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World Building EasyRoads3D v3 - the upcoming new road system

Discussion in 'Tools In Progress' started by raoul, Feb 19, 2014.

  1. imaewyn

    imaewyn

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    Hello, raoul, thank you for previous answers) can you drop a hint how I can increase connection with for T-crossroad more then 75?) I'm trying to make something like airplain platform near airport with paths to runway
     
  2. raoul

    raoul

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    Hello imaewyn,

    This is a slider so it does require a max value, currently this is indeed 75, 75 meter wide if you use 1 unity = 1 meter

    How much do you need? Is this about the right bottom bit in the image?

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
  3. imaewyn

    imaewyn

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    i think 150 will be enought. This is roughly speaking geometry

     
  4. catfink

    catfink

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    What method should be used to scale a side object like wirefence, currently it's around 2 metres high and I'd like it 3 metres, I can't work out what the process is for scaling it up?
     
  5. raoul

    raoul

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    Hi imaewyn,

    Is that runway 150 meters wide? What scaling are you using?

    As mentioned, the width is set using a slider, this is an exceptional case. What I can do is place a float field somewhere to set the max value of this partiular Inspector slider or change the slider into a float field.

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
  6. raoul

    raoul

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    Hi catfink,

    The current wirefence in the beta package is a procedural side object type. It is based on a source mesh, Side Object Manager > Select "WireFence Left" > Source Object. This will point to the source mesh in the assets folder.

    You can scale this source mesh and afterwards rebuild the side object through the "Open Mesh Editor Window" button. This is necessary because this particular side object uses an end segment.

    Perhaps it is an idea to first duplicate the side object and use the set up of the original side object as a reference for the scaled side object. Or take a screenshot of the original canvas and the control settings and use that as a reference. All that is required is adjust the end offset based on the new scaling. You can do this by dragging the handles on the canvas to the cover the top pole, the handles will snap to the closest vertex. Click the "Apply" button afterwards.

    Let me know if you need more help with this.

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
  7. imaewyn

    imaewyn

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    It was 75, I want to increase that one) I remember uv scaling slider was seems 5.62. If you will say where I need to change some script for my question it will be great)) Also sometimes when I selecting connection object nearest roads lose chosen materials...)
     
  8. raoul

    raoul

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    Hi imaewyn,

    There is nothing for you to change at the moment, I have to add that as an Inspector option.

    Do you mean that materials change after connecting to a crossing? In that case, the workflow is that roads adapt to crossing settings, including the material. In the first sections of the manual the recommended workflow is explained. In short create your scene specific road types, after that create your scene specific dynamic crossings so you can quickly reuse them in the scene. Part of that last process is assigning road types to connections. This way the correct material is assigned to the road when pulling out new roads from a crossing, and the material on the road is preserved after attaching this road to a crossing with the same road type assigned to the connection.

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
  9. Atzig

    Atzig

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    Hey Raoul, I just got a registration error "Only 2 machines supported per license", is there a way to deactivate those other computers so I can use EasyRoads on my new laptop?
     
  10. raoul

    raoul

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    Hi Atzig,

    I just reset your installs, you should be able to register now, can you try again?

    Additionally, the betas are now also available directly through the asset store download.

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
  11. Atzig

    Atzig

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    Thanks a lot, greatly appreciated!
     
  12. Guats

    Guats

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    Hi there,

    Not sure if anyone has asked this before, but can you delete the connection object prefabs?
    Please refer to the image below..

    Thanks in advance

    Guy
     

    Attached Files:

  13. raoul

    raoul

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    Hi Guats,

    The prefabs listed in the connection prefabs tabs are located in:

    /Assets/EasyRoads3D/Resources/dynamic prefabs/
    /Assets/EasyRoads3D/Resources/custom prefabs/

    After you delete unused prefabs or move them to another folder, they will no longer appear in the lists.

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
  14. Guats

    Guats

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    Thanks so much Raoul, seems like a well thought out plugin. :D
     
    raoul likes this.
  15. raoul

    raoul

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    Additionally, these are ordinary unity prefabs, you can customize them further, add traffic lights etc. by dragging the prefab on the scene, add elements as child objects and do GameObject > Apply Changes to Prefab

    But for the road network itself it is not recommended to place prefabs directly in the scene from the assets folder, always use the Inspector controls to instantiate prefabs for the actual road network.

