EasyRoads3D v2 is out – Road, rivers, procedural geometry for Unity

Hi jfmmm, thank you for purchasing EasyRoads3D!

That is right, you have access to the beta with intersections. The new beta will be available in a couple of weeks. It includes some significant changes to the way crossings are created and the new side objects system will also be enabled. For those who already like to try out the new system, an alpha version is available.

For details on how to get the beta etc., have a look in the _readme.txt file of the main EasyRoads3D folder of the package you downloaded from the Assetstore!

There is no ETA for 3.0. But this new system has some persistent bugs fixed. We have to implement some further changes before we will release the next beta. From then on, it will be a matter of adding more features up to the extend that we think it is ready for release. Meanwhile you will be able to use the betas...

Let me know if you have further questions.

Thanks,
Raoul

 

the readme file don't talk that much about how to get the alpha version or betas. I did register but the only thing i can found on your web site is to downloads 2.4.5 or the side object package.

 

Does it include waterfalls?

 

@jfmmm, The v3 betas are indeed not publicly available on the website. As you wrote that you already registered, could you contact me through http://www.unityterraintools.com or send an email to the email address that included your registration confirmation.

That way I can send you the alpha if you want. Because of the changes to the system I would skip the current beta and wait for the next one, which will be available in a couple of weeks.

@eskimojoe, waterfalls was something on the list to add to the river object and we have a waterfall prefab we were going to use in a way that it can be added to markers. But all this depends on demand. If there is a lot of demand for this we can implement it. At the moment our focus is on v3 and getting support for road intersections and the new side objects system out.

 

I just purchased EasyRoads3D Pro from asset store and have question about side objects. I want to use this tool to place Waypoints prefab along road, but I need to enumerate prefabs along road. It is possible to do this with you tool? Or can I use API to place it using my script?

 

Hi Prophet6989, you can use the side objects system to place the prefabs. See image below for the side object setup. Drop your prefab in the object slot and set the desired distance between the waypoints.

This will create the waypoints as childs in:

Road Object > Side Objects > Waypoints

Let me know if you need further help adapting this to your waypoint system.

 

I think you dont understand me. Side objects tool make prefab name on scene like "Waypoint(Clone)".

But I need that waypoints names be like "Waypoint_1", "Waypoint_2", "Waypoint_3", ...
P.S.: I trying to use EasyRoads3D with AI Driving Toolkit. I hope it possible.

 

Hi Prophet6989, I do understand you. What I described is how you can create your waypoints. I also asked you to let me know if you need more help adapting this to your waypoints system which is the next step.

So now I know you need a specific naming convention for the waypoint game objects . If you want I can send you a script that will rename the waypoints. Send me a pm or contact me through our website http://www.unityterraintools.com so I know where to send it to.

Thanks,
Raoul

 

Email with script sent, let me know if there is more to customize...

 

Hi,

I created new project, downloaded and imported easyroads3d from unity asset store.
When i try to create road i'm getting this:

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/9587/problemiz.jpg

i'm using free version.

 

Hi Snow43, from the info you gave it is hard to say what goes wrong. First of all, I see some markers (that is what it seems to be). But they are not connected. You also clicked the middle tab to deform the terrain etc. Did the markers connect in "Edit Mode" before you hit the middle tab?

Can you remove this road object, create a new one and add 3 or 4 markers, do they connect? Do you see the road mesh and the white surfaces surrounding the road?

 

They are not connecting i don't know why i'm doing everything like in this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwDpwVINY7g

 

The first part, creating the road, is indeed quite straight forward. Like in the movie, you simply enable the most left "Add Markers" tab in the Inspector. Then, while holding the shift key, you place the markers by clicking on the terrain. After 3 markers the markers should start connecting. I do see error messages. When do they appear? After adding the 3rd marker?

It has been a long time ago since I have been informed regarding this kind of issues, I wonder what goes wrong? Have you tried reimporting the package? Be sure to first remove the complete EasyRoads3D Free folder so you will get a fresh full import of the package.

If you still have this problem, perhaps you can send that test project to me so I can have a look at it? In that case, just send me a PM or contact me through the website http://www.unityterraintools.com

 

Problem solved

 

v2.4.6 is now also available on the Assetstore. It includes an import fix for issues with the manual terrain vegetation backup and restore options when you have multiple detail layers assigned to your terrain!

