Preparing a terrain cache with Maya

Maya
1

Hi, I'm preparing a method for modelling a terrain for a game engine under Maya.

The engine is designed to load and cache 2d height chunks (~1000m

2

Use detach, unfortunately datach does the dataching in some order so you cant just select sopand in u and ve and apply detach and ansume its in perfect squares! You need to deatch the other way more painfully, by selecting the spans of each strip after that. Fortunately thi can be asily scripted to work as expected.

It should if you enable stich, option of sculpt but be sure to understand how sticing actualy works. Its easire if its one objject tough!

3

Thanks for the reply !

Concerning the first point, you suggest :

  • I prepare a square nurbs plane with n*n UV patches
  • I script to extract chunks by using detach patches every n/k U to obtain strips, then n/k V on each strip to obtain n/k*n/k smaller squares.
  • I convert each square to poly then save them.

Right ? I'll try to straighten this.

Concerning second solution, it seems I missed something in the sculpt tool : when I click-pull in a square with the tool aoe larger than it, only this square and the four (4*4 in fact) seams are altered. :confused:

Thanks for your help !

4

Hi,

I tested the script solution, I have some problems when cutting into higher detail zones... :confused:

The best solution for building chunks of landscape I came with for now is :

  • use the big plane for everything
  • give it to artists so they can add as much detail as they need
  • when exporting, convert the landscape to poly
  • parse the poly triangles to build an octree
  • the octree leaves give me the small "squares"

This is interesting because the triangle count of each block can be balanced, however finding out which block to render is a little more complex.

The main problem with this solution is still seam... Seems to be a recurring headache on the forums. Joining two nurbs planes at edges is fairly simple with the stitch tool, but how can I ensure the converted polygon triangles met at the edges ?

[ concerning the "baloon in the fishnet", 'forgot to enable the "common edge info" option in the sculpt tool. Of course ]

Any idea ? Maybe I'll post some screenshots when I have something rough. Thanks !

5

Read on patch modelling!

If its cut from the same piece, without trims using isoparam detach! Then set the tesselation to either, no curvature check!

Or then use advanced tesselation with no addititional options! (so disable the dafault chord height!)

But if the span count differs then theres not much you can do about it. Unless it differs with something thats exactly twice or three times the originals spans... Some applications actualy can do this tesselation much better than maya can. but it wouldnt result in anything usable for your game eingene.

Sculpt polys isntead!

BUt no nurbs wouldnt be the best solution for that. Use subds or something else instead. and split at poly levell.,

6

Yes, read, that's what I do ! And when I'm finished, I read again... But it appears I'm often looking for the inverse procedure I read about.

Anyway I agree, I think I still do not understand the tesselation parameters ! (I'm not a maya guy after all) I'll work on it. Seems the only thing I need is a way to keep the same number of vertices on the edges of the converted nurbs plane, so that some sort of "country zones" may be edited separately then assembled easily. I'll also work on your advice, sculpting the converted polys to see if edges can glue.

Thanks again !