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
  16. Guats

    Guats

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    Cool, good to know :)
     
  17. catfink

    catfink

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    Seem to have an issue with the road substance, keeps coming up like the attached picture. Seems like the texture gets binned and replaced with flat colour, it can be a different colour every run of my game. This is latest V3 code.

    edit: changing to bumped diffuse or bumped specular for shader type seems to give me a consistent build without it messing up the texture generation.
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: May 12, 2016
  18. raoul

    raoul

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    Hi catfink,

    I had a look at this taking the road in the demo scene that uses this material as an example. In Play Mode all looks fine on my end. After stopping the scene I notice something similar as in your screenshot but only for a second or so, after that it switches back to the expected road texture.

    Perhaps it is related to this not really being a substance material. If you select the texture slot in the material component you will see it points to the diffuse texture of the specific substance in the assets folder. So this is not a real substance material. Also the substance itself was provided by a user a while ago. The naming of the textures does not match the substance name which can cause issues if you try to open this material in the UV Editor window which requires access to the diffuse texture. Changing the naming is not something you can do directly in the assets folder so this substance may not make the final package.

    All textures / materials in the beta package are provisional, more will follow. See the most recent screenshots in this thread.

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
  19. LennartJohansen

    LennartJohansen

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    Hi.

    Is it possible to use parts of this system runtime? I would like to provide a list of points on a terrain and create a road or river. I know it could take some time to modify the terrain.

    Lennart
     
  20. raoul

    raoul

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    Hi Lennart,

    I just responded to your email with the same question.

    V3 indeed includes an API that can be used at runtime to generate the roads and rivers (using the side objects system) and flatten the terrain accordingly.

    The provisional beta package includes a runtime scene demonstrating the creation of a road at runtime and an object following that road afterwards .

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
  21. LennartJohansen

    LennartJohansen

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    Thanks for the good support. I have the system up and running now run-time using the new 3.0 API.

    Lennart
     
    hopeful likes this.
  22. Guats

    Guats

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    Hi again Raoul,

    I'm pretty comfortable with the roads now, just wanted to know where to set the splats for a custom Dynamic Crossing/intersection. Can't see an option anywhere. The roads themselves generate splats fine, just not the intersections.

    Thanks again
     
  23. raoul

    raoul

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    Hi Lennart,

    Glad to hear that, I will keep you updated on the SnapToTerrain() issue.

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
  24. raoul

    raoul

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    Hi Guats,

    I think you are referring to adding the road shape to the terrain splatmap, is that right? That is indeed currently not done for intersections. I will look into that.

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
  25. Guats

    Guats

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    Hi Raoul

    Yes just the Intersection part doesn't change the splats on the terrain. It didn't look like it was there. Not so bad considering intersections would be the smaller part of the roads. I can just paint the intersection splats manually in the meantime.

    Thanks again for your speedy response.

    Guats
     
  26. raoul

    raoul

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    Hi Guats,

    Yes, that is why this has had less priority, for dynamic crossings this is generally less important since usually splatting the road shapes extends a little bit so it will already cover the crossing. But this is not the case for T crossings, and custom crossings can have all sorts of shapes so I see that it could be useful for that too.

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
  27. Zireael07

    Zireael07

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    How is the version 3 coming along? I seem to recall that there will be a free edition of v3 once it ships? The tool is amazing but intersections are sorely missed now ;P
     
  28. raoul

    raoul

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    Hi Sireael07,

    V3 is about ready, current updates include small improvements and fixes for reported bugs. At the moment most of the time is spend on additional assets, road textures, side objects, etc. and the final demo project.

    Once v3 is released the free version will also be updated but please do not expect to be able to do all what you see in this thread. If that would be possible nobody will get the full version which would mean I cannot spend as much time on this as I do now. Meanwhile you may want to take advantage of the pre release offer https://www.assetstore.unity3d.com/en/#!/content/469 :)

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
  29. Zireael07

    Zireael07

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    Thanks a lot. I will wait patiently for the free version - I am very short on cash :(
    All I ask is that some basic intersection functionality be included in the free version. Intersections are imho crucial for roads, especially in cities.
    The other free limitations such as lack of edit mode, bridges and other beautify elements such as varied road widths are not a problem. In fact, I commend the way you implemented the lite vs pro distinction - the free version is very capable while the pro just adds bells and whistles. Way to go!
     
