Building a specific Landmark

Started by MakeurMARK, November 10, 2013, 06:18:18 PM

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MakeurMARK

Hi, Just getting my head around Terragen. However there is one feature that will sell it for me.
Can you and is there any tuition on how to create specific landscape landmarks rather than simply relying on the automatically generated system.
I have searched the www, but don't really know what I am looking for.
Someone did advise: "localising terrain elements" and "painting replacements", which I sort of don't quite understand.
I need to develop a specifically shaped valley.
Thanks

Dune

Then you might be better of using a DEM of that valley (if that can be found) or make it in World machine, or draw a heightmap in Photoshop. What kind of valley?

MakeurMARK

World Machine was my way forward. Unfortunately it doesn't come mac friendly. Height map in photoshop sounds interesting.
Could build something more accurate in ZBrush, pass over to Photoshop and then hight map in Terragon.
Is a hight map just a B&W representation of an aerial view?

Dune

I often paint terrains in white on black in 16bit tif, so white is high and black is low. That works nicely, with additional displacements in TG. You could even paint it roughly, inmport in something like WM and erode and such, though you can do quite a lot in TG with a simple heightmap.

j meyer

Since you said you could do it in ZB you could also utilize Vector Displacement,
which can have overhangs and such,while a Height map can't.Or combinations,
depends on your needs.

MakeurMARK

Thanks Dune and j, just what I wanted to hear.
How did you guys learn the process of your workflow, guess work or is there any info on the photoshop/ZBRUSH to Terragen process?

MakeurMARK

Would the vector displacement shader feature help with my question?

j meyer

For VDisp have alook at this thread
http://www.planetside.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic,16110.0.html
workflow in general: eperimenting,experimenting experimenting
and some more experimenting.

Dune

Jochen is absolutely right, to get to grips with TG it's paramount to understand the basics and then do what Jochen said, experiment a lot. If you need any further help, just shout. I'm keen to see what you'll be making.

MakeurMARK

Thank you both for your time. I'm off to find some time to experiment.