 

Can EasyRoads3D work whith alternative terrain systems like T4M Black Edition?

 

Hi Prophet6989, EasyRoads3D cannot deform T4M terrains. To create roads and deform the terrain accordingly, a Unity terrain object is required. But you should be able to export the unity terrain to a mesh, optionally optimize it in a modelling app and use that mesh terrain in T4M.

I am actually in touch with Stephane, the creator of T4M, to see if we can optimize the EasyRoads3D / T4M workflow...

 

hey, having snarlups with my comp which just crashed n i lost all my data..pliz, pliz, pliz send me this asset (pro) to mmmmuliro@gmail.com,,,hard for me to buy another though

 

Just contact us through our website www.unityterraintools.com with either the email address you used when you purchased or with your serial number. If you purchased on the Unity Assetstore, you should be able to download a new copy for free based on your assetstore account and purchase history.

 

Hi Raoul,

Sorry for the re-post, I didn't realise this was the new thread. We're thinking of using this asset to generate some race tracks, we want to hide the actual road itself but maintain it's physical properties, is this possible?

 

I'm considering a purchase of EasyRoads and would really need the crossroads functionality that I understand is available in the Beta format. I've a few quick questions

- How far away is the V3 release likely to be - not asking for specific dates just an indication if its weeks, month, several months, etc.
- I was wondering if adding pavements to the sides of roads was possible with the sideobjects functionality?
- Would you consider releasing the source code to the tool so we can add our own functionality/features and fix bugs as required? I've been bitten a few times by closed source assets that are great but we've had to stop using because they miss key features or show stopping bugs.

Many thanks and looks like a great product.

 

I just reponded to the same question you asked in the showcase forum. Yes, this is possible by disabling or removing the renderer component!

 

Hi Bariel, last month a new alpha version was released which is available upon request. It includes a new system to create intersections which was necessary to deal with a couple of persistent bugs. Meanwhile new workflow improvements have been implemented and all the glitches in the new side objects system have been fixed. At the moment final tests are being done etc. then it will be released as a new beta.

But there are still other things to implement for the official release although we may postpone this and add this to next updates. I guess, it really depends on what functionality you require, the next beta may already do what you need...

Adding pavements is indeed possible with the side objects system. But side objects do not yet adjust to crossings! They can be exported though and manually adjusted.

We have done this partially in the past at an extra fee so yes, we can discuss this but especially at the current summer sales price on the Unity Assetstore of only $45 we will probably not include the source.

 

hey Raul i have created my road object but when i want it to set the it to the terrain i got this error !

Failed setting triangles. Some indices are referencing out of bounds vertices.
UnityEngine.Mesh:set_triangles(Int32[])
EasyRoads3D.OQCDQQDQCC:RoadOOOCDQCDOC(Int32, Int32, String, Boolean)
EasyRoads3D.OQCDQQDQCC:OQQDQCQQOC(Boolean, Single, Int32, Single, Boolean, Int32, Single, Single, Single)
EasyRoads3D.OQCDQQDQCC:OCQDCQDDCO(Boolean, Int32, Boolean, Single, Int32, Single, Single, Int32, Int32, Int32, Boolean, Int32, Int32, Single, Single, Single)
RoadObjectScript:OCQDCQDDCO() (at Assets/EasyRoads3D/scripts/RoadObjectScript.cs:451)
RoadObjectScript:RoadObjectScript$OCQDCQDDCO$(Object, Object[])
UnityScript.Lang.UnityRuntimeServices:Invoke(Object, String, Object[], Type)
RoadObjectEditorScript:EasyRoadsGUIMenu(Boolean, Boolean, RoadObjectScript) (at Assets/EasyRoads3D/Editor/RoadObjectEditorScript.js:198)
RoadObjectEditorScript:OnInspectorGUI() (at Assets/EasyRoads3D/Editor/RoadObjectEditorScript.js:55)
UnityEditor.DockArea:OnGUI()

whats that ?
am i doing some thing wrong ?

 

Hi Extreme_u3Damon, regarding the error message and line numbers, which version are you using and did you purchase from our website or on the Unity assetstore.

