All Building Tools are accessed when you enter Build Mode. The Add Tool allows you to add resources to your Build Sites.
Uses[]
Shown above from left to right: 3 cubes stacked, the smooth tool in use with the selection tool, and after clicking many times, the final result.
The Smooth Tool will smooth any rough edges on a player-built object or on the natural landscape of a build site. If used too aggressively, it will remove too much material, so use it carefully. It is also used in many advanced building techniques (eg. creating inlays). You no longer need to craft any of the building tools; they will be placed in your inventory the first time you place a build site.
- When you place a cube of any size (using the add tool, you can use the smooth tool to soften the edges of the material you have placed. The same holds true for any shape you place or any object you create. For example, you can build a tall column with squared edges, use the selection tool to enclose the column; when you active the smooth tool and click in the selected volume the sharp edges of the column will gradually "melt" into rounded edges.
- It will also soften any edges of any shape you place or any player-made object in the same manner, with or without using the selection tool. For this reason, the smooth tool can be used to create new shapes of all kinds.
- You can use this tool to change the look of the natural landscape within a build site by using the smooth tool to gradually round areas or blend area together. For example, you might want to soften the cliff-edge on a mountain or place stone using the Add Tool and smooth it to make a rocky hill on your site.
How to use the Smooth Tool[]
The basic use of the smooth tool is as follows, but read the two sections following, for a better understanding of what makes this tool a bit different than the other building tools. The basic steps are:
- Click on the smooth tool in your hotbar to activate it.
- Move your mouse to the area or object you want to smooth
- L click to start smoothing
A Brief Explanation of "Voxels"[]
Above: examples of inlays at various experimental stages. Inlays are created using the smooth tool and several tools.
More than any other tool in Landmark at this time, the smooth tool may take a bit of trial and error to understand. This is due in part to how voxels work. The official name for these is blocks (as of 2016) but players who have participated as Founders may still use this terminology.
A very simplified description Though block (a.k.a. voxel) is the casual term used for the smallest cube a player can place (a way to measure) in Landmark when using the add tool while building, the actual voxel is a complex structure enclosed inside of the material you see when placing the smallest cube. To put it another way, the cube described as a voxel casually while building is technically describing the material with an underlying structure (a voxel) inside that material. In Landmark even the lone voxel inside of the smallest cube will still interact with all of the voxels in the world, including those you can not see, like air.
Of course, even the description above is a very basic (simplified to a large degree here) and you do not need to know the advanced, true definition; however, it helps to have a basic sense of how voxels works when you are working with the smooth tool more than any of the other tools. In essence all you really need to know is that changing one material you place of any shape and applying a technique using the smooth tool (and some others) may affect more than the single shape you just placed. Don't panic! Experiment and when in doubt, make a Designs or use CTRL + Z to undo (step back) a change along with other keyboard commands and shortcuts.
The good news: experimenting with the smooth tool and playing with the varied results can end up being one of the best ways to make unusual shapes to build with. This tool is one that truly sets Landmark apart form all other building games; instead of blocky Lego-like limitations, this tool frees players to shape their build site and a variety of player-built objects into nearly endless forms. When you have a fair sense of what the tool is capable of, look for advanced tutorials as written guides and/or in videos. The Landmark community loves to help, so ask in general chat too.
Smooth Tool Modes[]
There are two smooth tool modes.
- If you click normally using the smooth tool, the tool is far more "aggressive", meaning that the rate at which it smooths away the materials you are using it on is much greater.
- If you hold down CTRL while clicking, it is "gentle", meaning that it will remove less material per click.
Suggested Reading[]
- Some of the keyboard shortcuts and commands in the linked page below may be outdated, but the information is still valid for understanding how the player-build "world" in Landmark works.
If you want to understand more advanced techniques for manipulating voxels see:
- Basic Voxel Editing - an introduction to voxel manipulation
- Micro-Voxel
- Anti Voxel
Video Demonstartion of the Smooth Tool[]
- The keyboard shortcuts and UI in the videos liked here are outdated and much of the lingo has changed. Even so, they may help new players understand the power and use of this tool until newer videos can be added.
- You can view a 3 minute "Tiny Tutorial" - Smooth Tool Basics video of the smooth tool to help you remember the basic keyboard shortcuts/commands.
- Watch (player) Tenma demonstrate of how to use the smooth tool for advanced techniques in Kerran Star and Inlay.
- For more videos of advanced techniques see the Building Guides and Tutorials page.
Tip and Tricks[]
- Once you are comfortable using the smooth tool, there are a number of advanced techniques you can learn that involve using the smooth tool. Like basic techniques, the best thing to do is to relax and experiment, pause between actions using the tool, and to get close (scroll in with the mouse wheel) and observe what you have done has changed the object you started experimenting on.
- Search YouTube for various videos of advanced techniques using this powerful tool or ask for help on the Landmark forums.
Recommended Reading[]
- Build Mode - explains the entire UI (User Interface) you access to build.
- Building Tools - if you are new and want to go to the page that gives and overview of all building tools.
- Selection Tool - while the smooth tool can be used alone, the most unusual building techniques partner the selection and smooth tools.