Apr
14
2013

Heightmap Chunk

An article by mgear Comments

Saw this in the forums (simpleminecraft), sounds interesting!. Havent looked at their sources yet, but made own test version first..

Current version:
– Single chunk..
– Chunk creator (random or perlin)
– 2D array for grid heights
– 3D array for grid cell types
– Using texture atlas (current texture is from some minecraft texture pack..)
– Using grid movement from unifywiki: player can move around, if target pos it not too high (modified the script so that it moves first up or down, if need to)
– Basic camera switch
– Basic Vertex color lightness calculation (if neighbours are higher, make this block darker..)
– Added better controls (w = move forwards, a/d = move sideways, q/e = rotate)
– Added basic laser effect for “cutting” a block in front
– Added basic terrain editing (press space to eat block in front of you, blocks above it will go down instantly..)
– GridMove was too sensitive, modified:

// before
input = new Vector2(Input.GetAxis("Horizontal"), Input.GetAxis("Vertical"));
// after
input = new Vector2(Input.GetAxisRaw("Horizontal"), Input.GetAxisRaw("Vertical"));

– Added version 3.0 webplayer
– Added health guitexture (hearts, you can see it decrease when player digs ground..just for testing)
– Added some metal textures to player (low res substances from here)
– Added firepower guitexture (mousescroll to adjust it)
– Added basic cannon (rotates slowly towards mouse, taken from deflector proto test)
– Added basic shooting (rigidbody sphere) & missile collision checker
– Adjusted fog color

TODO:
– Better world generation (+biomes..)
– Fix rounding errors.. using Vector3()..values start to get away from exact 0.5 steps.. maybe this: Rounding values to 0.5
– Collisions?
– Animate falling blocks?
– Multiple chunks
– Physics? (no need caves, so if you remove a block, other blocks from top of it should fall down)
– 2D version? (then could use the watersim fluids for it)
– Fake shadows, ao..etc (since we are in fixed grid..could be easier) *Some tools here: VertexAo
– Use 3D A* pathfinder!? (mouseclick target, then player moves there? or for enemies..)
– Add something to collect..coins..
– FPS view? Camera follow?
– 1 chunk is 1 room? (add teleport as a goal >>> moves to next level after tasks are done?)
– Terrain mesh normals, tangents (tangentsSolver)
– Water block?
– Cap grid borders
– Grid visibility ?
– Health (lose health if fall from high)
– Better camera (dont go inside blocks)
– Enemies?
– Building something?
– Toolbar / inventory