Attached Link: http://www.pinhead.robbes.com/tutorial/Mario/mg_CTATerrains.htm

I had forgotten all about this... Basically, vertically stacked terrains that use alpha maps to help blend their "edges" into one another, to make more realistic landscapes. (like when grass meets rock, or water meets the land) I had went over this tutorial some time ago. I got a little lost/confused in the steps, but that literally is just me. I understood the concept, and could make it work from that alone. It's a very good Bryce technique. (Tutorial by Mario Garza) AgetSmith

This was my first stab at it (simple/quick) using four terrains. AS

Here I gave the 3 terrains basic colors so you can more easily see how well they blend together, using alpha/trans maps. The alpha/trans maps are made directly from the original terrain map, so everything "fits" perfectly. AS

thanks, man... this oughta keep my brain fried for at least a couple of weeks. :D

oh great...now I have a reason to try terrains again. I had given up on them almost altogether. lol

Great tutorial. One of the most useful terrain tutorials, together with the one on subcontours and using two textures on the same terrain.

Attached Link: http://www.bryceanworlds.com/pages/tips_tricks.html

Oh, yeah...Necati's take on it is also interesting, check it out also. AS

Aye, great stuff! I've been doing this for a while, but not at all nearly as efficiently or accurately as is possible. Thanks!

Thanks AS - that's a good one!

Thinking good thoughts for Necati - Thanks Agent Smith!

Thank you!!! Very helpful.

Oh yeah, AS, Necati's tutorial is "the one on subcontours". :-)

Wow, a way to do custom mountain .mats, great tutorial, can't wait to mess with it! Thanks AS...:o)

And, what's neat (as what the first tutorial shows), each terrain could be multi-channel, so the amount of varying textures on a finished stacked terrain could be great. i.e.; 3 channels per texture on each terrain, 3 terrains = 9 different areas. You could have snow, ice, rock, mud, dirt, sand, grass, whatever, all on (what looks like) one mountain, from top to bottom. It's gets fairly involved, but if you can get and do the basics, it REALLY helps in making the "rocky hills, spotted with grass" kind of realistic landscapes. AS

I wonder how many different terrains I could do before my computer, Hal, who has a nearly half gig of memory, balked. It would be nice if I could get fifty or more - after I get this months entry in I might try to see how far I can go with it - I keep telling myself that this is the year bikermouse learns how to texture well.

Aye, I've been using this technique for awhile, especially for trees and the like, but who can claim mastery when the swords have yet to be drawn!