One of kind poly tools for 3dsmax for terrain modeling
|Quickly make roads on the terrain
|Accurately present level defference
|Reasonable ,graceful topology
|Easy to make fine correction
License Server for TerrainAxe is a program running in host PC ,with which you can run TerrainAxe on multiple PCs in a same local network.The number of PCs that can run TerrainAxe is the number of licenses.Once you start License Server you can active TerrainAxe on client PC.
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Many users are used to learn one by one all tools of a software ,but it is not really a good idea,because even though you can manipulate all tools,but you will be puzzled, you don't still know when and how and where to use them ,and don't know why the tools exist.
As we know, terrain landscape modeling is a very hard work,it is not like surface modeling which can use few control points to control complex modeling,and not like building modeling which can be freely pick a part of entire model to modify ,because it is generally regular .Terrain landscape modeling need often disruptive modification on terrain.For example,you are going to make roads on terrain,where are you begin?Use boolean and comform deform object as before? Another example,if your modeling has been completed ,but you need to hack a clearing from terrain to place a building by the side of the road ,which tool will you first call in mind? Some users generate curb,sideway and stone paving ,but roads are still flat,how to do after ajusting level difference of roads? how to do in next connecting work to terrain?
So ,it is impossible to modeling for terrain landscape as modeling for other type of scense,we need a new completely different idea to guide us to find an efficent workflow,which can avoid plenty of unusful jobs.The peculiarity of terrain landscape modeling decide there is only one workable thread,which has been write in the article MAIN THREAD OF MODELING TERRAIN LANDSCAPE .It is a very important arcticle. It is very necessary to read the arcticle before learn TerrainAxe. The thread is the most direct and efficient we can find,because of which every tool exist.Follow the thread to search tools you desired and understand them,thus you can freely use TerrainAxe .
Why use a software like Civil3D to modeling terrain landscape?Maybe somebody ask.It is really a powerful software,but first of all,this type of automate software need complete data ,but the data we can have is generally insufficent;Also we have many individuation requirements,which can be solved by ajust data or parameters.Only preparing many individe tools to let users freely combinate them can meet our defferent requirements,this is also the time to show the power of TerrainAxe.
Hope everyone who is interested in TerrainAxe can realize earlier the value of the software.
A tutorial and its 3dsmax file were also provided,Basic Tutorial---Make Roads Through Terrain.
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change all geometries's wirecolor to Black.
Clear selection,if current selected object is in sub-object object level , will switch to object level and deselect
Copy selected objects.
Paste objects stored by Copy tool to the scene,if right-click in view,the new objects will retain their origin positions .If left- click in the scene,the new objects will move to new position.
Delete the objects that have not any
Quickly Import dwg file.
Set pivot of each selected object to it's bottom center.
Snap a point and set it as current object's pivot.
Connect two selected vertices of a spline shape.
Flatten all selected spline shapes.
Free to draw spline shape.
Base on allowed min distance and curvatures of each segments to subdivide selected spline shapes.
Explode selected object,if Editable poly,then detach each element as a single object;if splineshape ,will detach each spline.
Move selected objects from one point snapped to another one.
Move each selected object along z-axis to ground surface .
Move each selected object along z-axis and normal align to ground surface.
Rotate selected objects like in AutoCAD,Snap first point as rotation center,second point with first define start angle,snap third point with first as rotation end.
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ClearMidVts | AdvClearMidVts |
SnapZ | ZMove | SnapToP |
MoveOnDir | FlattenEdges | RightAgl |
ClearChoasEgs |
Find extreme narrow polygons and select them.
Select those vertices that make surface looks dark.
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DON'T COPY the installation package into the root folder of 3dsmax or SYSTEM driver,you should place it in a safer place.
The name of the folder for storing the package don't start with lowercase x ,n,t or r.
Don't delete the package after installing TerrainAxe.
Drag and Drop UIMan.ms in TerrainAxe package into 3ds max(Or click menu MaxScript->run script to choose the UIMan.ms file ).
Dialog UIMan
Click"TheAxePath" button ,choose "AxeRoot" folder from the package ,then click "Install" to complete installation.
Set hotkeys Select"Customize->Customize user interface" command from 3dsmax menu , in the "Keyboard" tab , pick "TheAxeTools" from the "Category ",you will find all commands of TerrainAxe .
Set "License Type" to "Web" for the official version ,to "trial" for the trial version
Click "Active" button in UIMan, enter your email, password of your account and the product code(for offical users), then click "Activate" button to complete activation, close the activation dialog.
Activate Trial version
Activate official Version
If encounter errors on installing,please check options below:
For 3ds max 9 and 2012,you need install sp2 .
Don't place TerrainAxe at a network location.
If can't click buttons on TerrainAxe UI,please change current theme of windows 7 to classic theme.
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Tools used to create objects for scene,such as roadlines,advArray
AutoCAD style User customized space(UCS) tool,you can use the tool to built any work space you want .
UCS
Advanced Array tool,which can clone objects in EQUAL distances from each other.
Pick object used to clone,whose children will be also cloned if has.
Pick section splineShape used to sweep along path.
the distance between neighbour cloned objects.
Sharp angle.If encounter sharp corner small than the angle in the path , the array will be begin again.
Distance from the first cloned object to starting point of the path.
Distance form the last cloned object to ending point of the path.
Distance the cloned object offset form the path.
AdvArray
StoreSection |
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Original,Ring UVMap tools is simply for curve road UV mapping,and then their applications extends to curb,flower terrace and wall etc.The common features of this kind of model is that ,a path and a section can be found through their topology,and the same model can be re-create with loft compound object or sweep modifier.
the path and the section of a curve road | the path and section of a curb |
Broken section construct line | Right topology |
The UI is used to ajust UV data for UVPave,PaveNoTear,PaveWall.You can also get UV data from selected faces to change width of UV ,move or rotate map verties
AjustUV
Boosted version of RingMap,which can pass through the polyon more than 4 sides,and get directly ring edges from edge or face selection without storing anything.It's a one key tool and can be used to do big amount UV mapping job.
