Cliffs: Is it just me...

[SuperElement]

Or did blizzard do a very messy job concerning texture interaction with them?
What could be a simple placement job becomes a war to match up textures because it's uneven, despite looking orderly in the unwrap.
Not to mention the horribly disgusting way a 1-height against a 2-height makes other parts break. And the lack of a corner-specific tile rather than the random system it does have. All of these make skinning cliffs a rather tedious process, don't you agree?

For example, the wrap near the black dots. Perfectly orderly skin, but now I have to sit an hour stretching and nudging a specific part of it to get it to align right.

Very annoying- the resize even blurred out the effect it had on the teal dots, an effect which makes it even more frustrating. Diaganols are ugly either way. Old game, but one cannot help be pull one's hair in frustration... I really want to get this done for a friend's map, and I'm fighting the cliff wrap techniques each step of the way. I imagine other cliff skinners have to go through this same agonizing process, such as the person whos skin I based this off of, though they quit much sooner than I did, without trying to take on making the wrap work properly.

Anyone else find this annoying?

 

[MiniMage]

[Dequoted] xd

Why not just make the terrain without the dots and add the dot thingies as doodads later on? :O

 

[Dentothor]

why did you need to quote that? its like two big pictures spamming the first 2 posts >.<

 

[SuperElement]

Why not just make the terrain without the dots and add the dot thingies as doodads later on? :O

Erm, I'm making the skin using photoshop. The dots are removable at any point as a separate layer, I've been using them to figure out which panel in the skin actually goes where in the editor.

So, It seems the only way I can properly get the cliff skin to wrap perfectly may be in making the panels go vertical in horizontal. Will have to consult my map maker as to whether he's alright with veritcal or if he can live with simple discord between the black dot types against the blue and purple, but he's busy playing Mein Führer Craft at the moment. Goddamn MC. AND DEAR GOD I JUST FOUND OUT THAT TRYING TO PUT A DOUBLE STORY CLIFF NEXT TO A WATER EDGE WITHOUT AN INTERCEDING EDGE WILL HAVE A CLIFF PIECE THAT BULGES AND HAS A TEAR IN IT. ARGHHHHHHH!

 

[SuperElement]

Well I've been working on it lately and managed to get around a large portion of the wrapping issue by making the planks run vertical. If anyone's interested, it's attached.

Any ideas on what to do for the corner blocks of cliffs so as to fix the issue with vertical being placed against rotated versions? Inverting the direction of the offensive parts would fix the double sided cliff problem, but they only rotate on double sided cliffs, so i'd break the corners off of the edges by making them look rotated.

I'd also appreciate feedback of any sort. In particular, I'm wondering what to do about the columns- to get a proper square block on the corners, i'd have to double up the square above the column. Should I, or would it look stupid lengthways on the cliff? (I have tested by the way, wasn't sure.)

I also intend to recolour the wood to be more pale, perhaps darken it a fraction and use a few filters to pretty it up. Just trying to get it functional before I finish the cosmetic side of it- that is, dealing with the wrap.

 

[MiniMage]

Well I've been working on it lately and managed to get around a large portion of the wrapping issue by making the planks run vertical. If anyone's interested, it's attached.

Any ideas on what to do for the corner blocks of cliffs so as to fix the issue with vertical being placed against rotated versions? Inverting the direction of the offensive parts would fix the double sided cliff problem, but they only rotate on double sided cliffs, so i'd break the corners off of the edges by making them look rotated.

I'd also appreciate feedback of any sort. In particular, I'm wondering what to do about the columns- to get a proper square block on the corners, i'd have to double up the square above the column. Should I, or would it look stupid lengthways on the cliff? (I have tested by the way, wasn't sure.)

I also intend to recolour the wood to be more pale, perhaps darken it a fraction and use a few filters to pretty it up. Just trying to get it functional before I finish the cosmetic side of it- that is, dealing with the wrap.

