Search Unity

  1. Megacity Metro Demo now available. Download now.
    Dismiss Notice
  2. Unity support for visionOS is now available. Learn more in our blog post.
    Dismiss Notice

World Building EasyRoads3D v3 - the upcoming new road system

Discussion in 'Tools In Progress' started by raoul, Feb 19, 2014.

  1. ArtyIF

    ArtyIF

    Joined:
    Oct 13, 2014
    Posts:
    36
    And yes, don't forget to fix the "V3 beta package is included" in Version and Purchase Info tab.
     
  2. raoul

    raoul

    Joined:
    Jul 14, 2007
    Posts:
    6,722
    I just double checked, there is no "V3 beta package is included" text on the Free version page. The only thing you can see is the 2 readme files at the bottom of the Package Contents section of which one is the Pro Readme file which will be removed.

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
  3. tasadar

    tasadar

    Joined:
    Nov 23, 2010
    Posts:
    290
    hi, raoul

    when i procedurally add/remove markers to/from the road at run time, the roads and procedural sideobjects uv tiling is changed and that seems like a glitch. how can i add markers at runtime and keep the existing road mesh/tiling unaltered?

    thank you.
     
  4. RizeoftheSummonds

    RizeoftheSummonds

    Joined:
    Nov 5, 2016
    Posts:
    49
    Keep up the outstanding work!
     
    raoul likes this.
  5. raoul

    raoul

    Joined:
    Jul 14, 2007
    Posts:
    6,722
    Hi tasadar,

    I cannot see how this can happen as calculating the uvs is based on the UV tiling value. If this value remains the same after adding / removing markers the results should be the same although I belief the UVs at the end are clamped to 1, ceratinly when connected to crossings. So that may result to a noticable difference on a relatively short road.

    Do you see different results when creating roads at runtime? Can you show an example?

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
  6. tasadar

    tasadar

    Joined:
    Nov 23, 2010
    Posts:
    290
    i pm'ed you a short video link, look carefully at about 11. and 14. secs.
    i do not add any crossing, just adding new markers and calling BuildRoadNetwork.
    thanks.
     
  7. ArtyIF

    ArtyIF

    Joined:
    Oct 13, 2014
    Posts:
    36
    By the way, is the access to the V3 Beta free?
     
  8. raoul

    raoul

    Joined:
    Jul 14, 2007
    Posts:
    6,722
    The v3 beta is part of the Pro version, no need to upgrade once it has replaced v2.

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
  9. raoul

    raoul

    Joined:
    Jul 14, 2007
    Posts:
    6,722
    The changes are minimal. I am pretty sure it is caused by the clamping to 1 but I can see that is not what you want for that particular game concept. I will add an option to switch the clamping off.

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
  10. ArtyIF

    ArtyIF

    Joined:
    Oct 13, 2014
    Posts:
    36
  11. raoul

    raoul

    Joined:
    Jul 14, 2007
    Posts:
    6,722
    On all important pages it is mentioned that the v3 beta is included in the Pro license, which is also mentioned in my reply to your post in which you asked if access is free,

    Your new post above as it arrived in my inbox included this link: http://www.unityterraintools.com/v3.php which also mentions v3 is included in a Pro license. The current link points to the contact page which you can use to contact us if you would like to have access to our website version. This way you have quick access to updates since asset store updates usually take between 5 and 10 days to get approved.

    To summarize: The v3 betas are part of a current EasytRoads3D Pro license and included as a separate package in the asset store import. No need to upgrade once v3.0 is released :)

    Raoul
     
  12. ArtyIF

    ArtyIF

    Joined:
    Oct 13, 2014
    Posts:
    36
    What do you mean by "website version"?
    Plus, in the beginning of the page about V3 it says "v3 Beta 6.7 available - contact us for access". So, I can contact you and get version 3 without buying the Pro license? Or I don't get something?
     
  13. raoul

    raoul

    Joined:
    Jul 14, 2007
    Posts:
    6,722
    The "website version" is the same as the Unity asset store version but available from our server instead of the unity asset store.

