So there are several problems I keep coming up against....first off, when I import the terrain (the tiff file) it seems to either flatten it or cut off parts of it (it's hard to tell, but I can tell it isn't right)....now, if I exit, re-edit it and push "reset" it suddenly looks right (although with a few, especially the Mount Saint Helens preset, still seems stunted)....all the tutorials I've watched never mention it, so I wonder why my version does this....the next problem is texturing....I've followed several tutorials about this as well, and feel like I've followed the instructions to a T....and yet most of the time the material distribution I use, based on the main selector, doesn't fit correctly....technically it's not a selector I'm using but the Tiff file itself, but at least once when I used it it worked fine....

Can anyone help?....

What version of Vue 8 do you have? If it isn't Infinite or xstream, this could be the problem. As I recall, the other versions of Vue don’t automatically represent altitude for terrain derived from these sorts of image maps.

Was your material distribution driven by the "Parametric Object" setting?

FCLittle,

For exported TIF terrains from GeoControl 2, this is what I do:

Add a procedural terrain in Vue (256 x 256).

Edit the terrain object and click the Proc tab to then edit the altitude production's function (right-click on it).

Delete all the stuff in the funtion and then click the Alititude output node and add a texture map node.  This is where I load my TIF file from GeoControl 2 (set to bilnear).

So now you have a terrain from GeoControl 2 in your Vue scene. Click on the Zero Edges button to uncheck it.  Better.

Then edit the terrain's material to slap on a terrain color map (also set to bilnear).

Done.

Is this kind of how you're doing things to start with?  Using the TIF for distribution does not work for me either (using Vue 10 Infinite).  JPG is working fine though.  Change TIF to JPG maybe?

Ok.  Second time is the charm, I guess.  Vue accepted the TIF file for material distribution.  Crossing fingers.

This is exactly what I'm doing except for using Zero edges....for me I exit, re-enter and preset reset and it seems to make it look right....I just played around with geocontrol again and I noticed that the problem I was having with creating selectors (it was just creating a black picture) seems to have righted itself since rebooting....perhaps when I try the selectors I'll have better luck....but maybe I'll try what you said about turning the tif into a jpg....thanks for the info!

When creating selectors in Geocontrol, do you preview them (in red) before creating them?

Also, for selectors to work in Vue, you need: 

• either a terrain material that is set to "object parametric"
• or a distribution material whose projection is "from above"

Also, if you are using the method Shawn detailed, set the map size to 1.01, otherwise you will get problems at its edges. Also set your distribution map sizes to 1.01 to match the terrain size.

Which build of Geocontrol are you using?
I found the latest one (54) to be quite buggy and am still happily using build 36. 

If you have doubts about the files you generate, try some of the 3d terrains I provide on my website. 

Yes, I was creating the selectors before exporting them, but for some reason they were showing up as all black images.  However, when I reloaded the program they started showing up properly.  And yes, I've been following all the steps, including setting it to 1.01 and object parametric....

But has anyone else experienced what I mentioned above?....where, upon loading the geocontrol terrain tiff it comes out looking stunted until you hit the reset button?.....

And I'm using Geocontrol 2 still....guess it might be time to upgrade....but I still haven't upgraded to Vue 10 so that's more important (and certainly more costly)....

Version 6, 7, and 8 never worked with my video card all that great in the terrain editor.  Version 9 and 10 finally did work.