CiDy 2.7 Procedural City Designer

Nice. For me, the ability to spawn from real-world cities using OSM Data would be a definite buy. My procedure at the moment involves multiple stages, so Im looking to streamline it. I'll buy into your asset when you release that feature. +1

 

Hey dude, did you get my message on your website? I'm having an issue whereas when i blend terrain, it just digs an incredibly deep hole around your roads, etc.

 

Sry for some reason I did not get any email. First thing i would check is to make sure the terrain position is at Vector3(0,0,0). PM me with the details of the issue please. Thanks

 

I can't do that; The terrain is in a grid of 25 tiled terrains.
If your system requires the terrain to be the only terrain in the game and at position 0,0,0 then I think that's something you should make a note of on the store page because people who use SECTR Stream can't use it. Is that something you're going to fix in the near future or should i politely be asking for a refund? Don't misunderstand, i think your product is excellent but if I can't use it I really can't afford to throw the money away.

 

Ethan,

Yes multi terrains are coming. I emailed you directly with additional information and a potential solution to help keep things rolling.

 

On SALE!!! Enjoy

 

Sadly, I don't see any updates that fix the problems people had here. It had great potential.

 

I am very close to buy this asset ? I make games for mobile platforms, I have couple of questions ?

I need to build large and quick cities for racing and simulation games.
1. Can we use our prefaps ( buildings, roads, street elements, etc.. ) ?
2. Are textures atlassed ?
3. Are there more features coming ?

 

MoribitoMT,

Thank you for your interest in CiDy. Please refer to the Posted Video to see the CiDy v1.0 editor features.

v1.0 is more for artist driven design. So building a large city would still require designing each road. The system speeds up this process by allowing you to procedurally design the roads/sidewalks and intersections as well as place some repeating side walk assets, stop signs and buildings inside the defined lots. v1.0 only places street clutter,street lights and stop signs as well as the buildings. Buildings are fitted using there render bounds to match inside the Lot Spacing and oriented towards there respective roads. WARNING: Known issues with terrain blending when road intersections are too close and
across steep terrain elevations. If the distance between two intersections is less than the width of the defined road you may have issues as well as if the terrain height difference between two intersections that are in close proximity are greater than a normal terrain slope of streets (30 degrees). It will cause strange artifacts.

1.) Yes you can use your prefabs for the Buildings placement, street elements. The Roads are procedurally designed however by the system. You can use your Materials/Textures for the the procedural roads in it. However in v1.0 the textures uvs are handled with the middle being reused and the top/bottom part of the texture being placed at the ends of the road segments. So in the example video and demo link. The Textures have white lines for there stop points, these are at the top and bottom of the source texture. The Middle of the road segments are tiled from the center portion of the source texture.

2.)Texures are not atlassed. Atlas creation is game specific. You can however atlas the textures of the created models once you are satisfied with the road network layout.

3.) This Project is on hold as I am currently the lead developer for a Sci-Fi RPG. Demo is currently slotted to be released in November. https://synapsegame.com/
I will return to this project after the release of Synapse Demo and resume updates on CiDy.

 

I've been really enjoying using CiDy since I bought it a few weeks ago - it has the potential to become something special!

I am still hopeful that Reaper3223 will return and pick up work on this. I've put together a list of items that I think are important:

1. User-defined road types - each road type would specify width, segment length etc. And also the material, to allow for dirt roads etc.
2. User-defined cell types - CiDy is currently limited to 3 pre-defined cell types (Downtown, Industrial and Residential). To allow for more control over a city it would be great to be able to define your own cell types.
3. Split a road by inserting a node in the middle
4. Random placement of clutter objects (would give more natural feel)
5. LOD for roads
6. Sidewalk bevel
7. Raised roads - yes, bridges Every city should have some!
8. Surround lots in a cell with fences. You already have the boundary for each lot, so the option to use that for fencing would be amazing for residential cells.
9. Road side objects - things like walls or railings. Necessary for highways.
10. 2-road intersections (i.e. corners) need the option to have consistent UVs between the 2 roads. In other words it would be great if these corners were "invisible" and it looked like one consistent piece of road.
11. Change the UV mapping of the roads to allow for dashed-line style road markings.
12. Auto-removal of trees and grass

Sorry, that's quite a long list! If all of these were implemented then you would have a system that could rival EasyRoads3D. In fact I have already decided to use CiDy instead of EasyRoads3D for my game because it allows for more realistic looking road junctions. I achieved more in two hours with CiDy than a whole week with EasyRoads3D.

 

Following up on my list of things to add to CiDy, I should mention that I have already implemented the first two items .

Here is the Inspector window showing some road types I created (it's missing the "Add Road Type" button at the bottom of the list).


And here is the Cell Type editor.


The data is stored in an asset file, applied to the CiDy graph at design time.

I made a few tweaks to the CiDy editor window to accommodate these new features when editing roads and cells.



