Map Magic World Generator - a node based procedural and infinite game map tool

@Wright - Hi, I'm going to attempt to write a custom generator to apply a colour map across multiple tiles. Before I spend hours on this, can you advise if it's actually possible, are there any downsides, and what would be the best approach.
Thanks in advance

 

Does this happen on importing (right click-export/import, .nodes file) or asset saving (storing graph as an .asset file)?

I might have missed something, but if you have a single 8K raw or texture file - why don't use a single raw/texture input with a scale of 8 (or 4 or whatever)?
Speaking of the combination of raw and texture - what file format are you using?

EDIT: I've just realized what are you trying to make. Consider the different approach: color your terrain with textures. Use a special texture channels for cyan, green, gray or whatever colors you have. You might use a small 4*4 textures filled with color, but personally I would go further and colorize existing grass, cliff and other textures: like light-green grass and dark-green grass to achieve the same effect secondsight has.

 

both of them (in default example)
the file .node save

<MapMagic.NoiseGenerator182>

    <seed type=System.Int32 value=12345/>

    <high type=System.Single value=0/>

    <low type=System.Single value=0/>

    <size type=System.Single value=200/>

    <detail type=System.Single value=0/>

    <turbulence type=System.Single value=0/>

    <offset type=MapMagic.Coord x=0 z=0/>

    <type type=MapMagic.NoiseGenerator182+Type value=0/>

    <input type=MapMagic.Generator+Input link=2/>

    <maskIn type=MapMagic.Generator+Input link=3/>

    <output type=MapMagic.Generator+Output link=4/>

    <enabled type=System.Boolean value=True/>

    <mandatory type=System.Boolean value=False/>

    <guiRect type=UnityEngine.Rect x=50 y=40 width=160 height=210/>

</MapMagic.NoiseGenerator182>

Where <high type=System.Single value=0/> would have to be 0,9
AND <detail type=System.Single value=0/> 0,5

the file .asset save

"<MapMagic.NoiseGenerator182>\r\n\t<seed type=System.Int32 value=12345/>\r\n\t<high

    type=System.Single value=0,9/>\r\n\t<low type=System.Single value=0/>\r\n\t<size

    type=System.Single value=200/>\r\n\t<detail type=System.Single value=0,5/>\r\n\t<turbulence

    type=System.Single value=0/>\r\n\t<offset type=MapMagic.Coord x=0 z=0/>\r\n\t<type

    type=MapMagic.NoiseGenerator182+Type value=0/>\r\n\t<input type=MapMagic.Generator+Input

    link=2/>\r\n\t<maskIn type=MapMagic.Generator+Input link=3/>\r\n\t<output type=MapMagic.Generator+Output

    link=4/>\r\n\t<enabled type=System.Boolean value=True/>\r\n\t<mandatory type=System.Boolean

    value=False/>\r\n\t<guiRect type=UnityEngine.Rect x=50 y=40 width=160 height=210/>\r\n</MapMagic.NoiseGenerator182>\r\n"

but it also recovers the values as 0

 

@Kris392001 , Is this what you want?

 

Hi, thanks for the reply. That's a cool technique but not quite what I'm looking for. I'm basically trying to follow this workflow - Biomes on the Range - but over multiple tiles. Go to the 19minute mark to see the colour map part. When I'm back in front of Unity I'll do a more detailed post on what I'm trying to do - I don't think I've explained myself very well
I did make some progress on a custom node last night but I'm still unsure if this is the right direction. I need to look at how to integrate terrain shaders that support colour maps like RTP or CTS.

EDIT: Looks like Microsplat Global Texturing might be the answer, will report back.

 

Hi Denis, I've run into a performance issue in unity 2018.2 with MapMagic
Why mapmagic's update cost so much when there are thousands of objects outputed under the terrains?
I tested if there is nothing under the terrain, the update cost is around 0.02ms. But when I instantiated gameobjects using the Object Output:

 

If you're instantiating thousands of objects at once, that's to be expected isn't it? Is that including scripts with Start and Awake, and colliders being added to the physics engine? You might try a simple for loop instantiating a similar amount of objects without MM and find a similar result, no? That and Unity terrains take up a decent chunk of frame preparing their own stuff regardless of anything MM is doing to them, depending on your size/res settings.

