WorldComposer a tool to create real World AAA quality terrain

WorldComposer is tool to extract heightmap data and satellite images from the real World. It can run as a standalone or as an extension for TerrainComposer.

Its powerfull features let you create high resolution AAA quality real world terrain with a few clicks.

WorldComposer includes a shadow removal tool, that makes it unique compared to other software. There are always shadows on satellite images and if used in a game or simulation it forces a fixed sun position to match with the shadows. Also shadows in satellite images are almost completely black which doesn't make them look good. WorldComposer solves this by removing shadows with it's shadow removal algorithm, which will not only make the satellite images look way better, but also allows you to have fully day and night cycles!

Get WorldComposer on the Asset Store
Website

Tutorial Video

Demo Video

Requires Unity 3.5.6 or higher.

Features:
- Works as standalone with Unity Pro and Free, also on Mac.
- Elevation Heightmaps resolution of max 10 meter per pixel.
- Satellite images resolution of max 0.25 meter per pixel. Jpg/png/raw format supported.
- Content aware fill to remove shadows. snow, etc from combined raw images.
- Combine raw images to 1 big raw image. E.g. for editing in Photoshop.
- Split combined raw file into tiled images.
- Create terrains directly from exported areas with a click of a button.
- 3 different satellite images types, Aerial, Aerial with labels and roads.
- Global coverage.
- Create unlimited regions and areas and export any heightmap size or amount of image tiles.
- Export multiple areas.
- Scroll interface like Google maps.
- Exporting is Multi-Thread.
- Automatic version update inside WorldComposer.
- Works with TerrainComposer (as an extension).
- Works with RTPv3 (Optional).





Content shadow removal example

 

I've fooled with this! (Dont ask) It's brill! Really is top notch stuff. I hope to buy it sometime, you might worry that using real world textures might make your game look a bit too.. familiar? Not true, there are a bunch of places on earth, huge places, that are beautiful, no cities or ugliness, that would make for some beautiful terrain, at the very least you can grab the heights or tiles of them, grab a colourmap from the photography, have a huge range of accurate tiles with colourmaps, take to terraincomposer and render all the control maps you want, let rtp do its magic and bam, youve got a world to explore/populate. Even if you dont bother with a colourmap (you dont actually need a colormap with rtp ive discovered) you can use this kind of thing for areas of land that look like actual areas of land and just eroded perlin noise

I love stuff like this, i need more money!

 

If you dont mind, could you post more videos? Like of flying around valleys and stuff, perhaps in different geological conditions.. like tibet/nepal style areas, swiss alps, australian plains, deep desert in africa and so on. and iceland!

Ok that was maybe asking a lot, but this stuff is exciting, and an incredibly compelling possible purchase

 

Hello Lazygunn,

Thanks, I saw your terrain video on the RTP thread...It looks amazing!

Yes it works as you descripe...

Great idea, I'm going to make build(s) with different areas in the next comming days. I'm also working on a build demo of 900km terrain for UnityFS, RTPv3, etc.

Nathaniel

 

Better than this one? (in my wish list BTW)

 

Look at the elevation data resolution, thats your terrain data accuracy. There are several places you can get elevation data, at various accuracies (I found nasa had some nice data one but i cant remember where i found it in their labyrinthine site)

As ive just read it, world composer is giving you 10 meters per pixel, the asset you linked is 90m per pixel?

IIRC google maps is around 20m per pixel.. not super sure, either way, this world composer seems to be using some of the most accurate elevation data ive seen publically available

Plus, main draw is, its massively integrated into terrain composer which i do not own but really should because by all accounts its the dogs danglies and to sweeten the deal, eagle555 and RTP guy Tom have a good communication and RTP is really where you want to go if youre texturing your terrains, its really quite something

Eagle555, thankyou for the compliment! Thats really only the canvas for the main work im intending to do there, im just formulating how its going to work out, as it relies on a lot of things i cant resolve atm (partly because of help needed for some aspects of code, partly because i technicaly need to ask a few asset developers to 'lend me' their stuff on that one off project with the security merely of knowing they now know if im using their stuff outside of the agreement), but the goal is to make something that looks bloody amazing and stops mindless children saying mindless things about what unity can and cant do. and make it as much as possible a one man show. Thanks again though and wish me luck

 

Seem much better. Apologies. Bookmarked.

