Terrain AAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!!!

[-=DARCHANGEL=-]

Ok guys got a problem that is driving me nuts!!!

Got the terrain editor to show the wireframe terrain in PERSPECTIVE view, but that is all it shows. I have no textured hills etc. Why?

I have selected the sand texture and applied it to the layers within the terrain editor and it doesn't show up in the terraininfo0 icon to the right?

I have followed the Wiki tutorial until i'm blue in the face and still the non-textured terrain shows.

Please could someone point me in the right direction.

 

[Birelli]

Did you create an alpha layer via the terrain editor or import your own directly into the TerrainInfo actor? Or do you have one at all? If there isn't one for the layer or it's not in the right format or if it's not all-white (actually doesn't need to be all-white but it can't be black) then you won't see your texture on the terrain.

 

[Trueblood]

I know how you feel...it was the main part of my map...i got sooo pissed off, i quit trying
It is hard to find a good tutorial on this. apparently in 2003/4 its easyer.

 

[-=DARCHANGEL=-]

Did you create an alpha layer via the terrain editor or import your own directly into the TerrainInfo actor? Or do you have one at all? If there isn't one for the layer or it's not in the right format or if it's not all-white (actually doesn't need to be all-white but it can't be black) then you won't see your texture on the terrain.

Cheers Birelli, I had not set the alpha channels correctly. Doh!

Both methods now work correctly and i'm terrain building like a mole on acid - lol

Thanks for the reply.

 

[-=DARCHANGEL=-]

I know how you feel...it was the main part of my map...i got sooo pissed off, i quit trying
It is hard to find a good tutorial on this. apparently in 2003/4 its easyer.

Now I relate to that Trueblood - The wife heard quite a few expletives that she hadn't heard in a while.

I found that some things conflicted while reading the Wiki tutorial - beer and screaming babies lol

I have found a terrain tutorial that is relatively straight forward - Wiki seems to digress from the main theme a bit I feel. (no dis-respect Wiki guys)

 

[Mychaeel]

(no dis-respect Wiki guys)

None taken as long as you fix it now that you know how to do it better. The alpha channel part needs to be mentioned there -- I doubt anybody doing terrain for the first time hasn't had that problem, at least judging from countless forum postings.

[edit]
I'm dead serious, not offended. There's an "Edit text of this page" link at the bottom of that Wiki tutorial page. Go there, click it, change the tutorial to the better and save. The Wiki tutorial won't get better unless you make it.

 

[The_Head]

I know how you feel...it was the main part of my map...i got sooo pissed off, i quit trying
It is hard to find a good tutorial on this. apparently in 2003/4 its easyer.

Didn't even know there was a terrain editor. I wish i new about that when i was mapping for UT99. Maybe i should release some of my maps for old times sakes. (no JB though)

When building terrain I often find that when i have made the terrain and added the texture that it doesn't show up like happened with Darchangel. I have noticed that it appears if u rebuild the level fully. then save and restart UED. Good old tempermentel UED. I always find it crashes as soon as you go to save the map (usually when you haven't saved for ages)

 

[TheSpoonDog]

There was no terrain editor in "UT99"

Yes, by default, each new alphalayer created is black so it won't show up at all unless you change it to white when you create it, or you just paint it on yourself after you've created it. Fair enough I suppose because it would be even more annoying if they were white by default and every time you made a new one it would cover the entire terrain Though maybe they could code it so that the first layer created is white by default.

 

[Trueblood]

All in all...its easyer to have kittens

 

[-=DARCHANGEL=-]

None taken as long as you fix it now that you know how to do it better. The alpha channel part needs to be mentioned there -- I doubt anybody doing terrain for the first time hasn't had that problem, at least judging from countless forum postings.

[edit]
I'm dead serious, not offended. There's an "Edit text of this page" link at the bottom of that Wiki tutorial page. Go there, click it, change the tutorial to the better and save. The Wiki tutorial won't get better unless you make it.

Sorry Mychaeel, I honestly didn't know I had rights to add to Wiki. I have found basically that I can terrain in about 8 moves (approx) - I will type up an addenda and let you have a look first if that is ok?

 

[-=DARCHANGEL=-]

There was no terrain editor in "UT99"

Yes, by default, each new alphalayer created is black so it won't show up at all unless you change it to white when you create it, or you just paint it on yourself after you've created it. Fair enough I suppose because it would be even more annoying if they were white by default and every time you made a new one it would cover the entire terrain Though maybe they could code it so that the first layer created is white by default.

If I read up correctly the only time I need a 0 alpha on the terrain is when I am painting textures against an already built terrain on layer 1?...

I just looked at an old Unreal (NaPali) map and it appears those terrains are entirly made of brushes - are there any benefits or drawbacks to this?

...and finally, how on earth can I get UED to collect garbage properly? It still says some packages are present when they have been deleted.

Sorry for all the questions guys - just really getting into this mapping stuff.

 

[Mychaeel]

Sorry Mychaeel, I honestly didn't know I had rights to add to Wiki.

Everybody has. See Unreal Wiki: New Contributors Quick Start.

I have found basically that I can terrain in about 8 moves (approx) - I will type up an addenda and let you have a look first if that is ok?

No need -- just edit ahead and let everybody have a look at it. Previous versions are preserved, so there's no danger that anything gets lost by accident. That's the Wiki way.

 

[-=DARCHANGEL=-]

I'll do that then - better makes sure I have all my info in the correct order . From what I have read there seems to be about 3 ways to make terrains??? On reflection, it isn't that it is badly described, I think it's the conflict of the how it's done in the terrain editor itself - I use v3.

Please note I am new to mapping and have learnt one hell of a lot from Wiki. Just got to sort triggering events and I think I am ready for a beta :S

 

[Birelli]

There are a variety of ways of making terrain, but they all arrive at the same end result. You end up with a heightmap to determine the shape of the terrain and a bunch of textures "painted" onto that terrain with alpha maps and relative order determining what texture shows where and in what amount. Both of these basic elements can be automatically generated by the editor. This is a nice feature, but it does lead to some confusion, which everyone experiences to some degree when they're first learning terrain.

Hmm, I think I might add something to this affect to the Wiki, it's kind of missing the forest for the trees, with the trees being the steps for making terrain.
Edit: On second thought, that's a bit complicated, and it's late. I think I'll sleep on it