    "contact us for access" refers to what I mentioned in my previous post. If you have an EasyRoads3D Pro license and you would like to have access to the website download, then please contact us so we can send the link.

    Hope all this is clear now :)

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
  14. raoul

    raoul

    Joined:
    Jul 14, 2007
    Posts:
    6,722
    @tasadar, this has been added to the API, let me know if you need it urgently.

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
  15. ArtyIF

    ArtyIF

    Joined:
    Oct 13, 2014
    Posts:
    36
    So, I need to own the EasyRoads3D Pro license to test the beta?

    UPD: I mean, to test the website version beta
     
  16. raoul

    raoul

    Joined:
    Jul 14, 2007
    Posts:
    6,722
    On our website there is a download section and a store. That is how it started 7 years ago when there was no asset store yet. You can still purchase on our website. That is the main purpose of the website version.

    But if you get the Pro version on the asset store you can have access to the website version as well. That way you do not have to wait for asset store updates being approved.

    So, again :) yes, you have access to the v3 beta with a Pro license. The final v3 is included in a current Pro license, no need to upgrade. This for both on the asset store as on our website.

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
  17. mike_kennedy989

    mike_kennedy989

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2014
    Posts:
    51
    I am on the beta included with the Asset store version. How do we insert a control point between two other ones?
    I tried P but that isn't working. Also finding putting more than one crossing in can be pretty buggy. The Markers will turn red, but nothing happens when using a second or third crossing.
     
  18. raoul

    raoul

    Joined:
    Jul 14, 2007
    Posts:
    6,722
    Hi Mike,

    The I key is used to insert control points at the mouse position:

    http://unityterraintools.com/EasyRoads3D/v3/html/shortcuts.html

    In what way is adding more than one crossing buggy? How are you adding crossings and what exactly goes wrong in this process?

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
  19. mike_kennedy989

    mike_kennedy989

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2014
    Posts:
    51
    Hi Raoul,
    Thanks for the reply.
    I am not sure I am doing it right but this is how i do it.
    I create two roads and then put their ends close to where I want the Intersection.
    I shift click and intersection to the location I want it. I make all the items the same width.
    Then I draw the end of a road closest to the intersection to the intersection and it snaps into it.
    Works flawlessly with one, with more than one some times it won't work. maybe just restart unity?
     
  20. mike_kennedy989

    mike_kennedy989

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2014
    Posts:
    51
    That page is fantastic, that amount of shortcuts is awesome and great to know about.

    Separate question:

    Is there any way to add thickness to a road?
    I know it should be something that you do with a custom shape or a side object, but we do arch viz and not games and that could be a useful feature.
     
    Last edited: Dec 15, 2016
  21. raoul

    raoul

    Joined:
    Jul 14, 2007
    Posts:
    6,722
    Hi Mike,

    What exactly doesn't work? What goes wrong? Do you get error messages?

    Did you try the Main demo scene, drop X crossings / T crossings in the scene, pull out new roads, connect roads etc.?

    What do you man with that? Are you adjusting crossing widths over and over again for every crossing?

    The first sections of the manual expalin the recommended workflow, create your own scene specific dynamic crossings so they appear in the 3rd tab from the left. That way you can quickly reuse them. The "crossing options" video in the Quick Start section shows this process.

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
  22. raoul

    raoul

    Joined:
    Jul 14, 2007
    Posts:
    6,722
    You can indeed add thickness by using custom connection prefabs. The beta package includes an example. The dynamic crossings system however does not support this yet, that is why it is not active at the moment in the road type settings. It is on the list as one of the first new features to add after the final v3.0 release.

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
  23. Foulancer

    Foulancer

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2014
    Posts:
    4
    Hi raoul,

    EasyRoads 8.3.1
    Unity 5.5.0f3 (and older Versions)

    Procedural Mesh Generation not working as before:
    I've created a standard Terrain, create a simple Road and activated Side Objects.

    Guard Rail:
    GuardRailBroken.PNG Barrier:
    BarrierBroken.PNG
     
  24. raoul

    raoul

    Joined:
    Jul 14, 2007
    Posts:
    6,722
    Hi Foulanger,

    It looks like you upgraded from an earlier beta, before I belief 8.0 or 8.1?

