# CreateTerrain ( grid_size[,parent] )

# Parameters

grid_size - no of grid squares along each side of terrain, and must be a power of 2 value, e.g. 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024. parent (optional) - parent entity of terrain

# Description

Creates a terrain entity and returns its handle. The terrain extends from 0,0,0 to grid_size,1,grid_size. A terrain is a special type of polygon object that uses real-time level of detail (LOD) to display landscapes which should theoretically consist of over a million polygons with only a few thousand. The way it does this is by constantly rearranging a certain amount of polygons to display high levels of detail close to the viewer and low levels further away. This constant rearrangement of polygons is occasionally noticeable however, and is a well-known side-effect of all LOD landscapes. This 'pop-in' effect can be reduced in lots of ways though, as the other terrain help files will go on to explain. The optional parent parameter allows you to specify a parent entity for the terrain so that when the parent is moved the child terrain will move with it. However, this relationship is one way; applying movement commands to the child will not affect the parent. Specifying a parent entity will still result in the terrain being created at position 0,0,0 rather than at the parent entity's position. See also: LoadTerrain.

# Example

; CreateTerrain Example ; --------------------- Graphics3D 640,480 SetBuffer BackBuffer() camera=CreateCamera() PositionEntity camera,0,1,0 light=CreateLight() RotateEntity light,90,0,0 ; Create terrain terrain=CreateTerrain(128) ; Texture terrain grass_tex=LoadTexture( "media/mossyground.bmp" ) EntityTexture terrain,grass_tex While Not KeyDown( 1 ) If KeyDown( 205 )=True Then TurnEntity camera,0,-1,0 If KeyDown( 203 )=True Then TurnEntity camera,0,1,0 If KeyDown( 208 )=True Then MoveEntity camera,0,0,-0.05 If KeyDown( 200 )=True Then MoveEntity camera,0,0,0.05 RenderWorld Text 0,0,"Use cursor keys to move about the terrain" Flip Wend End

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