Landscape size problems

[todes]

Hello,

I’m running into some problems that I hope can be fixed with you’re help.

I’m currently working on a 3d render of a big landscape and want to subtract a number of ditches from a terrain. The tutorials have been very helpful until now,

I used a cad height map to create a terrain (layered),

And I have both poly lines and shapes of the ditches

When I use the shape merge to subtract the ditches the comp crashes

I tried making a Boolean but that messes up my landscape

 

Upgrading the comp would be the obvious choice but is not possible at the moment (not my decision)

 

Is it useful to break up the landscape in to small(er) bits and merge them?

Is making the terrain by hand (exporting each height from cad) a good option or just a lot of work?

 

Thanks a lot for you’re help

[todes]

hello all,

 

I'm sorry to see no replies so i will just update the post with the new problem that i'm running in to. i disided to scale down my landscape and work in parts. this has great efects on the speed so that is fixed how ever now i have problems with diapairing faces during the modifing proces. in the first image you see the landscape produced by 3d max from cad lines when i put a shape merge over it half of the landscape diapairs pic two (you can just see one edge of the ditches) when i try to use boolean i make a editable mesh of it (this go's fine) but as soon as i put the boolean over it the landscape distors again. what can i do to fix it !!!

 

thanks a lot

[todes]

image1 baasic landscape

 

image 2 landscape with shape merge

 

image 3 landscape with boolean

[Cad64]

What are your computer specs?

How big is this terrain? Poly count?

 

You don't really have a choice when it comes to this stuff. If you want to work on big projects you've got to have a computer that can handle it. Scaling your model and trying to piece it together and doing all of this extra work is going to cost more in the long run than just spending the money for a decent computer.

 

Boolean will always distort your model. It is the worst tool in Max and should be avoided as much as possible unless you have absolutely no other choice.

 

Shape Merge works in some instances but it's another one that I avoid.

 

You need to import this geometry as one piece, at full scale, so you need a computer that is capable of doing this.

[todes]

first the poly count. 475.000 of the whole landscape model (not to big i know)

the comp specs (i'm not very fam with this) processor x86 6 family model 23 stepping 6 genuinel intel 2992 mhz and 4 gig of virtual memory.

the problem is that every thing here is still running on 32 bit so i'm only using have to comp how ever i have no admin rights so i asked for a upgrade (this will take time)

do you have a good solution for cutting faces or poly lines out of the terrain besides boolean and shape merge

 

thanks a lot for the reply

[Cad64]

A good way to do terrain is to import your AutoCad contours and then use the "Terrain" Compound Object to generate the surface.

[todes]

i guess i have troubles being clear.

i have whole elevation using the terrain in 3d max that is not the problem. i have to subtract a number of lines (canals and ditches) from it when doing this the comp fails

[Cad64]

You have Map 3D, correct? Why don't you just create your contours in that program, including all canals and ditches, and then import that contour map into Max?

[Raudel Solis]

if you can get your hands on a physical black and while elevation map you can create a plane and apply a displace modifier and select your elevation map as the image the modifier uses and then modify the strenght, for this to work properly you must have a decent amount of polygons BUT DO NOT OVERLOAD your system or you will get the messege

"3ds max has run into and error, please save all work and close 3ds max" or 3ds max has encountered and error and needs to close do you want to attempt to save a copy of the scene, though its pointless

ive played with a model once and turned on nurms and set interations to 10 on accident and when it crashed and saved the iterations were still set to 10 so if i reopened it, 3ds max would crash again. so i just used the most recent backup before the crash.

think smart

[Raudel Solis]

3ds max?

if you can get an elevation map, create a plane and apply a displace modifier to it

then use the elevation map as the modifier map, so now just change the strenght value.

plane must have a decent amount of sides/polygons

do not overload your system and use more than needed

[spittle]

You could try using the retopology tools (Max 2010 & higher) to knock up a new lower res surface based on your current geometry. When you're modelling your new mesh it will snap to your current mesh. The tools are pretty easy to use, you can look in the help files. You can make a nice tidy new mesh and can subdivide it too if you need it to be smooth.

[todes]

thanks a lot i fixed the problem using an autocad extension (quickserve) i will try you're option to see if it gives a better result