Terrain - how to access it from Lua code? + make it cast shadows?

[Lunarovich]

I have two questions regarding terrain:

 

1) How can I access a terrain made in the editor from Lua script? Secondly, is there any way to create it programmatically / procedurally, ie. via scripting and not in the editor?

 

2) I see that a terrain is shaded, which is fine. However, I notice that it does not cast shadows, which is very unrealistic. Is there a way to make it cast shadows.

 

Thank you!

[shadmar]

1. Probably not supported, since CountEntities and GetEntity are not dicumented, but here is a way

 

 --get world and terrain
local world=World:GetCurrent()
for i=0,world:CountEntities()-1 do
 if world:GetEntity(i):GetClass()==Object.TerrainClass then
		 self.terrain=world:GetEntity(i)
		 tolua.cast(self.terrain,"Terrain")
		 break
 end
end

 

2. Not that I know.

[macklebee]

Also, the terrain commands (not supported/documented) are exposed to lua.

 

example Main.lua:

window = Window:Create("terrain example",0,0,800,600)
context = Context:Create(window)
world = World:Create()
camera = Camera:Create()
camera:SetPosition(0,6,0)
camera:SetRotation(0,45,0)
camera:SetMultisampleMode(8)
skybox = Texture:Load("Materials/Sky/skybox_texture.tex")
camera:SetSkybox(skybox)
light = DirectionalLight:Create()
light:SetRotation(45,45,0)

terrain = Terrain:Create(128,true)
terrain:SetLayerTexture(0, Texture:Load("Materials/Nature/terrain_savannah_dirt.tex"), 0)
terrain:SetLayerTexture(0, Texture:Load("Materials/Nature/terrain_savannah_dirtdot3.tex"), 1)
terrain:SetScale(1,5,1)
for x = 0, 64 do
	for y = 64, 128 do
		height = Math:Random(0,1)+0.5
		height = Math:Min(height,1.0)
		terrain:SetHeight(x,y,height)
	end
end
terrain:UpdateNormals()

camrot = camera:GetRotation()
gx=Math:Round(context:GetWidth()/2)
gy=Math:Round(context:GetHeight()/2)
move = 0
strafe = 0

while window:KeyDown(Key.Escape)==false do
	if window:Closed() then break end
	local mouseposition = window:GetMousePosition()
	local dx = mouseposition.x - gx
	local dy = mouseposition.y - gy
	camrot.x = camrot.x + dy / 10.0
	camrot.y = camrot.y + dx / 10.0
	camera:SetRotation(camrot)
	window:SetMousePosition(gx,gy)
	move = Math:Curve(((window:KeyDown(Key.W)and 1 or 0) - (window:KeyDown(Key.S) and 1 or 0)),move,10)
	strafe = Math:Curve(((window:KeyDown(Key.D)and 1 or 0) - (window:KeyDown(Key.A) and 1 or 0)),strafe,10)
	camera:Move(strafe,0,move)
 
	Time:Update()
	world:Update()
	world:Render()
	
	
	context:Sync()
end

 

As for terrain shadows, I haven't seen those since LE2. I suspect it will be re-introduced once LE3 gets vegetation.

[Lunarovich]

Thank you for these excellent answers! I'm wandering, though, why those stay undocumented...

 

Btw, how do you know these things? From Visual Studio auto-complete, trial & error, and similar?

 

P.S. If they are there, why do you say that they are unsupported? Because they might change in the future, might disappear, or similar?

[shadmar]

I look in the cpp header files yes

If they are not documented, they might change/be taken out/or not. Only Josh knows for sure.

[macklebee]

I perform a global variable dump in lua since i do not have the c++ version of LE. I can see each command/member available for each class. This is the latest version:

globals.txt

 

Edit- and like shadmar suggests, if it is not documented, then Josh has repeatedly warned that it may be removed or stop working at any time.

[Lunarovich]

I perform a global variable dump in lua since i do not have the c++ version of LE.

 

Maybe now it's the right time to get it if you need it:

 

 

P.S. How do you do a global variable dump?

[macklebee]

nope im good - no need to use the c++ version

[BadJeanBon]

I perform a global variable dump in lua.

 

How do you do that ??

[macklebee]

updated for latest beta:

GlobalList_042517.txt