 

Congratulations on bringing this wonderful tool to the assetstore!

I am one step closer to world domination buhahah!


That shadow removal thing is just awesome, hours of photoshopping saved!!

 

Hello ZJP,

Its on you to judge but i am very confident that it will stand any comparison easily, check the features list in the top post and feel free to ask if something is unclear .

Nathaniel

 

Added to my list of must haves, can't wait to get this one!

 

What are the sources for the imagery? Are there copyright restrictions or fees to use in published games?

 

The source is Microsoft Bing at the moment, in the comming update Nokia and Google maps will be added. Bing as well as Google maps and Nokia maps use many sources, like DigitalGlobe, Usgs, etc.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-live/about-bing-data-suppliers

As for all satellite imagery it is copyrighted for commercial use, so officially you would have to ask permission from the supplier source.

Nathaniel

 

Thanks for the quick reply. That seems like critical information, but it's rarely mentioned by any the tools of this type.

 

Yes it is to some extend. But these companies don't seem to be interested in replying as I tried to contact some and requested how the rules are, etc. I also talked to an expert from the GIS world and he told me that everyone is using it without permission...

Unofficially spoken, it would be very hard to verify if you use photoshop, shadow content removal, RTP as rendering and TC for mixing it with splat texturing. They would need to analyse it back, which would be very hard, and almost impossible to prove and they proberly don't put time into this, as then they would respond to the mails developers send for requested imagery...

Nathaniel

 

Huh, that's interesting. I suppose it's true. The only simple and legal option I've found is to get a commercial account with Google Maps for $400 -- but even with that, then you have to have control over which maps are being served up. (Exclude Bing and Nokia.)

 

No a google map account is not valid for it, as it is for loading imagery from the Google server. I thought it was that way first too, but the GIS expert explained it are the suppliers from Google that hold the copyright, not Google...The detailed images are made from airplanes by the way...

He actually worked on aerial photography projects himself, for example the aerial photographing of the damage of the tsunami in Indonesia.


This is a picture of the camera they used. They bring with them many TB harddisks to be able to hold all the imagery data of 1 flight. And then a seperate company is stitching all the imagery together. He was talking about that the whole camera system costs about $1.000.000...

Nathaniel

 

As eagle says once you've game-i-fied the photography to where you could feel satisfied with it and rtp's got it covered, its a completely pointless battle trying to pursuee a copyright case given the enormity of the data and the amount of people using the imagery for god knows what. Probs easiest way to mash in a 'ground' sorta image is open google earth and just copypasta a patch that looks mostly even, and something that elemental could be used for countless purposes countless times. I think basically just go crazy

That said though I dont even thing the photography is the star of the show, its more the actual realistig geology, absolutely S***tons of realistic geology, dont use the photography at all, make your coverage maps for rtp (im always assuming rtp) in terrain composer (seems natural tool for the job) then you have some completely believable land shapes that noone could pinpoint lookin all shiny and purty in shader lovin

 

Thanks for the additional info. I guess that's why people usually don't even mention it...

 

Just want to chime in and say I've been using WorldComposer for a while and it's really great. In the past I've always had the hardest time searching for DEM data, editing useable heightmaps in photoshop, dealing with raw files, overlaying ground imagery, it's all just such a pain. World Composer makes this process so simple and easy it's a must-have to anyone who needs real-world based terrain... hell it's a no brainer even if you only need a fantasy terrain, as you can easily find interesting and random land forms of any type anywhere in the world.

Combined with TerrainComposer it's unstoppable. One of the best tools on the asset store no question.

 

Just add an option that allow to replace the real textures by an procedural one based on the elevation (like this) and it's would be perfect.