If @Reaper3223 is interested I am happy to share my changes.

 

Simonjewell,

Thank you very much for your comments and I agree with those needs and changes. I will be coming back to it the CiDy Editor after the Synapse Project demo has been completed. The Demo release date has been extedned due to project needs. However it should only be a few more months. In the mean time, I would love to pm you and discuss your work on the Editor and more.

Thank you again,
Steven C. Mowery

 

I need more documentation on the API and this Cidy Library you spoke of...
specifically I would like to add my nodes at runtime.

 

I have decided the same, EasyRoads is extremely powerful, but to get intersections for oddly angled roads to blend this well it requires a lot of work setting up stuff that's very poorly documented. I have begun digging into your scripts and hope to cobble together a method to add nodes at runtime (without mouse clicks) and have them still relate to each-other correctly. In your list Simon I think everything would make CiDy the best asset on the store for roads, buildings or anything like that, but number three, adding a node to the middle of a road, is absolutely necessary/mandatory. I have had the problem of not being able to link two half city-blocks (imagine an alley) into a full size or non-split city-block because I can't add a node to the existing road where I want the new intersection to be. EasyRoads does have the ability to dynamically add an intersection, but they are also not checking for enclosed cells.
Oh Also, multiple terrains. Still my number one wishlist item. Then what he said...

 

Maybe this has been addressed already, but does this suite the generation of medieval towns with dirt roads and paths?

 

Orvedal,

Thank you very much for your support of CiDy.

The Exposed API documents are still being compiled. In the mean time there is a Showcase demo Scene in the Package that utilizes Run-time functions. On the Main Camera in the Scene is a C# script called CiDyDesigner.cs this script and the Graph.Cs script would be were you will want to look over. For creating nodes in a graph simply call the scenes CiDyGraph calls.

CREATION OF NEW NODES

Example I have a CiDyGraph referenced and called "graph" in my script. My call to create a new node would then be "graph.NewMasterNode(Vector3 pos, float nodeScale);"

This will create a new node in the graph returning the created CiDyNode. The pos will be its position in world Space and the nodeScale will be its Graphical Representation size. Both can be changed after initilization.

CREATION OF CONNECTING ROAD

Connecting two node points would be "graph.ConnectNodes(CiDyNode nodeA, CiDyNode nodeB, float roadWidth, int roadSegmentLength, int flattenAmount);

This will create a road between these two nodes in the graph. This will require knowing your desired roadWidth(Width of Road Mesh) ,SegmentLength(LOD of Road Mesh) and the flattenAmount(Used to flatten roads near node ends for intersection blending". These values are exposed in the demoScene/Editor as well as explained in the Video and Documents in the current package.

I will try to get the API Documents completed and update the package ASAP.

Thank you again,
Steven Mowery

 

Top notch! Thank you, Reaper3223. If my result look promising i'll post screens shortly.

 

Sorry no, not in its current form. CiDy v1.1 is geared towards modern city layouts. After its updates it will be more versatile for more custom designs like that.

Thanks,
Steven Mowery

 

I see you did update to 1.2 recently. However, has anything changed from the days of the youtube video's release?

I checked for new videos, screenshots and info from the changelog or your website but haven't found any additional information yet.

 

No new features have been updated yet. The version update was for API changes needed when Unity 5.5 released.

 

Alright, thanks.

Good luck with the release of Synapse.

 

When can we expect an update to this asset?

 

Hi,

This looks like a great asset.

However, for my project, I am interested in generating cities procedurally, (IE, from code, without manual editing) is it possible, (or, how straightforward is it) to do this using CiDy?
For example, is it possible to modify the node position to generate circular roads, change zone types, etc, etc?

Thanks!

 

Annnnd it's deprecated?

 

It is, but it still works great, I just ported it to unity 2018.2. Not sure why it's deprecated, it's still one of the best city creation tools that I have seen.

 

Thank you. Im glad it has helped you in your design. It has been re submitted for review. It will be back online soon after.

 

Excellent, glad to hear it. Are you planning any new features, or just reuploading it to the store?

 

Its just being uploaded to the store currently. So users will be able to stay updated across the different unity Versions.

 

I've been working on Getting CiDy 2.0 up on the Asset Store. Re-programmed Blending, Building Placement logic and added options, Fixed issues with Z Fighting between terrain City Meshes. Added Unity Terrain Grass Detail/Tree Cutting into the Blending. Checkout the Updates at the Top of the Post. More Works coming, And as always thank you for your support.

 

This is fantastic!

I have been using CiDy quite extensively in my project.

Do you know if CiDY 2 will have any improved asynchronous creation abilities?

I am generating cities dynamically, and even with coroutines, there is a noticeable framerate hit when the city is generated. Async creation would be awesome.

 

Create Medieval towns?

 

Thats awesome that you are using CiDy in a runtime system. The CiDy 2.0 update is geared towards the Editor side of the system and overall quality. You will not see speedup in its runtime application.