  30. wendymorrison

    wendymorrison

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    Where would i find the manual cos my manual is only like this pic here manual.JPG
     
  31. hopeful

    hopeful

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    Isn't that the sort of thing you can open in your browser?
     
    raoul likes this.
  32. raoul

    raoul

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    Hi wendymorrison,

    Yes, like hopeful mentioned, please open it from an explorer or finder window instead of directly in Unity. This will show the manual in your default browser. I am looking into converting it to pdf.

    You can also access the manual from inside Unity after selecting the road network in the Hierarchy, the most right tab in the Inspector > Help. This will open the online manual at http://www.unityterraintools.com/EasyRoads3D/v3/manualv3.html

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
  33. raoul

    raoul

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    Hi again,

    After looking closely at your screenshot, that is the v2 manual! Please follow the below steps to import v3 in your project and avoid that v2 and v3 assets get mixed:

    1. Deselect all assets in the Import window after the download has finished.

    2. Select the v3 beta 7.7 beta unitypackage at the top. It will be imported in /Assets/EasyRoads3D/. You will probably find this beta package there in your current project as well but that project now also includes v2, is that right? You can remove all contents inside the EasyRoads3D folder in that case, apart from the beta package.

    3. Double click the v3 beta 7.7 unitypackage. The actual v3 beta package import window will appear. Import all assets in your project.

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
  34. mkgame

    mkgame

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    Hello Raoul,

    Have to prove at first my post.
     
    Last edited: May 18, 2016
  35. raoul

    raoul

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    Hi mkgame,

    So the error messages were indeed related to you moving the package to the Standard Assets folder without having the actual Editor files in the either the root directory or the Standard Assets folder?

    Otherwise, if you still have issues please let me know

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
    Last edited: May 19, 2016
  36. zt3ff3n

    zt3ff3n

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    I made some roads on a giant terrain using easyroads3d some time ago - after doing so, I've made tons of terraforming and changes to the terrain. Just now, I selected the road in the hierarchy and easyroads immediately decided to load a version of the terrain it had saved months ago?! - I quit unity hoping I could re-open the scene how I last saved it, but no.. All the changes have reverted... wtf.. And did I just loose months of work, or can my progress be saved / loaded back somehow? (I know. Backup! Backup! .. I know!!)
     
  37. raoul

    raoul

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    Hi zt3ff3n,

    It looks like you are still using v2, is that right? Because this is the v3 thread and in v3 the road network will not switch back to Edit Mode when it is in Build Mode and after you select it in the hierarchy. This is what must have happened.

    In v2 terrains are restored when switching back to Edit Mode. This is done to preserve the original terrain shape otherwise the road shape will still be visible in the terrain after marker position changes.

    In v2 terrain changes should be done with the roads in Edit Mode or, once you are finished building the roads they should be finalized so they will not jump back to Edit mode. It is indeed recommended to always make backups, v2 also has built-in backup/restore options.

    Raoul
     
  38. zt3ff3n

    zt3ff3n

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    I am. And although it seems you have updated your asset in v3 to fix this issue, I just lost over a month of hard work - and I need to say that it is completely insane to have an asset load a previous backup without asking your permission. I'm so pissed off and sad right now, not sure I'll even bother to re-do all the work.. :(
     
  39. raoul

    raoul

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    I am really sorry to hear you lost work.

    But if it wouldn't do that, the other thing, mentioned in my previous reply would happen. The road shape still being visible in the terrain after moving a marker. This isn't preferable either and is more likely to happen.

    This behaviour (it is not really an issue) is clearly mentioned in the manual. It isn't loading a backup, it switches the terrain back to the state before switching to Build Mode. For those who do not like this behaviour the option "General Settings > Restore" exists. When you toggle this off the terrain will not be restored to the original state. Apart from that there are the backup/restore options within the tool that can be used both in Edit as in Build mode.

    As mentioned and upon request, in v3 this does work differently so you can also edit the terrain in Build Mode. But areas covered by the road network and that were affected by the road network shape will still be restored to the original state when switching back to Edit Mode.