    What I see appears to be related to an earlier change. The source prefab data is rotated 180 degrees on the y-axis resulting in glitches for vertices matching snapped to the same position.

    Can you go to the Side Object manager tab, select these specific side objects one by one, and for each of them open the Mesh Editor Window and Check the Start / End offsets. Drag the blue handles vertically and snap it to the respective Start / End edge geometry like below. Afterwards click Apply. This should also update instances of this side object in the scene.



    Does that help?

    Thanks,
    Raoul

    [Edit] I now see that the side object in your screenshot is the Simple Barrrier while mine is the Concrete Barrier! The idea is the same though. You may also want to toggle on the Smooth Normals checkboxes. I now see these are switched off in the current build Project.
     
    Last edited: Dec 15, 2016
    antoripa likes this.
  25. Foulancer

    Foulancer

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2014
    Posts:
    4
    Hello raoul,

    i deleted the cached EasyRoads unitypackage, then i made a new clean project, downloaded EasyRoads Package and imported EasyRoads3D 8.3.1_unitypackage from Asset store.

    I've snapped the vertices as you said, this resolves the problem with the barrier, but the guard rail is still broken.

    GuardRailBroken.PNG

    GuardRail2.PNG GuardRail3.PNG
     
  26. raoul

    raoul

    Joined:
    Jul 14, 2007
    Posts:
    6,722
    Hello Foulanger,

    I will double check the ERProjectsLog prefab in /Assets/EasyRoads3D/Resources/. Perhaps it is not 100% up to date.

    This is what the guard rail looks like in the build project for the final package:



    Anyway, when using start / end segments on the source object of a procedural side object type like the guard rail, a specific logic must be followed. The system will cut the mesh in pieces. In order to do that the start / end offsets must be positioned so the mesh triangles can be cut in a clean way with no overlapping triangles which is the case in both your screenshots.

    Can you try the below?





    Does that work better?

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
    Last edited: Dec 16, 2016
  27. Foulancer

    Foulancer

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2014
    Posts:
    4
    yeah, thanks, that solved the issue.
     
    hopeful and raoul like this.
  28. raoul

    raoul

    Joined:
    Jul 14, 2007
    Posts:
    6,722
    I Just double checked the package. Indeed the main project side object data for procedural side objects is not up to date in 8.3.1

    Anyone reading this and having similar issues, here is a simple fix that will work if you did not change anything to these specifc side objects yet:

    1. Load /Assets/EasyRoads3D scenes/scene main
    2. select the road network
    3. deselect it
    4. open your scene and select the road network

    These steps will update /Assets/EasyRoads3D/Resources/ERSideObjectsLog which is used to keep side objects between scenes in synch. So it will afterwards also automatically update these side objects in your scene.

    The initial main project side object data will be up to date in the next beta which will be speeded up because of this.

    @Foulancer, thank you very much for reporting this!

    Raoul
     
    Last edited: Dec 16, 2016
    600 likes this.
  29. joe_ftg

    joe_ftg

    Joined:
    Nov 9, 2015
    Posts:
    50
    Hi Raoul

    We often seem to lose our side objects from some roads (but not all). It is a custom side object that we have added.
    When we select the roads that are missing the side object, some of them have the checkbox ticked for the side object, but the side objects only re-appear by unticking and ticking again. Some of them don't have the checkbox ticked, even though we've definitely ticked them all. We keep re-adding, saving, but a day later some of them are missing again.

    Could it be related to the ERSideObjectsLog? This seems to change quite often in our SVN, even though we haven't modified any side objects for some time. We only have one scene with roads in, by the way.

    Cheers, Joe
     
  30. raoul

    raoul

    Joined:
    Jul 14, 2007
    Posts:
    6,722
    Hi Joe,

    When exactly do they disappear? After updating a road? After opening the scene? Do you get error messages?

    One known issue of disappearing side objects is related to instantiated prefabs, usually start / connection /end objects. This is fixed in the next update. A current fix is a reimport of the specific source prefab in the project panel.

