Outside Terrain Tool

[misty vapor]

Outside Terrain Tool is a unique tool that will allow you to create an outside terrain for both regular and island maps.

What is "Outside Terrain"? Outside terrain is some kind of game space located outside the main map. This approach is used to visually "hide" the borders of the map.
Outside terrain was actively used in Arma 2 and Arma 2: Operation Arrowhead, and the Chernarus map can serve as an example.

The Outside Terrain Tool was developed by me as a proof-of-concept so that I could make sure that I could implement a similar technology in Arma: Reforger. This is a **VERY **experimental tool that may contain some problems.

Outside Terrain will be divided into two separate addons:

1. Outside Terrain Core is the minimum necessary add–on needed to display outside terrain.
2. Outside Terrain Tool is an addon for the World Editor, which is necessary for map developers to generate outside terrain.

Features of the Outside Terrain Tool:

• Ability to generate an outside terrain of varying detail quality.
• Ability to generate an outside terrain with a maximum size equal to the size of the main terrain (I don't know why, but it's possible).
• Physics layers support (the player and equipment can move around the outside terrain).
• Generation of the landscape outside terrain based on the landscape of the main map.
• If you are a developer, you can create your own generators for the tool.
• Ability to modify the landscape outside terrain using Noise Modifier and Smoothing Modifier.
• Ability to configure which sides the outside terrain will be generated from. This is especially important for maps with the peninsula.

The first map to feature outside terrain will be Takistan. Therefore, both the Outside Terrain Tool and Outside Terrain Core addons will be released to the Workshop along with the release of the Takistan map.

[meager pond]

nice will defiantly use this when its released

[celest steppe]

Good stuff hombre 👍 this will help get everything nice and polished for everyone.

[surreal grotto]

How does the outside terrain work from a technical perspective?

[misty vapor]

At the moment, tool supports only one generation method - using chunks. Initially, a height map of the world terrain is taken, after which necessary modifiers are applied to it. As soon as the height (elevation) map for outside terrain is prepared, chunk objects are created on sides of the world

I also had ideas related to use of Quadtrees and Slices, which would allow me to reduce number of chunks without quality degradation, but I ran into some difficulties and not finished these generation methods

[sinful iris]

🔥🔥🔥

[surreal grotto]

How do the chunk objects work? What are they, exactly?

[hybrid gyro]

I tired to get Kegan to do this when he was doing world generation/ Minecraft mod. Glad to see someone else finally doing it

[misty vapor]

These are just (custom) mesh objects that support a height (elevation) map up to 1024x 1024 units (or 32x32 heightmap points)

[hybrid gyro]

You're not generating mesh and colliders?

[misty vapor]

The basic idea of chunks is reflected in SCR_TerrainMeshEntity

[surreal grotto]

Ah, understood
Somehow I never came across this

[misty vapor]

They are created during generation

[sinful iris]

Sorry if I didn't understand, this generates terrain so that the end of the map cannot be seen?

[misty vapor]

Yes, outside terrain is created along the edges of world main terrain, which allows you to hide the boundaries of the map (the void at the end of the map)

[sinful iris]

how does bohemia do in dayz

[meager pond]

How is the Performance with the outside terrain is light on the performance or heavy ?.

[misty vapor]

Theoretically, it depends on the quality and size of the outside terrain. But as far as I know, Occlusion Culling (rendering, I'm not sure how it works with colliders) in Enfusion works correctly for generated chunks

[meager pond]

ok, Thanks for the answer 🙂

[honest folio]

Actually something we needed for map development

[manic swallow]

@idle tiger

[idle tiger]

@manic swallow !

[manic swallow]

!

[idle tiger]

!

[manic swallow]

thought you might be interested

[idle tiger]

it is now that i scrolled up. was busy trolling you a bit

[shell lark]

Very hype

[manic swallow]

yup

these qol improving mods are maybe almost better than content mods

[idle tiger]

this actually might be the exact thing i'm looking for

[manic swallow]

even a few mountains would look better than the current sea

[idle tiger]

for now i will upscale a painting to gigantic size and place it on map borders. :D

[manic swallow]

starry night if i may propose

[sharp roost]

This is a great mod for every mapper that doesnt work on an Island - or in some cases even for those 😄

Lovely work you put in there. Keep it up 🙂

[opal iron]

Gets excited for this being used for Zarichine 😜

Nice work OP.

[foggy slate]

So is the outside terrain playable space, ie players can walk/drive around on it?

