246 replies to this topic

[NoPutt]

So you've read all the Course Forge topics and post, and figure

you're ready to download Unity 3d and start creating your masterpiece.

While the loading progression bar moves slowly to 100% you're imagining

a long par 5, with a dog-leg left, and a creek that crosses the fairway that's

lined with tall pines and.....DING!  Unity 3d opens and you find yourself

staring into the grey blank window that's surrounded by (not tall pines) an

array of buttons you have never seen except for File/Exit.

Well have no fear, (I Hope), PP is a community with all the answers

and online 24/7 when you've fallen and can't get up.

 

I'll start with the first Unity Beginner question...

 

I started by using Shimonkos Terrain Starter Tool,

I was able to texture the terrain using a unity grass texture.

Now I wanted to paint in some humps, and bumps on the

terrain, so I selected the first brush with the mountain icon

and moved my pointer to the terrain. From what I've read I am

supposed to see a blurry blue spot and when left clicking and

holding while dragging over the terrain, the humps should appear.

Could someone guide me through my first daunting Unity task?

Don't hold back, I can take bad news fairly well.

 

[Keith]

Try this tutorial.  It is free and a really good learning tool IMO.  Good luck.

 

https://www.udemy.co...nmental-series/

[NoPutt]

Thanks Keith, I'll have a look right away.

I'm sure there are hopefully many who have beginner

questions like me, and I'm quite sure the learning goes

 into the infinite realm.

I'm also sure I'll be asking many more questions, but for

now your link should keep me busy.

[Dvillalo]

     Did not want to create a new topic so thought id ask here. I love this game already, but someone who is coming from the ease of creating courses in TGC, creating one here sounds like it's going to be more difficult. I'm reading topics about creating files, exporting the files, photoshop, etc.

     So I guess what I'm asking is this. Is unity and course forge needed to create courses? Is course forge going to have a pretty easy process to create courses? I'm a bit confused on how courses will be made. Thanks.    

[NoPutt]

The short answer is Yes. I sort of regret starting this topic, as going

back into the CF topics provided most of the answers. If you choose to

continue your quest into Unity and CF I would suggest reading

this very forum first. If you do not find your answers, then hopefully

you will post your questions here as I am sure I will in the days and weeks and months

to come.

[NoPutt]

Been playing about with Unity and have been

able to create a terrain and paint hills and textures.

My question is, how do I save my terrain settings?

I have tried Save Project, Save Scene, Save Scene As,

but when I go back to the Project/Scene my work is there

but the Terrain Settings have gone back to default.

Thanks for any help, this is gonna be a blast.

[Kablammo11]

I don't quite understand what you mean by your terrain settings having reverted to default? Is your terrain flat again? Could you be a bit more specific? 

If you save your scene (or your project), basically through the same "Save" functionality as in any other software, your work should be overwritten and stored without a problem. 

You also can export the height map of your terrain (the 3D information of the terrain contours "translated" into a grayscale image file) by exporting a RAW file.

 

Hello Dvillalo, CF is a bit more complex than your TGC course creation tool. In return, it offers you a lot more design options. Yes, Unity and CF are required. It's not going to be a "pretty easy process" to create courses, it's more going to be a "not really difficult process".

[NoPutt]

Thank You K11, I just did a bit more Unity Practice to test

the Save Project/Save Scene buttons. I exited Unity and

launched again and this time my terrain settings remained.

I'm not sure how they were not saved before, but then again

I am brand spanking new to Unity.

I know this may seem like an obscure question but would you

mind explaining how to post a pic in here? I would like to

show you my first work which is very impressive....not.

Thanks again.

[Kablammo11]

Best way for you is to register at a picture share website (you can post and share images locally, but that sux)

I recommend and use myself imgur.com

I recommend to not use photobucket  - they do not allow to post full size images.

 

Once registered, you can drag and drop your images for storage in there. 

To post them here

1. Open your image in imgur
2. Click on the "Direct Link" option to the right of the image to copy a link
3. Open the PP/CF thread you want to post in and select a reply
4. Inside that reply, click once on the little photo icon in the top bar - white frame, green center
5. Paste your imgur link into the dialogue window that opens 
6. Post your reply. Done.

 

Whatever happened to "Never mind, I'll take a couple of minutes to find this stuff out by myself..", I wonder?

[Stephen Sullivan]

Whatever happened to "Never mind, I'll take a couple of minutes to find this stuff out by myself..", I wonder?

A phrase my Nan used to use comes to mind. "Why have a dog and bark yourself"  

[NoPutt]

You both are correct in my apparent lack of info gathering skills.

From henceforth I shall exhaust every ounce of  searching

before any slothful inquiries.

