Displacements

Technology and Gaming Help and Support
#1

I’ve looked around for good displacement tuts, but they are all about the basics and don’t really say much about technique. So I was wondering if some Devs could just give me some tips on making good displacements. I just don’t get how you could make displacements look like this:

Usually I make displacements by making 256x256x256 blocks and making the basic structure, then displacing, subdividing, manipulating vertexes and using paint geometry tools to add a little variation and noise. What should I do to make my displacements better? I have already read the post about displacements under news and am looking for a little more about technique.

PS, Abe, you are God.

#2

I recommend decompiling some of Valves TF2 maps, since there’s a lot of similar displacement work in maps like badwater and dustbowl. It will help you to better understand how to go about making them.

What you’re seeing in this picture is an illusion though, the textures normal maps make it seem more detailed than it really is. Really you just need to think big… displacements of about 640x640 may be better to work with.

#3

wait, you telling me that the actual geometry in that pic is a real time dispalacment ? Since when did source support that.

#4

Oh, you’re confused.

#5

your link didnt clarify anything, so is that a real time displaced geometry, or was tehre displacment maps used for creating that geometry O_o

#6

displacement maps/hammer editing.

#7

I’ll try the decompiling, but first I’ll have to install Tf2. Never liked that game. (I’m sure I’ll get my head bit off for that) But I’m not really talking about the illusion of detail, but the shaping of the landscape.

#8

That’s the shit, bro

#9

https://www.fpsbanana.com/threads/94885?posts_page=LAST

Here are some pre-de-compiled maps for ye’.
They’re from before the SDK, so, if any changes since then, they won’t be there.
But I doubt the would touch the displacements.

Edit: Oh, and wtf is this?

#10

The perlin noise texture shown is an Displacement Map used to construct geometric positions.

#11

a.k.a Fractal Noise.
Not only it can be used as a displacement map, speaking of organic-looking textures and effects, this thing has infinite possibilities.

Founded in 2004, Leakfree.org became one of the first online communities dedicated to Valve’s Source engine development. It is more famously known for the formation of Black Mesa: Source under the 'Leakfree Modification Team' handle in September 2004.