Tip:If select one vertex at one end of road before apply "PaveUV", the vertex will be as the origin of UV coordinate.
Options for PaveUV
No checking any option | Full | BySide |
Add | Add with Back |
The tool is used to fix the problem of distorted texture .The vertices will tear the texture on modle because of curve along the path.You may be have noticed the model created by loft or sweep.Generally,the distortion can be ignored,but can't when sharp corners do exist.
Before apply PaveNoTear | After Apply PaveNoTear |
The map vertices UV of wall polygon strips is different from previous UV pavings ,wall texture should keep texture level ,such as brick texture.PaveWall was designed for this situation and work in a manner similar with PaveUV.
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Easy to use and quickly cutting tools,help you rapidly construct the topology for your model.
CutPerToEdge | CutByDir | CutByAgl |
Cut2Egs | Cut2Verts | InsertX |
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RoundVerts tools not only round vertices ,but also optimize poly object by decreasing or increasing the number of vertices .Usually ,road net is turned from spline shape, the number of vertices in corners maybe insufficient or too many,you often need to keep a balance between number vertices and accuracy.With RoundVerts tools ,you don't worry about the steps in shape-editing stage.
A RoundVerts tool with UI,you can manually input parameters such as the number of vertices and the radius of an Arc .This tool provide 3 methods to control how to round vertices:
RoundVerts
the arc of vertices tangent to one edge.
the arc through three points, two is the positions of two end vertices,one is a point snapped,moving mouse can change arc radius.
Below 3 RoundVerts tools is all one-key, more powerful and very rapid, which use more efficent methods to round verts,can auto figure out radius of arc and how many verts should be remained.
Number of Vertices on an arc is controled via "SegsVsArc" under "Manager".For arcs with same degree,the bigger the radius ,the more vertices are needed.So I defined a table to describe the mapping relation:Radius versus degree that each segment of Arc occupy,thus the vertices number on an Arc will be gotten via interpolation.
If you need more vertices,you can follow steps blow:
Then the change will be applied to Auto RoundVerts tools and Piece poly.
The video below show the operating.
Control Number of Vertices
Make road have a smooth transition from one elevation to anther elevation ,at same time keep road cross-section up-right without tilt . TerrainAxe give you several methods to control how to smooth your road. Before you use this tools ,you need to select a part of border of your road.Maybe you also need to set several elevation for key verts and select them.
This tool has a Graphic UI,you can import road data to control curve,ajust curve shape to the road appearence you desired ,then export curve information to road.If you need more effcient methods ,you can use below SmoothRoad tools.
weld vertices to edges?Yes,Easy to join polygons together,eliminate the seams difficult to observe.
Weld1VertToEg | Weld2VertsToEg | weld_X |
WeldVtsToEgs | SuperWeld |
Weld a part of continuous vertices to selected border.
Select multi vertices ,the tool will search the nearest edge (if within distance threshold) for each vertex and weld them together.
Select two edges and one vertex of one of the edges,the vertex will be weld to the intersection of two edges.
Run [AxeSetting] in Manager Category ,[AxeToolSetting] Dialog will appear,as shown in the below pic.The options in [WeldtoEdge] Group will control how the vertex is welded to selected edge(s)
Project vertices of ground surface onto picked road surface.the projected vertices is what are overlapped with road watched from top view.
ConformToRoad | ProjToFace |
BBoxToTerrain | ExtendVerts |
MoveVerts_toGround | PlaneBy3P(ZAlign(3P)) |
Plane_ByVerts | Plane_ByNormal(ZAlign(Face)) |
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Tools be used to create polygon,such as curb of a road,stairs,polygons by piece shapes
FreePoly | DragPoly | ShapeEdge |
CapEdges |
Create crossroads with overlapped faces of two roads.Radius of every corners can be changed.
AppendPoly | Resample |
Quickly create stairs for landscape,whose work way is very simple and free,you can just snap 2 or 4 points to easily create a stair,or turn selected quad polygons to stairs with preference settings .
Use two points as start edges ,or two additional points as end edges to create stair.The points can be from selected vertices or points snapped with mouse.Also,you can create multi-stage free stair which mean there will a platform every specified number of steps.
FreeStair02 |
Obviously,FreeStair is not enough if you have too many stairs ,such as hundreds of stairs to build,you can first build stairs to quad-like polygons,which mean the number edges can be bigger than 4,then use the powerful tool to turn them to stairs one time.
FaceToStairs00 | FaceToStairs01 |
1.Create stair with style lines which can be splines or inner edges of selected faces of polygon 2.Pave steps along a curve path.
Create Stair by parallel splines | Create Stair by split polygons |
Pave stair along a curve |
CapStairSides |
Splines interlaced with each other will form many closed areas,the process extracting these closed areas as poly faces is called PiecePoly.
The powerful tools is a great resolution to create seamless joined polygons, operating is also very simple.An UI control is also offered which be used to decide the number of vertices how to change with arc radius.
PieceShapes
Piece_ControlNumVerts | PieceGround |
PieceExtend |
Big amount of curbstone creating tool.Actually,it can loft any shape of cross-section,which extrude a cross-section along underlying paths in a way similar to loft or sweep modifier, but can always keep the cross-section up-right and level without twisting.The underlying paths can be continuous edges,splines or NURBS curves, the procedure can auto select the right side of edge to sweep.
There are three situation for different cross-section.
Curb | Stair | StoreSection |
Sweep_Belt | Sweep_CustomSection |
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