Definitely recommend checking a deep profile of that to look closer at what the cause is.

 

A new version (1.9.4) is available at the Asset Store. It brings:
- Exposed terrain drawInstanced value for Unity 2018.3b in Terrain Settings
- Terrain pool toggle switch (disabling prohibits chunk move)
- Fixed curve node loading error in Unity 2018.2

Could you please clarify how objects are placed? Do you mean that if they are literally under the terrain level you get this issue, but when they are above the surface everything is okay?
I've just tested 5000 objects per tile placed below the terrain level in 2018.2, and it does not seem to have any lag except when MM placing the objects in coroutine. Might that happen that you have a numerous terrains that are just not finished applying?

alejandronop, as far as I can see the decimals are stored in the asset file. Try opening the demo scene to see if the float values are not rounded here.

 

I found what causes the problem, my System.Globalization.CultureInfo.CurrentCulture is es-ES and apparently causes error with commas in the export and import, both of the asset and nodes files

I fix it temporarily with this code:
System.Globalization.CultureInfo.CurrentCulture = new CultureInfo ("en-US", false);

But changing the CurrentCulture brings me problems in other scripts
It is possible that you contemplate the possibility of making the import and expotation script to support different CurrentCulture?

Regards

 

Amazing! Thanks!
It works well for standard terrain, however, it does not work for terrain with CTS and Vegetation Studio (not sure what exactly caused an error, it requires further testing)

Actually the problem not in this script. "Save" button does not works too.


I suppose it happens because CTS or Vegetation Studio uses special kind of splat map and probably Map Magic is not ready for that.

Did you encountered such issue?
Could you please implement a possibility to save terrain with CTS and Vegetation Studio?

 

Hi, "under the terrain" only means in the hierachy, not the positions. All objects are parented by each terrain tile as the objects output always do. I have 5 different prototypes and placed about 5000 per tile.
All terrain tiles have finished generation (I've jumpped into the MapMagic's update function and checked line by line, made sure of it)
I also noticed that if the generated gameobjects does not contain colliders, the update time only increase to 0.5ms (still much slower than 0.02ms before terrain tiles are generated).
But with colliders on the prefabs, the mapmagic update just slow down to 5ms.

 

It's not when instantiating objects, but after everything is finished, the update still consumes so much time is beyond by knowledge.

 

The physics engine has to add any colliders you bring into it's system for it to run smoothly in realtime. That many colliders added into the engine all at once will take a few ms no matter what you do. The usual approach/fix is to try and only enable the colliders that are near enough the player that they matter, such as is common with tree systems. There might be 10,000 trees in the scene, but only the closest 50 of them have their colliders enabled so the player can interact with them. Once they're enabled PhysX is very good at making them sleep and not waste processing power, but it does take a little bit of processing to bring them in and out of the system.

 

It's not the physics system lagging, the profiler shows the mapmagic.cs's update function got more costy, and this update makes no access to any colliders or gameobjects in the scene. Maybe the profiler is just adding unity's processing time to random script update? That'll be crazy.

 

You really should deep profile it and see what's actually going on.

 

Hello, can someone tell me how to make Map magic generate the terrain faster? i only use few few few tree per terrain square size, and colored terrain but it takes much time to load a another square map, what to do ?

 

Hi, I've problems with the portals in new version 1.9.4. I've created 3 input portals. Then I've created an output portal and I want to select one of the input portals. But I cannot - there is only a thin line (border?).
Unity version is 2018.3.b10. Maybe this happens only in new projects.

 

I realize having a pile of "pinned" terrains, isn't a good idea. but. having a huge map isn't that great without points of interest. like, is there a method, to create a map, pin a area or 2, save the data, and location. then unpin them, and pin a couple different ones, and keep repeating, until the map was originally node generated, has like 50 "chunks" that are, hand modified?

 

Found the source of the issue

Deep profiled it, it's because unity's tag system.
I tagged all my prefabs for game mechanics, and if you instantiate too many of them into the scene. The Camera.main function and the FindObjectsWithTag function will be super slow, and mapmagic.cs's update called these two functions. This is the reason why it's speed can be affected by the amount of tagged gameobjects in the scene.

 

Hi! I've updated to 1.9.4 version and now graphs don't appear in editor. Can anybody help me?

