I have a series of textures that I created as dds including mip maps. However when "painting" the terrain in the World Editor they tile really bad and does not appear as if the lod is working. Is this turned off or not displayed when in the editor itself?

I have tested the same textures out on l3dt, gambryo terrain editor, t3d, epics udk... even in oblivion's tes terrain editor. They all appear just as I imaged them. Yet for some reason, inside the Esenthel WE, nothing changes when you zoom out. The terrain textures appear to be the default image and tile really bad.

Is this a feature, or am I missing something or messed up somewhere? I am guessing something of the later. I seem to have the ability to mess things up with out realizing it lol.

Thank you ahead of time!

Peace,
Sarrene'

Hello,

Once you drag and drop the dds image to the Material Editor the GFX is automatically generated with Mip Maps.

Hmm.. So the question is why does it not appear to be working in the WE for me? Or do you only see the lod/mip working when testing the world and not in the WE?

I will get a few screen shots up for you to see if you like. Or I can attach both the default dds and the gfx/mtrl files if you like.

I just like to know what I am doing wrong. I cannot get the terrain to look like how i envision in my head. (or how i did it in l3dt).

Peace,
Sarrene'

Yes, screens would help, also you can send me the source textures, and converted GFX (MTRL file also please)

I think I see what is going on.. I think. So I will take a stab in the dark here.

When you convert the original image (for me it is a dds with mips already created), the converter creates its own mip maps. Is this correct? It does not take the mips I created myself?

When I make my dds files, and create the mips, I tend to remove a bit more detail from each reduced image. So that even I have shadowing on the main image, I will remove some of that in the next, and then in the next, and so on.

So, if I am correct, when we create the gfx version, it will ignore any mips I have made already and instead generate its own. Is this correct?

I will send you the dds, gfx and mtrl file as well as one of the examples.

Again, I am just guessing here, but it seems the most logical to me? I could be waaay off. But that would explain the differences as well from l3dt and such that use the actual dds format as opposed to esenthel which uses the gfx and mtrl.

I am sending you the actual tx files in pm.

[Edit: I cannot send via pm lol.. Let me know where to send those files to. There is no attachment option via the email button either.]

Peace,
Sarrene'

Hello,

Yes, the mip-maps are generated automatically (those supplied in DDS aren't used)
My E-mail can be found here - http://www.esenthel.com/?id=buy under "Ask a question"

Is there a way to get around it generating its own mips? And durring conversion use my own instead? I am thinking no, but it cannot hurt to ask eh?

Peace,
Sarrene'

Hello,

No, because GFX are combined from multiple textures, and it would make the GFX creation process to complex.

Besides this type of "hacks on mip maps" won't work the same with different screen resolutions.
Instead I suggest using "macro" textures or import "color maps" to the World Editor vertex colors.
This will turn the attention away from texture repetetiveness.

I totally forgot about adding colourmaps. I am working on a few right now and it is turning out quite well.

Thank you for well needed reminder. I will go ahead and give a sneak screen shot when I get one of the areas complete.

Your help is always so valued, thank you.

I know this was another topic I posted about: The problem I had with updating the engine... I don't know what was or went wrong. I just reloaded my system last week and everything is working perfectly again. I think it was just time to dump my system.

Peace,
Sarrene'

Sorry to bug you again, I seem to have a bit of a problem with the colour maps. I am sure I am missing something or forgetting something here.

In the past, I could create a unique texture that would fit over any part of the terrain I chose. It could be detailed or simple for "shadowing" only.

I have attempted several different of the old ways I know I how.

a) Using black and white image for shadows/highlights to give more detail from a distance
b) Using detailed colour/image map (with several different alpha blending settings)
c) Using limited detailed image with blended highlights
d) using several different size images
e) using different image formats (dds, png, tga, jpg, bmp, etc)
d) and several others.. but I'm sure you get the point.

However, each one comes out VERY dark and has this cris-cross lines with what appear to be "x's" in the images. These appear with terrain textures on or off.

I also noticed that I cannot use a custom image size. The Import Colour map tool re sizes each image (to what appears to be 512 square?)

So I have a few questions that might help me out some...

1) what are these lines with x's that keep appearing on me? (see first image below- terrain textures turned off)
2) How can I remove or prevent those lines/x's from appearing?
3) Is there a specific image format I have to use or save them as?
4) Is there a way to specify the exact size of the image or create a custom size instead of resizing when I drag the image to the Import Colourmap tool?

Sorry for pestering you again, and thank you so much for all the help.

Peace,
Sarrene'

Hello,

In the next engine release (uploaded in few minutes) the problem will disappear

Hehe, that is great! Thank you so much!

Here I thought I was being an old senile lass again and had gotten too lazy from some of my other work.

Well, Perhaps I am getting old and senile.

Again, thank you so much for your hard work and patience.

Peace,
Sarrene'

I hate to be bearer of bad news. I am still seeing the "ripstop" look across the terrain when I apply the colourmap. If I go over 1x1 size, it appears at each block seam.

The seams and "x's" are a bit more faint, but they are still there.

I still have a question about image size and resolution....
4) Is there a way to specify the exact size of the image or create a custom size instead of resizing when I drag the image to the Import Colourmap tool?

Thank yo so much for everything,
Peace,
Sarrene'

the small "x's" are because of "edge skirting" across different heightmap lods so holes are not visible

4) I don't understand how this would work, because when importing color map you select the number of areas/heightmaps where to apply the color map
according to this selection the color map is stretched to fit the entire region.

Here is a flat surface with the colourmap applied. One is with terrain texture one is with out. In each of these you can still see the lines and x's that look like fabric "ripstop". See the screen shots attached...

Perhaps I am missing something or not doing something correct, If so, please let me know.

For number four question...

If I create a colourmap that is 2048 x1024 to cover a mountain range, the image when I import it into EE is a square image, appears to be 512x512 (I could be wrong on the image size.

If I change the size inside the Import Colormap to fit across the mountain range, it comes out pixelated. So when you go up close to the mountains (around 100-200 meters), you see the individual pixels instead of it blending into the terrain and terrain textures.

Not sure where the attachments went. So here are the images from my server...

No matter how large or what resolution I create my original image, it will pixelate it once I import it. Even at 5x5 size in the Import Colourmap tool. See last image attached.

This happens even if i use a black and white "clouded" looking image for mountain high and low lights.

First two images are with and with out terrain textures on a flat surface looking down on an angle.

Second three are looking more across the flat surface at an angle with three different sizes selected in the Import Colourmap tool.

This colourmap I created and used in this example is 2048x2048.