Everything about Patches

CREATING PATCHES

Create a brush and change your 2D View to where you can see the brush itself. Depending on which view you're in (XY TOP, XZ FRONT, YZ SIDE) depends on which direction the Patch is going to be created.

Once in the desired view, go up to PATCH, TERRAIN, SIMPLE TERRAIN PATCH.

A window will pop up asking how many VERTICIES you'd like in the patch based on the WIDTH and HEIGHT of the patch. This defaults to 2x2.

This creates a flat, square patch with your desired amount of verts.

CREATING CURVED PATCHES

Once in the desired view, go up to PATCH, CURVE, SIMPLE TERRAINCURVE PATCH.

A window will pop up asking how DENSE you would like the curved patch to be based on the WIDTH and HEIGHT of the curved patch. This defaults to 3x3.

This creates a flat, square patch that you can deform and will automatically curve, depending on how dense you made the patch to be.

CREATING BEVELS

Once in the desired view, go up to PATCH, PRIMITIVES, BEVEL.

This creates a curved patch that resembles half an archway.

CREATING ENDCAPS

Once in the desired view, go up to PATCH, PRIMITIVES, ENDCAP.

This creates a curved patch that resembles a full archway.

CREATING CYLINDERS

Once in the desired view, go up to PATCH, PRIMITIVES, CYLINDER.

DENSE CYLINDER and VERY DENSE CYLINDERS are also options which grant the same thing just with more verts.

CREATING SQUARE CYLINDERS

Once in the desired view, go up to PATCH, PRIMITIVES, SQUARE CYLINDER.

This creates a square cylinder. Same thing as a regular cylinder, just square.

DOUBLE PATCH

After selecting your patch, you can go to PATCH, DOUBLE PATCH to add double the amount of verts.

HALF PATCH

After selecting your patch, you can go to PATCH, HALF PATCH to remove half of the amount of verts.

ARBITUARY STEP

SHIFT + [ will decrease the density of the patch and make it less smooth.

SHIFT + ] will increase the density of the patch and make it more smooth.

FACES TO TERRAIN

CTRL + SHIFT + LEFT CLICK on a brush will select an individual face. You can then go to PATCH, TERRAIN, FACES TO TERRAIN. This will create a patch on that face.

INVERTING PATCHES

CTRL + I will invert the selected patch(es)

SPLITTING PATCHES

CTRL + SHIFT + X will split the selected row of verts from the patch.

THICKENING PATCHES

CTRL + SHIFT + T will pop up a window asking how many units thick you'd like the selected curve or primitive patch to be.

CAPPING PATCHES

SHIFT + C will cap the primitive patch selected.

VERTICIES

V will show the verts on the selected patch.

LOCKING AND UNLOCKING VERTS

Search in KEYBINDS (CTRL+K) VERTICIES LOCK and VERTICIES UNLOCK. Create a custom keybind or put these in a toolbar (CLICK HERE TO LEARN HOW TO MAKE CUSTOM TOOLBARS)

After activating one of these new keybinds, drag over desired verts to unlock / lock these verts.

ADDING AND REMOVING ROWS AND COLUMNS

Select two verts on a patch you would like to add rows in between and then press

CNTL + SHIFT + A

Select two verts along the row you would like to delete and then press

CNTL + SHIFT + Q

WELDING PATCHES TO PATCHES

Select two different patches. Press V to bring up the verts. Select as many verts as you'd like and press W to weld them together.

The first patch you select will be the parent, and the second patch will weld to the parents verts.

WELDING PATCHES TO MODELS

Search in KEYBINDS (CTRL+K) SNAP MODEL VERT and add it to a toolbar (CLICK HERE TO LEARN HOW TO MAKE CUSTOM TOOLBARS)

Toggle this on, select the model and then the patch, and then press V to bring up the verts. Select as many verts as you'd like and press W to weld them together.

WELDING PATCHES TO PREFABS

Search in KEYBINDS (CTRL+K) SNAP PREFAB VERT and add it to a toolbar (CLICK HERE TO LEARN HOW TO MAKE CUSTOM TOOLBARS)

Toggle this on, select the prefab and then the patch, and then press V to bring up the verts. Select as many verts as you'd like and press W to weld them together.

WELDING VERTS ON AN AXIS

V will show the verts on the selected patch. Select the parent vert first, and then the child. Then press one of the axis locks on the top toolbar.

BLENDING

REVEAL DECALS are decals that have reveal maps on their material that are set up in APE.

These reveal decals have an ALPHA CHANNEL, where WHITE = 100% and BLACK = 0%

There are two methods to blend decals - G VERTEX for individual selection and ADVANCED TERRAIN PATCH EDITING for brush painting.

G VERTEX

Select your decal reveal patch and press V to bring up the verts. Select as many verts as you'd like and press G to bring up the GVERTEX COLOR / ALPHA EDITING tab.

You may now edit the VALUE slider from 0-255, and at the bottom tick ALPHA. When you're ready, hit APPLY.

ADVANCED TERRAIN PATCH EDITING

Select your decal reveal patch and press Y to bring up the ADVANCED PATCH EDITING OPTIONS tab.

You may now edit the INNER RADIUS slider, the OUTER RADIUS slider, and the AMPLITUDE slider. Inner Radius & Outer Radius is the size of your paint brush, and Amplitude determines the strength of the brush stroke.

There are also a few options to choose what kind of brush you'd like to use:

PAINT HEIGHT determines which axis you'd like to paint on: X, Y, or Z

FLATTEN will set the Z value of the verts to the value you defined in the height tab, bottom right of this ADVANCED PATCH EDITING OPTIONS tab.

SMOOTH will smooth out the verts.

NOISE will apply random values.

DRAG UP / DOWN is deprecated.

GRAB VALUE will grab the value of the selected height.

DISABLED means it disables the paint tool.

FLIPPING TERRAIN TRIANGLES

CTRL + \ will toggle the ability to flip individual triangles upon left-clicking them in the 2D or 3D view.

PLANTING VERTICIES

CTRL + SHIFT + ALT + D will drop the selected verts to the geometry beneath it.

CURVE TO TERRAIN

With a curved patch selected, go to PATCH, CURVE, CURVE TO TERRAIN to make the curved patch a normal, non-curved patch.