Looks awesome. Ey come to think of it, when you're done with this thing, would you do a request for me? Goblin Roads. Those are cool. :O

If anything, it would be a challenge. XD

 

[SuperElement]

Looks awesome. Ey come to think of it, when you're done with this thing, would you do a request for me? Goblin Roads. Those are cool. :O


If anything, it would be a challenge. XD

If it's just a terrain skin I can do it easy, though it's not possible for me to get the rings in the same way as that picture shows. Honestly, as a flat texture they'd be ugly.

But it'd be pretty easy for me to just do the road with basic L T and + sections, there are other roads on hive but it's just as easy to do another themed one.

 

[MiniMage]

If it's just a terrain skin I can do it easy, though it's not possible for me to get the rings in the same way as that picture shows. Honestly, as a flat texture they'd be ugly.

But it'd be pretty easy for me to just do the road with basic L T and + sections, there are other roads on hive but it's just as easy to do another themed one.

I'm not really sure if the rings are necessary, but you're making the road then? awesome. :O

 

[SuperElement]

Personally i'd seek a modeller to make a slab model with the rings if you want to recreate the kind of road in that picture. The issue with terrain skins is they'll always be flat, and while blizcliffs aren't they're a set height, shape, and very painful to wrap.

 

[MiniMage]

Personally i'd seek a modeller to make a slab model with the rings if you want to recreate the kind of road in that picture. The issue with terrain skins is they'll always be flat, and while blizcliffs aren't they're a set height, shape, and very painful to wrap.

Maybe this picture demonstrates it better?

I'm not sure how it would look as a terrain, but yeah. It would be a challenge though. Wouldn't it?

 

[SuperElement]

The only real challenge with terrain skinning is getting everything to lineup and wrap properly, even more so with cliffs.

The problem is that if you want something functions exactly like that road, i.e, can slope to any angle, has a set slab and be anything more than a flat plane (since it's either that with the alpha tile or a |\ effect without an underside), you need a model, the doodad sort. Especially for the side rings.

But if you want a FLAT and one surface orientated road skin for terrain, it can be done. Not nearly as pretty, mind you.

 

[MiniMage]

The only real challenge with terrain skinning is getting everything to lineup and wrap properly, even more so with cliffs.

The problem is that if you want something functions exactly like that road, i.e, can slope to any angle, has a set slab and be anything more than a flat plane (since it's either that with the alpha tile or a |\ effect without an underside), you need a model, the doodad sort. Especially for the side rings.

But if you want a FLAT and one surface orientated road skin for terrain, it can be done. Not nearly as pretty, mind you.

The thing is, I have a road system that auto buffs heroes that walk on specific terrain. The question is how much worse it would be as a simple terrain. :O

 

[SuperElement]

The thing is, I have a road system that auto buffs heroes that walk on specific terrain. The question is how much worse it would be as a simple terrain. :O

If you want a road that just runs along normal terrain without any issues it's fine. If you have height adjustments, that's one problem. If you want to elevate or lower the road, that's another problem. If you want it to be straight, that is. You can do funny angles with a model, including up down as well as left right. And it's always straight.

As for the autobuff, you could make a trigger to use a proximity call to apply the buff, instead of terrain. But I'm no triggerer, you'd have to ask that bunch for help with that. JASS seems so much more efficient, but I hate that language.

 

[MiniMage]

If you want a road that just runs along normal terrain without any issues it's fine. If you have height adjustments, that's one problem. If you want to elevate or lower the road, that's another problem. If you want it to be straight, that is. You can do funny angles with a model, including up down as well as left right. And it's always straight.

As for the autobuff, you could make a trigger to use a proximity call to apply the buff, instead of terrain. But I'm no triggerer, you'd have to ask that bunch for help with that. JASS seems so much more efficient, but I hate that language.

I'm not remaking the buffing system just when It's working flawlessly. XD

As for elevation and stuff.. I'm not planning on using it as a cliff, although that would be cool, but as a simple terrain. It may go up and down ground elevations by that I mean, if you go over the part that in the editor calls "Apply Height" and "Ramp". That's basically it, I think? :O

 

[SuperElement]

I'll show you a wireframe to demonstrate the cosmetic issues I'm talking about. If you don't mind the restrictions the terrain will be fine, but yeah, I'll show you want I mean.

