EasyRoads3D v2 is out – Road, rivers, procedural geometry for Unity

Hey Roaul,
So I had thought your ERUVAdjust script had fixed my problem in the past, but it looks like it actually hasn't. HOWEVER, I think I did find a good example of a fix in this article, as well as a bunch of info on what causes the problem. I am not quite seasoned enough to implement the UV creation stuff, but it seems like the code at the bottom might be relatively easy for you to implement, and would eliminate all texture distortion that EasyRoads encounters on iOS.

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/13915531/repeating-opengl-es-texture-bound-to-hills-in-cocos2d-2-0

Let me know what you think (sent you a PM as well).

 

Hi napalm44,

I already replied to your PM. I finally got everything setup correctly for iOS earlier this week so I can do some test myself now. Also, if you have an example of a "road" type of mesh made in a modelling App that works perfectly well, it would be interesting to have a look at the UVs of that mesh.

The bottom of the article discusses triangle creation, I don't think this can be the problem, as this issue seem to occur after a specific distance.

 

I was finally able to test (iPhone) the UV problems reported by napalm44 when creating tracks for iOS.

On longer tracks, I was able to reproduce the texture distortion which seems to be a general iOS tiling issue. I have a fix ready. It will be implemented in the package so it will also work on LOD segments. An update will follow the coming week...

 

An update (v2.5.2) dealing with texture distortion on longer tracks on iOS devices is now available on our website. The Assetstore store version is pending approval...

In "General Settings" you will see the option "iOS Platform". Tick this if you develop for iOS. Both roads (including LOD segments) and procedural side objects will be prepared to run well on iOS devices.

Let me know if you stlll experience issues with this!

 

Hi,
We are working on a traffic simulation and highly need this tool when the intersection making functionality is out. Can you give us estimated date for v3 release?

 

Hi Yasser,

I can't give a release date for this. I have to rewrite code to make it more stable and faster. Because I want to release an update with new features I am currently working on tunnels. After that I will make the changes to intersections.

 

Hello there.

Just a quick question:

Is it possible to procedurally generate roads at run time with this tool?
I couldn't find any info on this on the website.

Thanks.

 

Hello Azaphrael, EasyRoads3D is an editor tool so at the moment it doesn't work at run time. I am working on a solution for this. Send me a PM or email If you have specific requirements.

 

Hi,
Is there a way to enable/disable sideobjects on multiple markers simultaneously? I have a long road with many markers, but i only want certain side objects to appear on the bridge portion (which only spans 2 markers) . As far as i can tell, i need to select each marker individually after building the road, and disable each side object separately. Selecting multiple markers and editing the side objects only seems to affect the first marker selected.
If there's no way in the editor, is this something that could be accomplished via scripting? Using version EasyRoads 2.5.1 with Unity 4.1.3, if that helps.
Thanks!

 

Hi Madcalf,
When you create a new side object you have the option to set the default enabled status for each marker. So in your case, you turn this off. This way you only have to enable this side object for those markers on the bridge portion. Selecting multiple markers will indeed not work. I will have a look and see if I can add that.

 

Any words on the progress of the tunnels? That's something I'd really love to have.
If I can think of another killer feature it would be a second option for bridges, currently we only get the "American Highway" pillar setup, I'd really love some arching bridges.

 

Also, I think it's been mentioned by someone else, the terrain is much much easier to edit on the non-road built map. In the other mode I cannot see what I am doing, I have to continually switch back and forth.

 

Hi Tomji,

Apologies for the delay, I went on holiday for two weeks earlier this month and now I am on a deadline of another project. I was hoping to finish this before my holiday but there are some things I am not entirely happy off and I have to fix a bug with the end part of the tunnel. Before releasing this publicly I will first prepare a build for those who are waiting for this and want to test this. So, to those, drop me a PM or an email so I can send it to you!

Below is a screenshot from the development project.



Regarding your second post, The recommended workflow is, first build the roads. Keep a backup, then edit the terrain. I also always keep a backup of the terrain by simply duplicating it in the project panel. For v3 I have to make several changes regarding how data is stored. One of the things is the terrain data although I am still not sure what the best way to handle this will be. Imagine you build the roads, you edit the terrain and you switch back to Edit mode. The edited area also covered by the road shape will not look right! Or did I misunderstood your comment?

 

Hi Raoul,

I find editing terrain that is close to the streets close to impossible with in the edit mode, this is because it gets greyed out by total street area which includes the side objects and gradient settings etc.
I did find under "General Settings" a terrain "restore" option which I have now disabled and it seems to be behaving better now, but not sure what it's supposed to do.
I'll let you know when I need the tunnels, probably only in a few weeks, maybe by that time you have it released already.

