Terrain texture variation

[zoot]

Tiling artifacts are apparent on big stretches of terrain using the same texture. This, IMO, is sub-par.

One possible solution is to have several different textures for the same type of terrain (a bit like actor 'variants'). Programmatically, this should be easy to do with myconid's terrain XML. However, I think it would be a lot trouble for someone to go through all the terrain types and create variants for all of them, given that each variant needs to fit seamlessly with the others.

A different solution might involve texture synthesis (see below). This would be substantially harder to implement and I have no idea what the performance impact would be, but it would make it easy for everyone (including modders) to get nice-looking, tile-free terrains.

Other ideas/comments?

Edited August 9, 2012 by zoot

[Wijitmaker]

Cool idea, though the game is not really designed to be played at this view, so it should not be to noticable. More variety is always good

[zoot]

Cool idea, though the game is not really designed to be played at this view, so it should not be to noticable. More variety is always good

I did exaggerate it with that picture, but IMO the repetitiveness is quite apparent in-game, especially on large patches of grass (perhaps partially due to the grass texture not being super high-quality to begin with).

[historic_bruno]

It depends on the map, most of the handmade scenarios that I've seen look good at normal zooms because the designer had in mind to avoid tiling artifacts and when unavoidable, used textures that look good painted over large areas. Really the bigger problem I've noticed is ugly blending between textures rather than tiling. Random maps are a different matter and that tells me the random map scripts just need to use smarter terrain texture variation to avoid such obvious tiling.

[zoot]

Would you not agree there is tiling in the patch outlined in red in this shot from the scenario map Sicilia (you'll need to click and see the larger version to see it properly):

In my experience, such patterns are commonplace in most maps.

I agree the blending is worse, but this seems to accentuate the problem.

Edited August 9, 2012 by zoot

[wraitii]

It's not too bad if you don't really look for it. The problem on RM is that either the terrains looks like it's random (and it is), or it's a bit too flatly textured. We should use more clever system for that, which we probably have but never really bothered to implement.

[zoot]

It's not too bad if you don't really look for it.

You're a programmer, your view doesn't count.

IMO, it's totally noticeable. Not as a glaring issue, but as something that degrades the overall quality of the graphics. I challenge you all to find an in-game AOE3 screenshot with visible tiling.

[quantumstate]

It would be nice to get rid of the tiling. I wonder if a few (maybe 3) variants of each texture, placed randomly would remove most of the problem. I don't really have any idea, though I a sure someone must have tested something like this before.

[zoot]

It would be nice to get rid of the tiling. I wonder if a few (maybe 3) variants of each texture, placed randomly would remove most of the problem. I don't really have any idea, though I a sure someone must have tested something like this before.

Apparently, there is a whole branch of math about it. There is a GPU Gems article about its application in graphics here. This example image from the article is apparently based on Wang tiling:

Edited August 15, 2012 by zoot

[Sighvatr]

I would like a transperancy tool to allow me to add layers of different textures, and to help blend.

[zoot]

I would like a transperancy tool to allow me to add layers of different textures, and to help blend.

For the convenience of people searching the forum, blending discussion belongs here.

[Sighvatr]

Ah thank you! I was looking for such a thread!