Terrains

[L04D3D]

hi, i'm completley new to udk so i'm having a hard time figuring this out,

if i create a terrain in my editor, (standard size 16,16) the mobile previewer crashes when i load it up, if i install it onto my iphone, the terrain is there you can walk around on it but it is completley black ( this is with a point light scaled to cover the terrain and a lightmass volume set ), so is there some kind of option that i need to change to make this work?

thanks in advance.

*edit: if you install on iphone the terrain is completley invisible, not just black, you can walk around on it, you can bump into any walls but it is not visible, i'm sure this is just a simple option that i've missed, i'd really appreciate any suggestions.

[BenNadler]

I haven't started using the mobile version yet, but I have read that materials are set up differently for mobile games and do not use the normal shader network.

You should look into this, as it sounds like it is most likely an issue with materials.

[L04D3D]

Don't think it's a problem with materials, i've tried creating custom materials and setting up all the options under mobile ( such as adding in the base material ) in the materials properties and checking the box in usage for "use with terrain" , and i've also tried using the materials from epic citadel which you would think would work because that program runs just fine.

i think this might be an issue with terrains, because when you create a new terrain, even if you don't add a texture to it ( assuming that the base texture used with terrains is compatible with mobiles) it doesn't run, try it yourself, just create a terrain of any size, i'm using 16,16 and run it in the mobile prieveiwer, guarantee it will crash, and when you export it to the iphone the terrain seems to work for collisions but is completley invisble.

[Zach Lehman]

We couldn't find a quick fix for terrains (ours crash too) so we just replaced them with a static mesh and vertex painted it. It's probably much more optimal that way anyways (considering we exported our terrain and it was 80k polys, and we got it down to 8k polys without any difference in appearance).

[L04D3D]

cool, guess i'll be using a static mesh then :)

[skasteve]

In this initial release of UDK for iOS Terrain is not currently supported. Static meshes with mesh painted materials is currently the ideal way to do this.

[CSlegers]

If the terrian needs to be made completely from static meshes how do you guys start makeing your map? Do you make a complete map and then export it in pieces and put it back together in UDK?.

I'm sorry but i cant seem to figure out where to start my own map.
When i look at the scale of the citidel i cant seem to figure out how their process of ma[ making was.

[kamequazi]

I've been bumping into this terrain issue (so to speak, har har) and am having a different problem: COLLISIONS.

I've created a static mesh terrain with hills, valleys, etc. It looks great in my tests. The problem is that there is no easy way to make realistic collisions with an uneven terrain. I attempted a built in collision hull in the exported mesh (a bunch of cubes leveled to generally match the terrain) and while this works, it is not ideal (too rough).

I peeked into the Epic Citadel to see how that managed terrain collisions, and all I was able to ascertain was that they DIDN'T do it with a built in collision mesh (the static meshes for the ground have no collisions at all). When I delete the ground meshes, the player still walks around normally. I simply cannot see what is creating the ground collisions. Any help?

[Kwarismian]

Epic Citadel and Jazz Jackrabbit both use a separate simple collision mesh that is an invisible mesh contained in a group called "Collision" that is hidden by default. Unhide this group to see the col mesh.

[kamequazi]

Excellent. Thanks for the quick answer, Kwarismian. Off to check it out, and then shamelessly copy. (:

[kiz]

this has worried me slightly, i am pretty new to UDK and have spend ages on the tutorial vidoes which has helped me greatly im looking to create a mobile game.

SO am i right in thinking i now need to go learn how to use cinema 4d etc for the terrain?

This will be a major major set back for me. argh!

[kamequazi]

I feel your pain, Kiz. I use Maya myself, which makes the creation of static meshes and terrains much easier for me. There's no question that knowing how to use a 3D application will greatly improve your ability to make your game exactly how you want it, but it is indeed a daunting thing to learn. If you can learn UDK, though, you can learn a 3D app. Good luck.

[Kwarismian]

I'd go with either Maya or 3dsMax. Don't know that cinema4d has a tool for exporting to UDK.

[kiz]

than you very much, ouchies :( got a project i wanted to get done by june really but looks like im going to have to learn maya, to be honest im only looking to create a very simple level im making some thing much like jazz to start off with so i dont think a terrain that simple should be too bad.

Know any where decent to start off at all please? looks liek im going to have to download a trial and hope for the best...

And thanks

[kamequazi]

Awright guys, you're playing some tricks on me. I've combed over the hidden collision mesh for Epic Citadel and simply cannot figure out HOW it is providing collisions. I have a simple terrain of my own imported into my world and its settings are all identical to the EC collision mesh, and yet I get no collision. If I import both the EC col-mesh and my own into my level, the EC mesh provides collision but mine does not.

Does it need to be imported in a certain way?

YARGHH!!

[ffejnosliw]

The collision mesh has bUseSimpleBoxCollision and bUseSimpleLineCollision disabled in the StaticMesh Editor properties (necessary to have collision without simplified collision geometry) and then the placed mesh in the level has its collision set to COLLIDE_BlockAllButWeapons.

[kamequazi]

(Hangs head in shame) Thanks!