Roads system

[binstream]

Please let us know your expectations from the road system: input data formats, features, tools.

[demostenes]

- Ability to create road mesh inside editor via editable/reeditable spline

- It would be nice, if clutters were able to use such road object like mesh mask (some flag on/off on clutter). So I can generate vegetation mask(s), put any road on terrain and vegetation wont be in the road area. In case I change road, I dont have to modify clutter masks (which can go to dozens). Such feature would be huge timesaver. Can be same for river meshes.

- If possible, some automatical terrain adjustments for road like:

 

http://docs.cryengine.com/display/SDKDOC2/The+Road+Tool

 

- Ability to generate river meshes same way:

 

http://docs.cryengine.com/display/SDKDOC2/The+River+Tool

[tmorris]

Main expectations:

1) Automatically adjust terrain, elevate or flatten. 

2) Auto removal of clutter.

3) Ability to edit the road spline in the editor.

 

Secondary expectations:

4) Slope control to aid in creation of mountain pass type features.

5) Ability to interact with rivers favorably (easy to create bridges).

 

To piggyback on the river tool idea, some high level tool that incorporated a morphological classification system (ex: Rosgen System) would be a very welcome change from typical single reach river tools that end in very uniform looking river channels. 

[rene.kuntkes]

- Auto removal of clutter would be a huge time saver.

- Inclusion of "sidewalk" geometry, or at least controllable spaced placements of objects along the spline (streetlights etc) this should also allow for the creation of railroads

- Ability to project roads crossing each other on different heights with the new tool. As far as I know this works with the current workflow as well.

- Import splines from external programs to use in the creation of roads (not exclusively in editor)

- Possibility of integration of meta-data for traffic system.

- Influence on terrain (flatten, elevate etc)

- Seamless transfer from road decals to actual geometry (see this issue for clarification: https://developer.unigine.com/forum/topic/3729-overlap-between-staticmesh-and-decaldeferredmesh/ )

[demostenes]

How does it look with this feature? It is starting to be quite important for us.

[silent]

Roads system for GIS (based on vector data) is planned for 2.4. Unfortunately, can't say anything right now about manual painting, sorry.

[demostenes]

Roads system for GIS (based on vector data) is planned for 2.4. Unfortunately, can't say anything right now about manual painting, sorry.

 

Only other option is to use terrain layers, but this is not good idea at all. Very little flexibility, limited shader options, manual clutter removal. Technically it makes road generation pain in the ass even in case I generate road as mask in some 3rd party editor. What should we do?

[demostenes]

Is there any progress? It is already blocker for us.

[binstream]

Vector-based splines are ready; working on other components to be available in 2.5-2.6.

[demostenes]

Ok, thanks.

[demostenes]

Is it possible with this 2.5 API create such tool? Also with clutter masking? Or should we rather wait for some iplementation of yours (preffered)?

[binstream]

It is possible to create such tool with 2.5 API, and we are working on implementing this in Landscape tool and UnigineEditor in general.

The tool will be available in 2.6 more likely.

[demostenes]

It is possible to create such tool with 2.5 API, and we are working on implementing this in Landscape tool and UnigineEditor in general.

The tool will be available in 2.6 more likely.

 

Perfect, thanks! Do you also plan automatic clutter masking (not render clutters in area with road mesh, like WorldVolume node)? 

[demostenes]

Still planned into 2.6?

 

 

[silent]

Yes, still planned for 2.6 and I'm afraid for geo-specific data only (if we are talking about import via Landscape tool).

[demostenes]

Any eta for some in editor tool?

[demostenes]

According to latest release, we are almost there:

"Roads generation has also become better. Terrain heights and masks can be adjusted for generated roads to provide better alignment and prevent vegetation from growing on the roads. This can be done in one click by simply selecting the Adjust terrain masks and heights option when setting up road generation parameters."

When we can expect this as manual spline tool?

Thanks.

Btw, how is it technically done? Is it some kind of decal? Can grabber grab such object into diffuse texture, so we can LOD (turn off) such objects at some distance? Is clutter removal dynamic, or just static (cleaning of vegetation masks).

Edited December 22, 2017 by demostenes

[silent]

Hi Jirka,

Roads on a screenshots are indeed made of decals. Currently there is no Grabber functionality available, I'm afraid. 

Quote

Is clutter removal dynamic, or just static (cleaning of vegetation masks)?

Not sure what you mean,  but you can always modify masks in runtime as you want.

Currently we don't have any ETA on spline roads tools inside Editor, sorry. As soon as I get more information we will surely let you know.

Thanks!

[sergej.koptev]

What about spline editing inside editor? Rivers && lakes tool?
Actually, it would be great to revive "releases plan for Unigine 2.x" topic.

[demostenes]

12 hours ago, silent said:

 

Not sure what you mean,  but you can always modify masks in runtime as you want.

Currently we don't have any ETA on spline roads tools inside Editor, sorry. As soon as I get more information we will surely let you know.

Thanks!

As static i understand cleaning vegetation from mask. Dynamic is not rendering clutters on roads without changing anything in vegetation mask. So when i move road, i dont have to modify clutter mask.

This feature is postponed and postponed during last years several times. I understand, that there is always lots of other things to do, on the other side i have feeling, that non sim features/users are lately zero priority for you. And it is already causing us serious troubles (Not able to upgrade to 2.6 because of terrain object....).It would be nice to know what is your roadmap for 2018, we want to know if it  makes sense to prolong licence. It does not make sense to further prolong non-sim licence, if all new features are sim only.

 

Edited December 25, 2017 by demostenes

[aie]

My wishes

1) Road smoothing. Settings:  a)the angle between the segments b) quantity of segments; c)rounding radius,

2) Crossroads.

2.1.) The search of intersections of the splines. Splines can have a common point, but may not have.

2.2.) Cutting the roads before intersection object.

2.3) Inserting objects(crossroads, bridges,...) at an intersection roads. Settings: а)length from the center of the object to the edge of the object(for cutting the road), b) the name of the two roads(tags) on which the object(crossroad) is placed. 

2.4) Smoothing the road before the intersection. The roads have 90(45) degrees in before of the intersection for good joining with crossroads. Settings: a) rounding radius, b) quantity of segments.