 

Well, get Terrain Composer and you have all the procedural possibilities that you want and much more....
I mean just look at the ratings at the assetstore, i wonder why this is not featured by unity... many already wrote its one of the best deals on the assetstore and i can only agree! Terrain Composer and World Composer are complimenting each other perfectly and while you get incredible results with each alone, if you want realworld elevation data and aerial Images, WC is the best addition to TC.

 

Buy another tool (90$) for one only option i need?

 

If You having money problems ( wich is totaly understandable due the cristmas season : )

I heard you can buy it with a monthly Payments setup in paypall directly at the Dev Site
Nfo : http://www.terraincomposer.com/ contact Nathaniel_Doldersum@hotmail.com

Beside that This is the only Most professional Extension that does retrieve most quality worldmaps Difuse maps heightmaps setup them automatically to be used directy in Unity ..

The only thing most near in unity to Worldcomposer is

- Megaterrain ( from Megafiers author ) http://www.west-racing.com/mf/?page_id=2979
- - WICH WILL COST YOU 199$ http://www.west-racing.com/mf/?page_id=2983
- - -And the Thing is still in beta, you have to use 3dsmax and google earth, then import to unity, then the sources of it are low resolution ...

There is also other minnor Extensions that do similar stuff / but only importing manuall everything wich will lend you to a very complicated workflow and worst results ...

With WORLDCOMPOSER
- You also have the novel feature of removing Dark shadows on difuse maps, use workflows toguether with TerrainComposer like vegetation placemnt tools based on hand picking Color zones, to Define Terrain Details automatically, Making Reaaly Large landscapes and overall Heafy features ..

Features:
- Works as standalone with Unity Pro and Free, also on Mac.
- Elevation Heightmaps resolution of max 10 meter per pixel.
- Satellite images resolution of max 0.25 meter per pixel. Jpg/png/raw format supported.
- Content aware fill to remove shadows. snow, etc from combined raw images.
- Combine raw images to 1 big raw image. E.g. for editing in Photoshop.
- Split combined raw file into tiled images.
- Create terrains directly from exported areas with a click of a button.
- 3 different satellite images types, Aerial, Aerial with labels and roads.
- Global coverage.
- Create unlimited regions and areas and export any heightmap size or amount of image tiles.
- Export multiple areas.
- Scroll interface like Google maps.
- Exporting is Multi-Thread.
- Automatic version update inside WorldComposer.
- Works with TerrainComposer (as an extension).
- Works with RTPv3 (Optional).

ALL RIGHT AND FASTLY INSIDE UNITY !

And A extraordinary Supa mega Supported Dedicated developper with ever growing features ad alot new extensions comming ...

Consider it a Investment in a long range for all your Game development life ...

But hey Thats just me Saying...

REGARDS.

 

I understand what you mean. I orginally made WC as an extension for TC, later I made it also work as a standalone. As Peter mentions with TC you can all do what you request..Being able to place trees/grass on color would be nice too. And place splat textures based on image color, etc. These features were already in TC before making WC.

If I would start adding these features into WC. In the end I would make another TerrainComposer inside WorldComposer, and both would have double functions...So that's why I splitted the 2 and do no overlapping as it also would be double work. I expand both packages with unique features. And with both you can use it as one. WorldComposer gets the real world data and does the image editing like shadow removal. While TerrainComposer is the tool to get any other thing done for terrains like your request. And as Triax Game Studio mentions the amount of features you get for the money is something both packages stand out for. The expert from the GIS world I talked about before was using such other package for Unity for >$150, but later bought WorldComposer and was very happy with it and he said it was behond the assets he used before and adviced me to at least ask $200 for it...

Nathaniel

 

Or you could do this all for free by going to the USGS website, download the data, manipulate and import.

 

Which is an incredibly tedious process, especially for large sets of data, without supported integration within unity, that would cost you more in work hours than wc's price very quickly

 

Can you show us an example of going to USGS website and extract a 16x16 terrain tile setup for 14 km x 14 km area having on each tile 2k satellite image, 0.5 meter per pixel image resolution. Heightmap resolution 10m per pixel on with a 2k heightmap total? First you cannot download such detail there, second how do you want to do this with importing into Unity? Splitting a heightmap into 256 tiles and Import by hand? Then assign 256 images by hand? Good luck .

