Canyon Terrain Editor

Entar · Post by **Entar** » Fri Jan 08, 2010 5:38 pm

Some of you may be familiar with TerrainGen, a console-based terrain generator I made a while back. Well, that was useful and all, but I'm now working on a full graphical terrain editor. Like TerrainGen, it can load image files as heightmap data, and currently exports to Quake .map files and Quake 3 .map files. It's also setup to allow and encourage rapid and fluid terrain creation. Here's a quick video of the editor in action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FckhbVHqeoA

Suggestions for the name of the editor, and for features to be included, are welcome.
More info will be coming before too long, at http://entardev.wordpress.com

Spirit · Post by **Spirit** » Fri Jan 08, 2010 7:01 pm

That looks very good. Will it be cross-platform?

Entar · Post by **Entar** » Fri Jan 08, 2010 7:21 pm

I'll most likely end up making a Windows and a Linux version.

Chip · Post by **Chip** » Fri Jan 08, 2010 8:11 pm

That is great, but Quake engine should benefit from some special lighting, like Gouraud shading, in order not to see a bunch of polygons with depths and heights.

Or, is it?

Teiman · Post by **Teiman** » Fri Jan 08, 2010 8:12 pm

Make some maps and release then, I can use something like that

Chip · Post by **Chip** » Fri Jan 08, 2010 8:17 pm

Well, assuming that this is a Quake1 forum, and that there are lots of tools doing what I just saw in that video, a Quake map using a generated terrain (even in alpha state) shoud be more than useful.

I'd gladly play a map like those in Delta Force or Renegade with hills and river banks and all. But the limitations, oh, there are many. For example, texturing. It should be procedural, but we're talking Quake here, so, no chance.

leileilol · Post by **leileilol** » Fri Jan 08, 2010 8:24 pm

The terrain it outputs had better turn out better than this

(Nem's Tools + q3map2)

Entar · Post by **Entar** » Fri Jan 08, 2010 9:06 pm

leileilol wrote:The terrain it outputs had better turn out better than this

(Nem's Tools + q3map2)

Yeah, I think that shouldn't be too much of a problem.

SusanMDK · Post by **SusanMDK** » Fri Jan 08, 2010 11:36 pm

That looked nice. I was just testing some earth textures, wanted to have some quick bumpy terrain, but ended up having some bunch of blocks...

Teiman · Post by **Teiman** » Sat Jan 09, 2010 5:28 pm

hahaha.. that video is awesome leileilol

theres no way to smooth these hills? .. I don't know.. but water can show "fake" geometry, can't "ground" do something like that to show fake geometry, rounding it... ?

MeTcHsteekle · Post by **MeTcHsteekle** » Sun Jan 10, 2010 4:23 pm

starfox?

Entar · Post by **Entar** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 1:01 am

I've released a beta version of the Canyon Terrain Editor. Let me know what you think, and definitely bring back some screenshots of the cool stuff you guys make with it.

Download Link
Latest video (YouTube)
Full beta blog post

Chip · Post by **Chip** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 9:40 am

Entar wrote:I've released a beta version of the Canyon Terrain Editor. Let me know what you think, and definitely bring back some screenshots of the cool stuff you guys make with it.

Download Link
Latest video (YouTube)
Full beta blog post

How can I save a .map file of a terrain? I can't seem to find out how, and the F1 help does not help. Neither the readme.txt.

Entar · Post by **Entar** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 1:14 pm

When you click the export button, it says something like "F5-... to change format" and one of those will select .q1 map format or .q3 map format. Note, the export button (for other formats) and the save button (for CTE format) are different buttons on the HUD.

Chip · Post by **Chip** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 1:37 pm

Entar wrote:When you click the export button, it says something like "F5-... to change format" and one of those will select .q1 map format or .q3 map format. Note, the export button (for other formats) and the save button (for CTE format) are different buttons on the HUD.

Found it in the lower left corner. Thanks.

I'm really enthusiastic about such a tool, and the prospect of having REALLY BIG open spaces. My QuArK almost died compiling this. I used q3map2.

Notice the glitches. I'll try to use q3 bsp next time.