Golf Sim Clubhouse Forum

I'm not sure if I can get 3 pics on this one post; if not I'll use 3 of them. These are views from the top, left and bottom orientations as marked by the arrows. I haven't done a lot of work on the greens yet (I tend to layout the course and rough plant first then come back to detail work) so I've encircled the intended flattened area.

I worked on the entire green complex this morning and I think I got it to where I'm pretty satisfied. Avg. flattening works much better than either low or high. There's still a little slope but that's okay, I hate perfectly flat greens with straight in putts (unless it's me putting, lol!) Tx Terry.

I never use the flatten tool on greens. Perfectly flat areas around holes don't look right to me. If a green has too much slope I always use the hill tool with two shapes and raise or lower it to level it off. This way you won't lose any existing contour, you just make it less extreme. I think I learned that from a DanO tutorial a long time ago. Probably the same one that talks about how to optimize greens.

I'm with Brian on this one, however I used to use a method in one of the CC tutorials which had you make 7ft circles around each pin and flatten them to average height. Now I just raise and lower with the hill tool until I'm satisfied. It turns out more natural looking contours IMO.

I've used both techniques. The problem I run into is that after (minimum) optimizing and smoothing, either the area is back to where it was (or close... anyway still too much slope) or the detail I've put into the green is gone and still too much slope, but now it's just a smooth hill or a beyitch to try and putt. That's the one area of my designs I've never been satisfied with, but I keep trying.

I understand the concept of using the 2 shape tool for raising or lowering; but my question is how do you know where to put the shape and how big are these going to be and also the "shape" of the shapes themselves? And if you didn't understand a word of that, is it by trial and error?

DC, the size is going to be determined by the size of the outter shape. For example, lets say you're wanting to drop the lip of a trap. You make the first shape the size you want for the trap, then drop the shape. You can choose the property by using the property tab before dropping or by using the "click and drag" method from a library
Now R click and click on "use as a shape" then click on "properties" of the new shape. Now expand or contract the new shape to the dimension desired: the larger the shape the less steep your new object is going to be; the smaller the steeper. Continuing with the lip as an example, expand your new shape by 4" and drop it. Choose a lip texture.
Now R click on the inner property and "make a shape" then use Cntrl+R click to do the same with the outter property. Now click on the "Slope" tool above (you can also use hill or bunker but we're using "slope" for this example.) Select the depth of the drop you want (the deeper the drop the steeper the wall. Polslad must have dropped his bunker walls 4-6' at Liverpool) but I generally use .4-.5 and then click "down." You now have a bunker lip sunk down 5-6"
You can "bunker" the inner shape before or after using the first shape.

Now optimize both shapes (I usually optimize the bunker itself about 40%, the lip 80-90%) then 1 or 2 light smooths.

Be sure and save before starting this as a 2-object build is one the major causes of "fracturing" or "shattering" as I call it (when your course looks like a broken mirror.) Some of it is T&E as you might have to try various sizes to get whatever final shape it is you're envisioning. Also be aware that a complicated texture is going to require more work to smooth, etc.

Sorry if this got complex but I'm not really sure what you were asking.

Thanks for the reply Judy. I understand all that you explained. My question is do you just make a circle,square or jagged shape and how big do you make it,say 40,50 ,60 feet. and using the 2 shape tool do you duplicate the first shape so it is identical to the original or do you make it different. Also do you make the inner and outer shapes equal distant from each other or do you put one side of the inner shape closer to one side of the outer shape so to make that side a more extreme slope. I hope this clarifies my question. One more thing, how much bigger is the outer shape than the inner shape?

As big as you want, any shape you want; it all depends on what you're trying to accomplish. For traps I explained how I just increase the size by a few inches. But I've also made large slopes by drawing the two shapes. Be aware that the smaller the dimension of the outter circle, the steeper the slope. (4th & 5th pictures are on next post; I can only put 3 here.)

I don't know trig or geometry to figure out the degree of slope, but mathematically its 200/90 or 2.2x steeper than "A". "B" is the same elevation over the much shorter distance. Moving the outter perimeter in > slope; moving it out < slope.

Another example: Elevated green with sloped approach and fall offs beside the green.
1. Make your green shape (or use the green/fringe as your first shape.
2. Make your second shape 5-10' larger. Stretch the front of it out to the length you desire for the sloping approach.
3. Use the two shape tool, being aware that there's going to be a steep dropoff alongside the green complex, a milder dropoff as you move away.