 

Hi Tomji,

Why don't you layout your roads first and when this is done you edit the terrain where necessary? This way you don't have to do this in Edit mode. When you disable "Restore", the terrain will not be reset to its original state when going back to Edit mode. So yes, this will make editing the terrain in Edit mode easy but the old road shape will still be visible in the terrain when you change the road shape !

 

Hi Raoul,


We had a look at two different tools to allow quickly creating race tracks for rapid prototyping purposes, and made a comparison between EasyRoads3D and an other tool. The article can be read here:
http://www.previewlabs.com/roadpath-tool-vs-easyroads3d/

I'm wondering whether you have anything planned to allow creating roads from code. This would be a nice to have feature, I believe - for instance if someone wanted to do an in-game track editor, or a random track generator.

 

Thank you bernardfrancois!

Creating roads from code inside the editor is not part of the package itself but I do have a script available that automatically generates markers from a Vector3[] input. I should actually put that script as an additional package in the dowload section on our website. Or perhaps I should include it in the package itself. It is based on an experiment with openstreetmap data.

A runtime version is being worked on. For now this will also work by passing a Vector3[] but I can also add an in-game track editor if there are enough requests for that. The very first EasyRoads3D standalone version worked like that as well.

That, said, the screenshot on your website is actually from that version! Let me know if you want me to send a more up to date image! Or grab one from the assetstore gallery!

Regarding, the other con, and Unity slowing down on larger tracks, try holding the [shift] key while moving markers. The road will only update after releasing the [shift] key! That way you will hardly experience any slow down.

Apart from that, EasyRoads3D includes additional features to quickly generate complete race tracks including walls, fences, curbstones, etc through the side objects system. For really quick prototyping you can download a sideobject package from our website that includes examples of these side objects.

 

Are there any updates to this asset or new info? I'm eagerly waiting for the intersections and tunnel system to be finished so I can try it out. Has development been slowed down on this?

The pic at the top of the thread looks great btw!

 

Hi Hamesh81, My apologies for the delay. I have been on holiday and this week I have been working on an update of v2 regarding some issues on Windows 8 Metro (Windows 8 itself works fine). This update will be released next week.

Tunnels is progressing, I have to add a couple of things and write run time scripts, then I will release a test version first because at the moment there are some manual procedures. Before releasing it I like to know whether that works well.

Before finishing tunnels first a new more stable beta version of the crossings version will be released.

 

Ok great, it's good to hear it's coming along. How can I keep in the loop about the test versions?

 

You can send me an email or PM including your email address. I will send you the link when it is ready.

 

Just emailed you Raoul regarding a download issue on your website.

 

Hi derkoi, yes, there were some issues because of the updated downloads page for the upcoming 2.5.3 release already being on the server. This should be fixed now. Let me know if you still have problems.

 

Hello,

v2.5.3 is now available. It includes some significant code changes to deal with issues on Windows 8 Metro. Although thoroughly tested, we recommend to first backup your project if you import the new package in an existing project!

Note that we don't use Windows 8 Metro ourselves, if someone still experiences issues, please let us know!

The Assetstore version is submitted and is pending approval... An update of the free version will also follow shortly

Also an announcement: We are doing a short Summer 2013 sale, 33% Off
check our homepage for the promo code, hopeully the Assetstore version will update soon!

 

Is there a tutorial anywhere on how to add intersections? I saw the WIP video but it's from 2011 and I wasn't sure if the feature exists.

 

HI, intersections is not part of the current public version. It is released in betas, if you have a Pro license, you can contact me and I can send it to you. A new beta will be available in the next couple of weeks.

 

Hello, I have a problem with the way the road tool script is displaying.

It is kind of hard to explain, so heres a screenshot. Using Pro version:
http://gyazo.com/a0bbc5b966a0fe5a6d8de1de9bc147b8

As i place markers to create the road, I do not see the accompanying mesh. "the white preview" Nor the road mesh itself.

I do not actually see any road at all until I build all road objects.

Any would would be awesome! thanks :"D

 

HI demise002,

Can you double check your scene view layer settings (combobox at the right top of the editor)? EasyRoads3D uses layers 30 and 31 for the road and white surfaces, these layers should be enabled otherwise objects on these layers will not be visible. By default they are enabled but perhaps this has changed in your editor settings? If you cannot see layers 30 and 31 in the dropdown, then first give these layers a name (Inspector > Layer > Add Layer). Afterwards these layers will be visible in the layers dropdown. Make sure they are enabled.

Let me know if you need further help...

Raoul

 

http://gyazo.com/365ecce05f8581dd447ead8e93b8b177

This is what it looks like to me.

