Roads in UDK

[89FIREFLIGHT]

Hello,

I have seen some quite old threads and videos talking about roads and would like some up to date information regarding the matter.
In one video I saw somebody using a road tool but when i look in my content browser, then look in actor classes, it is not there!

This is suprising as, I learnt the sandbox 2 editor when the first crysis was released, they had a road tool and was very simple to use, making great looking dusty tracks with tyres marks in them. It was a 5 to 10 min job to insert it and then the tweaking of the shape was all that it needed.

Also although i will not need rivers straight away there was also a nifty river tool, anything similar in UDK?

These tools are a must for UDK, if they don't currently exist then some help in finding a way to make dusty tracks and roads would be great.

It is strange as I have a great texture to use with such a road tool already in the content browser, I just need to scuplt my highways

Many Thanks

89FIREFLIGHT

[Adrenen]

There is no river or road tool in udk , best way is to put landscape in 3d software and make modular road pieces on it , there have been many threads on this forum as well that there is no such a tool If you want some very simple disty road you can always paint it on landscape .

[89FIREFLIGHT]

Yeah, thanks for your input Adrenen, I thought so.

Let's say I made my builder brush a long flat cuboid, I could use that for straight road but could I then map that to the terrain?.
Then if I could warp the curvature of my builder brush I would be sorted!

I wanted to start a discussion with people recommending different ways to perform this task.

Any more help would be appreciated.

89FIREFLIGHT

[McTune]

Roads in UDk are a real pain in the neck man
God I wish for a road/river tool in future udk's
here check out my game 'link below'
I fairly happy the more roads I make the better I get my only real prob is limited time and the will to put a whole lot of roads, anyway I'll sum up the steps I took.
I made the landscape then exported the sections I wanted to put a road on, (just deleted the unwanted landscape components and hit export as .ob). Next I imported that into a modeling software so I could then model and custom fit the roads to that terrain. Be sure to set the translation pivot point so when you import the newly created road you can place it properly with no effort. put it at 0,0,0

[89FIREFLIGHT]

McTune I checked out your game video, very cool!

I have quite an awkward landscape compared to the flat land, I need a 'map to terrain' feature or a makeshift one.

I have road texture but it only goes in one direction ( Well, two directions in fact! [ You know what I mean! ] ), the only other way round it would be to pick a dirt texture with no specific road detail.
However, I do not want to resort to that as it would comprimise the feel of the driving experience too much.

I don't suppose there are static mesh packages for roads around?, if there is no road tool that should be provided at least!

89FIREFLIGHT

[cube2222]

You can try out spline actors.

[89FIREFLIGHT]

Hi Cube2222,

I just had a quick look at some tutorials on youtube by freetimecoder: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYPl4...a-pddE&index=1

Looks like the way to go! Thank you!

I can take one static mesh for a straight road segment then begin working with the lofted spline actors to connect and shape other identical meshes, resulting in a road network.

Although I have not seen a 'map to terrain' feature this is definately a step in the right direction.

Many Thanks cube2222!

If anybody can shed any light on how I could map the resulting static mesh network to terrain that would be ideal and much appreciated.
It saves going round and fine tuning each node, I have a quite big level you see.

89FIREFLIGHT

[Fi5h1fishy]

I believe that there is actually a pack that gives you road sections.

I can't find the link personally, but have a look around; there's bound to be some sort of road package that you are looking for.

[RaPtOr_v9600]

there is no road tool, best thing is 3ds-max model modular roads and import to UDK

[udk_slarti]

Yes, roads tend to be a pain in Unreal. You could try this: sculpt the road in Landscape mode (smooth tool with detail smooth), export the terrain as obj, import it in a 3d app of your choice, delete all unwanted polys (polys outside the road), texture it, reimport it into UDK and position it over the terrain. That way you could get a road with a nice texture on it. Since it should fit the already created terrain well, you don't need to care about collision in the road model.

[Einheit560]

a other solution for a road in the UDK are Decals. You need only a big texture:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPAq...qPA0ZljUGciqbE
The video is in german but you can see the final street and the decal import etc.

[Adrenen]

Yes i believe decals would be the best way , i think they use roads using decals in ArmA games as well

[89FIREFLIGHT]

Thankyou Einheit560 and Adrenen, I will have a look at that method and post back
89FIREFLIGHT

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk

[.CrUsH.]

Yep, looks like decals would be the fastest and best way to do it.

[Chicken+Ribs Combo]

Decals will only work as long, straight stretches of roads. You won't be able to do any sort of convincing winding or organic roads or nice looking intersections. The only reliable method I've found after all of this experimentation is to completely do away with Landscape, model my terrain in an external package, conform my road mesh to that terrain and then import the terrain merged with my road in large chunks.