Best solution for create terrain ? Help me please !

[anhdung86]

I don't know how to create a terrain for my project. I known Terrain Generation (Nem's), but when i use Terrain Generator, it's very slow (sometimes FPS is only 7-10) so i can't create any terrain (My system is: CPU: Pentium 4 2.4 Ghz, RAM 1Gb, VGA ATIradeon 1550 256Mb), anyone help me why, please!

I heard about L3DT but don't known how much useful, so anyone please give me the best solution for create terrain in RF

[bernie]

L3dt is probably the best free terrain generating tool there is. It will generate a terrain that is too big for RF to handle but there is a simple workaround.
Generate the terrain in L3dt and save the textures and heightmap.
Import the heightmap into T2 (another free terrain generator buit not good for textures)
Build a 3ds model with T2, reduce the poly's and split the terrain int 4 parts.
Split the textures you saved from L3dt into 4 parts using Gimp or PSP pro or photoshop.
Import the 3ds files generated by T2 into Milkshape and apply your textures.
Export as a .bdy file and build your actor files.
Import the actor files into RF as static mesh.
You will get great terrains this way.

[anhdung86]

Thankz so much bernie, i will try it

[metal_head]

I use TG too and I found a way to optimize the framerate .
after you import your generated terrain,select it press pg. down and mark it as sky (the whole terrain) than,select all the faces,which can be seen by the player and unmark the sky for them,that way all the unseen faces will not be rendered . Oh,yeah,you'll have to define a texture for the skybox in order all that to work even if you don't have a sky in your level.I mark all the unseen faces in my game as sky and I gotta tell you,it makes the framerate a lot faster.

[anhdung86]

Build a 3ds model with T2, reduce the poly's and split the terrain int 4 parts.

I don't know how to split the terrain with T2 and after split this terrain what should i do? How can i connect 4 parts of this terrain in RFeditpro?
Please help me bernie !

[bernie]

OK here's a rough guide but please experiment it's the best way to learn.

L3dt:
Export the heightmap as .bmp
Export the textures,lightmap and terrain normals as .bmp

T2:
Make a new project
click file -> Load New in the heightfield and load your height map.
click new texture in the texture and load your texture bmp file.
Click create.
Set output texture to the size you want the default is 256x256.(It must be square
and a multiple power of 2 ie 128x128, 256x256, 512x512 etc)
Tick the box slice textures and make it 2 slices wide and 2 slices high.
Click Go.
When it has done its calculations click Show Mesh.
Make mesh dimensions width 32 height 32 (these dimensions should be the same
high as wide but they don't need to be a power of 2. Bigger numbers will create more polys
smaller numbers will create less polys 32x32 will make 7688 polys, experiment here to make your
lods. You can go higher than 32 x 32 but not recomended for RF, EXPERIMENT with the figures)

Make the world units width 1024 height 1024
clear the boxescreate one mesh and create one texture.
make number wide 2 and number high 2.
click OK.
When the view comes up click export.
Tick the 3ds format in export format.
Clear the box Swap Z and Y. (very important).
Click ok.
Name your file and save.
Close viewer and close T2.

NB: You will have to split the normal and light maps manually in a paint program if you want
bumpmapping.

Open Milkshape
Import your 3ds file.
You should have a file that is 7,688 triangles split into 4 groups.

Now for the tricky bit.

Make sure you have saved your MS3d file as ALL.ms3d.
go to groups and select mesh0
click edit -> Select Invert
Press the delete key on your keyboard to delete what you have selected and
you will be left with the top left hand quarter of your map.
Delete the materials Mat1, Mat2 and Mat3
Save AS TL.ms3d
Select all and move by clicking in the top view (It is very important not to
Move the model in the Y direction at all otherwise it will be more difficult
lining up the mesh in RF) so that the centre of the model is over the axis markers.
Save.
Export the model as .bdy.
close this file.

Open All.ms3d
Select mesh1 (Bottom left) and do what you did with mesh0 only deleting Mat0, Mat2 and mat 3 and saving as BL.ms3d

Repeat for mesh3(top right) and mesh4 (bottom right). Deleting the materials you dont need.

Now build your actors, load them into RF and line them up so they join seamlessly.

[anhdung86]

Thankz very much bernie, i will try it

Update: I made it!!! thankz very much bernie, great tutorial

[seagypsy12345]

hi i did everything but my textures are just the default face thing what have i done wrong please help someone

[creekmonkey]

How can you get the terrain slices from T2 to look seamless?
Every time I try T2 to slice terrain the seams are very visable!

[creekmonkey]

No one??? WOW I knew the forum had slowed down but this is surprising.

[bernie]

The textures won't join seamlessly the meshes will I have tried but never met with success. I even tried splitting the textures in a paint program without success. However that way of producing terrains is the best I have found in RF1.