Can you export from Terragen?

[Argyll]

This question has probably been asked before, but here goes. I've only just downloaded and installed the trial version of Teragen about 15 minutes ago. I can't see an option to export any models you create and I'm wondering if this is possible with the free and/or the commercial version? Of course I haven't read the documentation yet.   

[Upon Infinity]

Well, you don't really create models in Terragen, it's really more of a renderer.  You can, however, save objects that you have in terragen as .obj or .tgo by selecting the object node in the node interface, right clicking and clicking on Save Object File.  Note that this does not include any Terragen native objects like rocks, grass, landscapes, or planets.

[jo]

Hi Argyll,

There are various things and ways you can export from TG.

You can export imported objects to LWO, OBJ and TGO (TG2's native object format). To export an object context click on the node in the network view and choose "Save Object File". You may not be able to export commercial models such as Xfrog TGOs. You also can't export TG2s built in objects, which are things like Grass clumps, Rocks, Spheres etc. Textures and materials aren't exported for LWO and OBJ, only geometry plus normals and tex coords.

You can export rendered terrain geometry using a Micro exporter. Micro exporters can be connected to render nodes. When you render all the terrain geometry which is visible to the render camera and is between the near and far depth limits in the Micro exporter gets exported to a file. You can export to LWO, OBJ and TGO. If you want more information about that let me know. I might write the docs for the Micro exporter node tonight!

You can export camera data (motion and field of view) to .chan format using the Export tab of the Camera node.

You can export heightfields to TER (TG terrain), OpenEXR or TIFF formats. Context click on a green Heightfield operator node in the network view, such as the Heightfield generate 01 node created in the default project, and choose "Save file as".

In an upcoming version you will be able to export to FBX.

In case you were wondering, there is no way to export an entire TG scene. For example it would not be possible to export TG2 shaders etc. and have them work in other applications. Generally speaking the idea is that you can export enough from TG that you can set up scenes and animation in another app and then import relevant bits back. You can then use TG to render the landscape/environment, for example, and composite elements rendered in other apps. We still have a ways to go to make this as easy as possible, we've been working on FBX import/export to help make it easier for example, but TG has already been used in this fashion in a number of complex and high profile projects.

Regards,

Jo

[Warren Reed]

HI, I just got Terragen 3+animation, I'm also a blender user so naturally I quickly wanted to check out the obj export.

But I get nothing.  I set up the camera top view, set that as the render view, use orthographic, and in the render nodes add the micro
exporter and specify a file name and location.   I've tried with turning on and off atmosphere, shadows, etc. I hit render and get nothing but my image of course.  I've used the default ortho width, and also tried to reduce it.  Is there something I'm missing?  I followed the wiki on the microexporter.  I feel most def I'm missing something.  There is no place in the wiki description of the microexporter of how you actually get your obj, does one hit RENDER or is there something like the export stuff in the file drop down?

thanks for any ideas!

[KlausK]

I just tried to export a topview orthographic but only got a 1kb file as well.
Copy this view to current camera was set.
Maybe the distance was set wrong or it does not export orthographic views.
The Microexporter exports everything in the nearest - farthest distance range in its settings.
But I guess you read that in the wiki. If you render a perspective camera view it definitively works.
The exported geometry has the form of a triangle, from the camera position to the distance you set.
And it is mostly far of from the center of the viewport in your 3D app because it is relative to the global zero.
So when the camera is somewhere -1km in x and 2km in z you might not really see it in the 3D apps viewport.

Not helping very much, but anyways.
cheers, Klaus

[Kadri]

Post a TGD file here so we can have a look at it. That is always the fastest way to see what went wrong.

[Warren Reed]

Hi Kadri thanks here is a very simple example of what I'm doing.  Thanks for any suggestions. 

[Kadri]

The micro exporter is not attached to the right input Warren. It should be here:

[attachimg=1]

[Kadri]

And be careful. The file size can get very big.
Try with detail 0.3 (quality tab in the render node)  first and see how the object looks and then go up accordingly.

[Warren Reed]

Kadri thanks,  it's like, why isn't the tv working? did you plug it in?  ohh....  Well it works, I get my obj, but it has no geometry, there's an origin point but no mesh.  Step by step I guess.  I am working on a long animation project in blender, and first I'm going to use terragen to get nice skydomes, but for future projects I'd like to figure out how to go back and forth to set up background geometry but also then set extensions using motion tracked cameras etc.  But first, I need to figure out why I have an obj with no "object" haha.

[Kadri]

Using a higher number (1e+007) in the micro exporter worked for me Warren.
The default one did not exported the terrain as i expected too.

[Warren Reed]

Kadri, thank you for your idea, it didn't work that way but I did manage if I got rid of all terrain and instead made a generated heightfield, and the file was 100mb, and I got vertices only in blender.  but then I reduced image size, and it became more manageable. until I get verts and faces.  ok the mesh is less detailed but now I have something to work with.  I can render out higher qty images and use those as textures, and even create Normal maps with them, so things are looking up!  thanks a lot for your help.  I enjoyed your animations.  here is a shot of something,  although i'm calling the snow "chalk" deposits.  anyhow, Asante sana!  (I'm living in Tanzania)

[Kadri]

Good if you got it working. Maybe others can be more of a help, not sure about the problems you have.