 

That is the layers dropdown inside the Inspector, in my previous post I referred to this as where you can give layers a name, (Inspector > Layer > Add Layer). Select the layers 30 and 31 one by one and give it a name. Any name will do, something like "Road layer 30" "Road Layer 31".

The next step is, select the other Layers dropdown above the Inspector at the top right of the Unity Editor on the left of the Editor Layout drop down. Among others, you will see the layers you just named. Make sure they are checked/enabled! The white surfaces and the road should now be visible in the scene

 

Is there some more detailed explanation/example what this EasyRoads feature means, "The shape of the road can be embedded in the terrain splatmap"?

Does this mean that I could create the roads with splatmap?

 

That was it! I'm not sure how that got turned off.. It is displaying properly now. Thanks

 

It's the other way around: you create the road on top of the terrain, and the splatmap of the terrain will be affected by the road. That way the terrain under the road can be painted with a certain texture.

 

Hi mk1978, like Quen explained, this means that you can blend the shape of the road to the terrain with the terrain splatmap so it is visible in the terrain itself. You will be able to select with which splatmap layer / texture you want to blend it and you can expand and smoothen the shape. So you can for example create dirt next to the road.

The shape is also exported as png and available in [your project]/EasyRoads3D/[EasyRoads3D object name].

This allows you to open it in a paint program, adjust the shape and add manual variations. Afterwards you can use the "Restore Splatmap" option from the main EasyRoads3D menú to manually blend it with the terrain splatmaps.

 

Glad you got that working!

 

Hi raoul

I use your Tool since a month ago and I love it! Great product!

I have two questions though were I can't seem to find documentation on... at the moment I try to create a bridge object, and I try to do it with the procedural side objects. I created the start and end object in Blender, and now I'm stuck:
- how do I define that a side object should only be active between the start and end point of the bridge segment?
- why do I get an "no vertices found" error when I open the "edit geometry" window on my bridge head? I get this in all 3 directions.


Thanks in advance for any help!


Gian-Reto

 

Hi Gian-Reto alig, glad you like it!

When you look at the bridge in the demo project you will see that prefabs are used at the start and end of the bridge. Side Object Manager > select the "Bridge Concrete" side object from the drop down > Start and End Asset slots. Is that what you want to achieve? Or is this about something else?

In order for the trace function to work well those vertices that should be found should be exactly at z = 0. You can enter an offset value but keep this offset low otherwise wrong vertices might be included. When the vertices at the connection point are indeed at z = 0, the prefab will exactly connect to the procedural bit of the bridge. As you can see in the procedural editor window the start prefab was also used as the trace object to define the shape of the procedural bridge segment itself. Depending on how the asset is imported indeed it might be possible that you have to swap between the directions in the dropdown. What is the layout of the vertices in your prefab?

Let me know if you need further help!

 

Thanks for the quick answer.

Oh, a demo project... it never occured to me to have a look into it. But I don't see any demo project in my Easy Roads Folder, were do I find it?

The question however is a different one than what you answered. Let me rephrase it: How do I switch on a side object just for a single road segment (so the bridge side object will only be placed there), or switch off a sideobject for a single road segment (so for example fences are not placed on a bridge segment)?

On the other topic, I actually had the suspicion that the place of the origin might be the problem. I placed it in the middle of the object. Should the origin point be on the same x value as the vertices for the connection to the procedural object? Is the origin, were the tracing takes place?

 

The link to the demo project is included in the email your received after purchasing the full version. If you got it through the Assetstore, have a look at the _readme file in the root directory of the imported package!

You can enable / disable side objects per marker. After you click the "Build Side Objects" button in the Inspector, the markers are visible again. Select a marker and check the Inspector. There are several settings you can control per marker and the enabled status for each active side object is one of them. So regarding a bridge, you probably already have positioned the markers strategically in order to get the terrain deformation look right. All you have to do is enable the bridge side objects for these markers. I would definitely recommend to have a look at the demo project, not only for the bridge example but also for examples of all the other things you can do with the side objects and marker settings.

Regarding the vertice positions, I am not sure what you mean with "the origin"? The prefab must face the z axis as if the road is following the z-axis. So the tracing will search for vertices at z is 0. Usually you want to trace a prefab that is used as a connection object at the start or end of the side object. In this case the vertices of the mesh connecting with the procedurally created mesh, the vertices you want to use as nodes for the procedural mesh, must be at z is 0. If no vertices are found or if the shape does not look right, you can try the other rotations from the dropdown. If you want you can send me the model so I can have a look at it.

 

Hello, i have a small problem when i click on Side object Manager:

http://gyazo.com/db98814dd28d106921d1f18887cc2b77

When i click object manager..

