CryEngine 3 SDK: Paint, Edit, Modify Terrain Manually

We continue with CryEngine 3 SDK tutorials. If you are just starting to learn and use CryEngine 3 SDK, start here.

In this tutorial we cover how to manually paint, modify and edit terrain.

Topics covered:

• Using Flatten, Rise/Lower, Smooth and Pick Height Terrain tools
• Defining a general shape of your terrain
• Manually modifying the terrain height
• Combining Generate Terrain Tool and manually painting/editing terrain height

TERRAIN EDITOR/ROLLUP BAR BRUSH SETTINGS

There are two ways to modify your terrain manually.

Once is accessed through Terrain Editor options. Terrain --> Edit Terrain.

The same window as when we generated procedural terrain.

You will see Terrain Brush Options on the right:

Two is by going into RollupBar and clicking on the second tab. Choose Modify.

You can use Terrain Editor or RollupBar to paint your terrain.

I use Terrain Editor to define an overall shape of the terrain, then go into RollupBar and continue to modify the terrain from there.

GENERAL SHAPE OF YOUR TERRAIN

To get a general shape of your terrain open up the Terrain Editor.

Choose the Flatten Tool and set Outside Radius and Inside Radius to the same values.

Outside Radius defines outer edge of the brush to paint with.

Inside Radius defines inner edge of the brush to paint with.

Set Hardness to 1.

Choose Height to a specific value. Height value is set in meters.

Left-Click and paint in the top down view to raise the terrain and shape it how you want it.

ROLLUP BAR MODIFY TERRAIN

Once you have a general shape, go to Rollup Bar and select Modify. Use the perspective viewport to modify your terrain.

FLATTEN TOOL

Flatten Tool flattens your terrain to a certain height you specify with the Height slider. This is a quick way to flatten your terrain to a certain height in meters.

To sample the height value while in Flatten Tool, hold down Ctrl + Left Mouse Click anywhere on your terrain. This will give you the height value of the terrain where you clicked.

RISE/LOWER TOOL

Rise/Lower Tool paints the height up/down of your terrain.

Choose Rise/Lower and set Outside/Inside Radius. Set the Hardness, which controls the strength of the brush to paint with.

• Left Click to Raise the terrain
• Ctrl + Left Click to Lower the terrain

SMOOTH TOOL

Smooth Tool will smooth the terrain. Define the Hardness, the strength of the Smooth brush. Left Click to smooth the terrain.

PICK HEIGHT/FLATTEN

Pick Height allows you to see the value height of the chosen spot in the terrain.

You can also access the Pick Height tool while using the Flatten Tool. To sample the height value while in Flatten Tool, hold down Ctrl + Left Mouse Click anywhere on your terrain. This will give you the height value of the terrain where you clicked.

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