Blitz terrain and tree tools
Community Forums/Developer Stations/Blitz terrain and tree tools
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| There are many Blitz terrain and tree/plant tools out there. I was just wondering how they all interrelate to each other, *and* to other essential Blitz tools (gile[s] for example). Also, which ones use Blitz terrains, and which meshes? To avoid flaming, can people only post if they have first hand experience of using one tool with another? |
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| Most of the tree creators output b3d models, so those just import normally into level/terrain editing tools. Obviously TreeD is designed for use with gile[s], although those trees also just import like any other object if you convert them to b3d. The other tree generating tool I know of is Sabata's automatic foliage system; don't know anything about that. Most of the terrain editing tools I've seen seem to use Blitz terrains, although the best one IMO is ALE and that outputs b3d meshes. Thus it is about the only one where you can lightmap the created terrain in gile[s]. I recommend using ALE to create your terrain, then take it into gile[s] to place trees and lightmap. That's assuming you need the level of control/detail that ALE offers; I don't, which is why I haven't purchased it (yet.) You can get some pretty detailed looking terrain using a base texture for color and a tiled, black/white, multiply blended detail texture. |
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| Any more comments? I know some tools work in harmony for grass placement using maps and such, can't remember which ones tho. It's a minefield. :) |
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| Checkout TerraEd at http://www.3dgametool.com There's a demo editor and player available so you can see a demo map and fiddle with creating your own. Uses Blitz terrains, provides heightmap and colormap, detailmap and lightmap terrain layers and does object placement and works with BlitzTree maps. But it doesn't do the nice ALE texture blending. ALE http://www.dyvision.co.uk/ale.htm |
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| Really Seriously there is a freeware called Tree Creator that exports .B3D trees of low poly. I use that and after I painted a few of the branches and added a few more bark textures it works fine. I make about 3 trees of various leaf density and randomly scale them and randomly place them (still working on building avoidance to a greater effect) Works wonderfully though!!! :) -RZ |
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