World Building EasyRoads3D v3 - the upcoming new road system

Have you tested this meanwhile in a final Unity build? Did it fix the issue? Because on my end, without having looked at mesh data yet, all looks good for the mesh asset.

What do you mean with that? What should be fixed in every node after adding an I Connector?

Thanks,
Raoul

 

Yes unity build, provides a splitted road, as seen in the screenshots. Therefore the area that was problematic, which was in fact in the missing road where split section exists, just doesn’t appear at all as a road. So ICconnector is not a worthwhile solution to this issue.
For the second part, what I mean is that, the texture issue appears right after some meters from the start. From there on, every tile, has the issue. Which means that in each easyroads node from almost the 2nd one and on, consists of several texture tiles with that issue. Having to add Iconnector on each node from 2nd and on, seems almost a nightmare (considering how slow for such a lengthy road the whole process runs). And that, without considering the messy splitted result that one gets, and is left unaware of what to do to connect them back again, just to see wether the initial issue is fixed. Add to this, that from what I understand, this would make it even heavier scene right?

That is why I am saying, that there has to be a nicer and easier solution/fix to this right?
Of course, as stated, exporting and reimporting it and resize it sX=-1, everything is fine. Is just seems a rather dummy and time-consuming workaraound, than a robust workflow one would expect.

Hopefully, the mesh data will guide you to the issue and trace what really went wrong, in order to provide an according fix

 

If that already happens near the start then the I Connector will not work here. That was to test whether this is related to floating point inaccuracies on longer roads. If this already happens near the start then that is probably not the case.

What do you mean with "every tile" has this issue? On the initial screenshot you posted, this was only visible on a small segment. Can you see a pattern? Or can you show a screenshot more zoomed out?

Have you tested this on more roads? What happens if you change the UV tiling and in another test the road resolution. Does one of the two have an effect on this pattern?

The track is closed, what happens if you switch that off?

Thanks,
Raoul

 

I tried the I Connector and it does seem to do what I need it to do.

It's not urgent in a "we have to release in a week" kind of way, but not being able to use I Connectors in the API would inhibit my ability to make progress on this task. So it would help if API for it was put in soon.

 

Ok, I will make a start with this and add the default I Connector functionality to the scripting API so you can already use it for what you need it. That is fairly easy to do. I will let you know when this is done.

Thanks,
Raoul

 

Thank you. I appreciate it.
Will the function that adds the I Connector to a road return the newly created road object? Because that would be useful.

-----

On a different note, I ran into a bug that I can't explain.
I have a short road created from the following markers:
[0] "(-32.2, 3.7, 7653.3)"
[1] "(38.3, 2.2, 7602.8)"

I try to insert this new marker on index 1:
"(0.0, 3.7, 7630.3)" (it's the point where the road crosses a terrain edge)

Naturally, the result I'm expecting is this:
[0] "(-32.2, 3.7, 7653.3)"
[1] "(0.0, 3.7, 7630.3)"
[2] "(38.3, 2.2, 7602.8)"

But the new marker isn't added. I can't see it when I get the markers from the road and I don't see it in the scene.
This is my code:

road.InsertMarkerAt(tCNode, splits);
Vector3[] test = road.GetMarkerPositions();

'splits' is 1 and 'test' is just for checking the result. Oddly enough, if I set 'splits' to 0 it works as expected (the new node is first), but nothing happens if I set 'splits' to 2. I also tested -1 just to be safe.

I don't have this problem with other roads that are longer and have more markers. All I can guess is that the bug is caused by the road only having two nodes.

I also tried to make the road longer, but maintaining orientation, just to test that it wasn't too short:

Vector3 diff = myNodes[1] - myNodes[0];
myNodes[0] -= diff;
myNodes[1] += diff;

This way the inserted point remained the same, aside from a different y-value. I also tried tampering with the new marker before inserting it, but none of it worked.

 

Yes, the road will be split in two. The passed road will be the road with markers 0 up to the marker where the road is cut in two. The new road will be returned so you have a reference to that too, and optionally you can pass a name for the newly created road too.

Thank you for reporting this! Try inserting a marker just before the last marker on any road , this is fixed

Raoul

 

I'm running into an issue.

