Documentation

Learn how to use TreCorsa's track editor

Texture Paint

Texture Paint

Texture Paint lets you add texture detail to your terrain by painting different surface materials. You can paint grass, sand, rock, and other textures directly onto your terrain to create realistic landscapes.

How Terrain Texturing Works

The terrain system in TreCorsa works as follows:

  • Main Texture: There is a main texture that serves as the base. When using satellite import, this is the satellite image. When using terrain types like Desert or Grasslands, this is a sand or grass texture respectively.
  • Texture Mask: A mask is applied to this main texture, which is what you are painting in Texture Paint mode using the red, green, and blue channels.
  • Color Channels: The mask uses RGB colors to indicate texture types:
    • Red = sand texture
    • Green = grass texture
    • Blue = rock texture
  • Texture Blending: The mask tells the game where to blend these grass, sand, and rock textures with the main texture. This is a true blend: if the main texture has a dark spot somewhere and you draw grass on the mask over that area, the grass will be darker there too, preserving the underlying detail.
  • Physics Note: Texture paint does NOT influence physics characteristics; it is visual only. All terrain has grass terrain physics regardless of the painted texture.

Setting Up Your Base Mask

Before painting, you'll want to set up a base mask:

  • If using Satellite View: Use the "Apply Satellite Auto-Mask" feature to automatically create a mask from your satellite image. Use the sliders to fine-tune the mask generation based on color thresholds (green for grass, yellow/tan for sand, dark areas for rock).
  • If not using Satellite View: Use the Noise Fill options on the left side of the screen to fill the mask with noise as a base. This is also done automatically by default, providing a natural texture variation across your terrain.

After setting up your base mask (either from satellite automask or noise fill), you can then use the texture brush to paint and refine specific areas.

Brush Settings

You'll see brush controls and color options. The tool uses RGB colors to paint different texture types:

  • Red - Paints one texture type (sand)
  • Green - Paints another texture type (grass)
  • Blue - Paints a third texture type (rock)

Brush Controls

  • Left click + drag - Paint textures on the terrain
  • Brush Radius - Control the size of your brush
  • Brush Strength - How strongly the texture is applied (0-1)
  • Brush Hardness - Edge softness of the brush (0 = soft, 1 = hard edge)

View Modes

Texture Paint offers two view modes:

  • Mask View - Shows a colored overlay indicating where you've painted (red, green, blue)
  • Live View - Shows the actual blended textures as they will appear

Use Mask View to see exactly where you've painted, and switch to Live View to preview the final result.

Advanced Features

  • Additive Blend - When enabled, brush strokes add to existing paint instead of replacing it
  • Auto-Mask Roads - Automatically mask out roads when painting textures
  • Noise Fill - Fill areas with noise-based texture patterns for natural variation
  • Satellite Auto-Mask - Automatically generate texture masks from imported satellite imagery based on color analysis

Best Practices

  • Start with Mask View to plan your texture placement, then switch to Live View to refine
  • Use lower brush strength for subtle blending between texture types
  • Enable Auto-Mask Roads to keep texture painting from affecting road surfaces
  • Use Noise Fill for natural-looking texture variation in large areas
  • Combine multiple colors to create realistic terrain transitions