    Does "General Settings > Scene Settings > Refresh Road Network" fix the issue?

    The side object data is stored in the scene file, not in ERSideObjectsLog. The side objects in a scene will only update through ERSideObjectsLog if you made schanges to the same side object in another scene, a little bit similar to how unity prefabs work.

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
  31. John3D

    John3D

    Joined:
    Mar 7, 2014
    Posts:
    441
    Hi,

    I want to delete a specific road marker. I click it to select it and then I press SHIFT + R and the entire road is deleted. :(
    Is this the way to delete a specific road marker?
    I'm using V3 Beta 8.3.1

    Thanks!
     
  32. raoul

    raoul

    Joined:
    Jul 14, 2007
    Posts:
    6,722
    Hi John,

    Shift + R will only delete the selected markers. Can you check that on a temporary road? Were all markers selected (displayed with green handles)?

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
  33. John3D

    John3D

    Joined:
    Mar 7, 2014
    Posts:
    441
    I've tried it again and now it's working. I think there might be some bugs when you go back and forward between these options: Back to Edit Mode < > Build road. I'm using Unity 5.4.3f1 (64-bit) on WIN10
     
  34. raoul

    raoul

    Joined:
    Jul 14, 2007
    Posts:
    6,722
    The markers that are deleted when doing SHIFT + R is the same array used to display these markers in green. If only one marker is green, only one marker will be deleted. I cannot see how switching back to Edit Mode can have an affect on this? For sure not all markers are green when you select one marker after switching back to Edit Mode.

    Neither has this specifc behaviour been reported before. Could you keep and eye on this and let me know when this happens again?

    When you hit the S key after selecting one marker, all markers will be selected and displayed in green. Could this have happened?

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
  35. John3D

    John3D

    Joined:
    Mar 7, 2014
    Posts:
    441
    It's possible to have hit the S key. I'll keep an eye on this. Thanks for the explanation.
    I'm very happy with the purchase of this Asset! :D
     
    raoul likes this.
  36. virror

    virror

    Joined:
    Feb 3, 2012
    Posts:
    2,963
    Hello, just bought this tool cause it looks awesome : )
    I would like to (among other things) use this to create a river, how can i use this together with Aquas water asset? Can this tool generate the actual river plane mesh or does it only create the mesh in the terrain?

    Edit: Kind of got it to work, but the river looks kind of squashed, anyone elese tried to get this to work with Aquas?
     
    Last edited: Dec 19, 2016
  37. raoul

    raoul

    Joined:
    Jul 14, 2007
    Posts:
    6,722
    Hi virror,

    Thank you!

    We have not tried this with Aquas yet. Can Aquas be used on a single mesh? Does it require a specific UV layout? You can use several UV layouts for Shape Type of side objects.

    How did you set this up? Did you drag the Aquas prefab to the Target Object slot in the Inspector just like the WaterBasicDayTime prefab example in the main scene?

    Thanks,
    Raoul

    [Edit] The next beta will have some improvements to shape type of side objects, more control over terrain snapping and creating, for example, smoother river beds.
     
    Last edited: Dec 19, 2016
  38. joe_ftg

    joe_ftg

    Joined:
    Nov 9, 2015
    Posts:
    50
    Thanks for your fast response. We haven't been modifying the roads recently so it seems to be when opening a scene. Refresh Road Network does not help, and I haven't noticed any error messages, but hopefully the fix you mention will address the issue.

    Cheers, Joe
     
  39. virror

    virror

    Joined:
    Feb 3, 2012
    Posts:
    2,963
    What i did was to just drag the Aquas river material to the "road" material after generation, and it kind of works but it looks a bit distorted somehow, i think maybe Aquas needs some specific UV layout as you say, but i dont really know. This was on V2 btw, i can try V3 as well if that could change anything?
     
  40. raoul

    raoul

    Joined:
    Jul 14, 2007
    Posts:
    6,722
    Can you have a look at the AQUAS prefab, does it include scripting components etc.?