I overheard my Grandpa say to my Nan..." That boys as lost as a goat in high grass"

[IanK]

I too loaded up Unity a while ago so I could have a play, but as I have no experience with this type of tool I found it quite bewildering.
It will come as a shock to many that it will be quite a task, and time consuming to build your own course. I know the courses on TGC all look quite similar but they have done a great job in bringing course designing to the masses and I'm sure that many people will now have a taste for it, and will move up to Course Forge and Terrain Forge, where the design possibilities are greater and more varied.

[NoPutt]

I wasn't shocked or bewildered by Unity. It's just new to me and I find

learning it to be quite fun. It's a journey to see and find new things, not

a short trip in a familiar neighborhood.

[IanK]

I wasn't shocked or bewildered by Unity. It's just new to me and I find
learning it to be quite fun. It's a journey to see and find new things, not
a short trip in a familiar neighborhood.

I didn't say that everyone will be bewildered, but for the majority I think that it will appear involved and complicated and probably won't be tempted. Many people on this forum seem to have a background with Links and so probably won't be put off. I'm talking about the more 'casual' user.

[NoPutt]

Of course it's involved, even designing for LINKS is involved, and actually

designing with the APCD is much more involved than Unity.

Yes, I am frustrated with Unity, but each day I learn and keep

trying. Course Design comes later for me, for now I am content

with learning the Unity tools and how to use them.  It is quite

a task, and will be time consuming.

I am not arguing your points, only pointing out that if it's

desired it can be achieved.

[IanD]

Good to see you continue with the learning curve Sir..!

 

Personally, I found Unity far more complicated and simpler than the APCD lol... there are elements from both that will appear easier, and harder in the latter though. The seam blending is alot easier in Unity.. although perhaps less specific and accurate. Raising and lowering the terrain is far easier in unity than the APCD, but again, you can be quite detailed in certain areas within the APCD. So, the process has been simplified alot within Unity...  but does have the detail within the program, once mastered, to learn new tricks too.

 

I love the way CF integrates, and I'm a huge Layer Library fan. I wish I could share that better with you... suffice to say, for me, it's the best part of CF. But the beauty of Unity too, allowing so many additional elements, means there is likely something for everyone to master, from the SKY to the smallest blade of grass....

[NoPutt]

Thanks Ian,  I have followed your Unity/CF post, (actually I had to go back

and read all the CF forum), and have been amazed with your work. I especially

liked the pics you posted showing your struggles with a bulkhead around a tee box.

In the end it turned out superb. There was also one of a stone entrance I believe,

that was also very nice.

Good to see ya, and I'll keep swinging at those curves.

[IanD]

Thanks my friend..!

 

That course (Aston CC) still resides on my backup HD awaiting the restart soon. I haven't fogotten the enjoyment I felt when something worked... that sense of achievement. It's a little like using Photoshop sometimes, there is always and often, a better way of acheiving what you are aiming to accomplish. You simply haven't discovered it today... but tomorrow will blow you away.

[flogster]

Great questions and answers. I'm very comfortable with APCD, as well. But, I'm intrigued with the possibilities of the Unity/CF combination.  I've been messing around with Unity for a few day's now and "shaping the terrain" seems much easier in Unity. Where as, the "planting" of trees, shrubs and grasses, so far, for me, is easier in APCD. In terms of "sky" I have not gotten into the "Skybox" of Unity yet but I'm sure selecting a sky in APCD is easier as well.

This brings me to a question I've searched far and wide and haven't found and answer.

As I said, I'm messing around with shaping topography, painting textures, importing and painting grasses, trees and shrubs (and I can see this will be much easier than APCD). Anyway, my question is:

What is or where is the "scale"? The terrain is, 1200 X 1200. 1200 what?

I've been working on "proportional relationships" for now. But, sooner or later I'm going to want to know that a hole 400 yards and a tee box's elevation is 10' or a green is 15' above the fairway landing area.

I'm sure CF will have the "Tape Measure" and the "Site Line" tools similar to APCD. But, is there something in Unity that gives scale, other that the "Characters"?

[shimonko]

Unity is in metres.

 

There are a few ways of getting a sense of scale in Unity: In addition to putting in characters, you can texture your terrain with a grid pattern, you can pop on a 10x10x10m cube (or whatever) and drag it around for reference, you can create a 400mx20m plane in a few clicks to use as a fairway template, texture it with a ruler pattern if you like, or even make your own templates for par 3s, 4s and 5s with common tee, fairway and green sizes. Unity doesn't have a tape measure tool built in, but until CF is released, the Unity asset store will likely have one.

 

CF does indeed have a tape measure and it can display yards or metres, and shows both rise and run.