Landscape Studio

User Guide

I must apologise for the user guide - I realise it is far too sparse! But, to be honest it was created in quite a rush shortly before the dissertation deadline.

 

System Requirements

(Should work across most systems, but remains largely untested)

 

Features

Tabbed Workspace: allows the user to work on several projects at once (ala Firefox's tabbed browsing)

 

Terrain Application Mapping: This unique method of generation applies fractal randomness to a pre-designed heightmap based on an application map. The initial case study given was this - a user wishes to create a realistic landscape with the following parameters - downward 20 degree slope running from top to bottom, a 25% radius circle in the centre must be smooth but the remainder of the terrain can have fractal randomness. Using traditional methods, this would not be possible.

Terrain applicaion mapping works by applying a fractal to a heightmap based on a user defined application map.

As you can see, the fractal is applied very strongly to the lighter areas of the application map, and very weakly (or not at all) to the darker areas of the application map. To use terrain application mapping, create your maps in a paint program (i.e. Paint Shop Pro, Photoshop, etc) and export them to RAW format.

 

Exporting: generated terrains can be exported to RAW format, which can then be easily loaded into Terragen and other rendering programs. The rendered image to the right was the resulant map (shown above) imported and rendered in Terragen. Note that you should use terrain of size 257 if you wish to import into Terragen.

 

Extendability: One of the primary goals of Landscape Studio was to be as extendable as possible. This was achieved by creating a very modular program in which algorithms would not be hard coded. All terrain generation algorithms, importers, exporters and plugins were written and compiled seperately to the main program (These can be found in the main directory). With a little knowledge of Java, you too can create your own add-ons.

 

Multiple algorithms: Generate terrain using various algorithms including - ridged multifractal, procedural multifractal, heterogeneous multifractal, offset square plasma fractal, hybrid additive/multiplicative multifractal, procedural fBm fractal

 

User Interface

The user interface has been designed to be as straightforward as possible, it uses a tabbed canvas interface in which you may work on several projects at once and switch between them swiftly.

 

How To

Generating a new terrain

To generate a new landscape:

  1. Upon loading Landscape Studio or creating a new project, open the Algorithm window
  2. Select an algorithm from the drop down menu (Different algorithms will generate different types of terrain)
  3. Alter the algorithm variables to suit your needs (These vary between algorithm types, it may initially be a trial and error process)
  4. Click the Generate button to generate the new terrain

 

Loading a project

To load a project, click the Load button. Select a filter from the drop down menu (*.raw, *.hmp, etc), then select the desired project; this will open in the current tab.

 

Saving a project

To save the currently selected project, click the Save button, then select the file type from the drop down menu (*.raw, *.hmp, etc). Finally, enter a name for the file or select a file to overwrite.

 

Terrain Application Mapping

To create a Terrain-Application mapped landscape:

  1. Upon loading Landscape Studio or creating a new project, open the Algorithm window
  2. Select an algorithm from the drop down menu (Different algorithms will generate different types of terrain)
  3. Alter the algorithm variables to suit your needs (These vary between algorithm types, it may initially be a trial and error process)
  4. Select Use Terrain-Application mapping to turn on TAM
  5. Click the … button next to the Terrain map text box, select the terrain map
  6. Click the … button next to the Application map text box, select the terrain map
  7. Click the Generate button to generate the new terrain

 

Combination

To combine two landscapes:

  1. Open the Combine window
  2. Click the … button next to the Terrain map text box, select the terrain map
  3. Select a combination method from the drop down menu
  4. Select the required combination strength
  5. Click Combine to combine the selected terrain map with the current landscape

 

Filter

To apply a filter to the current landscape

  1. Open the Filters window
  2. Select a filter from the drop down menu
  3. Click Apply to apply the filter

 

Creating add-ons

Landscape Studio is designed to be as expandable as possible. With a little Java programming knowledge you are able to create –

Source code templates can be found in the Source directory within the Landscape Studio home directory. Compile your add-ons and be sure to name them appropriately (ALG*****.class, EXP*****.class, IMP*****.class or FLT*****.class), then place them in the Landscape Studio home directory and they will be automatically loaded next time you start Landscape Studio.

 

Acknowledgements

I would first and foremost like to thank Rudi Lutz for supervising me during this project – he greatly assisted in developing the requirements for the program and provided invaluable feedback at every weekly meeting.

I would also like to thank Carl Burke for allowing me to use and adapt his algorithms for the purposes of this project. His code cut the implementation time down dramatically and allowed me to concentrate on other features of the program, rather than implementing my own, far less efficient algorithms.

I would finally like to thank Robert-Jan Kuipers (AKA Mohawk20) for providing me with brilliant feedback and the motivation to continue development on Landscape Studio.