If the hours you spent on it like $25 an hour, you will earn WorldComposer back within 4 hours. As doing this manually will take you days...And you can't even get the quality results. Doing this with WorldComposer takes some minutes processing time, but only 2 minutes to setup, and all is done automatically.

Nathaniel

 

You mean like this?



Its pretty easy I can do a tutorial on it if you want. All the tools and data are freely available online.

 

How does it integrate with the rest of the terrain workflow? Do you only use the terrain and the photography? Do you do anything else to the terrain? I presume you do because the terrain and photography on its own is pretty useless unless youre getting nowhere near it. Ok for a very clinical flightsim perhaps? If you do use further tools, are they integrated?

Does your answer do any image processing on the imagery, like shadow removal?

 

Hello SmellyDogs,

I mean as I write above . This is low resolution as far as I can see. You have a 3x3 terrain which can max have a 12 k resolution imagery. WC can even do 1 zoom level higher as I descriped above, it can do 0.25 meter image resolution per pixel.

But I accept your comparison, will be very interesting . Lets pick EaglePeak in the USA:
Lattitude: 44.295433055
Longitude: -110.0436464

So doing a 16x16 terrain tile, 2k images each tile, 2k heightmap. Can also do 8x8 as can go max to 4k images. But there's no way to do less terrains with the 0.5m/p image resolution.

You make a tutorial video, I make a tutorial video and we compare both videos and quality and let the readers judge which one is the best work flow and if it is worth paying $90 for WC versus free outside Unity and free Unity tools .

Nathaniel

 

Depends. You can take it as far as you want to go but the answer depends on requirements. You can generate a mask based on colour or heights. But if you want terrain to look really good up close you'll certainly have to do manual tweaking by hand. Heights as well probably will want extra detail added like close up erosion etc. Problem is then you need a higher resolution grid which on larger scales Unity would struggle with.

 

I'm recording the video at the moment. WC is exporting the image data while I write. Unity can do 16x16 terrains with a total of 32k imagery. I done it before and also made a build with it. I'm looking forward to see your tutorial video .

 

Actually size really doesn't matter I could have 0.1m resolution if I could find it.
The only constraints are how good is the source data is and how much can Unity handle.

 

Yes it's the same with WC, the limitation is Unity and the source. How do you make the tiles in Unity, do you use a free Asset for that? Also you need to set neighbors for each tile. Otherwise there will be seams at the borders of each tile...

 

You can write a simple script or do it by eye/hand then you have call SetNeighbors() and it joins the tiles up. I agree that Unity is not designed to handle big terrains.

 

______________
LOL it Took-me nearly 1 to 3 days to do it all this in a Whole Crowded game scene before ! ...
With Both Extensions Worlcomposer With Terrain Composer i can make the crowded same in... lets see... In 3 hours i guess. With Better Results.
____
Have you REAALY ? Tried that USGS Website ?? here ? http://goo.gl/mZQqqc
- Lol one thing i must say is that ONLY GOT DECENT RESOLUTION OF UNITED STATES DATA - NOT WORLDWIDE ...
__
My workflow "before" would be :
- To search web for Data i need / search / download / test if it works ok / import at photoshop as raw .. Improve it , export to raw again / Open in worldmachine too see if got the features i need ( nearly 1,2 hours Just doing that ) ...
- Plus 2,3 Hours working in WorldMachine to Make the Nodes pipelines and STart to "render"
- - 1,2 hours to Render tiles to big Environment i need ...
- - - Import into Unity with Sinaide Terrain Edge http://goo.gl/DqvikK
- Setup all Everything !

AND THAT JUST THE HEIGHTMAPS ! Not Talking about "Finding correct Diffuse that matches height map" information ...
___________
- And usually i would Get Disappointed with the results of 1 day work ... And STart all again if i need to do any change ... I would waste nearly 3 days in all that ...
- - Have you reaaly tried to find GOOD WORLD HEIGHTMAP DATA ? lol Do it ... Not even With GLOBALMAPPER All Mighty software you can get as good Resolution data so much Straightforward ...
_________________________
I also Didnt had the 90$ + 90$ = 180$ to pay for both extensions at that time ...
long ago when the author first released the betas of this extension ...

