Development Blog

Looks like le2 on steroids!

Just as a matter of idle interest is that exported as a regular triangle mesh or irregular mesh?

 

That's pretty much how you do it for mobile apps. For a while there was no native terrain object for a popular iPhone engine. Exporting as an irregular triangle mesh worked really well, the downside was the very limited shader support.

 

This is the same process but additionally makes use of the coverage maps (masks used for splats). I have a UDK material for using exported terrain meshes in a similar way, so you get the worst of both worlds

 

There's a lot to be said for using the same tool to export terrain as a mesh, a split-mesh or height-map for multiple engines. I've tested the DAE export in Leadwerks before. Only issue one has is making sure patches fit into 64k buffers.

 

It's more than a workable means to create terrain, it's reliably used in games for other engines already. Leadwerks is easier than UDK as it's not so constrained with regard to format (these terrain layer materials can be awkward to set-up).

 

When it comes to 'uber mega streaming' (which I utterly like the sound of), creating massive terrains in the order of 250,000 sqr km just as easily as 5km sqr. with the tools we're now using. Exporting them as a single data files for continuous streaming or slicing them up into nice chunks (for paged streaming or non-streaming) is just a different mouse-click away.

 

I would have included a chapter on Leadwerks in my upcoming book on this subject however there simply was not enough space

If I had the brains to do it, my big dream would be a planet renderer, however this isn't very usable except for big *** space games. Streaming terrains, I have never tested (don't you need alot of storage for those?)

Ahh this is better then anything I could do in LE2

Ahh this is better then anything I could do in LE2

 

You realize the actual terrain mesh isn't made in LE3?

Looks good, but where is the sunlight and shadows?

Just not added or clear in the scene. But models do cast shadows. In addition you have the advantage of using baked light-maps and shadow maps if you need them. Baked normal maps can also be used for extra detail.

 

You realize the actual terrain mesh isn't made in LE3?

 

Of course, but I could not get that result with LE2's tools. This shows that unless LE3 will have better terrain creation tools then LE2 it would be better to use an external mesh.

but LE2 used to have nice terrain tools like erosion... and in any case the features that are inherent right now in LE2 allows you to create terrains just like if not better than what is shown above...

 

http://www.leadwerks.com/werkspace/gallery/image/145-quick-5-minute-test-of-l3dt/

 

http://www.leadwerks.com/werkspace/gallery/image/141-dem-test/

It's more about the technique than the quality of art though. More tools for those that can make best use of 'em.

well i see nothing above that suggests any tools are coming this way anytime soon... if anything i see a suggestion to use one model for terrain which IMO is not really feasible as can be seen by the fact there is nothing else in the scene and its only getting 62fps... and thats not vsynch... why not in the meantime while waiting for this "uber super-duper" terrain system, he put in place the current heightmap terrain so we can at least have vegetation as well... you know, the whole reason given that newton was picked as the physics engine... or at least be able to create terrains like I have shown above... i just never understood why the more "upgrades" LE gets, the more features are removed from it.

Of course, but I could not get that result with LE2's tools. This shows that unless LE3 will have better terrain creation tools then LE2 it would be better to use an external mesh.

 

Thats exactly what I'm saying Benton.... As josh has once stated you won't have any tools for terrain in the initial LE release. That mesh was made with tools external to LE3... such as L3DT and such

Vertical sync is enabled so the max framerate is around 60.

 

i just never understood why the more "upgrades" LE gets, the more features are removed from it.

You are correct, in the sense that I am shooting for fewer features with a much better implementation and focus. This forms a foundation that will be better at supporting extra features down the road.