View source for User Generated Content: Terrain

Please note: this is user-generated content

[[File:1Terrain.jpg]]

= Heightfield =

A heightfield is file that describes altitude.  In a visually interpreted file it is shown in black and white.  White represents the highest point, and black the lowest.  Various shades of gray are everything in between.

Heightfields can be modified by various factors including, but not limited to: Colours, fractal noise, vertical height, erosion and rivers.

== Heightfield (load file) ==

Here you can import an externally made file to serve as altitude cues. 

Terragen uses the following files. 

Terragen Heightfield - *.ter
Bitmap - *.bmp
Targa - *.tga
Any - *.*  -- jpg for instance, though not recommended as it's inaccurate

Example of a custom height map:

[[File:FootHM.jpg]]

Result

[[File:Footrender.jpg]]



== Heightfield (generate) ==

As the name suggest, this is a heightfield made within Terragen.  The advantages to this:

* Stay in Terragen
* Easier to scale
* Can be adjusted by the same modifiers as the rest of the program


= Fractals =

Fractals (in this context) are how Terragen generates terrain that goes to the horizon.  

== Power Fractal ==

[[File:PowerFractal.jpg]]

* Quicker to calculate and draw
* Based on Perlin Noise 
* Can look more unnatural

== Alpine Fractal (Slow)  ==

[[File:Alpinefractal.jpg]]

* Controlled mainly by scale and deposition (building up layers of sediment) 
* More natural looking
* Slow 

= Displacement Shader =

Various shaders which modify the underlying terrain. 

*Fake Stone Shader --  Can be used in place of said object

*Crater Shader –  eliminate the need for custom heightmaps for holes

*Twist and shear shader – windblown look, can create overhanging terrain