But having a Good professional terrain Workflow was so important to me ...
- That i contacted the Author and Asked him if i could pay the extensions Monthly ...
...i was desperate of so many hours i was loosing with worldmachine and searching for world data converting and fixing ...

Having Both Extensions back then Changed the way i work in my home studio ...
I also joined up this year with a game studio were i got the Position there because of my "suddent faster better skills" with Unity terrain : )
_____
TerrainComposer worldcomposer was my Secret weapon, to start Smashing up and doing things as this :
http://imageshack.com/a/img22/6237/4l1a.jpg

I was More Successful thanks to TerrainComposer Worldcomposer this year ...

So hell, it did payed back the monthly Small investment of 6 months paying 30$ monthly ...

____
As i Said : Its a matter of THE INVESTMENT of Chosing better And faster Tools that make The support into this Extension Worthy ...

As far as i can see its not even a matter of the Extension Price - Its the matter of betting or not in the right Developers...

This Nathaniel Doldersomething ... is there 1000% in the constant daily development of this thing ...
I Usually got almost exited with the usual Monthly Updates and crazy Roadmaps of whats planned ahead to this "pack" of terrain Composer Extensions...

_____________
IF I GRIEF Some most of times not having 200$ monthly to pay for extensions i want ?
- Well i blame UNITY3D / For that ... Not the Developers that have to Earn their Living
- As far as i see Simply UNITY Should allow us to pay for 50% Sheaper Extensions in Soft monthly fees that we could convert in points and promotions ? ... Well they do that to UNITY pro why not Get a Assets Store Soft Subscription Savings plan ? ... That We would pay 5$ Monthly to Enter The Savings club / like Daz3D.com or Curnocopia3d.com Premium Platinum clubs have to get crazy 75% off Weekly prices deals At products of your choice ...
... Or if you don't like corporate savings ...
___
One sure can also think Ahead / Start Saving 30$ monthly, ( the price of your monthly coffees bill ) And come back in 6 months to get the extension ... This Development is all worthy of you stop drinking Coffee for 6 months im sure ...
Especially thinking on the Time you will save after the investment ...
__
But that is just my Experience and is just me in my way of Thinking...
Im not a friend of the developer or whatever ...
Im Just Grateful for him alowed-me to pay monthly for it ... Some time ago ...
He Earned a Customer Sold 1 TerrainComposer Extension and i come back latter for WorldComposer more

_____
Sadly there isnt also a KickStarter.com Indiegogo.com tipe of Group buy payment With Campaigns Goals for this things at unity store ... That Would Solve SO many things for the Overall global financial crisis We users and they developers are going tru ...

Sharing is Caring - And All Support you give - If well applied at the Right Developers ( like this one )
It will pay back at you ...


TRIAX GAME STUDIOS Team Admin

 

Yes a script is needed for creating the tiles and do the SetNeighbors. So you make all the tiles by hand at the moment?

It's not that simple to get WC's workflow by comparing it with a simple script, as it took me many months to make WC...Both my tools are made with max workflow in mind, as saving as much time as you can is what every developer wants. Time costs the most money in making games...

 

Must say I don't really understand SmellyDog's defense of a technique that they initially said was quick yet after quickly implied more work hours worth of money just in faffing about than world composers price by quite a large margin

Almost all assets should be considered in this way, is it cheaper to do it your way or just buy the asset with however much youre paying someone, or getting paid, per hour as a guide. While I do support individual initiative a lot over assetstore solutions a lot of the time, because sometimes the asset is plain backwards, and damages the production of your project, but in this case it really seems a no brainer. Although, smellydogs, if youre low on money and high in free time i could absolutely understand your method, and maybe it does make more sense to go that route in the above circumstances

As part of a workflow where real jobs, and real money are involved, however, its really not down to debate

 

I scripted most of it because that's easiest for me but the whole process can be done without coding.

