Why no "Smooth Terrain" tool in TANE editor?

[MedwedianPresident]

There is an extremely useful "Smooth Terrain" tool in mobile Trainz 2 but none in the surveyor of TANE. Why? Without the Smooth tool, there is no possibility to create realistic-looking yet decent-sized hills.

Is there any way to smooth terrain? Any mod or plugin that adds the tool?

 

[JCitron]

What do you mean?

Post a picture if you can so we can see the difference.

 

[MedwedianPresident]

http://online.ts2009.com/mediaWiki/index.php/Help:Mobile_Surveyor_Ground_Menu#Plateau_-_Smooth

No such thing in TANE.

 

[norfolksouthern37]

right under sensitivity dial.

 

[BuilderBob]

Is there any way to smooth terrain?

There are two ways to do that.

One is with the 'Plateau' tool. It adjusts the terrain to the level where you first clicked the mouse button. The amount of adjustment is set by the sensitivity tool. This can become boring for large areas, but is very easy to use to remove cliffs and peaks in smaller areas.

The other is to use a flat (all mid-gray) height contour map and apply it to a selected area. This area must be rectangular. There is a sensitivity adjustment for this effect, as for the Plateau tool. You may need to undo and repeat this application to get the sensitivity correct, as it is often difficult to predict how much to use.

 

[MedwedianPresident]

right under sensitivity dial.

No. The plateau tool is insufficent as all long slopes become untidy and ugly.

The "Grade" tool of mobile allows one to copy the terrain slope of the place clicked while the smooth tool is a weakened version of it that constantly reads the local slope, allowing for large, smooth hills to be created.

Absolutely NO WAY to do that in Tane. Really stupid non-feature.

 

[Christopher824]

Hello,

When I create mountains, hills, and slopes, I generally use a spline like a road to make them. Roads are great for modifying the terrain.

To start lay down some road,

Make it contour how your mountain range should look,

Raise the joints to the desired heights,

Then use the 'Smooth Spline' tool to raise the land below the road,

Delete the road and then add roads from the side to create the slopes, hold the shift key so the splines do not attach to each other

Use the 'Smooth Spline' tool and going from one end to the other click on each road once, then delete the roads

Took me less than a minute to make that, and it looks realistic.
.

 

[MedwedianPresident]

Hello,

When I create mountains, hills, and slopes, I generally use a spline like a road to make them. Roads are great for modifying the terrain.

To start lay down some road,

Make it contour how your mountain range should look,

Raise the joints to the desired heights,

Then use the 'Smooth Spline' tool to raise the land below the road,

Delete the road and then add roads from the side to create the slopes, hold the shift key so the splines do not attach to each other

Use the 'Smooth Spline' tool and going from one end to the other click on each road once, then delete the roads

Took me less than a minute to make that, and it looks realistic.
.

It's too rough and small! I'm talking about something like this:

 

[Christopher824]

It's too rough and small! I'm talking about something like this:
<x>

You can just get the roads to slightly overlap, and make sure the ends meet up to make them smoother.

 

[JCitron]

If you are attempting to create an actual terrain or area, I highly recommend TransDEM, which will import DEM data, combine with map images, and then all you need to do is landscape, and place track though you can have the program do that part too.

http://www.rolandziegler.de/StreckeUndLandschaft/startseiteTransDEMEngl.htm

This will probably give you the results you are looking for and for the cost, around 30 Euros is worth the investment.

 

[MedwedianPresident]

Using ROADS to make terrain is extremely inconvenient. Did Auran not add a Smooth Terrain tool on purpose in order to encourage the usage of payware?

 

[JCitron]

Using ROADS to make terrain is extremely inconvenient. Did Auran not add a Smooth Terrain tool on purpose in order to encourage the usage of payware?

NO and what would make you say that?

You can also use the level terrain tool to smooth out bumps on the sides of a hill by using that tool and running the cursor along the edge rather than flat.

The product I mentioned is third-party and will give you more than just a smooth terrain.

 

[MedwedianPresident]

NO and what would make you say that?

You can also use the level terrain tool to smooth out bumps on the sides of a hill by using that tool and running the cursor along the edge rather than flat.

The product I mentioned is third-party and will give you more than just a smooth terrain.

Are there any freeware alternatives? Does MicroDEM work properly? And is there any way to create fictional yet realistic terrain?

 

[davesnow]

Make your own Displacement map.

https://forums.auran.com/trainz/sho...isplacements-in-Photoshop&p=303934#post303934

 

[MedwedianPresident]

Make your own Displacement map.

https://forums.auran.com/trainz/sho...isplacements-in-Photoshop&p=303934#post303934

Displacements become ugly at large sizes. Not smooth at all.

 

[davesnow]

Displacements become ugly at large sizes. Not smooth at all.

Okay, if you say so, but I've never had that problem if they are done correctly.

 

[Mick_Berg]

Using ROADS to make terrain is extremely inconvenient.

I have to agree. Using roads to smooth the slope is incredibly archaic and cumbersome. If there is a smoothing tool available it should certainly be included in TANE.
Mick

 

[BuilderBob]

Displacements become ugly at large sizes. Not smooth at all.

Then you are creating it wrong.