r5773 Double Heights

[greenling]

Thats it a cool idea what here be make!

[kierongreen]

Any more than 2 different heights will require a different system for rendering terrain as the possible number of tiles becomes very large... 1 height gradient needs 15, 2 needs 80, 3 would need 255, 4 would need 624. The only practical way to go for that is a full 3d renderer.

[Fabio]

Is this a problem of climates (thus solvable with stricter rules as suggested), or light maps? 255 is a big number, but it shouldn't impact too much on memory usage.

[kierongreen]

Lightmaps. Drawing 255 lightmaps is quite a task! Of course there would also be an increase in textured tiles required. Overall I don't think it's worthwhile myself.

[prissi]

About very steep slopes: With double slopes, artifical slopes in the worst case are not possible on all tiles, since between top and bottom more than 2 level of height difference may be needed. Not sure, how to deal with this; maybe this is just a further challenge of it.

And as kieron said. Probably then just rendiring the ground is better, if you go to freeform slopes. And not only ground: all ways are affected too.

[Fabio]

About restricted artificial slopes: I don't see it as a problem, possibly as a feature. After all you can't just build any containment wall in real life.

[kierongreen]

This patch handles artificial slopes with up to 4 height difference by combining different images.

[prissi]

Sorry, I really have to delve deeper into the code then.

[Spartanis]

Regarding more slopes than HH and FH. Sure. be nice to have realistic "cliffs" but i agree, it is utterly pointless and time consuming.

Best way to acheive the Realistic Mountain look with sheer drop cliff.. is create a pak out of it. As my Pakset(in the works) is currently implementing this idea.

I made it as a CUR building, but instead of randomizing curiosity, I just build it at various places. For example. Cur_1_CliffFace would have 4 views of a str8 cliff face two tiles high. Cur_1_CliffCnr would have corner cliffs. Using this idea would allow you to build a natural realistic landscape, save the map for anyone to play with. (so long they have the appropriate pakset)

Of course, Building the SAVE.MAP may be time consuming, but least you got a nice landscape to play with!

[Spartanis]

All corners 1 higher than image number 0 (so you can use the same lightmap just shifted up a few pixels)

Oh, ok.. correct me if Im wrong. That line with "TODO" uses the same lightmap image, rather than us creating another flat but 1 point higher than normal?




EDIT:-


Oh hang on, you mean saying so, notifying others to USE the SAME image as used before...


eg: TODO 0 up 1 = Use the same image used in image[0]


EDITx2:=

AHHHH.. I get it now.. I had to "clean up" your dat file and saw that you used  0.14 (flat ground) as a temp image instead of a proper image (of which you havent created yet)


I shoulda seen that coming.. surely.. lol so sorry mate.. 


EDITx3:=


Ok.. completed the TIKI WIKI page regarding Lightmapping.. *phew*.. lotta work, but i learnt alot about it tho.. should be EASY to create a Blend file now


Anyone is welcome to add/modify the page, so long it kept to that. The idea is to keep it simple but easy to understand....(hopefully)

[kierongreen]

The images with TODO actually aren't used in game - hence why they remained as TODO!

[Spartanis]

ohhh.. ok ok.. but still.. i create the appropiate image anyways..  so that i dont need to recreate the set again when ya actually done them. I'm nearly done with the pak64 lightmap (smooth slope, not triangulated).. its been fun i must say!

[Spartanis]

Kierogreen

If you be so kindly, check the wiki page if the data is correct? 

If you dont have time, thats ok

Sparty

[Spartanis]

Reason being:





Following the order of the MENU tiles... this is the result. I think i might have mis-read your dat file somewhere    O.o


While everything else, the landscape that is, is perfect, no slope errors there....

[kierongreen]

What slope numbers did you use for menu tile? You will need following entries in menuconf.tab for slopes:

# slope tools
toolbar[1][0]=general_tool[2]
toolbar[1][1]=general_tool[3]
toolbar[1][2]=general_tool[4],10,,36 #southslope
toolbar[1][3]=general_tool[4],11,,4 #northslope
toolbar[1][4]=general_tool[4],12,,12 #westslope
toolbar[1][5]=general_tool[4],13,,28 #eastslope
toolbar[1][6]=general_tool[4],14,,82 #all up slope
toolbar[1][7]=general_tool[4],15,,83 #all down slope
toolbar[1][8]=general_tool[5]

These are for half slope varients, for both types of slope you will need something like:
# slope tools
toolbar[1][0]=general_tool[2]
toolbar[1][1]=general_tool[3]
toolbar[1][2]=general_tool[4],10,,36 #southslope
toolbar[1][3]=general_tool[4],11,,4 #northslope
toolbar[1][4]=general_tool[4],12,,12 #westslope
toolbar[1][5]=general_tool[4],13,,28 #eastslope
toolbar[1][6]=general_tool[4],10,,72 #southslope*2
toolbar[1][7]=general_tool[4],11,,8 #northslope*2
toolbar[1][8]=general_tool[4],12,,24 #westslope*2
toolbar[1][9]=general_tool[4],13,,56 #eastslope*2
toolbar[1][10]=general_tool[4],14,,82 #all up slope
toolbar[1][11]=general_tool[4],15,,83 #all down slope
toolbar[1][12]=general_tool[5]

(but you will probable want to draw new icons also)

[AP]

Just wanted to post to say how awesome it is that we're able to incorporate this feature. Good job!!

[Spartanis]

ahh.. one need to update menuconfig as well!.. my god! lol.. *toodles off to have more fun*

[jamespetts]

I have to say, this looks very promising, and should substantially enhance the Simutrans experience.