Step 1: Create a new road type with UV tiling of 6 or more
Step 2: Start building a road with that road type
Step 3: Insert two I-connectors so the result is three separate road pieces

The connected road piece has a stretched UV. If the UV tiling is 5 or less, it works fine. Is there a way to work around this so I can set the UV tiling up or some way to get the equivalent effect?

 

Hi DeadlyAccurate,

Is this directly related to the road section length? Does an UV tiling of 6 or more work well if that road section is longer?

I am asking this because from what I see it seems these road sections are relatively short, and an UV tiling of 6 is rather long.

Looking at your screenname, I think we have been in touch by email last week regarding using several materials on a single road. At first I suggested the I Connector but after seeing your screenshot which looked similar (a short road section with a different material) I wrote in my last email that an I Connector is probably not ideal when such short road sections are involved.

That splat shader I mentioned in the email is part of the new demo project which is pending approval by the asset store team.

Another way to do this is the vertex color option per marker in the Inspector. The transition of the textures in your post is not clearly visible but the image you sent by email, two road sections with the same asphalt pattern but one with damage, can be done that way. The vertex color option was added upon request, no shader exists yet for that but I can add one. The idea is to associate vertex colors (red, green, blue, alpha) with textures in the shader. It works fairly similar as the splat shader part of the new demo project. The splat shader gives you a little bit more control because it uses a splat texture as the input.

Regarding the tiling, on such a short road section you can also try using the default tiling in the Inspector and change the tiling directly on the material.

Thanks,
Raoul

 

Is it possible to globally "sink" a road on the terrain? I just use the splat maps not the actual road geometry. I use Easyroads to make rivers too and it would be cool to sink it a few feet so it makes a nice indent in the terrain. I could do each one by hand but there are a lot of markers.

And can we add some noise to the sides of the road splatmap or removal of the grass, so that it would have kind of a rougher edge, like for a dirt road. Again i think i can do this per marker, but in some cases i dont have too many markers for a stretch of road to keep things manageable.

Easyroads woks great for clearing paths for rivers, and for making waterfalls by hand

 

Can't you just mark the road object, or maybe even the road network, in the scene hierarchy and manually lower the value on the Y-axis?

Glad I could help. Thanks for fixing it so quickly.

 

Hi proptotop,

Great images!

How should that work? This can be added but the only way I can see to use that is to have all markers sink according a specific value. And in that case you could also hit the S key (which selects all markers). In this situation all markers can be moved simultaneously both in Scene View and in the Inspector. Is that what you are looking for?

But for rivers you may want this done automatically. For instance, create a new river "road" type and have a setting "Default Sink Distance". So when adding markers, they will automatically be placed at that distance relative to the terrain. I will make a note of that. I belief that was also on option for the v2 river object.

Assuming you are using side objects to define the river bed shape, vegetation, grass removal is indeed not done yet. I will make a not of that. More control for this, per object and per marker will be added.

Because you mention dirt roads as an example, I am not 100% sure about "add some noise to the sides", what exactly would you like to see added here? Is this indeed terrain splatmap related? At the moment the road/river shape can be blended with the original terrain splatmap over an adjustable smooth blend distance and you like to see options for a more irregular blend pattern on the sides?

Thanks,
Raoul

 

Hi NordstroemSAAB,

Today I will add the I Connector option to the scripting API, let me know if you want to test that.

Thanks,
Raoul

 

Thank you. I would love to test it right away. That would make it easier for me to progress with my own work.

 

The I Connector API does what I want it to. It works great! I haven't found any bug yet, thought my use case might not be all that demanding.

 

Glad to hear that! The current implementation is indeed based on the default functionality which is what you need, connecting two individual road objects. API options for the more advanced I Connector features, like road blending, will follow.

Thanks,
Raoul

 

hi, I just bought the pack yesterday. When I use it a window appears about downloading a free additional assets package. However when I press the 'download now' button it doesn't seem to do anything (the 'rate now' button doesn't seem to work either). I'm running Unity 2017.2 btw

 

Hi painkiller_93,

That window should not be active yet.