 

I have same problem, can not load any type of graph, not even the default ones from demo scenes. Graph editor still works when you add in nodes manually.

 

Also having trouble with 1.9.4. More serialization problems:

IndexOutOfRangeException: Index was outside the bounds of the array.
MapMagic.CustomSerialization.ReadClass (System.Int32 slotNum, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] classes, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] objects, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] floats, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] references) (at Assets/MapMagic/Main/CustomSerialization.cs:455)
MapMagic.CustomSerialization.ReadClass (System.Int32 slotNum, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] classes, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] objects, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] floats, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] references) (at Assets/MapMagic/Main/CustomSerialization.cs:391)
MapMagic.CustomSerialization.ReadClass (System.Int32 slotNum, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] classes, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] objects, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] floats, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] references) (at Assets/MapMagic/Main/CustomSerialization.cs:391)
MapMagic.CustomSerialization.ReadClass (System.Int32 slotNum, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] classes, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] objects, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] floats, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] references) (at Assets/MapMagic/Main/CustomSerialization.cs:391)
MapMagic.CustomSerialization.ReadClass (System.Int32 slotNum, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] classes, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] objects, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] floats, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] references) (at Assets/MapMagic/Main/CustomSerialization.cs:391)
MapMagic.CustomSerialization.ReadClass (System.Int32 slotNum, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] classes, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] objects, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] floats, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] references) (at Assets/MapMagic/Main/CustomSerialization.cs:391)
MapMagic.CustomSerialization.ReadClass (System.Int32 slotNum, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] classes, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] objects, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] floats, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] references) (at Assets/MapMagic/Main/CustomSerialization.cs:391)
MapMagic.CustomSerialization.ReadClass (System.Int32 slotNum, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] classes, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] objects, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] floats, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] references) (at Assets/MapMagic/Main/CustomSerialization.cs:391)
MapMagic.CustomSerialization.ReadClass (System.Int32 slotNum, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] classes, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] objects, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] floats, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] references) (at Assets/MapMagic/Main/CustomSerialization.cs:391)
MapMagic.CustomSerialization.ReadClass (System.Int32 slotNum, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] classes, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] objects, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] floats, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] references) (at Assets/MapMagic/Main/CustomSerialization.cs:391)
MapMagic.CustomSerialization.ReadClass (System.Int32 slotNum, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] classes, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] objects, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] floats, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] references) (at Assets/MapMagic/Main/CustomSerialization.cs:391)
MapMagic.CustomSerialization.ReadClass (System.Int32 slotNum, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] classes, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] objects, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] floats, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] references) (at Assets/MapMagic/Main/CustomSerialization.cs:391)
MapMagic.CustomSerialization.ReadClass (System.Int32 slotNum, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] classes, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] objects, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] floats, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] references) (at Assets/MapMagic/Main/CustomSerialization.cs:391)
MapMagic.CustomSerialization.ReadClass (System.Int32 slotNum, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] classes, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] objects, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] floats, System.Collections.Generic.List`1[T] references) (at Assets/MapMagic/Main/CustomSerialization.cs:391)
MapMagic.GeneratorsAsset.OnAfterDeserialize () (at Assets/MapMagic/Main/GeneratorsAsset.cs:1148)

 

I've fixed and submitted the mentioned bugs, and soon they will be available at the asset store. Here are the quick fixes for those who need them now:
- to load older MM scenes: CustomSerialization.cs
- to fix dot/comma issue: Extensions.cs
Both files are placed in MapMagic/Main folder

Thanks alejandronop, angelsm85, makerspender, shedworksdigital for reporting the issues!

It's hard to say without seeing your graph, but the general solution is:
- lowering the resolution. 512 will generate 16 times faster than 2048
- minimizing the quantity of nodes, especially the heavy ones like erosion
- or at least using the lowest erosion iteration value possible.

Unfortunately could not reproduce this issue.
Is there any error in the console? Does this happens in demo graphs?

 

Im just wondering in case anyone knows, but is there a good reason to use Vegetation Studio with MapMagic?

It seems like MapMagic already places vegetation proceduraly. Does vegetation studio have something MapMagic doesn't or does it somehow compliment the work flow? Is it just that some people are used to using Vegetation Studio?

