skin modifier for terrain

[steveblake]

I'm finding Architectural Desktop's Drape Mass Element works well for this - select the splines, define the mesh shape and density and go.

Been thinking there must be a way to do this in Max with the cloth system somehow too...

[instinct]

How the heck does it figure out elevations outside of the contours ?? Or is that a fake illustration ?

anyways. To create a surface from contour splines what's wrong with Terrain Object (for lower res stuff), Lofts (for control), CrossSection+Surface or whatever else there is to create meshes from contours?

Regards,
Thorsten

[steveblake]

Admittedly that's a pretty basic example - the tool appears to continue and aproximate the surface in the general direction of the edge contours. In practice it only works for a short while beyond the border.

Not tried you're other suggestions (yet) - could be they work just as well.

[beestee]

I personally prefer cross section + surface modifiers to the terrain compound object. Not too sure the skin method would be accurate enough in cases where you do have contour lines...but for improvision it would seem perfect! Thanks for the video!

[Sawyer]

I typically create the crappiliciuos terrain and then create a well subdivided plane then use the contour command to create a drapped mesh over the terrain. Then you can delete the terrain and you have access to your quad and you can model it with more precision.

[dlparisi]

I typically create the crappiliciuos terrain and then create a well subdivided plane then use the contour command to create a drapped mesh over the terrain. Then you can delete the terrain and you have access to your quad and you can model it with more precision.

I 2nd this approach. It works very nicely to get a good even terrain that can be edited to hit the buildings correctly and cut up for roads/sidewalks, etc.