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Newcomers DBPro Corner / Outdoor level creation

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TEH_CODERER
21
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Joined: 12th Nov 2003
Location: Right behind you!
Posted: 7th Feb 2005 04:16
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I'm not really a newbie but I felt so stupid asking this question.
What is the best way of creating outdoor levels?
Matrices are slow and annoying but easy to use.
I can't use the terrain plugin because I don't have the internet on my computer.
Making .x terrains is really hard unless you lot know of a good program.
The type of level I'm going for is sort of Rayman 2/Spyro style.
I'm using DBPro.
Thanks.


http://www.freewebs.com/elbsoftware/index.htm
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Mr Pointless
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Joined: 17th Oct 2004
Location: Stuck in the UK
Posted: 7th Feb 2005 04:18
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Cartography Shop for city scenery, I guess, but...

Possibly the same for terrain?

"My gods, Detritus, that's not a crossbow, that's a national emergency." - Sam Vimes from "The Fifth Elephant".
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ReD_eYe
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Joined: 9th Mar 2003
Location: United Kingdom
Posted: 7th Feb 2005 04:24
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Memblock matrices? Work almost exactly like DB matrices, but are much faster and have a few other nifty functions. Search the code snippets forum for teh codez.
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TEH_CODERER
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Posted: 7th Feb 2005 04:24
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The ones I found worked only with DBC.
I'll take another look though.


http://www.freewebs.com/elbsoftware/index.htm
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ReD_eYe
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Posted: 7th Feb 2005 04:25
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I've definite used memblock matrices in previous versions of dbp. Phealax might have been the author of the ones i used.
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Clueless
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Joined: 16th Feb 2004
Location: Corbin, KY, USA
Posted: 8th Feb 2005 09:37
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Hi Andrew,

For "outdoor" scenes such as cities (streets, sidewalks, building exteriors, vacant lots, etc.) I was surprised by how much could be done with a .X level created in GameSpace (though Milkshape or other modeling tool would work just as well). What made the .X model work for me in this setting was the fact that things were basically FLAT, so I didn't have to make any function calls to get ground height. An occasional matrix tossed in as an ocean shore, riverbank, etc., helped with the illusion.

For natural terrains I found I can create .X mountains and valleys and such in Bryce. The problem is accurately getting the height of the ground under the camera. I researched the format of heightmap files (Bryce exports one with the .X output if you tell it to) with the thought of my own "get ground height", but then the terrain plugin came along and I thought "why do all that work?" and stopped. It's definitely possible and I know the subject of reading elevation from a heightmap has been discussed in the forums before.

The terrain plugin is wonderful but, even though I have the internet access, cannot keep the plugin registered for any reasonable period of time. It's "come unglued" on me 5 times already despite following all the registration instructions and I've grown weary of re-registering it over and over. If work pressures ever let up, I intend to continue working on reading the heightmap files and deriving the elevation. Visually things looked really good. I posted some screenies of the early results in the "free skybox" threads over in general discussion thread a few months ago. I think they're still there.
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Gil Galvanti
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Joined: 22nd Dec 2004
Location: Texas, United States
Posted: 8th Feb 2005 11:01
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i use Cartography Shop 4, its a great program and very easy to use

Video games…they can take you places unreachable, impossible, unfeasible. They put you in the book...they put you in the movie...they put you in a world, a world that before could only be imagined.
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CattleRustler
Retired Moderator
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Joined: 8th Aug 2003
Location: case modding at overclock.net
Posted: 8th Feb 2005 11:26
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CShop for indoor/outdoor architecture, Advanced Terrain for outdoor geology, imho.

DBP_NETLIB_v1.4.3EZ_Serv v1.2
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TEH_CODERER
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Joined: 12th Nov 2003
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Posted: 8th Feb 2005 19:09
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O.K. Cool.
So how much does bryce cost? Where can I get it?
Thanks everyone.
Cattle Rustler - I already said I can't use advanced terrain because I do not have internet access for registration. However, it does look really nice and it is easy to use.

[url]andrewneale2004@yahoo.com[/url]
http://www.freewebs.com/elbsoftware/index.htm
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Clueless
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Location: Corbin, KY, USA
Posted: 9th Feb 2005 07:56 Edited at: 9th Feb 2005 08:00
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Quote: "So how much does bryce cost? Where can I get it?"


Last time I checked, the full version of Bryce (v5) was $80. Version 4 was being given away for free in at least one computer magazine in December. I'll have to point you to the 3D Forum for the name of the magazine though, that's where the thread was posted. You can read more about Bryce at http://www.daz3d.com, they bought it from Corel last year. If you're in the USA, Bryce is usually on the shelves at CompUSA, that's where I bought my copy.

I second CattleRustler's opinion that Advanced Terrain is the way to go for outdoors, and I also feel your pain on the registration issue. It's been one of the few problems I've had with the AT plugin and I hope to solve it one day because the Bryce .X terrain export includes a heightmap that works really well with the plugin. (I don't get any $$$ for mentioning Bryce repeatedly, I just think it's a wonderful and underrated tool that works well with DBPro)
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TEH_CODERER
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Posted: 9th Feb 2005 20:25
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Thanks.
Once I get the money I'll order it.

[url]andrewneale2004@yahoo.com[/url]
http://www.freewebs.com/elbsoftware/index.htm
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Clueless
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Posted: 10th Feb 2005 10:29
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Andrew,

It might be worth a few minute's browsing to see if you can find the free version 4. Sorry I don't have info on it.

There is a new thread over in general discussion about Bryce 5 vs. Geoscape and it contains reference to yet another thread with code for walking around on Bryce terrains. I'm gonna check it out tonight at home, but thought I'd mention it as long as I'm here.
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TEH_CODERER
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Posted: 11th Feb 2005 00:09
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Thanks. I'll have a look.

[url]andrewneale2004@yahoo.com[/url]
http://www.freewebs.com/elbsoftware/index.htm
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BatVink
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Posted: 11th Feb 2005 04:49
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Quote: "So how much does bryce cost? Where can I get it?"


V4 free will keep cropping up on magazines for the next 2 or 3 months, I got it on 3D World and another, I don't recall which.

BatVink
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TEH_CODERER
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Posted: 11th Feb 2005 04:52
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O.K. I'll take a look.

[url]andrewneale2004@yahoo.com[/url]
http://www.freewebs.com/elbsoftware/index.htm
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Clueless
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Posted: 11th Feb 2005 09:39
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Quote: "V4 free will keep cropping up on magazines for the next 2 or 3 months, I got it on 3D World and another, I don't recall which."


BatVink,

Can you confirm (or deny) that V4 has .X export for terrains along with the heightmaps? I can't seem to find a "yes" or "no" answer anywhere (I'm a V5 owner).

Just curious to hear from somebody who has that version...
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