 

VegetationStudio has methods for placement yes, whether you use those or MapMagic is up to preference. MM has forest settings and much more advanced techniques for placement.
That's really just a freebie addition to VegetationStudio though. It's real purpose is to move the batching and rendering of anything fed into it, trees/grass/etc, off of the CPU on to the GPU using the latest instancing techniques. You can render tens of thousands of tree billboards with VS MUCH faster than you can without it. It's really a runtime performance tool, whereas MapMagic is a data generator.

 

I had the same question. I just needed the performane boost but not the placement features. But last week I have found this package (per accident) which does the same and has MM integration. Also it´s much cheaper and currently on sale:

GPU Instancer
https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/tools/utilities/gpu-instancer-117566

 

I think they can work with each other and VS is good (as others already mentioned) for instancing. But, and this is what separates from the GPU Instancer, VS can track individual items (trees, bushes, etc) in case you want to create a survival game or similar. So you can instruct it to remember if you chopped down a specific tree or not (more in the documentation of course).

 

No error in console. Demo graphs don't load at all in 2018.3b10 and 2018.3.b11.
In Unity version 2017.4.16 everything is working.

I use 2018.3b because the need of Vegetation Studio Pro and I don't want to jump between two Unity versions.

 

Wasn't aware of this tool. Nice to see authors integrate their assets with MM, it flatters me

Just to mention: I'm always up for integration! If you are an asset developer and would like to integrate your asset with MM feel free to contact me to get a free voucher and MM2 beta access.

Right, and I would like to add that in some cases - if you need to place numerous instances without a complex algorithm (like dense grass) VS will make it a bit faster since it doesn't store the generated result.

Try the serialization fix mentioned above. This might be related, at least with loading demo scenes in Unity 2018.3 for sure.

 

[QUOTE="Wright, post: 3922864, member: 206738

Try the serialization fix mentioned above. This might be related, at least with loading demo scenes in Unity 2018.3 for sure.[/QUOTE]

Hi, I have the same issue with unity 2018.2.15f1, it is not loading the graphs correctly. Also when I start play mode in the scene to have a look, the graph gets messed up completely (position of nodes are scattered over a big area and also the vlaues get messed up.)


already tryed the seriialization fix, but it is not working for me
project is on .Net 4.x

 

Sorry to hear you've got issues, but it's a bit unclear to me what exactly happens and how can I reproduce them to fix.

How it is reflecting? Are there any errors in the console? Are you loading the graph created with 1.9.4 or older graph?
Anyways, it will really help a lot if you could describe the way to reproduce this issue, like:
- use 2018.2.15f1 with .Net 4, MM 1.9.4 with new CustomSerializer.cs
- create a new graph
- save it as an asset file
- etc.
- see X happened, while Y is expected
Thanks in advance!

 

Hey, thanks for the quick reply !

use 2018.2.15f1 with .Net 4, MM 1.9.4 with new CustomSerializer.cs and Extensions.cs
RTP component is used on the terrain (but it does not change anything when I deactivate it)
Enviro is used in the scene as well, but I do not think it is related
also postprocessing is used in the scene but I think like above

I have installed Vegetaion studio pro but not using it so far
because of that I have the following preview packages installed:



- for the demo scene it is just loading it, and what is coming is just an empty graph.

no errors, as you can se in the screen.
running the scene works without a problem and the terrain is there.

- for my sceene I just created a simple graph


and I always get teh same does not matter if I do save it as asset or just in the scene.
When I press play the terrain disapears, and the graph values get messed.

Sometimes the terrain stays, but the graph is messed up afterwards, when the graph is more complex it also messes up the node positions over a wide area. like in screen I sent before.

I hope that helps, will try it in a clean project meanwhile

br
Funkeys

EDIT:!! tryed it in a fresh project, and it seems .net 4 is the problem!
as lon as the project was on 3.5 it worked fine, as I switched it to 4 the graph was alredy messed when the project was reloaded afeter the unity restart.

 

-fresh project (just MapMagic)
-load IslandTutorial and open the graph
- switch to .net 4 and press play after restart


again both hotfix .cs files are dployed
I guess it is a serialization issue between .net versions, probably to use another serializer on .net 4 !?

 

Anybody ever succeeded in using RTP and MapMagic together?
Perline Normal and other global maps doesn't work correctly for me when I use Custom shader node. Mayber it's because RTP script needs to be assign to a terrain not MapMagic main component.

