Digital Elevation

[Shr3d]

ill release aim_canyon sometime this week, its made using the dem files, its only a fun map, so dont worry ill include the bot waypoints

[YokaI]

Must we download the DEM files or can we work by scratch?

[Shr3d]

what do you mean Yokai? you have to download the dem file if you want a certain place or you could try making it yourself

[R_Yell]

I figured it out now -- I didn't realize that the tar.gz files were the same as dem files. Great tutorial!

EDIT: btw, your example map is very laggy. You shouldn't have put the water brush under the whole map. And also the water brush is too shallow. and you didn't use my tutorial for the environmental light

Yes, the water thing is not optimized. If "make VIS no draws" are chosen in Dispgen then water brush would be cut and that fillrate waste would be fixed.

Must we download the DEM files or can we work by scratch?

If you want to use a height map made from scratch to build a terrain , maybe you can use Terragen and then export the terrain like I explain in the tutorial.


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Hope this would be useful for all mappers out there, I keep working on new things.

I'm doing some research to build a 3dskybox using DEMs and normal maps to catch details. It's like modeling a human character, they make an high polygon model, then create a low pol. version using reduction tool. Then use a tool to build a normal map and apply it to the low poly version of that model.

Don't know if it will work, but I can take a DEM, export it with terragen to lightwave object file, convert that to XSI and then make the normal map thing. I'll post some results if it works

[R_Yell]

Well, this is the result of my tests:

1. I export a VRML file from 3DEM (using F2 to build a 3d scene)



2. Convert it to .XSI using a program called Deep Exploration http://www.righthemisphere.com/products/dexp/index.htm (1 month of free use)



3. Import in XSI. The modtool has no polygon reduction tool, so you need an upgraded version or similar 3dpackage that allows those functions. Cut all triangles that aren't needed and texture it. Clone that object, polygon reduction of the clone (to 3000 in this example), then use GPUSurfaceFX to make the normal map. Delete the high resolution object and export to smd the low one. Remember it must not project shadows or the entire map will be black.




This is a map for Carmagordon mod with the 3dskybox I made using this method



A normal mapped 3dskybox isn't much better than a regular one, but the normals can add detail under certain lighting conditions. See the model I'm using with and without the normal:

[Orion]

Would anyone happen to know where some good redwood forests are in America?

[ferret]

Would anyone happen to know where some good redwood forests are in America?

Red woods as in Giant Seqouia? (I didn't spell that right ) There are many to be seen in the "Big Sur" area of California's coast -- North of L.A. and South of San Francisco.

[Orion]

Lord. I just used this method to create a small maybe 1024 x 1024 map (terrain only.) and man was it laggy. Has this happened to anyone else?

[R_Yell]

Lord. I just used this method to create a small maybe 1024 x 1024 map (terrain only.) and man was it laggy. Has this happened to anyone else?

1024x1024? Smurfs map?

It depends on X/Y resolution you selected in dispgen. If the .vmf wights more than 3 or 4 MB then you have a bunch load of triangles there.

[HeadCrab]

Holy shizatarattat!THAT,my friend,is amazing!I can just imagine some VERY nice maps made with that...Imagine creeping around the back of a mesa into a Combine fort,or stalking through the foothills beside some mountain! (Probably in the skybox!)
The only thing is,it must be difficult to find a realistic way to close maps off...Although cliffs and steep hills would work...
GREAT discoverey!

[Orion]

The only thing is,it must be difficult to find a realistic way to close maps off...Although cliffs and steep hills would work...
GREAT discoverey!

I know a good way to close off outdoor maps... Ocean my friend.

[EmptyClip]

what do we do with the .vmf files

thanks

[Shr3d]

what do we do with the .vmf files

thanks

delete them
eat them
or use them in hammer
or slap them
or raise them
or name them
or edit them in notepad
or sell them

vmf files.. oh the possibilites!

[RSX WHEEEEEE]

Ok, i dwnlded the RAR of the DEM, but its a bunch of random files called DDF files. What do i do with those?

[Orion]

Ok, i dwnlded the RAR of the DEM, but its a bunch of random files called DDF files. What do i do with those?

You don't need to worry about the .DDF files. Open up the file they came in in 3dem.

EDIT- Here, just thought I'd put in a picture since this really confused me at first: