Modelling an arid environment

[SAR704]

Does anyone have any recommendations/suggestions for modelling this arid outback environment? It's a line I've been interested in modelling for a while, but haven't really given it much of a go until recently. It's not like typical farmland. It's north of the wheat belt and more like a cross between farmland and wasteland. It has persistent shrubbery, rocks, small and large creeks and it's through undulating terrain.

I don't really like using procedural flora, but I'd like to know which method would be suitable to replicate this sort of environment? Would asset blocks be the way to go (for the thick grass? Or would this place too much pressure on the CPU?

Here's a few images of what I'm referring to.

[Bananarama]

You'll need to start out with a set of textures that define the soil, and then populate it with a combination of Asset Blocks containing brush, weeds, and perhaps chaparral.

[jalsina]

In my opinion, take a look to the Sherman Hill textures.
Cajon Pass will also help.

[Ericmopar]

That area doesn't look like it gets snow, so assets from a route like Sherman Hill or Donner shouldn't be used, otherwise when a person selects Winter in a scenario, the shrubs and trees from routes like that will have snow on them.
We don't actually have proper assets for a semi arid environment.
California and desert areas should have grass that's dry and dead through summer, until it starts raining in late fall and the winter months when it gets wetter.
Most areas like that don't have snow, or very rarely get a couple of inches.

[SAR704]

Thanks for the tips. I've already assigned a base terrain texture (a custom made one using a cloned Kuju blueprint). However, I may need to have a look around or design some new vegetation for this area, as my TSM imports don't seem to be completely ideal for this area.

I just wasn't 100% sure on how to populate this area with dense flora in a way that would make it look realistic, yet not overload the CPU.

Any additional tips/advice is welcome.

[jalsina]

That area doesn't look like it gets snow, so assets from a route like Sherman Hill or Donner shouldn't .......

I was meaning only the colors and tonalities of summer textures.

[buzz456]

Thanks for the tips. I've already assigned a base terrain texture (a custom made one using a cloned Kuju blueprint). However, I may need to have a look around or design some new vegetation for this area, as my TSM imports don't seem to be completely ideal for this area.

I just wasn't 100% sure on how to populate this area with dense flora in a way that would make it look realistic, yet not overload the CPU.

Any additional tips/advice is welcome.

I believe if you add asset blocks it's easier on the GPU than when you add individual items. Someone can correct me if this isn't correct.

[Bananarama]

I believe if you add asset blocks it's easier on the GPU than when you add individual items.

Correct. It's also easier and faster just getting them into the game.

[Ericmopar]

I learned during my Donner Redo, that large asset blocks are hard on the GPU and cause a lot of the pauses during play. Not using them at all hugely increases the number of draws and that is hard on the CPU.
Assets blocks reduce the number of draws, but if they are too large they cause issues. Bob had mentioned that in the past.
When people think loading the next tile is causing a pause during play, it's quite frequently oversize asset blocks that are the real problem.
When used on hillsides, asset blocks also cause some types of plants to stick out level from the hillside. that problem being worse the larger the asset is. That is one of the things that's taking so long with Donner. I'm moving most asset blocks away from the right of way and hand placing individual shrubs.