Running CamPath v3.23 script changes my Terragen v0.9 water level to -8400

Started by dew, February 08, 2008, 04:04:50 AM

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dew

Hi, I've made one basic movie using Terragen v0.9 with Campath v3.23, and Virtual Dub  ;D So I wanted to learn how to control CamPath better in a nicer world, and that's when I ran into a strange problem.

I made and saved a world and terrain file in Terragen. Campath is running from within Terragen, under its plugin folder. I clicked Terragen | Run CamPath to open it.

Then from CamPath I opened the terrain I had saved, and set my water level to be the same as what it was in Terragen, then proceeded to plot my path points. After making sure all my points were above ground, I saved my CamPath script and opened it from Terragen.

I noticed my renders had dry gorges, and stopped the scripted renders. I previewed from Terragens preview, and my water had disappeared. So I reset it to -280, and double-checked my water level in CamPath, which was still set to -280.

So I resaved everything again, and started the script from Terragen again, and again there was no water. I repeated this a few more times, with each episode not having water during the scripted renders in Terragen.

I then moved all my windows around so I would be able to view the water level in Terragen immediately after starting the CamPath script. As soon as I started the CamPath script from Terragen | Run Script, and with my own eyes I watched the water level in Terragen change from -280 to -8400 ???

I opened the script in a text editor, and the CamPath script has the water set to -280:
Quote; This script was created for a water level of: -280
WaterLevel -280.0

Is there something I'm doing incorrectly that's causing my water levels to change? Thanks!

/edit: typo & attached a zip with my terrain, world, and script

dew

Instead of trying again with the files I used last night, I started from scratch using a newly made terrain and world, then mapping out a new path, and saving that as a new script.

The water levels are behaving as they should this time around, so it seems like it was a bazaar newbie mishap ::)

Matt

The default behaviour of v0.9 scripts is to work in TUs (Terrain Units), not metres. Your point spacing would have been 30 metres, so -280 x 30 = -8400. When the script is run, it thinks you want the water level at -280 TUs, which is -8400 metres.

You can switch the Terragen user interface to display Terrain Units with the option button (radio button) at the top right of the Rendering Control window. When you do that, the Water Level will be displayed in TUs so you know which value to enter into CamPath.

That is the default behaviour. You can tell Terragen to interpret script values as metres in the Animation settings (or even in the script itself), but that is only a good idea if the program that generated the script is designed to work with metres. I don't think CamPath is.

Matt
Just because milk is white doesn't mean that clouds are made of milk.