Terrain Editor/Splines tab

The functionality of the Splines Tab in the Terrain Editor

Splines Tab

Splines can be used to create roads, rivers, waterfalls, or variety of other similar line objects with animated textures on it.

To make a new spline, select the desired Spline style from the Presets section then Shift-Left click on the terrain. Subsequent spline sections can be added by Ctrl+Left clicking on the terrain once a start point has been placed. A Spline must have at least 3 total points to display on the map. Spline shape and angle can be adjusted by dragging the spline’s points along the terrain.

·        Presets

o   Search – Search the current list of spline presets.

o   Save/Load – Save your current spline presets or load a previously saved collection of spline presets.

o   New – Create a new spline in the spline presets list.

o   Apply to Selection – Apply the attributes of the preset currently chosen in the spline presets list to the spline that you have selected on the terrain.

·        Preset Parameters – Displays the parameters of the selected spline preset. Certain parameters will only be displayed for certain spline types (such as river or road).

o   Surface - Determines the types of VFX emitted by units which walk upon these terrain items.

o   Dense Water – Texture that will be displayed around the outer edges of the spline.

o   White Water – Texture that will be displayed in the center of the spline.

o   Water Bump – Select the bump texture that will be used for the spline’s water surface.

o   Water Distortion – Alters the magnitude of visual distortion displayed on and under the spline.

o   Water Mask – Red channel of the selected texture will act as foam in the deep areas of the water.

o   Base Texture – Base texture that will be used for the road spline.

o   Bump Map – Bump map texture that will be used for the road spline.

o   Road Damage – Decorative texture that will be displayed on top of the road spline’s base texture.

o   Width – Width of the spline that will be created.

o   Scale – The scale at which the chosen water texture will be displayed upon the spline.

o   LOD – Level of Detail within which the spline is displayed.

o   Diffuse – Displays the tint/diffuse color of the spline.

o   Opacity – Opacity of the spline.

o   Start – Opacity for start of spline.

o   End – Opacity for end of spline.

o   Spec – The tint/Specular lighting setting for light reflected off of the spline.

o   Specular Intensity – Represents the intensity of light reflection off of the spline.

o   Gloss – Represents how shiny/glossy the spline appears.

o   Scroll U – Speed at which the texture travels towards the start point of the spline.

o   Scroll V – Speed at which the texture travels towards the end point of the spline.

o   Clamp V – Adjusts V position of texture and bump map within the spline.

o   Clamp U – Adjusts U position of texture and bump map within the spline.

·        River Preset Parameters – Adjusts the aspects of the River Preset spline’s animation.

o   Dense Water Scroll Scale – Rate at which the Dense lower water will scroll.

o   White Water Scroll Scale –

o   Normal Scroll Scale 1 – Rate at which the first layer of upper water will scroll.

o   Normal Scroll Scale 2 – Rate at which the second layer of upper water will scroll.

o   Distortion Scroll Scale – Magnitude of the distortion displayed upon the spline’s textures.

o   White Water Texture Scale U – Changes the display scale of the upper water layer texture.

·        Track Parameters – Specific settings related to the scrolling of the spline’s textures across the spline path.

o   Preset Name – Name of the spline preset that is used on the currently selected spline.

o   Opacity Edge 1 –  Opacity of spline’s edge 1.

o   Middle – Opacity of spline’s center section.

o   Edge 2 – Opacity of spline’s edge 2.

o   Fade Distance – Depth of river spline or similar at which opacity settings begin.

o   Seg. Width – Size of the individual spline segments upon which the texture resides. Similar to spline angle smoothness.

o   Adj Width – Amount to adjust the spline segment width.

·        Control Point – Adjusts the aspects of the currently selected point on the spline and the attached spline section.

o   Z Adjust – Adjust the Z axis location of the selected control point.

o   Width  - Adjust the width of only the segment that lies on the currently selected control point.

o   Delete – Deletes the currently selected control point.

·        Misc

Remove Track – Remove the currently selected spline.