Building a specific Landmark

MakeurMARK · November 10, 2013, 06:18:18 PM

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 · November 11, 2013, 02:59:01 AM

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 · November 11, 2013, 03:18:09 AM

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 · November 11, 2013, 03:57:46 AM

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 · November 11, 2013, 10:42:01 AM

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 · November 11, 2013, 01:37:42 PM

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 · November 11, 2013, 01:48:08 PM

Would the vector displacement shader feature help with my question?

j meyer · November 11, 2013, 02:09:06 PM

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 · November 12, 2013, 03:33:17 AM

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 · November 12, 2013, 02:07:52 PM

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