[buoyant pagoda]

Oath lad🍻

[misty vapor]

Yes, it is indeed possible to walk & drive vehicles around the outside terrain, but tool task is more visual (idk how the Enfusion will react to this) - to hide the boundaries of the map

[acoustic path]

@final ice

[nimble quartz]

This is gonna be great for maps that aren't islands, including mine. I feel like this should've been a thing in Enfusion already.. Either way looking forward to this one! Godsend!

[gloomy lintel]

So this is still in dev?

[burnt mica]

😯 😱 💪🥓👍 🤪 🤯 🚀 🎉 🦖

Madness Mr Rex ... RESPECT for that 💪

[acoustic path]

@thorny bough this might be useful for Saigon 👀

[gloomy lintel]

This is fire asf

[shy coral]

hey! any update on the current progress of this? seeing as Takistan has no definitive ETA?

[misty vapor]

Outside Terrain Core & Outside Terrain Tool is out now!

Links to Arma Reforger Workshop:

Outside Terrain Core
https://reforger.armaplatform.com/workshop/61F0D506562D9BC9-OutsideTerrainCore

Outside Terrain Tool
https://reforger.armaplatform.com/workshop/61F2B96F0D3F27D4-OutsideTerrainTool

🚧 Be careful 🚧
This mod is a proof-of-concept project. While it demonstrates the potential of outside terrain generation, its functionality may vary depending on specific use cases or engine behavior.

[odd plinth]

I shall be getting this in my map ASAP. I've purposefully held off designing an out of bounds terrain or placing any water in anticipation for this.

[odd plinth]

So I've generated twice.
Once doing "simple" once doing "subdivided".
Simple worked like a charm, subdivided gave these results https://i.gyazo.com/d023deeb75e679432a2dc3759041c7f6.jpg https://i.gyazo.com/830a0cec3a742a739668aead48dae1aa.jpg

[misty vapor]

Oh, it seems that unfortunately, situations in which map doesn't have a 1:1 ratio (1:2, etc) were not considered. I will try to rework one of the generation algorithms and expand the generation capabilities in the near future

What is the size of current map that the outside terrain is generated for?

[odd plinth]

Small

https://i.gyazo.com/b4f8012c1ffb33b554729a4f683e204b.png
Loving this tool!
Thank you so much for this, amazing bit of work.

[flat cobalt]

Very impressed with how easy to use this mod is.

[vast otter]

i hope bohemia is taking notes, this is the bomb. Godspeed !

[odd plinth]

Not sure if I'm doing something wrong but the Out of bounds terrain doesn't seem to save after I reload the world?

The tool for the most part seems to work well.
Was literally just about to publish my maps update, till I noticed it didn't save once I reloaded.

[gloomy lintel]

Hi so how can i align it with the terrain!

[misty vapor]

Hello!

In some situations, there may be an error in calculating the elevation points from default terrain heightmap (I have not yet figured out what this is related to). Therefore, in some cases, you need to manually adjust the location of the chunks: either using the "Chunks Position Offset" parameters, or using the "Chunks Depth Offset" parameter.

Also, in some cases, increasing the** quality parameter** helps.

It is also possible to edit the height map of each of the chunks: just click on the entity of the chunk in the World Editor and edit the values. But it's not very convenient.

[odd plinth]

@misty vapor
Any idea on this pal?
I'm sure you've tested this enough to know saving works.
But mine just doesn't appear after reloading?

[misty vapor]

It looks like I need to test this. I have not encountered such a situation yet 🤔

[odd plinth]

To clarify. Before todays release. Was this tool used on another projects other then the Takistan in development.

Maybe because my maybe is 2x1km?

If you want to test this out on the map yourself, my map is called Longmoor.

[misty vapor]

Only on maps with a 1:1 aspect ratio, but I don't think that's the problem. I will try to test it further on your map

[odd plinth]

Thanks dude

[misty vapor]

Hm... It looks like after world reload outside terrain is still in place. Or in what situation did he disappear? In the game or in the editor?

[odd plinth]

So. I would go in world editor, create the outside terrain (I can see the chunks in the layer), save the file, close the world editor, reopen my map, and the outside terrain is gone.

[odd plinth]

Did you use the settings I had above, here? Just in-case?

[misty vapor]

You can check the .layer file in the project directory. Should there be an OutsideTerrain.layer file in the Longmoor_Layers directory after generating the outside terrain and saving the map?

[odd plinth]

Yes the layer is created and is filled. I then save, close world editor, reload the terrain, and the layer is there, but empty.

[misty vapor]

Hmm, that's weird. It looks like I need time for additional testing for this potential bug

[odd plinth]

Glad I could help locate a bug I guess.

[misty vapor]

Is the Outside Terrain Core loaded to project, after restarting the World Editor?

