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[wallworm]

Something that I've wanted for a long time is a tool to create displacements for Source inside 3ds Max. I've now officially started this project.

There are going to be two separate tools:

• Simple Displacement Tool
• Advanced Displacement Tool

I will release the Simple Displacement tool first. As the name suggests, it won't be too complex.

The advanced tool will be more complex; depending on how it goes, I hope to have this tool ready later in 2011 and it may potentially be integrated with Convexity. Don't worry, by the time I release this, there will probably be a free version of Convexity out for those of you leery about purchasing a plugin. Still... I strongly encourage all of you who use my tools to look at Convexity--it is one of my favorite plugins. I personally want more people to support Convexity so that its developer is encouraged to keep developing it!

[wallworm]

I've got the functions to make displacements and the alpha blends almost complete now. Hopefully I can have a UI next week. It's pretty awesome. Armed with Convexity and Wall Worm tools, 99% of the design process for Source will be possible inside 3ds Max soon. The only exception I foresee is entity scripting (inputs and outputs of entities)... but that isn't so much a design aspect as a logic aspect; I'm fine leaving that in Source.

[wallworm]

So I now have a working interface for the displacement tool. It's pretty nifty... but I'm not yet ready to give out the beta. Maybe next week.

[wallworm]

Here is a preview of the Wall Worm Displacement Tool:

[wallworm]

I have the viewport textring figured out now. I think I'll have a beta for testing by Monday or Tuesday.

[wallworm]

The tool is now at a stage where it can create ground terrain well. My current dilemma is outputting multi-sided displacement brushes... which I haven't been able to figure out.

But it's now at a point that can be used for landscaping (planar displacements as in the video). Email me if you want to test this incomplete beta out and provide feedback.