A problem with GIS is how to acquire free high resolution data that's legit and can be rightfully used. USGS is free but the flight missions are old. You can buy high resolution data off space companies for example EADS, ESRI.

 

@Eagle555

I've forgot to ask. Does your tool has an api to convert terrain coordinate (x/y) into longitude and latitude and vice versa? Very important for geolocalisation.

 

Yes all the conversion functions are in global_settings_tc script.

function latlong_to_pixel2(latlong: latlong_class,zoom: double): map_pixel_class

function pixel_to_latlong2(map_pixel: map_pixel_class,zoom: double): latlong_class

Where variables are declared in latlong_class and map_pixel_class
latlong_class.longitude
latlong_class.latittude

map_pixel_class.x
map_pixel_class.y

You have to use zoom 17, which is 1 meter per pixel. So then you can calculate latlong to pixel and vice versa.

Nathaiel

 

I actually didn't say it was quick. Making a decent terrain will always take a lot time regardless of tools. Loading in real world terrain is fairly straight forward and actually not all that time consuming if you understand what you are doing.

 

It'd be cheaper to buy world composer than spend the time working out how to do all that though haha, going by the time costs money manifesto. Im not getting down on you, its just wether its financially plausible to learn all that compared to spending a bit of dough on something that automates it perfectly well.

Ostensibly i'm in your camp, i would usually do it your way, as i am exactly the type of user with no money and a hell of a lot of time, in fact you may want to make a thread about your technique for people in the same circumstances. I aquired wc through some great generosity but thats not really my only reason to plug it, its more that if you have the money, its worth it, it makes sense. If you don't have the money, i think mannny people would appreciate a tutorial of your workflow, and I encourage you to do it. I cant see it damaging world composer's business, its very likely anyone doing this would be using terrain composer already, and hence world composers a much better fit for the workflow, and anyone in a money-involved setting would certainly find a tidier answer in world composer, but you can def help out the hobbyist users completely.

 

Hello SmellyDogs,

It's true you didn't say it was quick as it isn't as you agree. But with TC and WC I can make such terrain highly detailed with RTPv3 for example EaglePeak like you will see in a moment within 1 hour. And I'm talking about splat texturing, setting up all RTP, placing trees, grass and rocks...Look into the reviews on TerrainComposer on the Asset Store. Many say it saves a ridiculous amount of time, and it does...
https://www.assetstore.unity3d.com/#/content/7065

I'm uploading the video for some time now. It takes 70 minutes to upload and is at 67% now...I will do shadow removal now on the 32k image. It runs in the background, while you still can use Unity or go to sleep as is sleeping time here...But will make the fully completed detailed terrain tommorow within an hour, or even quicker 30 minutes or even quicker! on a video to prove the power of TC and WC...

Nathaniel

 

Yes I agree with lazygunn here, it would be good if you show tutorial videos for hobbyist users, of course on a thread for its own. But here only 1 video with the challenge between WC and your free method for EaglePeak. And if someone really has no money and want to have WorldComposer he can always ask, as I want to help as many poor people as I can to get a better life, that is my greater goal. I gave a lot of TC's and WC's over time for free to people that couldn't afford it.

Nathaniel

 

Hello SmellyDogs,

So here's my video of EaglePeak . It took WC 62 second to extract the heightmap and about 20 minutes for the highly detailed massive 32k satellite total image resolution. Exporting raw would take less then 10 minutes, as saving jpg and Unity importing the images takes some extra time. The actual time for me it took to work on it was less then 2 minutes...

I'm looking forward to see your tutorial on doing the same location and compare the workflow and the quality of the results...

Nathaniel

 

If I combine all the height maps of all the terrains into a single one and generate a single splat map, will I be able to import it and let world composer automatically split it again?

Isn't the resolution going down when combining the height maps into a single one? 20 high res heightmaps combined into a single one will be veeeery large?

 

Terrains cant take heighmaps larger than 4k, as i understand it each tile is a seperate terrain

 

Which is why I am asking. Is the overal heightmap resolution of all terrain combined 4k or lower, or is the resolution of each tile 4k ? If the last point is the case, how do you combine them into a single raw?