I’m working on a project in Unity where I’ve got this beautiful mountain (cliff) that I really want to make pop visually. Right now, it’s just sitting on a flat expanse of grass, which feels pretty bland and doesn’t do justice to the mountain’s grandeur. I’ve gone ahead and added some ambient occlusion to my pipeline, and it definitely helps, but I’m craving more depth right around the base of the mountain—something that’ll really ground it into the environment.
So, I tried this quick fix where I created a plane, slapped a dirt texture on it, and plopped it underneath the mountain. It looked decent at first, but then I realized that the dirt texture I chose was semi-transparent, which was meant to let some of that lush green grass come through. The problem? It ended up covering up the beautiful ambient occlusion I had set up. Total bummer!
I’m really hesitant to dive into Unity terrain because, honestly, it feels like overkill for what I want to achieve. Plus, the art style I’m going for doesn’t quite mesh well with Unity’s terrain system. I’ve been tossing around other ideas, like using tiles or maybe hand-painting some texture around the mountain’s base, but I’m not really sure how that would play out since the ground is basically just one flat plane.
Has anyone else been stuck in a similar situation? I’m open to any suggestions—whether it’s about using different types of meshes or textures, or perhaps ways to get creative with the ambient occlusion effect itself. Any tips on how to add that much-needed variation without sacrificing that beautiful detail at the base of my mountain would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
So, I totally get where you’re coming from! It sounds like you have a really cool mountain and you want to highlight it more. The whole flat grass thing can definitely make it feel a bit lost, right?
First off, I think your idea of creating a plane with a dirt texture was a step in the right direction! But I can see how the semi-transparent texture would mess with the awesome ambient occlusion you’ve set up. That’s a bummer.
If you want to avoid Unity’s terrain system because it feels too complex, maybe try using some rocks or a simple mesh like a stepped hill around the base of your mountain. You could even create a few variations of the dirt/rock meshes to break up that flat plane look.
Another thought is to involve some hand-painted textures around the base. You could use a texture painting tool in a 3D app to create some dirt and rock variations that fit your art style. Then, you can use those textures to paint directly onto the mesh you create, which might give you the depth you’re looking for!
Also, consider adding some foliage or shrubs around the base of the mountain to help it blend into the environment more. This could help ground it without feeling like you’re overdoing it.
And about the ambient occlusion—maybe you could try going back to your material settings and tweaking them a bit. Sometimes adding a bit more contrast or adjusting the blend mode can help bring back some of that depth without losing the details you love!
Hope this sparks some ideas for you! You got this!
Considering your constraints and the need to preserve your existing ambient occlusion, leveraging custom mesh decals or vertex-painted meshes might be a strong alternative. Using decal meshes specifically shaped to the mountain’s footprint allows precise control over texture blending without losing detail. You could experiment with shader-based texture layering by creating a custom shader in Shader Graph or writing it in C# that blends textures based on vertex colors or vertex positions. This approach provides flexibility—allowing you to seamlessly integrate detailed dirt, gravel, or rocky textures around the mountain base, naturally grounding it without overshadowing the ambient occlusion.
Another effective, simpler solution could involve experimenting with alpha blending or masking techniques. Consider creating a fully opaque dirt or rock texture under your mountain, then utilize vertex alpha painting (with a shader that respects alpha values) to blend the dirt gently into your grass plane. This method allows targeted control over texture blending, ensuring your ambient occlusion effects remain visible and intact. Additionally, placing small decorative meshes such as rocks, foliage, or grass clusters around the mountain base can substantially improve visual depth, further anchoring your mountain within the scene without relying on the complex Unity terrain system.