    In v3 you can assign this prefab as the target object. This prefab, including script components and materials, will be used to generate the river surface.

    You can do something similar in v2, drop the AQUAS prefab in the scene, export the generated mesh surface to a mesh asset and assign this mesh asset to the meshfilter of the AQUAS prefab.

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
  41. virror

    virror

    Joined:
    Feb 3, 2012
    Posts:
    2,963
    Well there is a prefab for the water plane, so i guess i could just make one for the river as well, and since i just started i have no issues trying v3 as well, will do that. Thanx . )
     
  42. virror

    virror

    Joined:
    Feb 3, 2012
    Posts:
    2,963
    Trying to generate a river using v3, but its seriously more confusing than using v2 : p
    I dont even know where to start? In v2 you added a river object, is this removed in v3? No mention of rivers in the docs either. Can someone give me a few pointers to get me started?
     
  43. raoul

    raoul

    Joined:
    Jul 14, 2007
    Posts:
    6,722
    V3 does not have a dedicated river object. You can simulate it using the Shape type of side object, one for the river surface and one to add the riverbed to the terrain object. The main demo scene includes an example.You can see the setup in the side objects manager. While it may take more to setup it is more flexible. You can create custom riverbed shapes.

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
    Last edited: Dec 19, 2016
  44. raoul

    raoul

    Joined:
    Jul 14, 2007
    Posts:
    6,722
    Hi Joe,

    Ok, the fix I mentioned is related to start / connection / end objects, this issue does not raise any errors, it is related to the source mesh in the project folder. It is either this or I would think it would raise either an error message message or an EasyRoads3D warning. The next build will also include an optimization related to adding new side objects in the side object manager and adding these new side objects to existing roads in the scene. But this dosn't seem related to what you wrote. If you have more details, please let me know.

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
  45. Artomiano

    Artomiano

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2014
    Posts:
    200
    Hi raoul,

    a couple of weeks ago you wrote about new upcoming tutorials and documentation. You said, you have to work on these helping documents instead of making a "real final version" of ER3. So, let me ask you: Can you give us some time frame, when we get it? Some - actual - tutorials and docs about typical types of construction types would be nice and helpful... for us all. ;) Some of the tut videos are a bit old...
     
  46. raoul

    raoul

    Joined:
    Jul 14, 2007
    Posts:
    6,722
    Hi Tom,

    "Instead of making a real final version" I am not sure if I said that, or perhaps I used different words? I probably wrote that v3 by itself is about ready and that most work currently is put in the new demo project which will also be used for tutorials. When that is done, v3.0 will be released.

    The demo project by itself takes a lot of time as well, and meanwhile the tool itself is further optimized. It is hard to give a time frame. I think most of us have experienced to some extend that finishing something often takes longer then anticipated beforehand... It could be a couple of weeks, it could be longer. Last week another step has been completed on the shader front with pbr support. I am also still improving / optimising the tool itself.

    I think the videos on the Quick Start page still give a fairly accurate idea of how v3 works, which videos are a bit old?

    The new demo project will have areas highlighted showcasting specific features, tutorials will be available for each highlighted area.

    Could you give an example of the above? Or a list of tutorials you like to see.

    I very much understand that more tutorials are needed hence what I am doing at the moment preparing the scenes for that. The tool is fairly comprehensive, you can do a lot of different things with it. The downside of that usually is that a learning curve is involved and tutorials/docs will help with that.

    Meanwhile please ask if something is unclear or if you like to know what the best way is to achieve something specific.

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
  47. Artomiano

    Artomiano

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2014
    Posts:
    200
    Hi raoul,

    just to mention: I do not want to spread any hustle and bustle! :oops:

    Yeah, this is clear, for sure. ;) That wasn't the point I would talk about... This should be a rough reproduction of your words - not an exact cite. I know the told workflow. It's all clear.

    Yes, yes... it is already okay.

    I remember that you said this yourself (some supportmail).

    This is the point I'm wait'n for.

