Another stupid question

What's the largest map size T3D can put up with?

 

2048

The min charchter limit is 6.

 

If they're stupid questions, why do you ask them?

 

Meters per side, meaning a maximum of 4 klicks square?

Reasons & stuff.

 

4096x4096 heightmap is said to be the limit. And it need so much RAM I don't think you would be able to place a lot of objects. For exemple, East Coast USA have a 2048x2048 heightmap, and with all objects use more memory than my bare custom 4096x4096 map.
However, you can stretch the map with the Meter per Pixel option. No limits given in T3D documentation.

 

Isn't "desert roads" or something like that 8192?, perhaps maybe 4096 with MpP at 2...not sure. I believe the max map size supported is
8192X8192 and you wouldn't even want to attempt it. Making a map that size with any fidelity work on anything but a $5K system would
defy logic on any level. 4096 maps are big enough to the point where very few even want to try it on a realistic detail level that I've seen.

 

The question can't be that stupid since we've gotten 3 different potential answers so far.

1) What is the limit of xyz? If 4096 is the right answer here, does that mean that the largest map would be 4096x4096x4096 (xyz)? And what does this resolution mean in practice?

2) And could you make it so that a 4096^3 map is so detailed that the map itself would only be 10^3 meters? Or am I misunderstanding this here?

3) How'd you go about putting models in the map, would they scale depending on map settings? In other words, to get it to be 1:1 you have to use the same settings in the 3D modeller? Is it even a setting for that when modelling or exporting a model? How does this work?

4) And why is there even a limit? I guess it's related to memory, and the engines ability to handle memory IOs? Or sumthin'.

 

1) 4096 is the resolution of the height map, a 2d image... 4096*4096 would be the size of the grid in polies that makes up the heightmap.
There is then a meters per pixel setting. A setting of 1 meter would then cause a 4096*4096 heightmap to be 4km each way. But any small changes in slope height in the game that need to be closer than 1 meter would be theoretically impossible (although 1 metre is actually a decent start). Halve that setting to 0.5, the map will only be 2km each way, but the smallest bump in the map you can represent would be half a metre.
On a flat map, you could get away with 512*512 pixels (think smallest torque will load as a valid heightmap) at something like 10 metres per pixel for a huge flat map, buy you couldnt easily represent hills etc in 10 metres per pixel and only have a limited heightmap resolution to play with.
I think that answers 2 aswell.

3) The heightmap only represents the basic terrain object and does not influence the meshes placed into the game. You import meshes to accomodate for the height maps limitations, like the rumble strips in grid map that the height map cannot represent (as they are too small).

4) Higher res heightmap = more polies. You can work out the rest.

 

A) I think I understand now. But you can model the map in 3D right, you don't need to generate it from an 2D representation?

B) How'd you go about making a small hole in the road witth the size... say.. 10 cm (1/10 meter)? Mesh? To me even a 0.5 m/p setting seems waaay to low for road details, and even the rest of the track too.

C) Mkay, so that means you could actually make a very detailed mesh road?

D) What if you don't want to rely on the low detail height map altogether and just make a mesh based map?

 

I'd imagine a mesh map would be the perfect solution for a sci-fi city map or a Wipeout/F-zero style map....ehm...without a tree
or bush anywhere.

 

From my searching it's said that you COULD make a 8192^2 height map, but it would crash. So the largest compatible height map is therefore 4096^2. This thread is interesting.

I want to learn to make quality maps. I have a little experience with hammer, but I guess it won't help me much as I need to learn new tools anyways. I'm itching for this, but I can't/won't start with this until later this year or even later. Need to see what's going on in my life.

Thanks!! Really helpful.

So this is more efficient since the pattern is based on a values in regular (and predictable) intervals? In my head it makes sense, since predictable patterns makes it easier to optimize and compress.

What do you mean, organic?


1) Another question, say you wanna make a sprint map, could you make a rectangular height map area? Say.. 512x8192 or 512x4096? Or do you have to just make the rest of the map that you won't use totally flat to minimize resource usage?

2) If you make a circuit track with rock walls at the inner, where you can't go, can you make it so that the engine won't generate the height map in the middle (inside the rock), to save on resources? That place you can't see or go to anyways, if that's the kind of map you're making.

3) How many possible height values do you have?