The link will point to the new demo project which is not available yet. The package is pending approval by the asset store team at the moment. It includes new assets and various examples of how the tool can be used including links to more info. Hopefully the package will be approved and available soon. After that more will follow.

Thanks,
Raoul

 

I think the 'S' key is what im looking for, just after they are positioned i can select them all and just drag them down a bit more to make the recess deeper. Thank you - it gives me a few ideas I want to try

 

Yes, or you can do that in the Inspector.

You mentioned that you don't use the road mesh. Are you indeed using an ordinary road object for this and is moving th markers down related to terrain deformation? In that case, another way to do that is to use a Shape type of side object which can be used as a terrain deformation object. The shape can be defined the shape and outer nodes can snap to the terrain. This gives more control then the default road terrain deformation system. The River Bed side object in the main demo scene is an example of this.

Thanks,
Raoul

 

Holy Cow - i had no idea.

Yeah im just using the terrain deformation - i only recently got the nerve to try side objects (which are great) and ill try out this side object deformation - that sounds like i can make river banks with it.

What im actually going to try also is make a deep river and then create a road object geometry as the river with a y offset up and expand it so it digs into the river banks. I already have my own river system but it will be neat to see if this works too

Thank you for all the feedback - its very helpful.

 

I upgraded my project to Unity 5.6.4p1 from 5.2.2 and two things happen:

1- when i click to add new markers for a new road, the marker dont show up in the place i clicked, its like they are crazily offset by a percentage or something
2-i cant click the markers to se;ect them or the road (the road is essentially unselectable)

I can build the existing roads, and even new funky ones fine, and revert to edit mode fine. i just cant reliably place new markers or select any that are placed.

I feel like i might have had this issue before, im not sure? Do you have any ideas?

Maybe its my version v3 beta 7.6.1

EDIT: i see theres a much newer version - im updating to the latest and will post here after

 

I upgraded to Beta 8.7. My old roads are there but missing markers, but i can make a new road network, add markers, select them and the rest so thats good. I can recreate the old roads manually pretty easy - using the old roads as a guide viewed from top ISO view. But one thing still is that the splat mapping texture isnt showing on the terrain. It clears the grass and trees, deforms the terrain, adds side objects, generates a road mesh - all else is good.

I think i have v2 folders still in here, so maybe i should delete the whole easyroads 3d folder and import ver 8.7 again clean might help? Or if splat texture is missing (i can select them in the drop down, they just dont appear on the terrain) is there maybe something im missing in the new version?

EDIT: figured it out. I forgot to select Update Terrain Splatmap in Build Settings. It works great and i like the new beta features in this version. Im still trying to import my own roads somehow (their markers dont show up ) but even if i cant i can rebuild them. But if you have any idea how to please let me know.

 

Hi protopop,

beta 7.6.1 is indeed a bit outdated.

I am not sure about missing makers? Do you mean markers are not visible? Are you looking at it from a distance? In a recent update options for this were added in General Settings > Scene Settings, marker Display Distance and Marker Size. Does that solve this? Otherwise, did you get error messages or warnings at any point? You can always send the scene (stripped to terrain and roads only if you want) so I can look at it.

Or, what exactly do you mean with import your own roads? This happened on an existing road network, or not?

Glad to hear you already figured out the problem with splatmapping

Although v2 files should not interefere, it is indeed recommended to have a clean v3 install like described in the _Readme file and in the asset store description.

Thanks,
Raoul

 

I have an issue with the white surfaces that affect the terrain. Regardless of what terrains are currently available it will always assume the resolution of the terrain first created. This is troublesome for me since I have to create terrains of several different resolutions.

The terrain and roads are created from data packages where each package is a tile of a certain resolution. The lowest resolution has terrain size 8000x8000m with a height resolution of 33 and the highest resolution is has terrain size 500x500m with a height resolution of 513. The tiles are arranged as a quad tree, so every 8000m tile has four 4000m subtiles and so on.