In general, I probably need a little bit more info about your specific project and your road setup, etc. Were you able to deform the terrain etc. succesfully before in this project? If so, after which specific steps did this start to happen? What happens when you reload the scene?

The quickest fix is to send me the project (broken down to the terrain and roads only if you want), you can send me a pm if you want to do that.

 

Hi
i bought it from asset store , and according to the "_ReleaseNotes" file in the assets folder , its version 2.4.6 : 25-07-2012.

i figured out the problem ! but it seems not Good to have this kinda limitation ! i donno if its Unity's Limitation or your plugin's ?

when i increase the "Road Segment Value" and raised it above "2" it gives me this error ! and i have to decrease it to "1" and then put it to 2

here are the screen shots :



problem :

 

Yes, the error message is indeed pointing to the function that handles updates to the road such as changed road segments.

So actually the terrain is deformed correctly, all is well. Things go wrong when applying subdivision on the road through the road segments controls. I double checked that in the development project and in the Assestore build. Tested all road segment settings up to the maximum of 10 and back to 1 and this for a number of different roads. I do not get error messages.

Would it be possible to look at your project? I send you a PM with my email.

 

Hi Extreme_u3Damon, I looked at your project. A number of errors appear when applying subdivision. You posted the last error above. The first error is:

Mesh.vertices is too large. A mesh may not have more than 65000 vertices.

The road is 14.13km long and the highest resolution is used. When applying subdivision the geometry will become massive and vertices may exceed the maximum by Unity allowed number of 65.000

To add segments you can either decrease the road resolution (you can do that in the Inspector just below the Road Segments control) or you can use the LOD feature for this. Strategically select markers and turn on "Start New LOD segment". This will split the road in multiple meshes. But I would probably not use segments on such a long road or choose to decrease the resolution significantly.

On roads like this you will have the same problem with relatively complex procedural side objects. Make sure to set the face distance control at an acceptable size and be careful with the number of vertices in the geometry layout unless the side object will not be rendered along the full road.

 

Thanks in advance ,

But Raul , Please correct me if am wrong , i understand that i have to use lower resolution for longer roads and you told me to Use LOD or break it down to segments (HOW??) but you are not suggest this methods at all the question is : How to Lower the Resolution and avoid this kinda problems ??

next thing is what is the size and Value of "Acceptable Face Distance Control" ??

 

I did explain that, "Strategically select markers and turn on "Start New LOD segment". This will split the road in multiple meshes.". Just select a marker and look in the Inspector for the checkbox "Start New LOD segment".I also mentioned how to lower the resolution, look in the Inspector below "Road Segments". Or perhaps I do not understand here what you are asking?

There is not really an answer to that. It entirely depends on the nature of your scene and the complexity of the specific side object. You now know that Unity has a mesh limit of 65.000 vertices which by itself is a lot. It is a matter of where do you want detail and were to comprimise if that is necessary. I would recommend to just start creating your scenes and when it comes to optimization start playing around with different settings.

 

Hey Raoul.

Since we're currently not using easyroads in our project I wish to completely remove any reference and logs regarding it.

How do I completely remove easy roads from the project? (easyroads folder keeps comping back after I delete it).

 

Hi Guy, do you mean the EasyRoads3D folder inside the main project folder, not the one in the assets folder? This folder is primarly used for terrain backup purposes and road export data.

The folder will be created when it does not exist. This happens when an EasyRoads3D object in the scene is selected. Do you mean you do not have any EasyRoads3D object in the scene yet this folder is created? That would be strange as scripts are only executed from the main EasyRoads3D menu or by selecting an EasyRoads3D object . But if that indeed happens, why not simply remove the full EasyRoads3D folder from the project folder (including all scripts)?

 

I removed both the EasyRoads3D folder from the project folder and deleted the EasyRoads3D from the asset folder...

Yet it keep coming back in the asset folder (not the one that was next to that folder, but the one within it)

 

I think I got it:

Closed mono develop then deleted the inner folder and the meta file.

Looks like it did the trick.

Thanks!

 

Ok, good to know!

 

For many time i've request you to send sideobject,i didn't have it.I've buy easyrod from version 2,can send me sideobject?Actually i've last version but sideobject isn't showed.

