Advanced Terrain creation techniques demonstration

[@ZiegReborn]

If you guys listened, he said he built the terrain in World Machine, brought the Heightmap into Mudbox, baked the Heightmap into a plane to re-create the terrain from World Machine, then baked the mesh into a Vector displacement map for use in custom terrain creation.

[@edraket]

Btw I much prefer this style of tutorial. You present a simple idea on how to achieve something and leave working out the details up to us. Ten minutes later I am back to work with some new stuff to try out. Thanks a lot.

[@wenda111287]

Added link to download mudbox stamps : www.dropbox.com/s/7kqo4tk180ie9ld/Terrain_vdm.zip?dl=0

[@kinglaw2011]

try 7 levels the detail is amazing

[@Xarata873]

Wow, this is incredible, dude. Such a great way for artists to create exactly what they have envisioned. The modular way is always the best route. Nice work.

[@RocaWeaR4]

Dude I LOVE YOU! This is most awesome, smart and creative way to do terrain!

[@edraket]

Thanks so much for this. I have been following you on here and your work has helped me a lot in my attempts to make real time environments. I don't particularly like Worldmachine, even if I can see that it has its place so I had similar ideas as to how to take things forward. But as always, you've already worked it out and I once again find myself following your example. Thanks!

[@hitpawz]

For those that want to know how to create the stamps, he tells you how to do it in the first minute of the video. Since it's a bit skimmed, I'll run it down. 1. Sculpt basic shape in Mudbox (or generate shape in WM) 2. Apply filters in WM until you're happy 3. Export a .tif of the heightmap from WM 4. Sculpt using the heightmap in Mudbox (Maps -> Sculpt Using Map) 5. Export map as vector displacement map (Maps -> Extract Texture Maps) 6. Add as stamp. 7. Use imprint tool. Best to work at 2048

[@jmr2008jan]

mind=blown The idea of using modular terrain pieces to create a heightmap is brilliant

[@LtKharn]

Great Idea youve had there, Id had enough of trying to fiddle with world machine to get something intresting, this give me control, sweet. Guys dont ask for the stamps, make them yourself, its part of the process. Dont forget the step about importing the displacement into mud and then using vector disp. It will do 2 things, help not get edges on your brush and it will keep overhangs(if you add any in mud.) and check your brush falloff for seams too :p

[@andycadzow1953]

thanks for your words of wisdom......excellent !!

[@kamikazeruski]

Great video, and the factis that this is uviversal to every sculpting programs that you can find. Since I am pretty much skrewed for my exams anyway I'll try it out in a cuple of weeks and hope it will work for me (dunno if it will since as you said I need a pretty badass HDD and mine, like the rest of the computer is 4 year old) Anyways, thanks for your vids, it's always a great source of information!

[@thedevo01]

My left ear really enjoyed this tutorial!

[@RedCrowProd]

amazing work guy ! i follow your video since few time , and now i subscribe your channel ;)

[@MrAntiKnowledge]

My left ear enjoyed this.

[@JulienMad]

Simply use the heighmaps you generated while creating the terrains via MudBox and WorldMachine. It's all explained in his older tutorials ;) I've tested this new way of generating terrains and it's great !

[@ehjesu]

You are my hero, thank you very much

[@kinglaw2011]

Thank you sooooo much man, you just saved me a lot of time

[@EnigMK3]

Do you have your masks/stamps available for use? Or any tutorials on how you made them?

[@RATSGAME]

I can't really say since it depends on the type of feature. I'd say to first just try the basic default options. If you do it on a new sculpt layer, you can then easily increase or decrease the elevation using the layer's opacity, which can be increased above 100% to make it taller if necessary. As a side note, you can probably get away with just loading the .tif from step 3 as your stamp. Then just adjust the strength of the imprint tool.

[@orlanduce]

DAYUM!!!! this is nice!!!!

[@hitpawz]

NP, you can actually skip step 5 if you want and just import the heightmap from WM straight into your stamps and use it as-is. It's technically the same thing except you have to set your brush strength a little bit different than when using a vector displacement map. I think heightmaps tend to be stronger so set the strength a bit lower. Also, the size you drag out the stamp with the imprint tool has a major effect on the strength of the stamp. So for smaller stuff, boost strength to compensate.