[odd plinth]

Yes. I open world editor and I can click the button and open the tool

[misty vapor]

Are scripts with the OTC_ prefix available at this moment (you can check in the Script Editor)?

[odd plinth]

Ummm. I have no idea how to check this. I have SE open right now in my project.

[misty vapor]

The project tree and the search field above it are displayed on the left side

[odd plinth]

Yes these two are there

[misty vapor]

It looks like the problem is really deeper than I expected. Thanks for the help, I'll try to figure out the problem

[graceful junco]

Does this exist yet?

[odd plinth]

@graceful junco

[odd plinth]

Can I ask.
Would you be able to create the outside terrain for me and then send the file over and let me see if the terrain is still there?

[misty vapor]

Here is the generated Entity Layer with chunks of Outside Terrain. At least this Layer is displayed correctly in my project (on your map) 🤔

[odd plinth]

Just checking, but you said that even after you close and reopen the workbench, the layer is still filled?

[odd plinth]

So I've tested this.
I used your layer, put it in the project, it appeared, I saved and closed workbench, reloaded, and the out of terrain you made for me is there still.

I don't know what happened that caused my out of terrain not to save.

[misty vapor]

Various bugs and optimizations on the part of the World Editor cannot be ruled out. Perhaps, when saving the map, the World Editor cut off all objects outside the map, considering them unnecessary. But that's just a theory

[odd plinth]

Very odd

[misty vapor]

Maybe someone will be interested. Since a recent update removed the built-in "Import Object" tool from the World Editor, which placed objects on the map using data from a CSV file, I decided to write my own implementation, since my friend needed this tool.

It works almost the same as before, but has slightly expanded functionality.

Link:
https://reforger.armaplatform.com/workshop/6452AEF260F91B98-ObjectImportTool

[misty vapor]

Yep. During the development process, I came across various editor bugs. So... I'm not surprised 🙂

[odd plinth]

I might use this in my next map

[undone flume]

yo, how exactly am i supposed to use this? do i just go into reforger game itself, download it and then just open the editor?

[next ingot]

Debug land yipeeee

[misty vapor]

This is an addon for the World Editor, which is included in Arma Reforger Tools. But in any case, you need to subscribe to the addon in Arma Workshop and open the project in Arma Reforger Tools

[feral wharf]

Would it work to make it a dependency?

[misty vapor]

Only the Outside Terrain Core must be specified as a dependency for the map. It is this addon that contains everything necessary to display (render) the outside terrain in the game

[feral wharf]

Ahh okay so I don’t need to the touch the outside terrain tool files?

[misty vapor]

Outside Terrain **Core **- allows you to display (pre-generated using the Outside Terrain Tool) the outside terrain in the game.
Outside Terrain **Tool **- allows you to generate an outside terrain in the World Editor.

For map creators:
If you are a developer who wants to generate an Outside Terrain for your map, you need to run the project together with the Outside Terrain Tool (it has a dependency on the Outside Terrain Core by default) in order to access the necessary tools in the World Editor.

It is important that when publishing your map, you do not need to specify the Outside Terrain Tool in the dependencies - just specify the Outside Terrain Core as a dependency.

For players:
If you are a simple player, then to play on a map that supports Outside Terrain, you must subscribe to the Outside Terrain Core addon.

[feral wharf]

Thank you I’ll try it out🙏

[misty vapor]

At the moment, I'm trying to fix the problem with connecting the outside terrain to the main terrain. Now, all types of generators have a problem with the appearance of "holes" in some places. I assume that this is due to several factors at once: rounding problems, inaccuracies in calculating the density of chunks, etc.

I am currently studying the problem and experimenting with its solution. As soon as I manage to solve it, I will update the tool to version 1.1.0, adding a progress bar (for generation process) and a new outside terrain generator that will avoid the problems of connecting terrains.

[misty vapor]

The problem was solved. A new, more accurate Outside Terrain generator will be available in the next update

[acoustic path]

@cobalt nexus

[misty vapor]

Outside Terrain Tool - Update 1.1.0

Added:

• Added a new, more accurate outside terrain generator type, which is now the default generator.
• The progress of the process is now displayed during the generation of the outside terrain.
  Changed:
• By default, the size of the generated outside terrain is set to "Small".

⚠️ Please pay attention:

The new outside terrain generator is based on the value of the number of blocks in each tile of the main terrain. Therefore, before generating, make sure that these values match those specified in the "Terrain" category on the toolbar. By default, the tool assumes that there are 4x4 blocks in each tile of your terrain.

You can view the value of your terrain using the "Terrain Tool" in the "Info & Diags" tab (the property is called "Blocks per tile").