 

Global maps are the base texture features. You might be turned the base texture off when pressing some "Fix" button in Custom Shader node. You've got to re-enable it in MapMagic Settings (Show Base Map).
Edit: Just tried doing so:

Note that the terrain opacity works too.
With the base map slider you can control the distance of the global maps visibility - and when the base map is turned off this distance is set to infinity, making global maps never shown.
And do not forget to re-compile RTP shaders when enabling global maps.

Failed to reproduce it with 2018.2.0f1 MM1.9.4 with serialization fixes and RTP installed.
Might be worth trying with Unity patches (however I doubt it), might be related with Burst compiler (doubt it too). BTW what is your system decimal symbol?

 

Ahh yeah I am using german layout so it is the comma ",". That might be it.
Will try it a little later to switch to english layout.

 

Sir, I am looking to purchase the tool for my game but I am not sure if it will serve the purpose well. Please help me to decide. The game is a strategy with flying camera and huge terrain (100+ square km.) which has to be drawn all the time. The player must see the entire map all the time. Will this tool allow me so good performance to keep huge map drawn?
Thank you.

 

I've fixed this issue recently, but probably there's something left to do. I will try to find out what exactly.

Depends on your terrain resolution. Obviously, you can't have a detail level compared to first-person games - at least without workarounds. But if the resolution and the number of objects placed will not be high there should be no problem with MM.

BTW for all who think if MM will suit there needs - there's an evaluation version. It's free to try (but not to use in a final product).

 

Is there any way you could reupload? file seems to be timed out.

And amazing results btw!

 

Thanks for the tip - i bought it I think i forumed VS before and they said it didnt work with mobile, or at least wasnt tested. Maybe thats changed but at least i know now what some of the appeal of Vegetation Studio is. This GPU instancer says its mobile friendly and works with MapMagic so maybe thats a fine solution for me without goig all VS, although it does look very cool.

 

I'd like to try the MapMagic 2 beta if possible. Do need a link or how does that work?

 

Same issue here. Updated Serialiser/Extensions, updated to .Net 4.0. It cannot read the graph from a slightly older version.

The graph is empty. Any pinned tiles are flat and white. Only the tile that pinned before updating is visible. No console errors.

EDIT: I tried another graph and it worked. I think clicking something before I tried the .cs updates must have wiped it. There are no "classes" in the .asset file...

 

There is a good shader of tree along with MapMagic I like so much but unfortunately doesn't work with vegetation studio because it doesn't support instancing. Can you please make this shader to work with vegetation studio too?

 

Email me your order number and I will provide a GitLab access to beta for your email. It's kinda not automated.

As far as I can see nothing happens when you press "Show Editor" button - is it really so or you just using a second display?

I can see what I can do, but don't expect it soon - MM2 is in priority for me.

 

Hi, tried it with english naumber and currency settings and it works fine. First changed just the number settings, and it did not do it. But having both changed to English Int. does the job !

 

Hi Denis, can you refresh the discord invite or set the invite to be permenant? Really like to join the chat

 

It didn't capture, but it was just an empty graph.

 

Sure: discord link.

So... is it working after all? Do I have to do something?

Tried a combination of .net4 and comm symbol. Still can't reproduce, but will try to dig further. Will try to use the exact Unity version and Burst compiler.

BTW MapMagic is on sale now! A good chance to take it for the half price!

 

Hi. Is anyone successfully using Microsplat with Map Magic currently? I can get it to work in a round about way but am looking for a more efficient solution. I have the script that Syncs each new terrain and have the Microsplat component propagating to each generated terrain, no problem.

My question is with the textures. I populate the Microsplat texture array with my PBR textures and Sync that to a locked terrain. I was under the assumption that the MM generic Texture node populated from the textures assigned to the terrain by MS but that doesn't seem to be the case. Do I need to also assign the MS material as a custom material in the MM component? Should I be using the Custom Shader node like Megasplat? Does MM Texture node read the textures from the terrain? Any help would be much appreciated.

 

I dont know how to link directly to the post, but there is a script that syncs Microsplat to Mapmagic on this page: https://forum.unity.com/threads/fre...ding-system-for-unity-terrains.487458/page-19