Something that I've wanted for a long time is a tool to create displacements for Source inside 3ds Max. I've now officially started this project.
There are going to be two separate tools:
- Simple Displacement Tool
- Advanced Displacement Tool
I will release the Simple Displacement tool first. As the name suggests, it won't be too complex.
The advanced tool will be more complex; depending on how it goes, I hope to have this tool ready later in 2011 and it may
potentially be integrated with Convexity (http://www.maple3d.com). Don't worry, by the time I release this, there will
probably be a free version of Convexity out for those of you leery about purchasing a plugin. Still... I strongly encourage all of you who use my tools to look at Convexity--it is one of my favorite plugins. I personally want more people to support Convexity so that its developer is encouraged to keep developing it!
I've got the functions to make displacements and the alpha blends almost complete now. Hopefully I can have a UI next week. It's pretty awesome. Armed with Convexity and Wall Worm tools, 99% of the design process for Source will be possible inside 3ds Max soon. The only exception I foresee is entity scripting (inputs and outputs of entities)... but that isn't so much a design aspect as a logic aspect; I'm fine leaving that in Source.
So I now have a working interface for the displacement tool. It's pretty nifty... but I'm not yet ready to give out the beta. Maybe next week.
Here is a preview of the Wall Worm Displacement Tool:
I have the viewport textring figured out now. I think I'll have a beta for testing by Monday or Tuesday.
The tool is now at a stage where it can create ground terrain well. My current dilemma is outputting multi-sided displacement brushes... which I haven't been able to figure out.
But it's now at a point that can be used for landscaping (planar displacements as in the video). Email me if you want to test this incomplete beta out and provide feedback.