██ Terraining - How-To Guide ██ Updated 3/20/13 - Rampscaping

[ImperealOfficer]

-snip-

Seriously, it can't be done.

No machine has ever done the work of man, and machines can only out do man in the fact of exterminating them.

[Ad Bot]

[otto-san]

No machine has ever done the work of man, and machines can only out do man in the fact of exterminating them.

It's funny you should say that, because it's already working.  
[]----[] and I have been working on it since February.

Client-sided and server-sided building, cubescape and brickscape. Infinite.

I don't have any up-to-date pictures though.

[ImperealOfficer]

It's funny you should say that, because it's already working.  
[]----[] and I have been working on it since February.

Client-sided and server-sided building, cubescape and brickscape. Infinite.

I don't have any up-to-date pictures though.

Key word, February. Althur was worked on over three months and got more work done than a machine that was being worked on for over half a year.

The best I've seen of the terrain generator was an unholy mess of cubes. But if this is promising enough, crack at it boyo, Blockland is changing hard and fast!

[otto-san]

Key word, February. Althur was worked on over three months and got more work done than a machine that was being worked on for over half a year.

The best I've seen of the terrain generator was an unholy mess of cubes. But if this is promising enough, crack at it boyo, Blockland is changing hard and fast!

Except not that entire time we were set on the end result we have now! :D
we spent a few months trying to get cubescaping right with efficiency and whatnot and then we added the brickscaping atop it.

it really didn't take that long as far as work time went. and it doesn't matter because it's not as if that's how long it took to generate. that's how long it took to get to the point it's at now, where it can create what takes man days, weeks, months, etc. just moments.

[Conan]

that would be amazing then. please post pictures when you can, even if its not updated.

How does the brickscape fit the cubescape? Last time I checked cubes were a multiple of 10 plates high.

 Does it have recognition of developing formations; ie detecting the rise in slope in some section and deciding that its an opportunity for a cliff, instead of spawning cliffs randomly based on how often one's been generated?
On another note with cliffs, if the above question answer is yes. Does it randomly generate a height the cliff will be, or will it be relative to how high the cliff/ledge is at the moment? Generated plateaus would be an interesting concept.

How does it blend the difference between brickscape and cubescape to make it not high-contrast?

Does it brick conserve? What about plating?



Cubescaping would be easier to generate but I have high doubts about brickscaping atop it.

Seriously, it can't be done.

Interestingly enough that was my exact response when I read what you posted Otto-san.

[otto-san]

that would be amazing then. please post pictures when you can, even if its not updated.

How does the brickscape fit the cubescape? Last time I checked cubes were a multiple of 10 plates high.

 Does it have recognition of developing formations; ie detecting the rise in slope in some section and deciding that its an opportunity for a cliff, instead of spawning cliffs randomly based on how often one's been generated?
On another note with cliffs, if the above question answer is yes. Does it randomly generate a height the cliff will be, or will it be relative to how high the cliff/ledge is at the moment? Generated plateaus would be an interesting concept.

How does it blend the difference between brickscape and cubescape to make it not high-contrast?

Does it brick conserve? What about plating?

The bricks just go on top of the cubes. Every few layers or so, there is a one-plate gap, but it fits the terrain's shape so we left it. The bricks use 1:1 scale (e.g 4x4, 2x2) and 2:1 (e.g. 4x8, 2x4) to be efficient. There is a peturbation part of the generation code, except I haven't seen it in action very much. It was added to cause cliffs.

We also tried adding erosion, but it was way too slow to be part of the generation process.

also here's a fairly old picture from when 2x detail was first implemented:

[Conan]

Then wouldn't the cubescape be a waste? You might as well just make it 100% brickscape. The gap looks ugly if you don't fill it in or hide it somehow. I tried that style with Althur with limited success, so I just made the valley 100% brickscape.

Hell, I think it would be easier if it was like that, except for the cliffs.

1:1 and 2:1 isn't too efficient, but I guess it works. Are there any gaps in the terrain? Sometimes if not monitored well using just those scale bricks will end up with a lot of holes, and if you don't use a 1x4, 6, 8, or 10, it could be filled in with loads of tiny bricks.

Any problems with "Floating Brick" issues?

We also tried adding erosion, but it was way too slow to be part of the generation process.

IF you could find a way to implement it this would revolutionize terrain generation.

also here's a fairly old picture from when 2x detail was first implemented:

that's some good terrain but i can see plate height issues and that's really bugging me. Brickscape terrain is supposed to be made so that normal buildings can be made atop it with relative ease (since it fits with the brick height grid) but yours just tiles stuff on top of cubes with a disregard for this height problem.

Nonetheless its beautiful.

[otto-san]

Then wouldn't the cubescape be a waste? You might as well just make it 100% brickscape.

Except using bricks entirely is a lot less efficient than using cubes. And it uses oct trees for efficiency, so that's also another reason.

[Conan]

Except using bricks entirely is a lot less efficient than using cubes. And it uses oct trees for efficiency, so that's also another reason.

Sounds good but what about

that's some good terrain but i can see plate height issues and that's really bugging me. Brickscape terrain is supposed to be made so that normal buildings can be made atop it with relative ease (since it fits with the brick height grid) but yours just tiles stuff on top of cubes with a disregard for this height problem.

[otto-san]

Sounds good but what about

an issue with any terrain generator. you have to work with the terrain or modify it. this is done in reality as well.

i don't think there's any good way to make it build areas where building is more possible than other areas. you just have to roll the dice.

there's also no good way to solve the problem anyway. there's either going to be incorrect terrain or bricks that are a plate higher than the ones below them.

edit:
man-made terrain will always have advantages over computer-made terrain. they both have pros and cons, man has the pro that it can make things pretty in its own ways.

[Mold]

[]----[] showed that terrain generator on some server and it was absolutely awesome

Are you gonna release it somehow

[otto-san]

[]----[] showed that terrain generator on some server and it was absolutely awesome

Are you gonna release it somehow

right now we can't release it for a number of reasons, but we want to.

[Mold]

right now we can't release it for a number of reasons, but we want to.

D:

He said it is a c++ application to calculate detailed terrain way faster?
Is that the reason?

[otto-san]

D:

He said it is a c++ application to calculate detailed terrain way faster?
Is that the reason?

That is one reason, yes.

[Mold]

That is one reason, yes.

How long will it take to fix all issues and release?