Terrain Development Guide

Chapter 3: Optional Terrain Development

Erosion Effects

More visual depth can be added to your terrain through the use of an erosion map. At each point in an erosion map, a value is placed based on the degree of slope the land possesses at that point. Through the use of the erosion map, you can create a texture layer that modifies the base ecology texture so that it better reflects the level of erosion that might occur at that point. Generally, your erosion map should only modify the areas where a significant slope occurs.

An example of an erosion map is provided below:

To create the erosion effect, create a new layer in the Terrain Descriptor File:

## Example of an erosion layer ##

[Layer 5]
map = tk_erosion.tga
scale = 0.25
height = 0
blend = 0
num_textures = 3

[Layer 8 Texture 1]
value = 1
texture = erosion/ slope_1.tga
rotation = 0

[Layer 8 Texture 2]
value = 2
texture = erosion/slope_2.tga
rotation = 0

[Layer 8 Texture 3]
value = 3
texture = erosion/slope_3.tga
rotation = 0

Erosion textures can either completely replace the underlying texture or can have alpha/transparency so that the base texture underneath will show through. Experimentation will be necessary to find the right look.