    The main reason I ask is that I really wanted to get "really" started when basic and updated tutorials are available. Then I would not have to spend so much time on trial and error. I do not like to use so much time when it does not have to be. ;)


    Sure, what about bridges? How can I create procedural bridges? Are there any "bridge templates" or examples how to set up and change some bridge styles?
     
  48. raoul

    raoul

    Joined:
    Jul 14, 2007
    Posts:
    6,722
    No problem :)

    I don't think I am very likely to refer to the current videos as old/outdated. Usually I use the words "provisional videos" clearly stipulating that these are quick beta videos to get you started. The final tutorial videos will follow.

    These videos are very much usable, you may now and then not see a control which was added in a later stage but the docs are up to date.

    It is not that v3 has a specific dedicated bridge tool. Bridges can be created using the side object system which will also give you the freedom to create your own unique bridge styles.

    The current beta package includes a demo scene. You will see three roads with bridges. Two of them are procedural bridges following the road shape and one of them is a mesh prefab based bridge.

    You can look in the side object manager to see the setup of the bridges. Adding a bridge to a road is a matter of activating that side object for that road and activating it for the marker(s) where you want to position the bridge. Optionally you can use the start / end offsets to fine tune the position. This can also be done in Build Mode which will give you a clearer idea of the final terrain deformation. You can quickly review / test all this in the demo scene.

    The mesh type of bridge is also explained in the docs because it includes additional controls in the side object manager.

    Another way of doing bridges is by using custom prefabs, the highway overpass examples. The bridge geometry is actually part of the road itself. A side object is used for the pillars.

    Let me know if you have further questions.

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
  49. raoul

    raoul

    Joined:
    Jul 14, 2007
    Posts:
    6,722
    Beta 8.3.2 is now available for download on our website

    Among others, this update includes the following fixes:

    - The side object examples are now up to date and will work well in your own scenes without having to load the Main demo scene first.

    - "Terrain Deformation" checkbox changes for the selected road not automatically updating the road.

    - Disappearing Start / Connection / End prefabs on Shape and Procedural side objects after updating a road.

    - The triangulation issue in 8.2 and 8.3.1 for "road" types like the rail road example where triangles were also created between the left and right rail.

    Furthermore “Snap to terrain” for shape type of side object nodes has been replaced for “Terrain Snap Weight” accepting values between 0 and 1. This can be used to create shapes smoothly connecting to the terrain. The below example is a 5 marker segment using the new 8.3 Bumpiness feature. On the sides the shape smoothly connects to the terrain which is flat, no terrain deformation involved. This can be used to create similar tracks for mobile games on a simple flat plane but it can also be used to procedurally create terrain detail meshes exactly following the road and smoothly connecting and blending with the terrain.

    This example uses a single material with a sand / gravel texture for the track itself blending on the sides with the terrain using the same splatmap as the terrain.

    ERBikeTrack.jpg



    This is the schedule for 3.0:

    - I Connector: The v3.0 implementation will be simple, it can be used to split a road in pieces at which point you can also use different materials. Both features have been requested frequently. This will be further extended in 3.x to support different types of lane changes or for example add more complex crosswalks.

    - General Settings > Preferences, with options to control the Inspector layout. I think this will be useful for, for example, the road settings which has become a little bit crowded. It will be possible to split the segments in tabs.

    - Complete the demo project. This is a matter of finishing several road textures, a couple of custom connection prefabs and side objects. To push the release it will not include everything on the list but it will showcast all the features. More will follow in v3.x

    - A first new tutorial covering the general workflow and functionality. Feature specific tutorials will follow quickly afterwards. Please let me know if you special wishes. Meanwhile please check the provisional beta tutorials and please ask if you have questions.

    And, as always, please backup your project first before importing the update :)

    The asset store update has been submitted as well and will hopefully be available shortly.

    Thanks,
    Raoul
     
    Last edited: Dec 22, 2016
    recon0303, antoripa, mikko_to and 4 others like this.
  50. Mazak

    Mazak

    Joined:
    Mar 24, 2013
    Posts:
    226
    Raoul,
    Thank you for your work on this project. I was able to spend some time today and get my transport tube working!

    upload_2016-12-28_14-56-1.png