With all the posts about Ogle OpenGL grabbing 3D objects from gaming environments (questionably legal at best) and seeing that some Brycers use dungeon and maze maps converted to heightmaps, I was busy developing a nighttime city skyline lit window texture in Photoshop and realized that using the same techniques I can create oodles of cityscape building heightmaps right out of Photoshop. Could even derive a Photoshop action preset and the whole process can be made almost automatically in a couple of keystroke query entries.

Ive tried to be as detailed as possible in explaining the procedure, unfortunately this requires a fare amount of images and given the forums restrictions on image resolution I had to split the tutorial up so that it would fall within those restrictions. To retain image integrity given their size, I opted to post them in PNG format. I realize that some browsers, especially older ones, may not be able to handle that format. To those good people I offer my apologies. I intend to make the entire tutorial available from my website in its scrollable form at a later date. If you are one of those people whose browser does not accept the PNG format and are interested in the tutorial, please IM me so that I might get an idea as to how many are interested and this would expedite my making the tutorial available.

This section is perhaps the hardest to grasp but theres really nothing to it. Youre merely seeking a grayscale midpoint so that some buildings are taller than others When Bryce reads the heightmap. Were looking for a nice medium between the gradients of a possible 256-grayscale spectrum where each pixel can be equivalent to a different height on the heightmap. We limit this by posterizing 24 levels. This is further reduced when we adjust opacity to 50% and merge with the lower layer. Since there will be too many mosaic squares to handle, the sampler tool allows us to place a marker on those squares which come close to the 50% gray we need. The Total Ink panel allows us to view the pixels grayscale range in percentages rather than RGB pixels. BTW, the markers can be cleared while the tool is selected by clicking the clear button on the top tool menu.

Message edited on: 02/09/2006 00:19

After producing the heightmap in Photoshop well need to import it into Bryce for further manipulation. Remember that we started our heightmap as a 512x512 canvas. This holds to Bryces rule of 2 precept so that the cityscape will appear parametrically proportional around its periphery (try saying that 3 times aloud really fast while Peter packs his pickle) when brought in but what we now need to do is adjust the overall height and this is dictated by individual preference guided by artful aesthetics. This might be just the first quadrant of a larger cityscape stage that you have envisioned in your mind so height becomes important to the overall scale of the final assemblage.

Now that we have the heightmap converted to terrain it could now also be exported into another 3D mesh object format if we wish, but our intent here is to bring this tutorial to its natural Brycelian end and this means having to provide texture to our import. I always find it easier when handling textures in Bryce to first create prototype textures in plain color. This allows me to visualize how the finish texture will fit on the model and makes understanding the whole Material Editor a lot easier to comprehend. So here I created a simple texture model, which Ive saved as a prototype texture model for future use.

Message edited on: 02/09/2006 00:20

Very, very nice..Thanks for taking the time...

Now that weve created our basic texture model lets see how it fits on the cityscape model. Note how all the rooftops get their own separate texture.

Here Ive clumped together some building textures that Ive had on my computer for a while instead of going out and procuring better textures but it serves to give you the idea of a final output image. From this we can take away some lessons. For one, never clump together textures that look alike because on the model it will seem unnatural to the eye since the buildings will also tend to look alike although the actual textures are different theyll seemed clumped in spots because they share a common color. Also, remember, we can copy this model to clipboard and paste a new one in the same or different orientation so if we have plenty of textures, we can erase parts of terrain 1 to allow terrain 2 to show through with different textures and we can continue to do this with several terrains until we run out of textures. Well have fun and happy Brycing.

I used a similar technique with PShop a while back; I didnt come up with as good a result as you though mate. Excellent tut! I sure a lot of people are going to appreciate this one;) Michael

Very nice tut!

Dude, I am bookmarking (and probably printing) this tute right now! Thanks for the explanation, on first reading it sounds fairly easy. :)

EXCCCCCCCCCELLENTE' Thanks so much........I find it hard to follow written tutorials because of my illness but, with your images this is just perfect. WOW :) Marc :)

Woohoo! This is the kinda stuff I like to see! :-D Great solution to generate good looking city's in a fast and efficient manner! I especially like the fact that it's a fast and efficient solution thumbs up One thing I gotta nitpick on though is the texture for the windows. If you're gunna use textures like those you'll need to make sure the scale of the different window textures match ;)

:) Thumbs up to you Ray, as I mention in the texture section, I just threw these textures together but if need be, the artist should make it their prerogative to acquire good textures and proportion them to fit their models.

Great Tut Quest!

Wow! Looks like a really awesome way to create cities.

Well done! Congratulations.

had an odd thought..a 'boomerang' method, because I don't have Photoshop (have Gimp, wonder if it could do this)
Create some random texture on a plain, look straight down. Turn off all the rendering 'balls'. Then start the render.As you know, you get a very pixilated render, followed by more refinement. When you get the density you like, stop the render and save the picture. Export, then import back in and use that as a heightfield..would it work?

Give it a shot pakled, sounds like a good idea;)

Thanks, it is now save to my tut folder.

Bookmark

Fantastic tutorial and I really appreciate your explanations of why you take the actions you do, gives me a chance to really understand and start thinking how I can apply it to other things I've tried to do and not succeeded in the past.

Great job on this tutorial Quest!

Echo the other comments - excellent tut, thanks for a clear and concise explanation of a great technique Garry

excellent suggestions here, thanks!

What a great idea! Thank you!

That is slick! Excellent tut! Definitely bookmarking this! Thanks for sharing this! -Lew ;-)

Ah I have still much more to learn...

Firstly, thank you all for your kind reception of this tut. Im happy if my work makes someones artistic endeavor easier. Next I would like to thank my wife for sticking by me all these arduous yearsj/k! ;) Really, thank you all you are most kind. Well, I could not just turn away feeling like Ive left a job half finished so I decided to go back and leave it one quarter unfinished by doing a little extra work on the building texture and allowing you to see the improvement. Still, more work can certainly only bring about more improvement.

At the top of the image is a reduced resolution of a new texture I have put together for this project. The original resolution is 1468x242 here reduced to 800x132. Obviously some of the darker and shadow areas can be improved by either eliminating them altogether or filling in those areas with more detail. I also added a little more detail with roughed in streets and sidewalks and present different viewing angles. Well, you can always put in an extra Empire State or Chrysler building in there somewhere. 0_o

Message edited on: 02/10/2006 01:37

Great looking mats Quest! Thats looking like a real city.

Danamo, we can always bring it to the next level and add street, advertising and store lighting since they will reflect off of actual 3D buildings and then we can go ahead and add traffic vehicles andandno! ;) Poser people walking the streets and going about their daily business.

Sounds like fun! I used Bryce terrain buildings for the far background of my "Outskirts of Brycepolis" pic (with Wings-built buildings in the foreground),but you've developed a method of making terrain buildings that look great under close-up scrutiny! I think you've inspired me to tackle another cityscape. :-)

Fantastico!!! Well done!

YOU HAVE A WIFE! J/K ;P

Yep Angactually shes my pet bulldog named Gertrude. ;)

Genious! Must download page/tut...and many thanks!!!

Attached Link: http://freewriters.ca/wob/>Freewriters

Ive just been notified that a copy of this tutorial has been made available from Worlds of Bryce in PDF format. Im most thrilled that everyone regardless of browser could now have access to it. It can now be downloaded in the printable PDF format at Freewriters.

Many thanks to Mahray, Draculaz and the people over at Freewriters.

Excellent. downloaded.

Magnificent tutorial Quest, and I'm so very glad you posted it here first, I like WOB but hate PDF's.