Procedural Generation of 3D Maps with Snappable Meshes

TL;DR

This paper introduces a flexible, designer-controlled method for procedurally generating 3D maps by snapping premade meshes together, enabling rapid and customizable level creation with immediate navigability feedback.

Contribution

It presents a novel snap-based procedural map generation technique that overcomes size and layout constraints, with a Unity prototype and practical case studies demonstrating its effectiveness.

Findings

Enables rapid 3D map creation with designer control.

Provides immediate feedback on map navigability.

Demonstrated in multiplayer game development and level prototyping.

Abstract

In this paper we present a technique for procedurally generating 3D maps using a set of premade meshes which snap together based on designer-specified visual constraints. The proposed approach avoids size and layout limitations, offering the designer control over the look and feel of the generated maps, as well as immediate feedback on a given map's navigability. A prototype implementation of the method, developed in the Unity game engine, is discussed, and a number of case studies are analyzed. These include a multiplayer game where the method was used, together with a number of illustrative examples which highlight various parameterizations and piece selection methods. The technique can be used as a designer-centric map composition method and/or as a prototyping system in 3D level design, opening the door for quality map and level creation in a fraction of the time of a fully human-based approach.