Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Warnings and Pitfalls
When painting detail
meshes onto a Terrain, it
is important to remember
that the Scene view
is also using a sort of
camera. This means that
the settings Unity uses
to keep Terrains snappy
(namely not drawing
objects that are far from
the camera) are in effect.
So if you are a long way
from the mountain and
painting on a terrain,
details and trees could be
added that weren't visible
until you were much
closer. Be sure to get in
close and personal during
the painting process to
make sure the painted
details are really what was
planned.
Figure 6.22
Options for importing the rock mesh.
The Healthy Color and Dry Color seem like really strange settings for a
rock, and they are. They are the basis of the other half of the Paint Details
tool—grass. When not using grass, these color values still need to be
defined. If they are left green, Unity will paint some very green-looking
rocks. These can be adjusted after the rocks are painted (and usually need
to be changed), so give them your best gray guess.
Finally, the Render Mode settings should be changed to Vertex Lit for any
detail meshes (like our rocks). When painting grass, Grass should be the
render setting selected.
Step 25:
Change the brush size to 2, the Opacity to 0.05, and the Target
Strength to 0.06.
Why?
Just for fun, don't do step 25 and try painting with this new RockMesh
detail mesh. The results are some very strange mounds of indistinguishable
forms. The detail meshes are being painted too densely. Using a very small
brush size with low Opacities and Target Strengths will take a little longer to
place a bunch of rocks, but will allow some semblance of control.
Step 26:
Paint in rocks along the seam of where the dock meets the
mountain, and along the shoreline where the mountains drop into the sea
(
Figure 6.23
).
Why?
Rocks are a very organic way of helping imported meshes transition
into terrains. As discussed in earlier chapters, transitions and corners are
where 3D models often fall into the computery-looking valley of death.
By breaking these transition spots up, the too-clean line of assets meeting
can be made more organic.
