Lateral versus normal hazard.

I'm just wondering what the correct usage for Lateral Water Hazard and Normal Water Hazard are? I have two lakes on my course so far.

 

One has some pretty steep and high edges so I placed the lateral hazard at the top of the side of the lake and placed the normal hazard right along the edges of the lake down below.

 

The other has a low shoreline so I simply placed the normal water hazard markers (yellow) right along the waters edge.

 

I also see lakes in current courses without any hazard markers.

 

So my take is you use Lateral Hazard markers (red) when the area is steep or in an area such as a low area that has a lot of bramble and unevenness or perhaps wetland areas. You use Normal Water Hazard (yellow) around low lying lakes and rivers/streams.

 

Is this correct usage and is it necessary to surround any potential lake/ river with a yellow water hazard spline? And if not what are the differences that the game uses to detect an unplayable water lie without the hazard marker?.

 

On a side note. I flattened my lakes out and made them reasonably shallow as it seemed that deep lakes take quite a while for the ball to come to rest and for the game to give the drop option. I notice that in most course designs this is not the case. Are designers making real shallow lakes to compensate or is there some setting for the water plane I am missing?

 

Thank you,

 

SC   

 

The red lateral also gives the option to play it as it lies if your not totally in the drink I believe. Funny the hole with both splines is a double fairway. One way is running parallel and if you go the other you have to play over water so I guess I got that one right.

 

Thanks for the reply.

 

Cheers!

 

SC 

Every lateral water hazard imperatively needs two regular water hazards sectors along its outline. Otherwise it does not work - at least that was the official take during beta, I do not know if that has changed with the public version.

You can change lateral into regular and back by right-clicking on one of the control points, which will reveal a small pull down menu. This way you can transition from one to the other along the same spline, which is very helpful at times.

When in doubt, make water hazards lateral hazards. Only those with a big, frontal carry over water (like Sawgrass 17) should be made water hazards. Drop zones for shots finding the water, such as for Sawgrass 17, btw, are not yet implemented in CF.

Also, hazard splines CAN and should overlap other meshes. For all terrain meshes, you have been taught that they never should overlap each other, yes, but hazards are an exception: They can be drawn to overlap everything else.

And finally, the outline of water hazards does not necessarily hug the water's edge. If there is a steep bank leading down into water, the hazard line must be placed on top of it, where the ground is reasonably flat. 

A player always has the option of playing as it lies from a hazard whether red or yellow.

Obviously the severity of the lie usually dictates whether to try a shot or take a drop.

Placement of hazard stakes/lines is not always easy but sounds like yours is playing as it should.

On a side note. I flattened my lakes out and made them reasonably shallow as it seemed that deep lakes take quite a while for the ball to come to rest and for the game to give the drop option. I notice that in most course designs this is not the case. Are designers making real shallow lakes to compensate or is there some setting for the water plane I am missing?

 

Thank you,

 

SC   

 

Water depth shouldn't make any different. Are you sure you have assigned water physics properties to your water?

Water depth shouldn't make any different. Are you sure you have assigned water physics properties to your water?

 

 

That was it. I forgot that bit in the tutorial but noticed it as I went back through my design checking different aspects. I was actually in there turning on cast shadows? ; checking the receive shadows box and changed reflection probes from probes to probes and skybox. So far I've not noticed a hit to framerates and I'm not sure there is much difference. Could you explain what the differences are in the water planes there are three available. I'm using 1 and 2 and do not discern any differences.

 

Thanks for the reply and your dedication to the game,

 

SC