing...compared to the rest of the world.
Shealladh
Contributing member
 
Posts: 49
Joined: Fri Sep 29, 2006 1:52 pm
Location: Melbourne, Australia

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