Need help with exporting.

[Logimite]

So I recently bought terragen professional and would like to export to obj using micro exporter setting. I found multiple forum threads about this but I couldn't find a step by step instruction. Can somebody please link a terragen video on how to use micro exporter or make a step by step instruction on exporting? Thank you.

[WAS]

Here is a topic I posted about this very same thing: https://planetside.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic,27603.msg274457.html#msg274457

Additionally, I've attached an example project with settings setup for this. The Mico Exporter node can be found within the Render Node (right click -> Internal Network), and that's where you can set the path and filename for the OBJ export.

Using the same orthographic camera, you could also export textures and just align them correctly in your 3rd party app.

PS I haven't done it myself beyond exporting, but my exported terrain and images could be used within Unreal engine without much hassle, so not too hard a process. That being said, exporting heightmaps is much easier on 3rd party apps.

[WAS]

Somewhat of a tip though, because the file is exported so large, you may want to consider a lower MPD and then subdividing in a 3rd party app. You can get near the same level of detail subdiving lower polys from Terragen. However, you must weld the OBJ prior to subdividing. Also, depending on how close a POV will be to the terrain you may need to adjust the Patch Size in you "Compute Terrain". If you're "Closer" you'll want lower values. If you're viewing from a distance, the default or higher values may serve better. Basiically this effects the UV scale, from what I understand, which then effects the textures/colours applied in 3rd party apps.

[Logimite]

Somewhat of a tip though, because the file is exported so large, you may want to consider a lower MPD and then subdividing in a 3rd party app. You can get near the same level of detail subdiving lower polys from Terragen. However, you must weld the OBJ prior to subdividing. Also, depending on how close a POV will be to the terrain you may need to adjust the Patch Size in you "Compute Terrain". If you're "Closer" you'll want lower values. If you're viewing from a distance, the default or higher values may serve better. Basiically this effects the UV scale, from what I understand, which then effects the textures/colours applied in 3rd party apps.

Yeah, I have already read that topic but I wasn't sure how to actually export it. There wasn't any actual instructions I could follow.

[Logimite]

Somewhat of a tip though, because the file is exported so large, you may want to consider a lower MPD and then subdividing in a 3rd party app. You can get near the same level of detail subdiving lower polys from Terragen. However, you must weld the OBJ prior to subdividing. Also, depending on how close a POV will be to the terrain you may need to adjust the Patch Size in you "Compute Terrain". If you're "Closer" you'll want lower values. If you're viewing from a distance, the default or higher values may serve better. Basiically this effects the UV scale, from what I understand, which then effects the textures/colours applied in 3rd party apps.

Yeah, I have already read that topic but I wasn't sure how to actually export it. There wasn't any actual instructions I could follow.

Like, do I click render to get my geometry?

[Logimite]

Also, it would work if I had a Heightmap and a colormap but I don't think Terragen could do that. So, that is why I am choosing to use OBJ import.

[WAS]

You can export a heightmap in orthographic view, yes. It's even easier if you convert to heightfield with heigtfield generate and use colour by height. Then just paint the area with a surface layer, using your heightmap as a colour input. You can use same orthographic camera and pipe your colour shaders into a surface layer as well to export a colour map at the same scale.

As for micro exporter, it exports with your render, as it renders. So yes, you just set the filename and hit render.

[Nala1977]

steps:

1) Right click in the node editor -> create other -> Micro Exporter
2) Double click the Micro Exporter node -> click the blue save to disk icon and set a path and a name for your obj
3) In the node editor double click the Render01 node -> Sequence/Output tab -> enable tick Micro exporter and click on the green Plus icon -> assign micro handler -> your previous created Micro Exporter.
4) hit render and wait when the render is finished you will find your .obj in that path you set before in the micro exporter node.

This is for the obj (a very tedious and twisted way to do things in my opinion).
Keep in mind that terragen will export anything in camera view and reaching 1gb of obj file is going to be extremely easy.

Regarding the actual shading of your geometry i have no clue because its not documented and i had an hard time doing it. For some things this software is amazing, for other is quite a nightmare.

[WAS]

You can get much smaller file sizes by using much lower MPD settings. 0.1-0.2 is still subdividable and then provides a smooth result, at a smaller file size then what TG would export. 

Applying colour is pretty easy. You just apply any texture at the scale of the terrain. So a 10,000m export would require a image sized to 10,000m and aligned with the obj in the source editor. The micro exporter exports UV, though as I mentioned depending on where your final POV is you may need to adjust the patch size of your compute terrain or compute normal.

[KlausK]

...and then there is this "thing" that you render only with 1 Thread (Renderers - Advanced - Maximum Threads).
This gives the least amount of overlapping polygons after export. Takes the longest time of course.
Or try to merge and reduce the doubled polys after import.