These data packages also contain different size roads depending on the resolution. The lowest resolution only has the very biggest roads and the highest resolution has residential roads and smaller. The smaller tiles make use of the bigger tiles' roads when shaping the terrain. That means that I have to work in the following order, starting with the biggest tiles:
1. Load terrain tile and roads.
2. Build the roads to shape the terrain.
3. Save the terrain and roads.
4. Revert to edit mode.
5. Destroy the terrain (but keeping the roads).
6. Start over from step 1 with each of the 4 smaller subtiles. (Recursion)

Problem is that the terrain affecting surfaces around the roads end up looking like this:

If I build the roads now the terrain won't look pretty.

(The pictures shows 4 500x500,513 (LOD0) tiles with roads from LODs 0, 1 (500x500,257) and 2 (1000x1000,129). The lowest resolution to be loaded was 8000x8000,33.)

If I could regulate the size of these white areas in the API that would be great.

 

Hi NordstroemSAAB,

I have to double check, I belief the Min Indent values (to which all this is related) are indeed based on the terrain with the highest heightmapscale.

There is unexposed code you can use to adjust the Min Indent values. I will email it to you. It is unexposed because it is not recommended to change these values in a "standard" terrain setup where heightmap resolutions are identical. Lowering them too much will result in the terrain breaking through the road or the road floating above the terrain.

But in your case, with the dynamic terrain setup, using heightmap resolutions, this will be useful.

However, 8000x8000 and heightmap resolution 33 means terrain cells of about 250-300 units. Building roads on this terrain will be a challenge unless it is almost flat or with very smooth height transitions.

Thanks,
Raoul

 

Thank you!

The very low resolution tiles will be so far away that I won't bother altering them much, or even at all. The terrain shape will be more important at higher resolutions which will be used closer to the camera.

 

I attached a screenshot below. It isnt a HUGE deal since i can recreate the roads pretty easily, and my jump for beta 7.6 to 8.7 is pretty big - i think its a couple of years since i upgraded so there was bound to be compatibility hiccups.

But it would be nice if i could take the roads i made before i upgraded to 8.7 and edit them now. Maybe is there a place where the array of points ina road are stored? and i could somehow import them into a new road? Where is the data for each road stored? Or is in serialized inside something that we cant inspect and transfer? Anyways like i said if not no worries.

For the old roads here's the steps:

Built a Road network and a few roads in ER 7.6.1
Upgraded to ER 8.7
New road networks and roads can be created and edited as before
Old upgraded roads show only the "White" part of the road, do not show the markers, and do not affect the terrain when you BUILD it. So there is no way to select an old road since no markers show

I checked the marker settings and they're good. Anyways only if you have an idea. I know from experience how incredibly difficult it is to maintain many software versions and try to track down incompatibilities, so its not worth it if there is nothing off the top of your head. ive been thrilled with Easyroads since version 2 and like i said i can create new roads great.

 

Yes, I understand those are for far views. I thought I mention it just in case...

Thanks,
Raoul

 

Hi protopop,

At no point has there been an update that will result in markers not being visible anymore. That is why I asked if it is possible to look at the scene.

What you can do is access the marker information through the scripting API. That way you can check if it still exists.

Did you do the upgrade over the existing package or did you remove that package first?

Thanks,
Raoul

 

Just an update and a big thanks for all the hard work Raoul put into fixing my problem. The vertex color shader he provided me did exactly as I needed, and I'm now able to mix road textures within the same road. Here's a sample of a broken section of road breaking up an intact section.

 

Just terrain and one road network. There are two roads - an old road from the pre upgrade that i dragged in, and a new road that works fine

I had just overidden the old easyroads - thanks for the tip, in my main project ive erased the old folder and imported a fresh v3 - looks a lot cleaner and new roads still work great.

Again no stress over this - it would be nice if the markers showed up and there's obviously something on my end thats screwing it up - but i can just recreate them. For the API thing it sounds interesting but i am not that good of a programmer. My main thing is i dont know where the marker data is stored - like in a script or something? like what would be the target of a GetMarkerPositions() call?

 

It works now.

I went back ti my original project, and i deleted the old easyroads folder and added in the new one while the editor was closed. I opened it, i compiled, and asked me to upgrade the road network. Now i have the roads and the markers nd everything looks great.

It must have been my process - I guess like you said over writing the old easy roads instead of a fresh install.

