[x3d-public] ElevationGrid for the modern age

[Leonard Daly]

Dave,

Give me a little time to answer this one. I have to dig out my notes.


Leonard Daly

> Thanks Leonard,
>
> So, if I have say, 7 types of ground (sand, rock, asphalt, dirt, 
> grass, snow, pebbles), and each has a normal map, then would I 
> generate 7 PNG files (from the weights) to use as an alpha channel per 
> texture, and somehow composite them using MultiTexture stuff? Can each 
> ground texture can still be like 256x256 pixels, even if the entire 
> terrain is very very large, as the alpha blending channels are 
> stretched across the terrain, where the diffuse/normal ones are tiled?
>
> Dave
>
>
> On 1/22/2015 10:37 AM, Leonard Daly wrote:
>> Dave,
>>
>> The spec does not directly provide support for multiple textures in a 
>> single ElevationGrid. It can be done with MultiTexture (don't know if 
>> X3DOM supports that). The current structure of a displayable node 
>> includes Geometry and Appearance. The ElevationGrid is the Geometry. 
>> Texture is one component of the Appearance. You could swap out the 
>> ElevationGrid geometry for something else and the Appearance would be 
>> applied in the same manner.
>>
>> Are you recommending something like a Terrain node which would 
>> include geometry and appearance tied together? Now looking at your 
>> example, it appears that you are suggesting the Appearance support 
>> multiple textures, each assigned an index that determines its (image 
>> texture's) use.
>>
>> In the current structure, you would create two images with 
>> transparent backgrounds (e.g. PNG) - one for the paths, another 
>> scattered shrubs. A third image would be the grass. The MultiTexture 
>> node would be used to merge the images together to get the desired 
>> effect.
>>
>> I worked on the MultiTexture node many years ago and still have my 
>> notes (someplace). I don't think much has changed. We do have reports 
>> that the node is not functioning correctly, but I do not remember 
>> enough of the details right now.
>>
>>
>> Leonard Daly
>>
>>
>>
>>> I'm working on an X3D/X3DOM exporter for Unity. Currently working on 
>>> Terrains (ElevationGrids)
>>>
>>> Is it still true that an EG can have only one texture? Is this still 
>>> true in X3DOM?
>>>
>>> If not, can we all go get the FREE Unity app, and check out how 
>>> Terrain is done. For the curious, it is like an EG,
>>> but it can have multiple layers (each having both diffuse and 
>>> optionally normal maps), each with its own resolution,
>>> and each with a set of 'weights'. The weights range from 0 to 1  
>>> indicating that texture's contribution to the texel.
>>> Why? So you can have relatively small repeating textures for things 
>>> like grass, gravel, mud, snow, etc., and blend them
>>> together across the larger map such that it doesn't look so 
>>> repetitive. Unity lets you paint heights as well as these
>>> weights. So you can, for example, add grass and sand to a terrain, 
>>> then paint the sand onto the grass to make paths
>>> in the grass.
>>>
>>> I would imagine the Appearance to looks something like this maybe:
>>>
>>> <Appearance>
>>>     <ImageTexture index='0' url='"grass.png"'/>
>>>     <ImageTexture index='1' url='"sand.png"'/>
>>> </Appearance>
>>> <ElevationGrid .... how it is pretty much with height et al >
>>>   <Weight index='0' weight = ' 0 .5  .25 .....'    One weight for 
>>> each height ... />
>>>   <Weight index='1' weight = ' 1 .5  .75 .....'    One weight for 
>>> each height ... />
>>> </ElevationGrid>
>>>
>>> Of course this doesn't account for normal maps or other types of 
>>> maps that could be included, open to suggestion there. Here's one:
>>>
>>> <ImageTexture index='0' channel='diffuse' ...
>>> <ImageTexture index='0' channel='normal' ...
>>>
>>> and so on.
>>>
>>> Here's something to whet your appetite:
>>>
>>>
>>> -- 
>>> Follow me! @thatvrguy
>>>
>>
>> -- 
>> *Leonard Daly*
>> X3D Co-Chair
>> Cloud Consultant
>> President, Daly Realism - /Creating the Future/
>>
>>
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>
> -- 
> Follow me! @thatvrguy


-- 
*Leonard Daly*
X3D Co-Chair
Cloud Consultant
President, Daly Realism - /Creating the Future/
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