Smooth / unflat

[TimHaus 67]

I suggest to add a smooth command at sand or dirt tiles, to remove the spikes at the angles.
Take into account levels of the surrounding tiles to adjust levels angles of the considered tile:
do successively for each of the four angles of the considered tile,
   add a level if the average of the four neighboring angles (N / S / E / W) is at least 1/2 dirt level higher than the considered angle at tile,
   else remove if it is lower by at least 1/2.

 

That will allow to erase from landscape things such as digging holes.

Edited October 20, 2021 by TimHaus

[DaletheGood 1,073]

That's pretty much what flatten does

[TimHaus 67]

No. Flatten removes spikes when landscape around is flat. But when landscape is sloped it makes angles, not smooth at all considering surrounding tiles.

[DaletheGood 1,073]

Using flatten I've been able to make smooth, non-flat, natural looking terrain out of terraces or other unsightly landscapes. If you let 'flatten' go until it stops, then yeah, it makes the other tiles around it look weird, but used correctly, it can remove spikes, humps, weird depressions, etc. Takes some experience and trial and error to get it right, but it's doable. What you're suggesting is a fully automatic way to get that look, which is NOT what Wurm is about. There should not be anything automatic about this game, especially terraforming. If you want the landscape changed from the the way someone made it, put in the work.

[TimHaus 67]

Counter part: in relation with the other subject on landshape decay. You say is not worth because it will erase your landshape work. That i can understood. But you also said you have decided to yourself erase some crafted landscapes. This smooth tool will allow to make the job not automatically but user commanded. You also said that this is too good tool because fully automatic. Not more than flatten or level command are compared to dig / unload. If you dont ask to remove flatten and level command why shouldn't be a smooth command ?

[DaletheGood 1,073]

It's unnecessary to have a smooth command. It's functionally the same as flatten.

[TimHaus 67]

No, that's not same tool:
- in slopped areas flattens creates staircases steps
- smooth returns staircase to a inclined plane

[DaletheGood 1,073]

Here's a recent example of how to use flatten. This is the small cliff before

 

And the same area not too long after using only flatten

 

I have turned quite a few terraced, stair-case areas into natural looking slopes using flatten. So yeah, flatten, if used correctly, will do what you're looking for.

 

Here is an area that I recently made that used to be terraced and not at all lovely to look at. Everything that is green in this picture was made by me using a combination of leveling, flattening and at least for the canyon, digging.

So, I for one don't think your suggestion is needed when you are able to achieve that with the current tools available.