Michael Bridges dives deep into creating a procedural road generator using Blender's geometry nodes.
It's been quite a journey, and I’ve even added a new tool to my asset pack, which you can download for free from Gumroad. I start by setting up a basic curve, then jump into geometry nodes to create a road mesh from that curve. This involves setting up the workspace for optimal use and ensuring the geometry aligns correctly.
I demonstrate how to generate and manipulate UV coordinates for our road texture. By capturing and storing attributes along the curve, I create a UV map that properly aligns with the generated geometry. This includes setting up parameters, resampling the curve, and applying a material to see the UV map in action.
As we progress, I tackle challenges such as stretching and scaling the texture uniformly. This requires some mathematical adjustments and careful alignment of the curve. I also show how to use the Shader Editor to fine-tune textures and ensure they map correctly across the road mesh.
One highlight is creating an external control for the road width, making the tool more versatile and user-friendly. This allows for easy adjustments without diving back into the geometry nodes each time.
Towards the end, I introduce a diagnostic tool I developed, which displays curve length information on-screen, aiding in precise adjustments and troubleshooting. This tool is also available for download and can be added to your Blender asset library.
If you're interested in procedural generation, UV mapping, or enhancing your Blender toolkit, this video is packed with insights and practical steps. Have you tried creating procedural textures in Blender? What challenges did you face?
