Large scale surface with high grounds and canals

[Federico Violin]

Hi guys, I’m building a large scale region and rebuilding an old town. My major problem is the surface of the area, that need a lot of megabyte (more or less 800Mb…).

This is because I built the surface with a lot of faces and modified it by moving vertices with affect region option active. 

I need a solution that don’t use so much memory!

So I thought to use displacement map, but it’s very hard to draw a large geographic grayscale map and correctly shade it: is there a software or a technique to draw and shade it easily?

Another way could be cut the surface with “loop, cut and slide” tool, and then by appling the modifier subdivision surface, but the geometry of surface don’t help me so much, so it’s hard draw the right way of water channels, cut them in mutiple right ways and then drag the cuts in the right position…

So? Anyone can help me?

Thank you very much! 

Federico Violin

A little part of the town…

The large scale area….

[Palo Piktor]

Hi Federico,

I would suggest you to sculpt the terrain and then retopo it. It will look more natural.

Also you should plan ahead your mesh resolution based on shot type and camera angle. 

For wide shot use a low poly geometry with normal map.

For close ups  a high poly model will be the way to go.

[Federico Violin]

@thepainter Hi, yes I think it’s the best way to proceed.

Thank you!

Federico Violin

[Federico Violin]

I think I solved the problem in this way: I cut a simple geometry that follows the bottom line of the channels and the top line of the hills, then I added a more complex geometry with some Loop cut and slide, and then I added the subdivision surface modifier.

By means of some little adjustments I think I obtained a simple environment surface using a very few low number of poly and memory.

Should I need more complexity I could add some more particulars or a new geometry later.

[Author]

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