CHeers, Klaus

[WAS]

...and then there is this "thing" that you render only with 1 Thread (Renderers - Advanced - Maximum Threads).
This gives the least amount of overlapping polygons after export. Takes the longest time of course.
Or try to merge and reduce the doubled polys after import.

CHeers, Klaus

I wonder if resolution plays a role at all here. I usually export with 800x800 so it doesn't take very long, and the results seem fine.

[Nala1977]

You can get much smaller file sizes by using much lower MPD settings. 0.1-0.2 is still subdividable and then provides a smooth result, at a smaller file size then what TG would export.

Applying colour is pretty easy. You just apply any texture at the scale of the terrain. So a 10,000m export would require a image sized to 10,000m and aligned with the obj in the source editor. The micro exporter exports UV, though as I mentioned depending on where your final POV is you may need to adjust the patch size of your compute terrain or compute normal.

im still super confused. i want to export procedural color shaders, not texture.
what woult be a step by step guide to do so?

[WAS]

You'd need to render an orthographic of your shaders. You may be able to get away with displacement in a top down orthographic, which means allowing surface constraints, but may have to use a flat ground to project the shaders on which would not have slopes/alt constraints. Not the best but it works.

Matt is supposedly working on texture exporting for the micro exporter, so that will solve the issues altogether.

Using the heightmap method is much easier to get an exact dimension export of displacement and colours

[digitalguru]

Some tips for exporting with the micro exporter:

• As mentioned, use an orthographic camera pointing down on the scene.
• If you just need the mesh and not any textures, turn off off Normals and Texture coords, the .obj file size will reduce considerably. You can always set the normals (smoothing) in your DCC.

...and then there is this "thing" that you render only with 1 Thread (Renderers - Advanced - Maximum Threads).
This gives the least amount of overlapping polygons after export. Takes the longest time of course.
Or try to merge and reduce the doubled polys after import.

• Rendering with multiple threads adds duplicated faces at the borders of the render buckets, these can easily be fixed (or merged) as with duplicated verts. in your DCC or another app - see this page for some suitable apps:
• https://peterfalkingham.com/2020/03/18/the-best-free-software-for-editing-and-cleaning-decimating-and-retopologizing-meshes-and-3d-data-2020/
• ...Meshlab is good for this.
• The Micro Exporter creates faces from the micro-poly render but doesn't merge shared vertices, so these will always have to be merged, again, this will greatly reduce file size.
• If you have the professional version of Terragen you can add Render elements to output the Surface Diffuse Color(before lighting) to give you the surface color albedo.
• Resolution and Micro-poly detail affect the density of the mesh but are interchangeable - a micro export at a resolution of 1024 and Micro-poly detail of 0.5 will be the same size as a Micro Export of resolution 512 with Micro-poly detail of 1.0
• If you plan on importing into Maya - check out my tutorial here, it should give you some useful pointers if you're using another app.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALbWYn_YHMI&t=758s
• If you fancy trying out my Maya script, Highend 3d is down, so PM me if you want a copy.

[WAS]

Some tips for exporting with the micro exporter:

• As mentioned, use an orthographic camera pointing down on the scene.
• If you just need the mesh and not any textures, turn off off Normals and Texture coords, the .obj file size will reduce considerably. You can always set the normals (smoothing) in your DCC.

...and then there is this "thing" that you render only with 1 Thread (Renderers - Advanced - Maximum Threads).
This gives the least amount of overlapping polygons after export. Takes the longest time of course.
Or try to merge and reduce the doubled polys after import.

• Rendering with multiple threads adds duplicated faces at the borders of the render buckets, these can easily be fixed (or merged) as with duplicated verts. in your DCC or another app - see this page for some suitable apps:
• https://peterfalkingham.com/2020/03/18/the-best-free-software-for-editing-and-cleaning-decimating-and-retopologizing-meshes-and-3d-data-2020/
• ...Meshlab is good for this.
• The Micro Exporter creates faces from the micro-poly render but doesn't merge shared vertices, so these will always have to be merged, again, this will greatly reduce file size.
• If you have the professional version of Terragen you can add Render elements to output the Surface Diffuse Color(before lighting) to give you the surface color albedo.
• Resolution and Micro-poly detail affect the density of the mesh but are interchangeable - a micro export at a resolution of 1024 and Micro-poly detail of 0.5 will be the same size as a Micro Export of resolution 512 with Micro-poly detail of 1.0
• If you plan on importing into Maya - check out my tutorial here, it should give you some useful pointers if you're using another app.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALbWYn_YHMI&t=758s
• If you fancy trying out my Maya script, Highend 3d is down, so PM me if you want a copy.

I was wondering if you'd have any more modern considerations to share. Thanks a lot.