[@petruskolar]

This is amazing! Thanks!

[@RATSGAME]

Keep in mind that World Machine only adjust the Z position of the vertices, so really a vector displacement map is unnecessary since there's no horizontal shift. When making heightmaps for games, you only want that up and down shift anyway since landscapes and terrains don't accept anything else.

[@MXTerminatorXM]

Hey Wenda I've really been enjoying your terrain tutorials there helping me a lot. I noticed you had blender installed in one of your vids, its currently what im using to make terrains for world machine (free version). I just want to ask something before I buy the pro version, Do you think blender and world machine are a good combination?

[@grimsonfart]

@Athomield I dont think he is sculpting for the most part. You could just make a WM hightmap and add it to your stamp collection

[@GeneralBuzzKiII]

That sounds like a plan, thanks for the tip, im going to go make some cool stuff now then ;)

[@higuy8000]

Hi, I love your tutorials, and there is plenty stamp creating tutorials, but I'd like to see one by you to see how you accomplish creating them. Thanks!

[@zanduh04]

Damn those mountains are beautiful. Just the right amount of detail.. Wish you could release these as my stamps are so fricken ugly it's not even fair :P

[@MultiZveroboy]

Hi! A great lesson.Possible to get these stamps?

[@c0N3x]

Is it possible to get the stamps ?

[@izvarzone]

Don't be lazy and make them Kappa.

[@KingOfKings34]

izvarzone just how?

[@izvarzone]

***** World Machine 2

[@c0N3x]

***** the stamps have a file type upload that to megaupload or fileshare

[@sergiomengual]

the link for download the stamps is in the description of the video

[@GrandDesignsSims]

Hey mate, I love all your tutorials. Got the Terrain Modeling for Cryengine perminatly on my phone for refrince. Anyway, Would it be possible for you to deminstrait how you would go importing the terrain as models for higher detail maps when your using 8kx8k res at 32. (Largest maps for MMO's) Thanks :) You'r doing a great job!

[@JulienMad]

I use displacement maps, as they were created in the past tutorials ^^

[@MrLeonsantana]

beautiful.

[@WillPreston3D]

how did you get the stamp? did you build it your self or is from a DEM? your work flow is brilliant

[@Rampuniernix]

Hi Amir, - where you get the stamps from? some kind of worldbuilding engines or DEM? these are floating points, aren´t they?

[@Warbeast31]

Big thanx for this tips ;)

[@recsund]

Beautiful

[@Nebuchadin]

Hey Wenda, awesome works! You make amazing terrains. I just have one question, and its very important; Do you think UDK is a suitable engine to make a sandbox game? I'm just into something and I must know it.

[@PashaDefragzor]

Really cool technique, tutorial for creating stamps please.. Can I use google earth to save some real rocks and then save image to photoshop and after convert to mudbox stamp ?

[@PashaDefragzor]

Just tryed to use google earth but its not working fine.. Can u upload one of your rock stamps for example please.. ?

[@maxkastle]

Why vector displacement maps rather than standard displacement maps? Could you go over how you create the vector displacement maps in detail? Are you changing some setting in the imprint tool? Awesome video!

[@EricMcTune]

Cool technique. But I have No sound on this vid. Dont know if it ment to be silent but anyway where did you find those stamps your using ? They look awesome I been looking for some like that. I assume you made them.

[@madgirlkat9621]

I have watched this video as well as the tutorial from TorQueMod, but I cannot seem to get the detail in the mountain stamps like you have. Mine always seem to look melted and soft, rather than craggy and hard. Could you explain a little more about how you created your stamps? Thanks

[@johnpeoplefox]

Great video. but i think your audio is right side pan only. Fix it in your future vids mate if you havn't already. cheers!

