Can a terrain map be made from a 3d object.

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

I'm vaguely familar with programs like Terragen and I know most 3d modelers support similar tools, but can a 3d geometric object be converted for use with BZII to make custom maps? Tanks, BNG.

[mrtwosheds]

3dobjects can be used to make a bitmap to generate terrain, you could use terragen to make the bitmaps.
But as far as I know there is no way to directly load a 3dobject as The Terrain.
I would love to be wrong, on this. 

[AHadley]

You can load it as part of the terrain in a similar manner as the overhangs and caves on Pluto and Mire maps. Just save it as an object and place it in the map.

[Raven]

Somewhat irrelevant, but with the editor you can select part of the terrain and export it as a 3d object. Sometimes useful.

AHadley is correct, 3d objects - props - are used as overhangs etc.
I've never messed with making all of the terrain one 3d object, you'd have to try it. However you certainly can make more interesting areas, like craters and stuff from 3d objects. Again, they're just props with collisions. Caves work quite well.
Make sure ownsTerrain = 1 is in the ODF so that it actually erases the terrain below it and gives it an accurate collision; allowing you to make caves etc. The last time I messed with ownsTerrain - because it was a much more complicated collision object - it increased the load on the computer, I don't know how it acts these days, I'm going back to 1.3pb2 here

[TheJamsh]

PB5.1 allows for MANY more polys, so a collision mesh is probably better. I keep being told by N1 to add collision meshes to models, even with ownsTerrain set to 1. I prefer ownsTerrain in most cases, seems more accurate...

[Raven]

Yeah collision objects are much more efficient on the engine. At least back in the day anyway.

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

Thanks for the feedback. Terragen uses it's own version of a TER file, but quite different from the TER file used by BZII. I have ODL & Winter for making maps, but was just wondering if a 3d object could be painted and then converted to create a custom map.

[Nielk1]

Apply a gradient to the model by height, so the bottom is black and the top white. Take a top down image. Put in winter. Map.

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

Thanks N1, I may try that one as I can both paint using the 3d paint tool or paint objects using the material editor in TS. TS, supports using custom paint brushes using pre-existing texture files to paint directly on the model geometry. I also found quite a few TSX plugins that work quite well with the TS 6.6 version included with version 7.6. Blender also seems to read the 3ds format from TS quite nicely. Hopefully, I'll also be able to make some terrain animations in TS and export them as 3ds to Blender for conversion to XSI as well. BNG.

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

I wonder if bigger chunks of terrain could be selected by zooming out while in wire view and trying to select the entire map? The only issue I see is that because the export function triagulates the terrain it results is a very high poly count. Truespace, doesn't automatically triangulate models in the modeling workspace until the model is saved/exported to another format. In fact COB files (TS's native format) does triangulate faces at all unless the modeler himself triangulates model geometry prior to saving them. Guess I'll just have to try it to see what results; it's a shame that textures aren't also exported as well.

Has anyone ever used a shell map image to create a custom map? I guess that way a map maker could use the paint tools in the map editor to paint map features from a stock map and use the shell map to create a new custom map...so many things to try.

[mrtwosheds]

I get a stack overflow if I try to export to much terrain.
Textures can be simply applied to the exported .xsi by just by adding in the  texture entry's in notepad.
I really wish more people would realise how simple it is to alter most things in an xsi with notepad, once you know what to do it can be quicker than using a complex modeling program to do the same thing.
I have used shellmaps to paint (colour) the terrain in winter, the results are excellent if done carefully.

[Raven]

With regards to triangulation, I seem to remember something about bz2 actually triangulating/tesselating the .msh from the .xsi when it is generated. None of my models are triangulated but when placed in-game, the wireframe clearly shows triangulation. Having said that, it could have happened somewhere along the conversion process from .wings>.3ds>.x>.xsi and not have been bz2. So what I just said is probably completely incorrect xD

[mrtwosheds]

quoteing myself

Textures can be simply applied to the exported .xsi by just by adding in the  texture entry's in notepad.

Wrong! you need to get it into a modeling prog to UV map and texture it.

On triangulation, yes msh's are triangulated, BUT if the xsi is triangulated, build effects (isdf) will show them, if it is not they don't.
The 3ds I make with lithunwrap are always triangulated, if I want untriangulated objects I convert from .obj (more hassle than 3ds)
Flames and collision frames should not be triangulated or they wont work properly.

[Raven]

Oh so yeah, evidently mine got triangulated via the conversion.
Flames don't work right when triangulated eh? Well that certainly explains a few things. That sucks then considering every model I export will have triangulated flames
As for collision meshes, again, mine are triangulated, yet they seem to work fine. Well, as far as I remember, they worked fine.

[mrtwosheds]

As for collision meshes, again, mine are triangulated, yet they seem to work fine.

They work...but may do odd things, like collide in the wrong place, or not collide accurately, or not let you through doorways I didn't figure it out until I made a service bay and found I could not sit on its top, and crashed into invisible walls on the bay. remade the collision from an .obj and it worked fine, then I remade all my building collisions from .obj.
.obj does not convert well using my method, I can only really do one frame/object at a time, otherwise everything gets mixed up and breaks.