13 replies to this topic

[axe360]

Ok, since I will probably never have the time or interest anymore in course design, I am however active in course testing but I have a question.

When I designed with the TW's CA, we could and always did, Trim our plots in as much of a circle as we could, seeing that our Panoramas were all made 360degrees. However, when we trimmed our plots, we would always keep them 200yds or more, Away from any hole, so you could not see over the edge of the plot. This also kept fps's down.

 

I see courses where the main plot seems huge and was wondering if this can be done with CF?

 

Also I see courses that let the imagery show IE" blurry imagery, if you can't trim your plot down, can this be covered with a grass texture?

 

Thanks I appreciate feedback.

[Kablammo11]

Unity Plots can't be circles, they need to be perfect squares. 

The size of an Unity terrain is up to the designer - it does not impact performance, because it has the same resolution of a 2049 by 2049 wireframe no matter what its dimension in meters is.

I don't quite understand what you mean by IE blurry imagery - do you refer to blurry, massively enlarged and pixelated satellite images of the original terrain in the distance along the edges of the terrain? If so, yes, it's up to designers to let it be or cover it with terrain textures.

[axe360]

Perfect, thank you.

[axe360]

All good, I sent my next questions over to the tutorial on Lidar images..

 

http://www.perfectpa...e-3#entry122943

[Kablammo11]

1. No. It would not improve fps : Every terrain is 4+ mio verts, no matter if it is 3 feet small or 30 miles large. The size may vary, but the resolution of the terrain mesh does not (not yet, at least).

 

2. This is a decision best made at the start of the project, because as soon as work on the course begins in earnest, you are stuck with the terrain size. No trimming possible, no going back.

 

Additional: I usually use a main terrain at 2049 resolution for the golf course, then add a very large scenery terrain later, at 257 resolution, to take care of all the hills in the distance. This way I get a tight main area with high resolution for the golf course and at very little extra cost a vast surrounding space for the distant landscape.

[axe360]

.

[clubcaptain]

1. No. It would not improve fps : Every terrain is 4+ mio verts, no matter if it is 3 feet small or 30 miles large. The size may vary, but the resolution of the terrain mesh does not (not yet, at least).

 

2. This is a decision best made at the start of the project, because as soon as work on the course begins in earnest, you are stuck with the terrain size. No trimming possible, no going back.

 

Additional: I usually use a main terrain at 2049 resolution for the golf course, then add a very large scenery terrain later, at 257 resolution, to take care of all the hills in the distance. This way I get a tight main area with high resolution for the golf course and at very little extra cost a vast surrounding space for the distant landscape.

This suggests that some work could be done. Could that be just laying out the routing with splines only or would you have to just use the measuring tool with loads of green lines all over the plot.

[Kablammo11]

clubcaptain, I'll rephrase that, it was clumsily worded. The sentence should read:

"This is a decision best made at the very start of the project, because the terrain size must not be changed under any circumstances later, not ever, no-no, nuh-uh!"

 

If it were changed, the following would happen:

• Your elevations (that are tied to the height map, not the terrain), would distort proportionately and still be the same, no matter your terrain dimensions..
• Same for your terrain textures.
• As a result, your splines would either be lost or at best not correspond to the terrain elevation any more.
• You would be forced to undertake a massive redo and, in the worst case, basically would have to restart your project from scratch.

 

And since I'm screaming my lungs out around here to try and explain that THE SIZE OF THE TERRAIN IN METERS DOES NOT IMPACT FPS, this is a rather moot little problem anyway. 

[clubcaptain]

Well I asked the extra questions because I don't see how you can trim the plot without knowing how extensive a course layout would be and what directions it would go in so any kind of visual assistance would help before the trimming.

 

If you ran out of room then it wouldn't be a little problem.

[axe360]

.

[axe360]

Hey clubcaptain, did you ever design for TW PC? Cause in that designer, you could layout your course then trim down your plot because having way to much plot left over, not only made you have a huge area to plant, so it didn't look bare. It also increased fps's when you trimmed the excess.

"Not on real courses though" On a real course that you have grabbed the terrain from SAS Planet/google maps, once you put that terrain into the designer (CA) you couldn't trim that.

Starting with a blank plot is what I think you are talking about?

 

I've heard 2 versions since I've been here so far, one is "line of site" and the camera has to work harder to see further, so if you had a huge plot,  it takes a toll on fps. So you wouldn't want 2500 extra yds on your plot.  So you would think you would  trim your plot after you laid course out.   (of course we can adjust camera distance in the game).

 

2nd version.  It doesn't matter..

K11 knows this designer inside and out but I see what you are asking.

[Kablammo11]

Well I asked the extra questions because I don't see how you can trim the plot without knowing how extensive a course layout would be and what directions it would go in so any kind of visual assistance would help before the trimming.

 

If you ran out of room then it wouldn't be a little problem.

 

There. Is. No. Trimming. Of. The. Plot. In. Unity.

This. Functionality. May. Be. Available. In. Other. Course. Architects. But. Is. Unfortunately. Not. Available. Here.

 

There isn't even a plot. If you do run out of room, it's you who was to move over, not the terrain.

[axe360]

Wow. SMH

[clubcaptain]

Hey clubcaptain, did you ever design for TW PC? Cause in that designer, you could layout your course then trim down your plot because having way to much plot left over, not only made you have a huge area to plant, so it didn't look bare. It also increased fps's when you trimmed the excess.

"Not on real courses though" On a real course that you have grabbed the terrain from SAS Planet/google maps, once you put that terrain into the designer (CA) you couldn't trim that.

Starting with a blank plot is what I think you are talking about?

 

I've heard 2 versions since I've been here so far, one is "line of site" and the camera has to work harder to see further, so if you had a huge plot,  it takes a toll on fps. So you wouldn't want 2500 extra yds on your plot.  So you would think you would  trim your plot after you laid course out.   (of course we can adjust camera distance in the game).

 

2nd version.  It doesn't matter..

K11 knows this designer inside and out but I see what you are asking.

Yes, a blank plot. Never designed for TW so this is new to me. Thanks for helping though. You obviously understand I was trying to learn something.