[@mazenezou]

i was going to restart my computer to make sure what's going up with my Audio XD

[@Athomield]

can you make a tutorial about how to sculpt a high detail mesh like those stamps ? (just sculpt)

[@spiralof5]

If you ever have the time, I'd love to see you do a world machine tutorial. I can't get my mountains to look like I imagine yours do in World machine.

[@alexanderpeoplefox7117]

+spiralof5 I second spirals request! Please do a world machine tutorial for canyons, mountains, deserts, plains, highlands and volcano's. There is no content for specific tutorials on those without people using macros they created or blueprint stems that would take up to an hour or two assuming you knew what you where doing. so if you made a vid explaining the rough variables of those blue prints, and what exact node connections to combine to make those mentioned terrains I'm sure it would go viral!

[@bobble62]

any chance you can make a video on the process of creating those stamps

[@ChimeraProd]

Wow the terrain you had in mudbox at the end was 16 million polys? Can you please tell me, how would you go about putting a terrain that big into cry engine? Is there a way to split it into 4 - 8 different pieces, and not only that but stitch them together seamlessly at runtime in cry? Thanks!

[@michelguanche9381]

Hi Amir I am very grateful for the tutorial is great and you can not imagine this technique to help me but I need to create mountains if you can tell me where can I download the stamps thanks bro...

[@GeneralBuzzKiII]

You'r walkthroughs are always good and interesting, to bad the programs are so expensive ;( I still watch them tho' (your vids ofc)

[@camerondowse668]

I was just wondering what lighting mode you have your mudbox set up in? looks better than the default. Seems to show more detail.

[@RedCrowProd]

what option you use in the "Maps -> Sculpt Using Map" ? for have a good map élévation ?

[@80Dalia08]

How are the edges of your stamps so smooth? mine come out looking stretched and rough :(

[@dejakhalz]

What if you want to create a huge terrain?

[@Koniotaur]

Hello, i got problem, exactly when I import heightmap to cryengine its so sharp and terraced, how to fix it ?

[@LGandBLOODS]

So I tried making a canyon in mudbox to work on in WM but when importing the height map in world machine the canyon is like flat. What's an ideal way of making a canyon so I can use that as a stamp?

[@EricWilliamsCG]

I agree with the others that would like a tutorial on making the stamps. I saw earlier today "The Making of 'Gathering' Creature Illustration Workflow with Alex Alvarez" on vimeo, I was amazed at how he talked about fast terrain sculpting, basically the same way, using alphas...and he already had them from a texture pack he downloaded a while back, he suggested DEM (digital elevation map). Those are just a pain to find or create properly...

[@ScorpyX]

awesome trick

[@emeraldeelentertainment8988]

Excellent set of terrain brushes! What is the license for these brushes? Are they cc0? :o

[@TorQueMoD]

Hey guys. So I made a video response to this but its not showing up for some reason. Not sure if it needs to be approved or what but on my channel I show how to create the vector displacement maps so you can learn to make your own and won't need to ask Wenda for his.

[@somawheels12]

good tut but how would you make a terrain like this playable/walkable???

[@MajoraZ]

Where did you get those mountain stamps? Also, what's the best way to do this if you are working off of a drawing made in PS? I have a heightmap painted off of said drawing, but I can't figure out how to use heightmaps in mudbox

[@GamerzKella]

Thanks a lot!

[@ve9383]

Can i use this Programm with my cryengine? So i create mountains with mudbox and load the map in my Cryengine?

[@MechanicOrga]

You're probably not going to respond but I would love to see the stamps used in this video up for download, since not everybody has the knowledge, the time or money to buy and deal with getting the mountains. It may be efficient for time but not for money.

[@wenda111287]

Kinda late but better now then never. Managed to recover the drive with all the old work that I have done 3 years ago (including the terrain stamps). You will also starting seeing more content coming from me as I have decided to take a break from my job in order to self improve and do some research in terrain rendering and asset production.

[@MechanicOrga]

Oh nice. I would love to use those brushes in Blender! c:

[@TycoonLeague]

+Amir Abdaoui so re u going to upload the stamps :)?

[@wenda111287]

Uploading. These are tiff files that will only work with mudbox. I would suggest looking into worldmachine to generate these stamps if you really are interested into making terrains.

