ianski

I guess I'm worried that 'a quick algorithm' will actually not be so quick. Also, how easy will it be to use and modify the index buffer? Once I've drawn the terrain I need to be able to modify individual vertices (lowering them, raising them, etc).

Still need help Alright, it seems you can't draw up terrain in 3DS Max very easily. I have a contour map of the landscape I need to draw up and I was going to draw in the contours then use a Terrain feature that should turn the contours into a terrain landscape. Unfortunately, you're not allowed to do that.. you have to use AutoCAD to draw up the contours first. While I'm looking into getting AutoCAD, just how hard is it to write the algorithm needed to read in a heightmap and convert it to a landscape in DX? I'd need to be able to modify the mesh in a specific location (and only that location) to be able to break the trianges down into smaller ones sort of like ROAM does to allow the user to modify the terrain in that spot. Any advice on a plan of attack, please? I'm currently looking for the easiest method that gives me the quickest results... ta :)

I'm looking into getting 3DSM to draw the terrain and texture it and then I'll export that into a .x file to load up with DX. It seems that's the easiest thing to do. Thanks for your help guys.

Alright, ta. Also, which do you think would be easier? Converting a contour map of a surveyed area into a height map and then using an algorithm to draw the heightmap on the screen as a mesh so I can play with the vertices OR converting the contour map into a mesh (using a 3D program like 3DSMax or something) then loading the mesh in?

Dammit! How dare things not already be done for me so I just bum off someone else's work. Oh well, I have to generate this terrain for a thesis of mine so I'm gonna have to do it. Does anyone have any hints, tips, tutorials that'd prove a boon for using VB.net 2003 + DX9 to load a greyscale heightmap into a terrain. It's not large scale, in fact it's rather small scale (50m x 50m real-life) and will be used for a first-person game.

Basically I'm making a *small* (about 50x50m real-life size) piece of landscape. I think the easiest way for me to do this would be to convert the surveyed map of the area (has heights, etc) into a greyscale heightmap. There simply must be a way to say to DirectX "Here is a heightmap, make me some terrain" without the need to work through x and y pixels and calculate z values. If it can't do that, then I must say that Managed DirectX is a little bit silly... heightmaps are so useful.

Heya guys, Does anyone know how to use a height map in Direct X 9? I can't find a single thing whatsoever that's going to help me load a height map into DX :( Oh, by the way, I'm referring to the greyscale style heightmap where you get a greyscale image and load that into a 3D program and it goes wha-la! and makes you your landscape :) Anyone able to help?

Your idea sounds pretty cool, but I don't think it's what I'm looking for. I need to be able to draw a jpg anywhere, any size, with the ability for you to move it around. I also need to be able to write text anywhere on the screen, any size, with the ability to move it around independently to any other text or jpgs. So far what seems to be the most feasible idea is to DrawString some text on the screen, then clear it and draw it again in a new location when it gets moved... I was hoping to get a simple way to make labels truly transparent though :P

If you paint the text direction onto the bitmap, can you then move the text around later? I'm currently letting the user drag the text around to a different location by using a mousedown event and changing the co-ordinates of the label. With the panel idea, the text may be going off of the bitmap (and perhaps overlapping onto a different one) so I think this one might be a bit difficult to pull off. Thanks for your help!

Hello all, I'm stuck on a problem with VB .net 2003. In VB6 I used to be able to set the background colour of labels to be transparent, but now in .net it seems you can't do it properly. The help doc for the .net framework says you can set the transparency of a label okay, but "This will allow the background image to show through, but it will not be transparent in regard to other controls." And that's what I'm trying to do! I need to be able to put a label over the top of a bitmap/jpeg picture and have the backcolor of the label be completely transparent so you can see the image. Anyone have any ideas what I can do? Thanks, Ian.