Sculpting Terrain

In this chapter, we will delve into the world of smooth terrain modeling in Roblox Studio, also known as Voxel Terrain. This allows you to create beautiful and realistic landscape environments for your games. With the help of various sculpting tools found in the Terrain Editor area, you can easily manipulate the terrain and apply different materials to it.

We will be using three different methods to create our terrain. First, we’ll use the Terrain Generator tool; then, we’ll use Heightmap; and finally, we’ll hand-sculpt our landscape with the help of the Part to Terrain plugin. By the end of this chapter, you will have the knowledge and expertise to quickly create stunning landscapes that you can sculpt and adapt to suit your game’s needs.

To that end, we will cover these recipes in this chapter:

• Generating large biomes
• Creating large terrain landscapes from scratch
• Stamping terrain with heightmap images
• Modifying...

Technical requirements

For this chapter, you will need the latest version of Roblox Studio downloaded (at the time of writing, this is version 594).

In this chapter, we will be working with Terrain Editor and its tools to create large landscapes of voxel terrain. Open it by navigating to the Home tab and selecting Editor. You will also need to download the Heightmap image, which can be found in the Chapter 3 folder at https://packt.link/gbz/9781805121596, as well as the Part to Terrain plugin, which can be downloaded from roblox.com/library/261634767.

Generating large biomes

One aspect of a successful virtual experience is the cohesive, immersive world it brings to the player. For example, the thoughtfully designed worlds within games such as Dungeon Quest and Vesteria made for an unforgettable adventure throughout a multitude of environmental biomes, each with a theme and bosses.

A biome is a large area characterized by its vegetation, soil, and climate. There are five major types of biomes in Roblox Studio: aquatic, grassland, forest, desert, and tundra. Using Terrain Generator can be beneficial for several reasons. Firstly, it can save a considerable amount of time compared to hand-sculpting large areas of terrain. It can also provide a level of randomness and variation that is difficult to achieve when hand-sculpting. Let’s look at how we can best use this tool.

Getting ready

Open Roblox Studio, create a new experience, and then delete the baseplate. Next, open Editor from the Home tab found within the top bar...

Creating large terrain landscapes from scratch

There are instances where utilizing a biome generator to create a large piece of terrain may not be the best option, especially when you have a very specific style, shape, or layout in mind for your landscape. In these situations, it is beneficial to know how to manually create large terrains using the Part to Terrain plugin. This plugin allows you to convert individual parts into terrain, allowing for greater control over the size, shape, and placement of each terrain chunk. Let’s see how we can use this plugin and how we can then delve into the art of sculpting terrain to achieve the desired look. By manually sculpting the terrain, you will have complete control over the final product.

How to do it…

We will begin by blocking out the shape of our landscape using square parts. Next, we will use the Part to Terrain plugin to convert the parts into smooth terrain. We will then go through and smooth out the terrain using...

Stamping terrain with heightmap images

A heightmap is an image that illustrates the height and depth of a map’s 3D terrain from a bird’s-eye-view. The lighter areas of a heightmap correspond to higher elevations such as hills and mountains, while the darker areas correspond to lower elevations such as valleys and craters.

In this recipe, we will be utilizing heightmaps and colormaps to quickly and automatically stamp (generate) a variety of terrain types, including mountains, valleys, and lakes. We will then use a colormap to apply the materials across our stamped terrain.

Getting ready

For this, you will need a heightmap and a colormap. You can use any png image file, so long as it’s grayscale, 18-bit, and has a top-down perspective. Alternatively, you may use the one provided in chapter 3 Model Pack.

How to do it…

To begin this recipe, we will open Terrain Editor, go to the Import tab, and then upload our heightmap to stamp out our landscape...

Modifying terrain properties

In this recipe, we will dive deeper into the customization options available for Roblox terrain by modifying the properties of one of our previously created landscapes. We will explore the various ways to modify water properties, such as adjusting Color, Transparency, and Reflection. Additionally, we will learn how to modify texture, enabling us to create a landscape that matches our game’s theme and setting. Furthermore, we will explore the Decoration feature, which will help take our game’s visual quality to the next level.