 

Side objects are not part of the unity package itself. This to keep the package size small and your project folder clean because you probably want to create your own unique side objects. However, a selection of side objects also used in the various demo movies is available for download from our website: http://www.unityterraintools.com/downloads.php. Send me a PM or contact me through our website for your serial number if you need it!

 

Thanks for replying Raoul that's really helpful, we're creating a city scene so it's mainly roads, pavements and crossings that we'd need, right now we've been modelling each section and it's slow going.

It's ok I wouldn't expect source code access for $45 that'd just be unfair to yourself, hopefully we wouldn't need it but it's nice to know that for a cost that option is open to us should we find some show stoppers that need adding or fixing.

 

@Bariel, thanks for being understanding regarding the source code and let me know if you have further questions!

For those who are using the Unity 4 beta, an update of EasyRoads3D for Unity 4 is available. I will send it by email upon request...

 

Hey Raoul, I got a couple of questions before I make a decision for purchase :

Is this your official page on Asset Store : http://u3d.as/1Ch (EasyRoads3D Pro by AndaSoft)
It only says "EasyRoad3D Pro", but it seems you have version 1, and 2 and v3 is coming out soon.
So my question is, if I buy that EasyRoad3D Pro now, would I get free update to v3?

Secondly, how fast is "EasyRoad3D Pro" on mobile (iOS)? Do you have the benchmark? (how many milliseconds per frame for simple road or side object... etc), and does occlusion culling work on EasyRoad3D Pro generated geometry?

 

Hi, I actually just replied to your PM with the same question...

In short, Yes, Pro covers all future versions! But regarding the current price in the link http://u3d.as/1Ch, that is the summer sale price, it will not last much longer...

Regarding, performance, EasyRoads3D will not limit you, you can set the road resolution, you can cut the road in segments for both LOD and occlusion culling. You have full control over the instantiated side object type (vegetation, lamp posts, rock formations, etc.). The procedural side object type for which the geometry is dynamically created along a path (walls, fences, etc) does not have the segments option as for roads but you can export to .obj and tweak things according your preferences if necessary.

 

Cool! Thanks for reply. One more question if you don't mind....

Does this work with MAC OSX/iOS? I couldn't find any specific reference about this.. and I was just reading about PlayUp extension for Unity (SketchUp importer for Unity) which seems to have a problem working on OSX due to the it relying on windows .dll extensions. So I am a bit concern about this compatibility issue.

 

Yes, it works both on Windows and iOS and Unity free and Pro. Just test the free version of EasyRoads3D!

 

Hi I bought EasyRoads awhile ago and just started playing with it tonight. I was trying to download the side objects,but I need a serial number. However, I got it from the asset store so I'm not sure what to do to get the side objects. Could you help me.

 

Yeah so...I have my side objects activated and turned on with everything and they never show up....ever.

 

@Shigidy, have a look for the _readme file in the main EasyRoads3D folder of the imported package!

@Z31NA2T, Can you double check if the side objects are actually activated for any of the markers of your road object. When you click "Build Side Objects" after deforming the terrain and building the final road, the markers will become visible again. If you select a marker you will see that instead of showing the default marker properties in the Inspector, it will now display side object specific properties. You can select one of the activated side object form the drop down and (among others) control the active state for this side object on the selected marker. Does this help? You may also check the demo project to see how side objects are setup.

 

I have another problem I just ran into after test running my game.....the terrain shows through the road in certain spots. :-\

 

I have seen this happening when marker Y positions are below the terrain Y position. Unity Terrain heights are stored as a decimal between 0 and 1. The final height is calculated by multiplying this decimal with the maximum terrain height value which you can control in the Terrain menu. This means values below 0 are not possible, so if the marker is below the terrain Y position the terrain will pop through the road as it cannot lower the terrain at that position. This may also happen when markers are at the same Y as the terrain and the next marker is significantly higher. The nature of the spline shape is that it will first move slightly downwards between the previous two markers. To fix this, move the marker in between slightly upwards.

Please give more info like terrain settings and screenshots if this does not solve the problem.

 

I can't download the example project or anything because I got my copy off the asset store, so no serial #.

 

Easy Roads is anything but. I mean it can do roads if what you want is a circuit, but "easy" is misleading. You won't be able to do intersections and you will pull your hair out trying to make roads not float. I gave up and decided to revisit road making packages every year or so.