    Raoul
     
  40. sstrong

    sstrong

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    Hey Raoul, I'm currently adding some more functionality to the Landscape Builder/ER3 integration and notice that one road has a "surface" gameobject and ER Surface Script child while another one in the scene does not. Are you able to elaborate on the difference and how generally this comes about?
     
  41. raoul

    raoul

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    Hi Stephen,

    Is this a new project or an older project? In the latest betas this gameobject should not be visible in the hierarchy but it doesn't affect the behaviour in Scene View. It is done to keep the hierarchy as clean as possible, hiding objects that should not be changed. Do you need access to this particular object in the Hierarchy for Landscape Builder? You can still access it through code, it is just not visible in the hierarchy.

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
  42. sstrong

    sstrong

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    I think the first road was created with 7.6.1 (the one with surface) and the second one in the same scene with maybe 7.8.t1. I don't need access just hoped it wasn't something my code was doing.
     
  43. sstrong

    sstrong

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    There can only be one non-finalized Road Network in a scene at any one time, right?
     
  44. raoul

    raoul

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    Yes, hiding the surface objects in the hierarchy is intended behaviour.

    Part of finalizing a road network is removing all script components. That means that it is save to create a new road network. So in theory you can have multiple finalized road networks in the scene but usually you will have one road network only.

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
  45. mkgame

    mkgame

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    Hello Raoul,

    I complained about your road texture/shader quality, because we cannot put your road on the fly in a non mobile game, on an RTP shader terrain. I needed about 3-4 days to create a road shader (Shader Forge) in combination with Substance Designer material. The road texture, without the terrain blending dirt on the side, is fully procedural created and the dirt, tracks can be randomized, plus the separation/side lines can be modified. The shader itself has a dirt texture, which is used to blend in the terrain.
    I still need some more days to finish this work for my game type, but in the future maybe you could provide a combination of Substance Designer road + road Shader.
    road_shader_plus_SD_mat.png
     
  46. raoul

    raoul

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    Hi mkgame,

    Great material/texture!

    V3 is still in beta, I already mentioned that the final package will include a lot more road textures / materials to chose from :)

    Also, the beta package includes an adapted version of the Unity 5 Standard Shader. You can do blending with the terrain with that shader. The final package will include more shaders, initially these shaders are intended for crossings but it could also be used for texture blending on the road itself.

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
  47. mkgame

    mkgame

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    That sounds good!
     
  48. schala

    schala

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    Hi Raoul,
    I've been trying out v3, and I can say I really like it. I see so many improvements over v2. In v2 I would always encounter some weird random behaviour and I even lost my work a couple times, but v3 seems very stable so far (a few minor issues here and there, but nothing great, especially since this is a beta). I'm loving the new functionalities, especially T and X crossing and can't wait to see the cul-de-sac.

    Maybe this is a simple (or stupid) question, but is there a way to delete just one marker on a road? I believe there was an option in v2, but I don't see it in v3.

    Also, is there a tentative date for the official release of v3? Can't wait to see the remaining features.
     
  49. Mayureshete

    Mayureshete

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    I was just going to ask similar question, is the a way to delete a particular marker or add a marker in between....
     
  50. raoul

    raoul

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    Hi schala,

    Glad to hear you like it :)! Indeed v3 includes many new features and improvements compared to v2.

    Regarding the weird random behaviour in v2, I assume you are referring to road objects switching back to Edit Mode after for example playing a scene which could result in losing manual terrain changes done in build mode? This is intended behaviour, it is done to make sure the original terrain data is not lost which could result in the road shape still being visible in the terrain after marker position changes. Manual terrain changes in v2 should be done with the road objects in Edit mode. This indeed is not ideal, storing terrain data has changed so this does not happen in v3.

    Cul-de-sacs will be part of v3.0 as custom objects. The code to build these meshes is ready but the full implementation, building connection data etc. like for X and T crossings, is not done yet. This will be available in 3.x.

    To delete a marker, select it and hit the R key, the Shortcuts & Scene Operations section in the manual includes more useful info related to functionality like this.

    All the main features for 3.0 have been implemented. At the moment new betas (a new release will be available very soon) only include small improvements and small bug fixes. At the moment most time is being spend on a new demo project and more assets such as road textures, side objects, etc. Once all that is done v3 will be released. But like cull-de-sacs a lot more will follow in v3.x. So as for the remaining features for v3, development is an ongoing process.

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
    Last edited: May 26, 2016