Go Back   AC3D Forums > General > AC3D General
Register FAQ Members List Calendar Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 6th January 2021, 10:53 PM   #1
Tomkat
Member
Expert member
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 79
Default Importing terrain files?

Does AC3D import terrain files? If it does... if I then import an object, can I view that objects "height" (y-coordinate) as it relates to distance above terrain?
Tomkat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 7th January 2021, 10:57 AM   #2
Andy
Administrator
Professional user
 
Andy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 4,563
Default Re: Importing terrain files?

It imports .ter (Terragen Terrain) - is that what you need?
Andy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 7th January 2021, 07:17 PM   #3
Tomkat
Member
Expert member
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 79
Default Re: Importing terrain files?

I'm not sure. I'm working with an older game that uses 8-bit, 256 value depth maps. Maybe I can convert them, but before I even try... would a successful import of the terrain result in a terrain that I can "measure" from if I insert an item... would I be able to directly know its height above the terrain, without doing calculations?
Tomkat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 8th January 2021, 08:30 AM   #4
Andy
Administrator
Professional user
 
Andy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 4,563
Default Re: Importing terrain files?

Once imported, simply select what you want to measure and the dimensions will be displayed along the top of the AC3D interface. This could be the whole lot or perhaps two vertices, one on the 'ground' and one at the maximum.


Bas-relief-from texture (Tools menu) might be useful if you can get your data into image form. See here for more info: https://www.inivis.com/supercoldmilk...basrelief.html
Andy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 8th January 2021, 12:42 PM   #5
Tomkat
Member
Expert member
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 79
Default Re: Importing terrain files?

Thanks! It just might work... with some tweaking. I'll play around with it a bit.
Tomkat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 8th January 2021, 02:33 PM   #6
Tomkat
Member
Expert member
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 79
Default Re: Importing terrain files?



OK, so far, so good... but here's where I'm stuck.
I need to know the distance from the vertex at the bottom of the item to the terrain (the red dashed line), EVEN IF there is no vertex directly there (which there isn't, in my case.)

I basically need to "project" the vertex onto the terrain "tile" below, then I could determine its Y-value.
I can't think of any booleans, knifes, or plugins that would work, and reveal that distance.. do you have any ideas?

Last edited by Tomkat; 8th January 2021 at 02:38 PM.
Tomkat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 9th January 2021, 12:14 PM   #7
Andy
Administrator
Professional user
 
Andy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 4,563
Default Re: Importing terrain files?

The length of the red line will be the same as the y-size of the selection if you select one of the (lower) vertices in the upper tile, and another which is in line with the bottom end of the red line.
Andy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 9th January 2021, 12:22 PM   #8
Tomkat
Member
Expert member
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 79
Default Re: Importing terrain files?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Andy View Post
The length of the red line will be the same as the y-size of the selection if you select one of the (lower) vertices in the upper tile, and another which is in line with the bottom end of the red line.
But, what if there is no vertex in line with the bottom end of the red line? (I added the red line in photoshop, so I would have no actual visual reference in AC3D.) Also, keep in mind that the bottom of the red line might be in a "valley" so my view of it is blocked from all sides. What I thought MIGHT work was...

1. draw a line straight down from the bottom vertex with a length that takes it THROUGH one of the mesh terrain "tiles."
2. Find some way to "intersect" or "knife" so that a vertex appears where the line goes through the tile.

However, I can't find anything that will work for step 2.

Last edited by Tomkat; 9th January 2021 at 01:08 PM.
Tomkat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 9th January 2021, 01:16 PM   #9
Tomkat
Member
Expert member
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 79
Default Re: Importing terrain files?



I basically need to know where this line pierces the tile (for any line thru any location on the tile)... do you know of any way to do that? Booleans don't seem to work with lines, only polygons.

Also, is there any way to select 2 vertices then and have AC3D automatically create a line between them? This seems like it should be a simple task, but I can't seem to find a way.

Last edited by Tomkat; 9th January 2021 at 01:23 PM.
Tomkat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 9th January 2021, 03:03 PM   #10
Andy
Administrator
Professional user
 
Andy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 4,563
Default Re: Importing terrain files?

You can use a rectangle/plane with the Object->Boolean->knife functions. That may be a way to create a vertex in the right location.


To make a line from two vertices, select both, Vertex->Create-ordered-surface (that will make a two vertex polygon, an invalid polygon shown in blue) then press Set-surface-type->Line (in the bottom left of the control panel). That will turn it into a valid line.
Andy is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 01:50 PM.


AC3D Forum
(C) Inivis Limited 2020