How to do it…

For this task, we will be working with the terrain that we created in any of the previous recipes. We will begin by selecting the Terrain object located within the Workspace area of the Explorer window. We will be working within the Properties window to modify various settings on our terrain. We will start by applying grass decoration, and then modify the water’s Transparency, Reflection...

Hand-sculpting hills

For smaller scenes, where generating terrain is not applicable, you need to hand-sculpt the terrain to get the desired shape and size. In this recipe, we will be delving into the art of hand-sculpting. Specifically, we will be creating rolling hills with a cobblestone path. We will be using the various sculpting tools available in Roblox Studio’s Terrain Editor to shape and manipulate the terrain to create realistic, visually pleasing hills. Additionally, we will discuss the importance of creating well-designed paths within the map to ensure players can navigate the landscape without getting lost.

How to do it…

We will be using various tools to create a visually appealing pathway through a grassy hill. We will fill in a flat region of grass, and then use the Sculpt tool to create hills of varying sizes. Next, we will use the Paint tool to create a path that we will detail with cobblestone terrain material. After, we will decorate the path with...

Creating an island in the ocean

In this recipe, we will use the Part to Terrain plugin to create a custom island in the water. We will begin by grayboxing the basic shape of the island with parts and then use the Terrain Editor tools to sculpt and refine the terrain. We will then create an ocean surrounding the island and adjust its size and sea level to achieve the desired level. Additionally, we will cover how to add micro details to the sand and rock formations by using the provided Sculpt tool. By the end of this recipe, you’ll have a beautiful, handcrafted island.

How to do it…

We will begin this recipe by creating a sandy baseplate that we will then draw on the shape of our island using the Add tool. Next, we will flatten out the perimeter of the island using the Flatten tool, and then add water using Sea Level Generator. To finish the island, we will paint grass on top, precisely scatter rocks around the perimeter, and then paint on splashed sand. To start...

Creating a desert landscape

In this recipe, we will explore the process of creating a desert landscape in Roblox. We will start by creating a flat plain of terrain followed by the process of shaping it with the add and subtract options of the Sculpt tool. Then, we will focus on the sculpting tools we can use to create dunes and rock formations that accurately represent a desert environment. We will finish off the scene by adjusting the lighting settings and atmosphere to capture the essence of a barren, dry desert.

How to do it…

For this recipe, we will start by creating a stretch of flat sand with the Selection and Fill tools. We will then use the Add and Sculpt tools to create sand dunes and pillars. Next, we will block out a large dune mountain and convert it into smooth terrain with the Part to Terrain plugin. We will finish off by smoothing out the dunes with the Smooth and Flatten tools, then decorate the scene with cactuses. To begin, follow these steps:

...

Creating a mountain with a waterfall

In this recipe, we will be creating a tall rocky mountain scene. We will begin by using the Terrain Generator to create a basic mountain valley, and then we will personalize it by hand-editing the terrain to give it a unique touch. The mountains will be tall and full of caves, pools of water, and other areas to explore. We will also learn how to create density with trees, and you will discover how to create a realistic-looking waterfall that flows down the mountainside by using the Waterfall plugin.

Getting ready

In this recipe, we will use a heightmap to stamp out a large mountain landscape. You will need to download your own heightmap or use the square heightmap image to generate the mountains, which can be found inside the chapter 3 Model Pack folder. You will also need the Waterfall Generator plugin installed from the Roblox plugin toolbox.

How to do it…

In this recipe, we will use a heightmap image to create the base landscape...

Sculpting an erupted volcano

In this recipe, we will be building a night scene of a volcano overflowing with lava. We will start by using a biome generator to create the initial lava mountain, and then use our knowledge of terrain editing to add a walkable path for players to explore. We will also use Roblox’s basic lighting tools to illuminate the lava and adjust the lighting settings to create a stunning night scene. By the end of this recipe, you will have a mesmeric volcano landscape.

How to do it…

We will start by creating a large flat volcano biome using the Terrain Generator tool. We will then build out the shape of the volcano using square parts, and then convert the parts into smooth terrain using the Part to Terrain plugin. Next, we will smooth out the terrain and hollow out the center of the volcano so that we can create a pool of lava inside. We will finish the scene by using the Paint and Sculpt tools to create a river of lava flowing from the sides...