Part 1: creating a terrain object

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This article is part of a series on how to create and edit a terrain. To learn about the terrain panel, head over to Terrain panel.

Part 1: creating a terrain object

This article describes how to create a flat, 64x64 meter terrain object.


Introduction

Creating and editing terrains is a relatively easy process, although it takes time to master.

The Divinity Engine 2 offers several tools for editing terrains, but to get there we first need to create a terrain object in our level.


Creating a terrain object

Step 1: Opening the Terrain Panel

Step0 OpenTerrainPanel.png

The Terrain Panel button


First, open the TerrainPainterPanel Icon.png Terrain panel.

With the terrain panel open, it is time to add a terrain.


Step 2: Creating a terrain

Step1 Create.png

The Create New button on the terrain panel


To begin creating a new terrain object, click the "Create New" button on the top toolbar on the terrain panel. The Create Terrain Form should open up.


Step2 OpenResourceManager.png

The open resource manager button on the create terrain form


On the create terrain form, you will see several options. By default, our terrain will be 1 by 1 patches, or 64 by 64 meters. The terrain can always be resized later, so it's best to leave this at 1x1 for now.

One thing we need to do before our terrain object is created is to set a base terrain material. To do this, we need to open the ContentBrowser Icon.png Resource Manager. Click the resource manager button to open the resource manager.


Step3 SelectBaseMaterial.png

Selecting a base terrain material in the resource manager


There are several terrain materials available to us by default which are loaded from the Shared project. To find them, we will need to filter all the resources we have no interest in.

I used the material "TR_Base_RockSlate_C_PBR" as my terrain's base material. To find this resource, follow these steps:

  • Type "TR_Base_" in the filter box to find all default base terrain materials (1).
  • Right click the ResourceType Material.png material icon to only show material resources (2).
  • Navigate to the Shared/Assets/Terrain folder (3).


Then, click the TR_Base_RockSlate_C_PBR material to select it (4).


Step4 FinalizeCreate.png

Finalizing the terrain creation


Finally we need to apply the selected material and finalize the creation.

To import the material, make sure you still have the TR_Base_RockSlate_C_PBR material selected in the resource manager and click the import button on the create terrain form (1).

Then, confirm the creation by clicking "OK" (2).


Step 3: Viewing our terrain

Step5 Terrain.png

The created terrain


And that's all! We have now created an editable terrain object in our level.

Note that you will not yet be able to walk on the terrain. For that, you will first need to place an AI Seeder from the RootTemplatePanel Icon.png Root template panel and then generate the AI grid from the AIGridPanel Icon.png AI grid panel.