Shorelines

Overview

Below is the general overview on generating shoreline data for landscapes. All island footprints should have one generated so that waves near shore are not huge with high wind.

Atlas Shorelines - How To Setup

Sublevel need to have their shoreline maps created via a console command. This can be done in the editor. Shoreline data is then saved into the level itself. Shorelines generate 2 different sets of data: height field and distance field. Additional console commands exist to clear out this data, or export into PNGs to aid in verification and debugging scenarios.

Creating Shoreline Data

To create shoreline data, load the sublevel and make sure it’s the only sublevel visible. Then, using the console, use this command:

BuildShorelineMaps Level=X, where X is the name of the level (ex: “Isle_A_Mnt”)

Note

Typically we use default settings, but additional parameters can be passed in to modify how the shorelines are created. These are optional and not required, but could be useful for testing and experimentation.

  • ShorelineDepth=N, where N is the Z value where the shoreline is logically at. The default value is 0.
  • MaxDepthForWaveDampening=N, where N is a positive number that describes the maximum depth where wave dampening takes place. Default value is 3000.
  • MaxDistanceToShore=N, where N is a positive number that describes maximum distance from shore which impact the distance field created for the shorelines. Default value is 2000.
  • MaxWorldDimension=N, where N is the maximum size of the world in unreal units. Default value is 600000.
  • MaxTextureDimension=N, where N is the maximum texture size used by shoreline maps. Default value is 4096.

Removing Shoreline Data

To remove shoreline data from a sublevel, enter the following on the console:

RemoveShorelineMaps Level=X, where X is the name of the level (ex: “Isle_A_Mnt”)

Viewing Shoreline Data

To view the data in PNG format, entering the following on the console:

ExportShorelineMaps {Level=X}, where X is the name of the level (ex: “Isle_A_Mnt”). If you don’t specify a level, all sublevels with shoreline data will be exported to PNG files. A dialog to enter the save location will be displayed so you can save them anywhere on your computer.

You can also export at anytime the world’s composite shoreline maps using this command:

ExportWorldShorelineMaps {To=PATH}, where PATH is a location on your PC. This argument is optional, and when not specified the composite world shoreline maps are saved to the games save directory.

Shoreline Maps

The height map is really more like an inverse height map: black is at/above sea level, and white is deepest ocean depth. Here is an example of the world’s composite height map data:

../_images/shoreline01.png

The distance field is black at points farthest from the shoreline, and white at/inside the shoreline. Here is an example:

../_images/shoreline02.png