One thing though - the transform gizmo to move a marker wasnt showing - like the x,y,z handles - on the upgraded markers. But when i create a new road network and a new road the markers do have the transform handles. I was actually able to drag all the old roads from the old road network into a new one and all the transform gzmos appeared, so that must be road network specific.

Thanks for looking into all this and sorry for the scare. I know how gut wrenching it can be when an unknown pops up.

 

Glad to hear all is working now!

Indeed the editor should be closed or at least no scene with a road network being open is important if you remove the full folder, that is why it is not recommended to remove the full folder when doing an upgrade.

Anyway good to hear all is good now.

I can't really tell why markers initially were not showing. This works the same for new and old road networks. There are only two situations when markers are not displayed for a road: 1) the road is manually locked and markers for locked roads are hidden (this can be set in General Settings > Scene Settings) 2) what I mentioned yesterday, the cam is outside the display distance range (this too can be set in General Settings > Scene Settings).

Raoul

 

Is it possible to add side objects to junctions (roundabouts in this case)? I want to build a roundabout which is over a highway like this one: https://www.google.es/maps/place/Un...df2498475b02d96!8m2!3d41.6076315!4d-4.7525975
Using the built-in bridge and pillar side objects it would look like the one in real life, but I don't know how to add side objects to a roundabout junction, if it's possible at all

 

Hi painkiller_93,

Extending sidewalks over junctions is on the list to add. For now you could add side objects like guard rails as separate objects, create a mesh asset out of them and add these objects as childs to the prefab in the project folder. That way each new instance in the scene will include these additional "side object" assets.

Your example, the bridge side object type is more complex. That will not really work because side object are build along a single road not taking into account branches. This looks like a typical situation where you want to use the custom prefab system. You could export the roundabout and in a modelling app add the bridge segments and import the object back into the system.

Thanks,
Raoul

 

Everything is working great in EasyRoads now.

the new 8.7 updates are very helpful, and i think its even working faster.

Im wondering if the following is possible - please excuse the rough drawing Basically can i expand the width of the road mesh without expanding the terrain deformation, so it can intersect with the "river banks" on the side.

 

That is probably not what you want for road meshes, so it cannot be done using the road system itself.

But it can be done with side objects. It is exactly what the setup of the river bed and river surface side object examples look like in the main demo scene. Did you check that demo scene and te setup of these side objects?

Thanks,
Raoul

 

When can we expect to see v3 live?

 

Hi,

The new demo project is pending approval by the asset store team. This package is v3 only with a demo scene and additional assets. It will be free if you have a Pro license.

The package itself without additional assets will soon fully replace v2 on the asset store. The v3 betas are part of the current asset store download in a separate unity package.

Is there something specific you are waiting for?

Thanks,
Raoul

 

Hi Raoul and threadgoers,

I'm liking much of EasyRoads v3 so far, but there are a few spots I'm stumbling over.
Is there a more detailed tutorial or introduction to the new V3 features than what's shared in the EasyRoads3D manual at unityterraintools.com?

I've been trying to understand the basics of intersections/crossings but I can't seem to create a new intersection object that isn't the default road size. I've gone though the create, shift-click to place, modify settings, then click "Save Prefab" and closed the prefab tool. The new intersection exists but when I add it to a road it's back to the default road connection size. The other aspects saved, e.g. turned off sidewalks.

To that end, can you update the material on an intersection object or are you required to make a new intersection type to modify the applied material?

I'm also having a lot of trouble with the default side objects. Many aren't rendering anything, e.g. Curb Stone Left/Right, and some are placing the mesh but I can't update some parameters, such as the X offset, e.g. Wirefence Right/left. Adjusting Y offset works on the fence settings though.

I apologize if this has been covered earlier, it's tough to tell in an active, 80+ page thread

Cheers,
Kyle

 

Hi Kyle,

The new demo project that is pending approval by the asset store team includes higlighted feature zones with links to short tutorials. But that doesn't really cover the issues in your post.

