I'm working on a procedurally generating terrain map built in a hex grid. I have all the data generating how I'd like it and now I'm trying to figure out how I want to visualize that data. It consists of lists of materials each with a definition (giving it info like textures color ect) and a quantity (how much of it there is) forming a column. One column has many different materials of varied quantity and definition. Here is an example of how I'd like it to look:
I have that, but the way I made it is really wonky and I'm sure it isn't efficient. for each of the 6 directions I went through each material in each column and created RectangleShapes for the sides and hex's and placed them in the positions they would render. Colors and shading is all calculated at that time and it makes it extremely rigid. Rotating is jarring only being able to turn 1/6th of the map each time.
So, how can I do it better?
I'm not opposed to working with a 3d model but I'd like the textures to remain as 2d sprites so they can overlap one another.
The texture for a tile is larger than the tile's area if that makes sense, same with the textures for the column sides. Some materials are semi transparent so the materials behind them need to be rendered.
I also want to be able to warp the map so columns farther in the distance appear lower down and rise up as they approach the foreground. Think the animal crossing cylindrical world.
The colors of each of the column components need to change color dynamical and as the data updates I'll need to update the graphical representation
The map is tiled, as can be better seen in this image (this is from an older version when each column was a single material):
In the end I'm looking for a mesh of the two images. I've gotten all the ideas I'm talking about to work in one way or the other but I'm trying to see if I could be doing something better. Eventually I want 2d images to be on the columns (like a tree of something) but I'll worry about that more after I get the terrain working
Any suggestions?
