Map creation / Combining landscape features

Question Modeling

I want to create a map animation where we "fly over" a simplified version of the US. Not low poly, but something that shows the biggest topographical features of the country, so mountainous West, Flat Midwest, Great Lakes. Yet, somewhat abstract (no need for the exact mountain peaks or anything like that).

I can create tiles/planes with the features I want to highlight with the A.N.T Landscape add on, and have a base shape of the country plane... my question is, what is the smartest way to go about connecting these pieces? 

Or should I somehow add these displacements straight onto the basemap? 🤔

Or a way to use the add on not on a plane, but on a pre-existing mesh (the map)? 

06 at 8.48.45 AM.jpg

Thank you for any suggestions!!

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Reply
  • Omar Domenech replied

    I'd just crash the pieces into one another and try to cover the seams with features like trees, rocks, ridges or mountains and stuff. If you add everything into a displacement map, it sounds like it's going to have t be ultra high res, something insane like 16k or 32k and I'm not sure how well Blender could handle that.

    2 loves
  • Adrian Bellworthy replied

    Ooh I reviewed an addon recently for sale on Blender Market that uses real topological or contour maps.

    Amazing Terrain Addon

    2 loves
  • Nathi Tappan(nathitappan) replied

    That's a fair point Omar! I forgot I don't necessarily need each layer perfected, but the whole scene! So masking stuff out with the trees and other assets I plan on populating the scene with is totally fair game.

    And Adrian!!! This is amazing! That'll make my base mesh much easier to accomplish, with only 2 minutes and 2 dollars. Amazing terrains is aptly named add-on. Thanks for the tip.

    1 love
  • Adrian Bellworthy replied

    Awesome nathitappan, let us know how you get on with the addon.
    They are a new creator on Blender Market and the addon seems really cool.

    2 loves