 

Hi demise002, this did work fine before, right? Can you remember what has changed just before the error started to appear? Could you send me and email or PM with the sideobjectsLog which you can find in /Assets/EasyRoads3D

 

1) At the moment I like to put down the road - sometimes it's a very long road - and then drive it a bit; sometimes over a period of days. And then I'd like to be able to come back and make changes after some testing. Right now I accomplish this by pressing "Process Terrain" and then leaving the road object in place. So far the only problem I've run into this way is if I accidentally click on the Roadobject, I have to wait for it to go back to edit mode, and then wait to process it again.

But I can't really get a feel for how the road sits in the scene with it in edit mode as it draws over everything and is otherwise not really usable. Other than the big delay if I accidentally click on the road object, is there anything that can go wrong with this workflow? I assumed if I pull the road terrain out and delete the RoadObject I can no longer go back and edit it?

2) That would be fantastic as really I'd rather have the control afforded by an external editor anyway.

2.5) Well, I'll attach my horrible MS-Paint rendition of what i have in mind. As for the texture... I'm sure they would look nicer with a texture. What if instead of baking the geometry into the main road mesh, you left a hole in the road geometry and placed a separate properly scaled instantiated Batchable object, with the appropriate material in the hole? I guess you could overlap and use alpha to blend it? This would avoid trying to deal with the variable edge geometry as well. Easier said than done but worth the effort to take roads to the next level.

 

Hi Goblox,

1) You can change the shader of the white surfaces in General Settings and make it transparent if you want to have a clearer view of the scene. The white surfaces are primarily intended to visualize how the scene will be deformed. I am still not sure what you mean with "wait" and "big delay" it sounds like this process takes ages for you while this should only take a few seconds, max 10 I would say. I can easily build something in that will prevent the road switching back to Edit mode automatically but it is not the recommended workflow. Als because terrain changes done while the road is in "Build" mode will be lost when moving back to "Edit" Mode because the terrain is restored to its original state. If it wouldn't do that and you would reposition markers, the old road shape would still be visible in the terrain.

2) Ok, I can look into this, if you have an example map you can send it to me.

2.5) That is what I was thinking, I don't think you can just remove triangles from the road and fill it with another material to simulate a hole. You will have to blend it some way...

 

This tool looks great and I'm going to buy it, just a quick question please.

Does this work on mobile platforms. Let' say iOS and Android?

 

Hi Gunhi,

Yes, the roads created with EasyRoads3D will work well on mobile platforms. You can tweak the geometry resolution and you can divide the roads into segments for futher optimization if you want that. The decision you have to make is whether you will keep the unity terrain object itself in your final build or whether you will use an optimized mesh object version of the terrain but that is related to the terrain and not directly to EasyRoads3D.

 

Already purchased on the Asset Store and register on your website. Where can I start with this? I saw a _manual file with unlinked images.
Is there any basic video tutorials?

 

Yes, for some reason, the images folder for the manual doesn't come through in the Assetstore package, it definetely is part of the Assetstore project used to submit the asset. Anyway, if you click the most right tab in the Inspector after creating a road object and selecting it, you will see a Help button, this opens the manual from our server.

You should already have received an email regarding your registration, this email also includes a link to the demo project. I would recommend to have a look at this project. It will give you a good idea of what you can do with the side objects system, how you can create different types of side objects and how you can use them in the scene regarding enabling/disabling them for markers and adjusting the spline shape per marker relatively to the main road spline. I belief creating the roads themselves is pretty straight forward.

And, if you have any questions or you need help with something specific, you can always ask. You will generally receive a fast response on a note that we are in Spain, Europe...

 

Thanks for prompt reply, I played around it and found my self really familiar with it. Easy to use like its name ^__^
I have made just a test terrain with 8 makers, but when I press on Build Easy3DObject -> Yes -> nothing happen, all of these objects and controller still on the Scene.
So, am I missing something?

I'm using Unity 4.2 on MAC

 

Glad to hear you are already getting familiar with it !

EasyRoads3D Menu > Build Easy3DObjects" only works for road objects in Edit Mode. Are you perhaps executing "Build Easy3DObjects" with the road object(s) Build Mode and not in Edit mode? Perhaps I should rename the menu ítem in "Bake EasyRoads3D Objects"? You can manually get the same same result for road objects in Build mode by simply dragging the road game object out of the hierarchy and remove the remaining EasyRoads3D object itself. .

 

oh... I figured it out. Just quit Unity then reopen project.
It works, done!

is that what you mean

Anyway, U got my 5* and I'm will be looking forward to version 3 as well.