16 replies to this topic

[jt83]

It's time for me to check out Easy Roads Free but I'd like to check a few things first.

 

Is the latest version 3.1 fine to install, or is version 3.0 required?

When Mike backs up his terrain in the tutorial, is there a reason he copy-pastes and doesn't use the PP backup terrain button?

Can Easy Roads foul up the terrain somehow if I'm not careful?

Does Mike's tutorial cover all the basics?

I think I read somewhere Easy Roads should be the last part of laying out a course.  Is that true, and if so why?

Does the Free 3.0 have the advantages of the paid ie not having to delete the folder?

Anything else a noob should be mindful of?

 

I could just install it and take risks but I'm at the point where some kind of disaster would be heartbreaking.

[rmoor13]

I am in no way an expert on the subject, but in my experience I have had Easyroads put spikes on the outer edge of my terrains, so would definately recommend backing up your project.

[DoGgs]

Personally i think its a lot of effort for something that resembles masking tape strewn around a course...its horrible!  it's crazy how there is nothing out there that replicates paths in unity land, even a little program that would let you paint one as its so hard to do as it is.

[jt83]

At least masking tape is straight!  I don't want to sully my latest course with concrete splines, they sit too high and when you accidentally double click after drawing a mile of spline... 

[Dropzone73]

Road spline would be a good enhancement request for PG2. A spline that has adjustable width and you just click the center positions of the road about the way you make flytrough splines or easy roads. Only problem is that splines can't overlap or cross each others. Would be nice anyway.

[Justin9926]

DP did a video a while back on how to take easy roads into blender and "plump them up". If you don't know much about blender his video is pretty easy to follow to do the Cart paths individually. Now if you want to start joining them, then you need to use the knife tool to cut them up to join them, which isn't that hard to do either. Here's a few Cart paths I've done and taken into blender to show what can be done. The first two pictures are from a course in San Diego called Madera's golf course. I've joined all of the Cart paths together as one in blender. I probably had 15 different cart paths in easy roads that I brought into blender and joined.

 

Cart path intersection.

 

Here's three pictures of a course I'm playing around with the overlay technique with the Cart paths running right through the mesh.

 

 

Another thing that I do if I'm working on a real course done with lidar is laid down the cart paths first thing. I know Mike's video suggests doing them last, but he's also doing a fictional course. So he has no idea where to put the Cart paths until he creates the course. But with doing a real course done with lidar, you can see exactly where the Cart paths are. So by laying them down first. You can then smooth the terrain around them where they make the indent into the terrain when building. Then you can run your meshes, right up to them. Plus, if for some reason you mess up with the cart path, You can just reimport the raw map to fix the terrain

 

Justin

[uvmnick]

Great post, Justin!

[jt83]

Plus, if for some reason you mess up with the cart path, You can just reimport the raw map to fix the terrain

 

Justin

 

This is the point I'd most like to clarify.  Mike copied his terrain asset file, you're talking about the height map...is there some reason the PP 'backup terrain' button isn't good enough?

[Justin9926]

Mike was on an older version of CF which maybe didn't have the back up terrain like it does now. Just use the backup terrain and you're good to go.

[clubcaptain]

Mike was on an older version of CF which maybe didn't have the back up terrain like it does now. Just use the backup terrain and you're good to go.

I remember asking about this a long time ago but no reply. The other day I wanted to load a saved terrain but when I clicked on that option I didn't get a window to enable me to browse to the file.

[Justin9926]

Well if you did, back up your terrain It should be in the course folder under projects.

[clubcaptain]

So in the absence of a browser window do I drag that file into the hierarchy window in CF ?

[Justin9926]

Does your backup terrain show in that folder? You should be able to just click load terrain and go to it then if it's there.

[clubcaptain]

Yes I got it now thanks.

[Justin9926]

Glad to see you got it

[axe360]

DP did a video a while back on how to take easy roads into blender and "plump them up". If you don't know much about blender his video is pretty easy to follow to do the Cart paths individually. Now if you want to start joining them, then you need to use the knife tool to cut them up to join them, which isn't that hard to do either. Here's a few Cart paths I've done and taken into blender to show what can be done. The first two pictures are from a course in San Diego called Madera's golf course. I've joined all of the Cart paths together as one in blender. I probably had 15 different cart paths in easy roads that I brought into blender and joined.

 

Cart path intersection.

 

Here's three pictures of a course I'm playing around with the overlay technique with the Cart paths running right through the mesh.

 

 

Another thing that I do if I'm working on a real course done with lidar is laid down the cart paths first thing. I know Mike's video suggests doing them last, but he's also doing a fictional course. So he has no idea where to put the Cart paths until he creates the course. But with doing a real course done with lidar, you can see exactly where the Cart paths are. So by laying them down first. You can then smooth the terrain around them where they make the indent into the terrain when building. Then you can run your meshes, right up to them. Plus, if for some reason you mess up with the cart path, You can just reimport the raw map to fix the terrain

 

Justin

 

Those paths are simply Beautiful my friend. I'm almost ready to learn how to do this. Thanks for sharing.

[slammin]

DP did a video a while back on how to take easy roads into blender and "plump them up". If you don't know much about blender his video is pretty easy to follow to do the Cart paths individually. Now if you want to start joining them, then you need to use the knife tool to cut them up to join them, which isn't that hard to do either. Here's a few Cart paths I've done and taken into blender to show what can be done. The first two pictures are from a course in San Diego called Madera's golf course. I've joined all of the Cart paths together as one in blender. I probably had 15 different cart paths in easy roads that I brought into blender and joined.

 

Cart path intersection.

 

Here's three pictures of a course I'm playing around with the overlay technique with the Cart paths running right through the mesh.

 

 

Another thing that I do if I'm working on a real course done with lidar is laid down the cart paths first thing. I know Mike's video suggests doing them last, but he's also doing a fictional course. So he has no idea where to put the Cart paths until he creates the course. But with doing a real course done with lidar, you can see exactly where the Cart paths are. 

 

Justin

 

I have come to the conclusion that planting trees early is also a good idea when using Lidar from a real course.

 

Sorry, didn't intend to duplicate the screem shots.