terrain multitexturing

<< Hi,
I'd like to now if it's possible to make a terrain with multilayer texturing with more that 4 different textures. And if Yes, how ? Actually i'm using a texture with RVB colours & black, and so, i have 4 layers. But is it possible to use more colours like yellow, cyan... ect to have more layers ? Perhaps it's not possible, but then, is there another solution ? >>

I know that 4 textures are maximum, but you can use a trick.
For example, you can create a low resolution texture, then you can use detailed meshes (models or other pieces of terrain) with different textures, and insert them in the main terrain.
Furthermore, you can make a simple algorithm to show/hide these pieces of terrain (based on player distance), in order to speed up rendering process.

You could use the alpha channel as well.

if you get really creative with the color channels I imagine you could do a shader that cut each channel in half and used that range (0.0-0.499999 = channel 1, 0.5 - 1.0 = channel2... etc), but you'd have a harder time blending the layers together.

Not sure if it is possible(I think so)you should be able to do a multi pass shader using 3 RGBA skins, each pass reads and applies the different skins to the RGB, then the A(alpha) defines where you cn see through the next RGBA skin and it's textures applied etc.. etc.. so with 2 passes you get 6 textures with decent blending, with 3 you get 9, I don't see a reason for 9, but someone else may need 9, and the final pass of course is the shadow map, so my math here is wrong somewhere....you get the idea though.

Well thanks ! ^^
We had thought about this too, but lalexl did'nt found a way to make such a shader... So i think we'll stay with a simple multilayer shader with 4 layers... for now!

there is an alternate method I have been toying with...
Define one of the four textures as a black and white bitmap(must be 24bit color though)and simply use the light map to control the color of the black and white texture(with respect to the shadows of course).

Nowherebrain take a look at PnP Terrain creator. If you take one of their demo terrains and export the texture splatting alphamap it creates a black and white for each terrain texture on the map. So you grass will have its own black and white map and the dirt will have its own and the sand its own etc.

I was wondering why something like that could not be done but when I try and think of how you would load these in MEDs skin editor?

I do not know how we can get our high mountains to look different from the beach area if you only can use 4 textures.

I have used nearly every terrain editor out there and have been messing with terrains alone for nearly 3 months now. I have tried my own methods and experimented but have not found any method I have been happy with that would compete terrain wise with a commercial game out there. It would be nice to at least be able to put normal mapping on terrain textures.

PnP Terrain There is a beta version if you ask that has a 3D Game Studio exporter. The hmps do come in to MED okay but not textured. I will mention this to him later as I would like to see this tool go farther for A7 users. This thing is capable of making some nice massive terrain. He designed it for doing large mmorpg terrains.