[@MechanicOrga]

Unfortunately most of us have minimum wage jobs. :P I think Blender's sculpt addon is capable of using TIFFS although alphas may be more appropriate.

[@PrinceMandal]

How to paint by dragging image on the plane instead of using brush? Sorry I am a newbie.

[@gustavengman]

Seriously, how do you come up with this stuff? Looks great.

[@TakTik4eJl]

please tell me from where you downloaded the new brushes for MudBox

[@izvarzone]

Omg that's epic. I have never seen that technique before. Can do the same in ZBrush?

[@maxkastle]

So are you using standard displacement maps or vector displacement maps?

[@TheCapzx]

Can you please put a download link, for the stamps, really nice video

[@Stuntryder788]

Can u make a tutorial on how to create the stamps plz

[@owlhootsgame]

Hi!) What are you thinking about terrain creation in Zbrush??

[@ItsNeuroscience]

So here's my question, how do you export this terrain you've created in Mudbox into the Cryengine 3 Sandbox?

[@RATSGAME]

Guys, the stamp aspect is super easy. Just output a tga file from WM and load that as a stamp in MB and use the imprint tool. There's literally nothing else to it.

[@Artaaaani]

You can make it with any landscape generator. For example free version of Terragen. Check a tutorials about it.

[@Johndiasparra]

I can easily make the stamps, however they lack the strength that Amir has here. When he uses them they pop up very high and detailed. My imprint strength is 100, and they barely pop up off the Plane (which is a 4million polys). Anyone know how to fix this?

[@petroapostoliuk3134]

Супер!

[@RedCrowProd]

Amir can you share your brush or give the good solution for create on WM ? Thx guy ;)

[@grimsonfart]

And, for those micro details, be sure to start with adding alot of detail into Mudbox, then go to World Machine and do what ever you have to.

[@lkwakernaak]

Could you please make a tutorial on this. At least on making the stamps. The rest is pretty simple.

[@mihaiadriannicula]

I presume he made those stamps one by one in mudbox and exported the displacement map for each of them. Also i think you can find some pretty good heightmaps if you search a bit.

[@albertoviernes4994]

Any Tips On how to Make The Stamps?

[@SteampunkResistance]

I know right? I mean if I had made this tutorial I'd have provided the damn stamps.

[@albertoviernes4994]

Captain Crazy You Didn't Make this Video?

[@martijngros94]

anyway you can upload some stamps?

[@Gerador20]

whats ur fall off settings

[@GhostsGraphics]

Any chance you can make those stamps downloadable?

[@agronberisha3716]

where can we get these stamps please?

[@RodneyHalo3]

whenever i export this to cryengine, the detailed mountains suffer great quality loss leaving me with some lousy mountains help me please

[@zoned7609]

+RodneyHalo3 You might have to subdivide the mesh you're working on to show greater detail - or perhaps your export settings are too low-quality.

[@grimsonfart]

Its most likely that he used that method. You should try to bump up you resolution when extracting both in Mudbox and World Machine. You might want to tweak your imprint settings in Mudbox to.

[@GhostsGraphics]

you should either be close to the mic or make it louder. It is way too quiet

[@ChimeraReiax]

You import it into Unreal Development Kit's landscape editor, of course. ;P

[@yantingye1988]

thanks cool

[@keineahnung5455]

Great work, but... still waiting for the stamps...

[@gustavengman]

Can you release the stamps?

[@famesaro65]

Hi Amir, thank you for you sharing and can u plz give us your Blog or site to follow you cause you helped me a lot with your techniques

[@GhostsGraphics]

Of course not, just to not repeat the same mistake so that every user doesnt have to modify his settings just to watch vids. Also it takes all of 5 minutes to raise the volume or what you call "remake the video"

[@TheAraldo23]

Upload Stamps? :)

[@victorsheverdin3935]

Can u share your stamps?

[@venecia440EU]

Hola como se llama este programa, is muy real

[@vghhfgg7490]

thanks

[@PACO6093]

Can you send me please the stamps for mountain please