 

[Adiktuz]

Ramp is used for cliffs, and raising the terrain would stretch the skin, the more you you raise it, the more stretched it will become... ^_^

 

[SuperElement]

I'll show you a wireframe to demonstrate the cosmetic issues I'm talking about. If you don't mind the restrictions the terrain will be fine, but yeah, I'll show you want I mean.

Here, if you see the green lines are a certain tile. They pretty much take a half line in every direction from where you place one, and that makes for strange edges on steep cliffs. If you need the goblin road simply for mild stuff, it's fine, otherwise you'd need to be a fair terrainer to pull it off without looking like shit.

As a terrain tile, it will look flat no matter what you do, so if you want to have the thick block as in the screenshot you'll need a model. Elsewise, if you're alright with flat and limited, I can make the terrain tile for you, lol.

But yeah, as Adiktuz said, it stretches the higher the height difference between two spots- not necessarily fatal to the roads, but grass, dirt or whatever beside it will look HORRENDOUS. So depends on the angles you want, really.

 

[MiniMage]

Here, if you see the green lines are a certain tile. They pretty much take a half line in every direction from where you place one, and that makes for strange edges on steep cliffs. If you need the goblin road simply for mild stuff, it's fine, otherwise you'd need to be a fair terrainer to pull it off without looking like shit.

As a terrain tile, it will look flat no matter what you do, so if you want to have the thick block as in the screenshot you'll need a model. Elsewise, if you're alright with flat and limited, I can make the terrain tile for you, lol.

But yeah, as Adiktuz said, it stretches the higher the height difference between two spots- not necessarily fatal to the roads, but grass, dirt or whatever beside it will look HORRENDOUS. So depends on the angles you want, really.

A flat road beats no road. :d

 

[SuperElement]

Well it looks like I'm done with my skin. Does it look like I should try to upload it as a resource, or would the lack of freehand damn it? I used a woodplank from another texture and the concept, meaning my texture is not original either. If you compare the two, you can see similarities and alot of difference as well. But the woodplank that I moulded into a floor-type texture is still sort of copied, even if I was the one to change it to fit properly. I give inhuman89 credits whether I can upload it or not, though I didn't find the skin usable as it was.
It's based off of this skin: http://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/skins-552/cliff0-blp-156467

Screenshot

 

[Deolrin]

I'm not remaking the buffing system just when It's working flawlessly. XD

As for elevation and stuff.. I'm not planning on using it as a cliff, although that would be cool, but as a simple terrain. It may go up and down ground elevations by that I mean, if you go over the part that in the editor calls "Apply Height" and "Ramp". That's basically it, I think? :O

I'm pretty sure the Goblin roads in WoW are 'floating' or 'flying', connected by big poles. The only thing actually 'driving' on those roads are rockets.

 

[MiniMage]

I'm pretty sure the Goblin roads in WoW are 'floating' or 'flying', connected by big poles. The only thing actually 'driving' on those roads are rockets.

Well, roads are roads. It doesn't necessarily have be used for goblin rocket things. The goblin cars are using the roads. So, to make a long story short. I need to figure out a way to find a person willing to create a goblin road model thingy with several different variations?

Still, I might use some height elevation system to enable goblins to use the roads then. The problem is finding someone interested enough in my project to help me. :O

 

[Deolrin]

That wasn't really my point. My point is, the screenshots you posted from WoW are the "Goblin Rocketway", which, as the name implies, is a way for rockets.
There aren't actually any Goblin cars driving along the roads anywhere, I think.

 

[MiniMage]

That wasn't really my point. My point is, the screenshots you posted from WoW are the "Goblin Rocketway", which, as the name implies, is a way for rockets.
There aren't actually any Goblin cars driving along the roads anywhere, I think.

Well, it looks pretty much identical to the roads in Kezan and all kinds of vehicles used that road.