 

Yes you can Create Medieval Towns with this asset. But its current theme change abilities are getting a pass over as its not as convenient as I would like it to be.

We are working on Some Demo Scenes to showcase its wide range of application. A Medieval Theme is one of the Showcase themes we will be working on.

When we are complete with the Showcase Scenes I will update the Original post with there images.

Thank you for your interest in CiDy 2.0

 

I have to ask the forum what I should do. CiDy 2.0 is progressing very nicely. However I have been working on a large Feature Addition. Fully Procedural CiDy Growth Algorithm, it only requires you to have a Terrain for it to grow on.

The progress is amazing. But I'm not sure If I should go ahead and release it in its current state, which will be without the Integrated CiDy growth Algorithm and then roll out that feature in an update after its Release.

What do you guys think? Should I Submit it as is and release on Unity Asset store for those of you who want to start creating with it now? This is its current state.

Or Should I delay its Submission until the large Feature is complete?

More Images available at the Gallery of Reckless Games Studio

Current Growth Algorithm Layout Example


Thanks for your support,
Steven M.

 

Hey @Reaper3223 - I am actually unsure TBH. I would air on the side of caution and wait till it is feature complete.

 

That looks fantastic! It really looks authentic, like a real city.

Is there any chance that that system could be modified to run in real time, without requiring time-consuming baking or pre-generating?

 

What scenario are you hoping to achieve in the game? Players able to change the City Enviornment in GamePlay, or generation of a city at the start of the game?

Thanks for your support,
Steven M.

 

@Reaper3223 Will CiDy 2.0 work across multiple terrains?

 

No I haven't solved the Blending Across Multiple Terrains yet. What situation are you hoping to achieve? How many Terrains is your City going to span?

Thanks for your Support,
Steven M.

 

Work in Progress of Growth Algorithm, Featuring buildings from BuildR2 and the Terrain was generated with Gaia.

First City 1: German Theme (Using BuildR2 Generation)
Second City 2: Modern Theme with Prefab Buildings (Not BuildR2)

CiDy 2.0 City Growth Algorithm Work in Progress

 

Nice View, Featuring German Themed Buildings from BuildR2. Spawning from CiDy 2.0

 

Medieval towns?

 

I'm sure you could if you have Medieval Building Prefabs or are Using BuildR2 and have the Facades Setup in BuildR2.

Jasper Stocker (Developer) of BuildR2 would have more info on the building Setups.

If you only have prefabs. The System will work with those as well. But you may have to do a manual pass after generation as the Fill algorithm cannot compact as efficiently as Extruding Buildings procedurally from the lotPrint with BuildR2.

Here is a similar environment with CiDy 2.0 using only Prefab Placement. (Work in Progress Growth Algorithm)

 

Here is Packed with Extruded Buildings from BuildR2 for better Comparison. And More Birds Eye of Current CiDy Growth Progress.

 

when will be on asset store ?

 

As Soon as the City Growth Algorithm is able to produce consistent results. I will be sending CiDy 2.0 to Unity for Review.

Here is a work in Progress Clip. There are still some kinks that need to be worked out. But progress is moving along.

Thank you for your Support,
Steven M.

 

Procedural City in Unity. (Work in Progress)

 

Looks like it is doing a lot of work in a short amount of time -- always a good thing. While I was watching I was wondering if there will be options for varying road textures and widths -- any thoughts on that? Thanks for posting an update on the progress.

 

Sharkapps,

The previous video was x2 speed for display purposes. So that city actually takes about 5-10 mins to completely render (Including the Long process of Baking), Which I think is still great but I have plans to further improve this time.

When the system is performing its "BlendTerrain" process. It not only blends the Terrain ,roads and Cells together it also performs Terrain Tree and Details(grass) clearing in the appropriate places as well as procedurally creates foundations under buildings that have any part of them above ground. (often seen in Steep Hill situations)

The foundation material is also changeable as well.

Q: "Will there be options for varying road textures and widths?"

A: Yes, there are global values exposed in the CiDyEditor window. So you can Change All road Materials across the entire city. Or you can edit specific roads and cells to change there SideWalk and Road Materials.

All prefab generated assets are also exposed and modifiable (Street signs, street lights, sidewalk clutter etc) to meet the needs of your project. (These are not exposed globally yet but will be in time, only per cell)

You can modify a Roads curve, width, textures and prefab placements (Stop/traffic Lights).

There will be later videos of design, that will cover these aspects of CiDy in detail. I'll be making and posting them while Unity is reviewing the Asset for the Store.

Here are two images with the CiDy Editor Window on the Right Hand Side. Its context sensitive. So if a cell is selected that cells variables are displayed and same for roads.

 

Hi, sorry I just noticed this post now.

I am basically building cities during run time, according to a seed.

CiDy works find for this, the only issue is that when the city is constructed, there is a significant framerate hit.