I just went through the process of creating a new dynamic prefab:
1. General Settings > Crossing / Connection Prefabs: Added a new name and pressed "Create" with the "Crossing" selected as the prefab type
2. Shift + click in the scene instantiates the new crossing.
3. In General Settings "Sidewalks" was switches off.
4. In Connection Settings "Dirt Track" was selected as the road type

After 3. and 4. I have an X crossing in the scene based on the dirt track road type settings including the dirt material and no sidewalks.

5. I pressed "Exit Prefab Editor" and confirmed to save the changes. The prefab is removed from the scene because it is a new source prefab.
6. The new prefab is displayed in the crossings tab (3rd from the left). I selected it and did Shift + Click in the scene. The new crossing is instantiated correctly. It looks exactly as the one created. Roads pulled out of the connections are based on the same dirt track road type.

I cannot see anything going wrong. Are you following the exact same steps? Or what should I do to reproduce the issue you are having?

It is recommended to work with road types and you can assign crossing/connection materials to road types. These materials will be assigned automatically to the crossing after selecting the road type. But you can assign materials directly. Connection Settings > Connection Material. But doing that will reset the road type selection. You can also do this for individual scene instances by selecting that prefab in the hierarchy, there is a button for that in the Inspector.

Side objects initially not rendering is probably related to the "Default active state for each marker" in the Side Object Manager settings. Some side object will only be used sporadically along the track. In that case it is easier to initially disable it along the track and instead activate it on those markers where we need it. This is indeed the case for the curb stone examples and bridges etc. But you can change that behaviour for each side object in the Side Object Manager if you want.

Regarding X Offsets and the wirefence, if you select the wirefence side object in the Side Object Manager you will see the "Default Sideways Position" has a value of 14 resp -14 for the "Left" version. This setting overrides the X Position control when it is not 0. I see that is confusing. The X Position control should probably be disabled in that case. Sideways Position changes will generate the side object on its own spline shape relative to the track. It can be useful for fence type of objects, moving them away and towards the road. You can also exclude markers to cut corners, etc.

Hope this helps.
Raoul

 

Hi, I just bought this assets. I will use the roads mainly. But we also have a custom railroad asset we use. Can I use easy road to even the terrain for my custom railroad?

 

Hi AndersMalmgren,

The idea is to create a track and flatten the terrain accordingly. So the only way to achieve that is to recreate the shape of the railroad.

You can make railroads with this tool as well. The demo scene includes an example.

Thanks,
Raoul

 

Thank you for your detailed reply Raoul!

I'm still having some trouble with intersections. My custom intersection saved with sidewalks disabled, but adjustments to the connection width are reset to 5. I followed your steps:
1. General Settinsg > Crossing / Connection Prefabs: Set name, Create button with "Crossing" selected as prefab type
2. Shift + Click on the scene to create the temporary crossing
3. In General Settings, removed sidewalks
4. In Connection Settings changed Connection Width to 10
5. Exit Prefab Editor, yes to save
6. Placed the new crossing in the scene using the Crossing menu. The new crossing is placed without sidewalks but has reset connection widths to 5 again.

If I try using the crossing on a road with a new width, the road is reset to the crossing size as opposed to the crossing being enlarged to the road width.

I'll have to spend more time with side objects after I'm able to get the initial roadwork laid out. Thanks again for your support.

 

Hi Kyle,

I see what you mean, I will look into that. In any case, please try this by assigning road types to the crossing connections, the connections will auto update. That is the recommended way and that also works well for scene instances..

Indeed roads will adjust to crossings at the moment. That way pulling out new roads from crossing connections, which is what will be done most of the time, will inherit the correct settings, road with, material etc.

This will be further expanded though so crossings can also adapt to roads.

Thanks,
Raoul

 

Hi,

is it possible to export a junction to obj? I see the export option for roads but not for junctions

 

I didnt install the demos, but I will install them and check that out - it sounds like what i am looking for. Thank you again - youve been helpful so many time lately, and off course the asset is top notch

 

Hi painkiller_93,

You could add the crossing at (0,0,0) in a new scene and do a road network export. The crossing will be the only object.

Thanks,
Raoul

 

Hi prototop,

But you are using the v3 beta, is that right? Unless you didn't import the full package:

/EasyRoads3D scenes/scene main

Than ks,
Raoul