ALiVE.OS · ALiVE 3 Development

View Settings

Lets players adjust their own view and terrain detail within limits the mission maker sets.

In development · ALiVE 3

ALiVE 3 is in active development. This briefing describes work in progress, and the behaviour it covers is subject to change as testing continues. Check the changelog at the foot of the page for what has moved recently.

On this page

Overview

What View Settings does

View Settings is a small, focused module: it lets the mission maker define a min/max view distance and a min/max terrain grid (object and ground detail) range, then gives players a simple in-game menu to adjust their own view distance and terrain grid within that range. It has no AI, simulation, or gameplay logic of its own. It exists purely so mission makers can control performance versus visibility instead of leaving it entirely to each player's game settings.

This is a background convenience module rather than a core ALiVE system, and it comes with the ALiVE Player Options module rather than being placed on its own. Nothing else in ALiVE depends on it. Its footprint is the settings dialog reachable from the ALiVE player menu, plus lowering anyone above Max View Distance and setting the terrain detail once at mission start.

Capabilities

What it handles

vd_range

Mission-maker defined view distance range

Mission makers set a minimum and maximum view distance on the module, and players adjust their own anywhere inside that range with a slider. A player who joins above the maximum is brought down to it. Players can also set a starting view distance in Addon Options under ALiVE, Game; it's kept inside the module's range. The minimum only sets the bottom of the slider, so a player already below it is left where they are.

tg_range

Terrain grid (object detail) range

Similarly, the module sets a minimum and maximum terrain grid level (1 low to 5 high). Within that range the player gets a separate slider for ground detail, unless the minimum and maximum are set equal, in which case the terrain grid field reads Disabled and the slider does nothing. It is not linked to the view distance slider in any way: moving one has no effect on the other, so ground detail does not follow the view distance.

menu_access

The ALiVE Player Options module adds a View Settings option to the ALiVE player menu. Opening it brings up a small dialog with two sliders, one for view distance and one for terrain grid, both live-updating as they are dragged.

single_module

One module per mission

Only one View Distance module can be active in a mission. If a second set of view settings somehow ends up active, an error is reported rather than the two silently conflicting.

How to use it

Getting started

Set it on Player OptionsThere is no View Settings module in the editor. The view distance and terrain detail limits are set on the ALiVE Player Options module, which is the module you place. Open its attributes and use the view distance section.
Set the view distance rangeOn the module, set Min View Distance and Max View Distance (for example 1000 and 8000). At mission start a player's view distance is cut to the maximum if it's higher. The minimum only sets the bottom of their slider, so setting both the same doesn't pin everybody to one distance.
Set the terrain grid rangeSet Min Terrain Grid and Max Terrain Grid between 1 (low detail) and 5 (high detail), for example 1 and 3. It's its own slider and doesn't follow view distance. Setting both the same fixes the grid, and the slider shows Disabled.
Preview or export the missionNo syncing to other modules or units is required. Preview in the editor or run the mission on a server to test.
Open the View Settings menu in gameAs a player, open the ALiVE menu, then Player Options, and choose View Settings. A dialog opens with a view distance slider and a terrain grid slider.
Adjust and confirm the slidersDrag each slider and confirm the view distance and terrain grid change live and stay within the range set on the module.

Recent work

What's changed lately

The terrain detail slider works on any minimumBefore, only a Min Terrain Grid of 1 worked. Set it higher and the slider either threw an error or gave a different detail level from the one its label said. Every slider position now matches its label, and the starting detail level is applied when the mission starts.
A scripted module no longer cuts the view to 200 mA View Settings or Player Options module made by script used to cap everyone's view at the game's 200 m floor and pin the terrain grid to level 2. It now uses the editor's own limits, 500 to 20000 m and grid levels 1 to 5.
Backwards limits are handledA Min Terrain Grid above the Max is now taken the other way round instead of applying no grid at all. A Max View Distance under the Min still caps the view, and the slider stops there too.
Your own starting view distancePlayers can set a starting view distance in Addon Options under ALiVE, Game. It's kept inside the mission's minimum and maximum.

Status

Where it stands

Delivered

Configurable view distance range

A minimum and maximum view distance are set on the ALiVE Player Options module. The maximum is enforced, so a player whose view distance is above it is clamped down. The minimum only sets the bottom of the in-game slider; it is not a floor, and setting both to the same number does not force a fixed distance.

Configurable terrain grid range

A matching min/max terrain grid (detail) range from 1 (low) to 5 (high) is set the same way, and appears as its own slider in the player menu next to the view distance slider. The two sliders are independent.

Player-facing menu slider

Placing the module adds a View Settings entry to the ALiVE player menu with two live sliders, one for view distance and one for terrain grid.

Single-module safeguard

The module refuses to let a second instance run at the same time and reports the conflict instead of silently misbehaving.

Testing

How you can help

This module is low risk and has almost no exposed changes to check. Suggested check: on the ALiVE Player Options module, set a min and max view distance (for example 1000/8000) and a min/max terrain grid (for example 1/3), then in-game open the ALiVE player menu and confirm the View Settings option appears and opens a dialog with two sliders. Drag each slider and confirm the view distance and terrain grid actually change and stay within the configured range.

Spotted a problem? Please report it on the ALiVE issue tracker on GitHub, with the map, rough location and what the units were doing so it can be reproduced.

Changelog

Updates to this page

2026-10-24
Players can pick their own starting terrain detail in Addon Options (ALiVE, Game, Starting terrain detail), kept inside this module's minimum and maximum.
2026-10-19
Typed number settings now show their unit in the label, for example Max View Distance (m).
2026-10-14
You can set your own starting view distance in Addon Options, kept inside the mission's minimum and maximum.
2026-09-28
A View Settings or Player Options module made by script no longer cuts everyone's view to 200 m.
2026-09-28
A Min Terrain Grid above Max now works the other way round, where it used to apply no grid at all.
2026-09-28
A Max View Distance set under Min still caps the view, and the slider stops there too.
2026-09-25
Min View Distance's tooltip now says it only sets the lowest value on the view distance slider and isn't applied at mission start.
2026-09-22
The four view distance and terrain grid boxes on ALiVE Player Options now read minimum before maximum. Yesterday's attempt changed a module that never appears in the editor, so the boxes you actually use are only reordered now. Your settings are untouched.
2026-09-21
The terrain detail slider works on any Min Terrain Grid setting. Set that above 1 before and the slider either threw an error or gave a different detail level from the one its label said; only the default of 1 worked.
2026-09-21
Nine slider positions used to throw and seven more disagreed with their own label. All of them read correctly now.
2026-09-21
Six of the ten minimum and maximum combinations picked a starting detail level and never applied it, so the terrain stayed as it was until you moved the slider yourself.
2026-08-06
The view distance entry corrected: the maximum is applied to players, the minimum only sets the bottom of the slider.
2026-08-06
Corrected the terrain detail note: the ground detail slider is entirely separate from the view distance slider and does not follow it.
2026-08-06
Page corrected: this is not a module you place. View distance limits are set on the ALiVE Player Options module.
2026-07-27
Page first published.