I believe FPSCR is missing a few necessary terrain tools and would benefit greatly by adding them:



We desperately need a smooth tool - a way to gently smooth out the terrain. The raise/lower tool is a bit too coarse as it is. I also wish there was a way to tone up and down how MUCH the terrain tool affects the terrain (any tool).



It would be very nice to also have erosion tools - like canyon, fluvial, glacial, etc - to erode the terrain or filter it.



Perhaps a boolean terrain tool? Preset shapes that can CUT OUT parts of the terrain or allow the creation of overhangs/cliffs.



I believe these would help immensely.



Mike

I agree on all counts. Here are some videos of another engine's terrain tools that shows off a lot of these features in action. I also think we need to get away from this strict top-down editing concept. We should be able to edit our worlds in top or perspective view and have complete freedom to rotate around in editing mode. Having the F9 in-game editor is OK, but doesn't really give us what we need.



http://www.heroengine.com/heroengine/world-building/

I totally agree! I do love Reloaded, but the thing that should be 99% developed first is the terrain tools. leave AI, and any other tools, or eye candy for later builds, please!



Why?



When building levels, in any engine, the terrain layer is the place to start.



Once the landscape is properly carved out, and properly textured, which is normally baked into the surface, then it is time to add, for example, entities, and the level is built up in layers.



Each element thus occupies its own layer, for easy access and control, as layers can be turned on and off.



-Terrain shaping is on the bottom layer.



-Terrain texturing and baking is the next layer up.



Model media might occupy the next layer: like construction kit stuff.



-Then comes a lighting layer.



-Procedural effects probably come next.



-Time of day and weather systems come after that.



-Then BOIDS might be added as the first layer of AI



-Then AI is added.



There is no point in building complex levels with a shaky foundation.



I too want to see a character editor, and construction kit, but lets focus on the fundamentals first.



So far, although still impressive, the terrain capabilities are less than adequate. In the voting section the upgrade is called: advanced terrain tools, when, in fact, this should be basic terrain management.



We need to be able to create our own complex textures, in engine, and add things like roads, river beds, and beaches, etc. For now I can work around this, but lets get cracking, and build this engine logically.

yes please to this lot of tools..and soon lol.