[feral wharf]

Hey so i used the outside terrain tool as a dependency on an existing project but its not showing up, do i need to start from scratch?

[misty vapor]

Is the addon displayed in the "Open with Addons" menu?

[feral wharf]

is that menu in the world builder?

[misty vapor]

When opening Arma Reforger Tools, you need to right-click on the project and there is an item "Open with Addons".

[feral wharf]

oh okay so i dont need to make it a dependency i just need to open it with my project?

[misty vapor]

Yes, only the Outside Terrain Core is needed as a dependency

[feral wharf]

ah okay i understand

[feral wharf]

do these settings seem fine?

[misty vapor]

Not bad, but don't forget to check the parameters in the "Terrain" category

[feral wharf]

yeah they match with my terrain

[misty vapor]

UPD. Due to recent tests, I strongly recommend using the "Default" generator in conjunction with some other generator (preferably "Simple").

The following strategy for generating outside terrain is proposed:

1. Generate outside terrain using a "Default" generator with a "Small" size.
2. Generate an outside terrain using a "Simple" generator with any size, but specify different values for the "Entity Layer Template" and "Entity Name Template" so that the layer names and chunk names do not match the previous generation.
3. Manually delete the intersecting chunks.

Thus, an optimal outside terrain will be formed.

Do not generate a large (larger than "Small") outside terrain using the "Default" generator if your map is large enough.
This will lead to problems with enf_staticbuffer and will cause the game to crash.

[feral wharf]

Whenever I try to play after generating a terrain I crash, I’ve tested without the terrain tool, with the terrain tool, and after generating the terrain. I only crash after I’ve generated it. Is there any fix to this?

this is the error i recieve

[misty vapor]

Unfortunately, this is due to the fact that too much Outside Terrain was generated using the Default generator. Try to generate a "Small" Outside Terrain using the Default generator, or use the strategy I described in the posts above.

Unfortunately, the implementation of a more accurate Outside Terrain ran into the technical limitations of the engine

[feral wharf]

Hmm I did use the small option, my map is 9km x 9km.

[misty vapor]

Oh... Unfortunately, I still can't say for sure what the crash problem is, but perhaps this is due to the fact that each chunk of the Outside Terrain is a procedural mesh and there are too many of them

[misty vapor]

You can try manually removing several lines of chunks, perhaps after that the crash problem will go away. So far, I don't have enough data and tests to fix the problem right now : (

[feral wharf]

Ah that’s fine, I’ll do some testing and come back to you if I find a solution.

[feral wharf]

Do you think decreasing the quality could work or?

[misty vapor]

The Default generator does not use the "Quality" parameter

[feral wharf]

Ohh okay gotcha

[odd plinth]

Neat! Good job!

[near cairn]

Hey, guys.
im having an issue, for some reason the outside generated terrain dosent have any texture on it.
would like to get some help, thanks 🙂

[woeful zealot]

You have to override that material and put in your textures and such then place the emat you’ve created there on the chunks material.

[frigid belfry]

Followed your recommended steps, still getting the buffer error. I'm on a 10x10

[near cairn]

i did, dosent seem to work

[marble wigeon]

How does this tool do in terms of performance? I have an 8x8 map, will adding outside terrain still allow it to be console friendly?

[white mountain]

hey guys, I'm having an issue where the north/south chunks are generating fine but east/west seems to generate flipped or reversed, has anybody encountered this?

[odd plinth]

Far as I'm aware it does just fine. I use it on my small 2x1km map, sure it's small and what not, but I've not noticed any performance dip with the mod enabled or disabled.

[odd plinth]

I mean. It clearly does work based on the photo you sent in this message.
The texture is different to the original picture with your original question.

You update the .emat file with the texture you want, then place that .emat file into the out of terrain tools settings, generate the map, and it'll apply the texture just like in your picture.
If want you wanted was a single texture stretched across the out of bounds terrain, then I don't think that is possible. Out of bound terrain tool used chunks, each with their own applied texture, so you need a rolling/seamless texture otherwise you get clear stop and starting of the texture on the chunk.

[odd plinth]

I actually came here to see if anyone else had this issue.
Yes. Mine are doing it right now.

[white mountain]

I still haven't been able to find a solution for this unfortunately

[odd plinth]

Shame. I could do with it.

[marble wigeon]

Also having this problem.

[fervent bridge]

@odd plinth @marble wigeon @white mountain
I have found a workaround for this issue.

Since north and northwest generation works. you can rotate your heightmap image, reimport, generate the mesh, parent to generic entity, rotate chunks, then run a script that fixes the mesh normal map.

Its not easily explained in text, I can help anyone interested.