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Parallel, Realistic and Controllable Terrain Synthesis
Author(s) -
Gain J.,
Merry B.,
Marais P.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
computer graphics forum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.578
H-Index - 120
eISSN - 1467-8659
pISSN - 0167-7055
DOI - 10.1111/cgf.12545
Subject(s) - terrain , computer science , terrain rendering , landform , computer graphics (images) , texture synthesis , coherence (philosophical gambling strategy) , grid , constraint (computer aided design) , regular grid , pixel , variety (cybernetics) , computer vision , artificial intelligence , image (mathematics) , rendering (computer graphics) , geology , image processing , image texture , geometry , geography , geomorphology , physics , geodesy , quantum mechanics , cartography , mathematics
Abstract The challenge in terrain synthesis for virtual environments is to provide a combination of precise user control over landscape form, with interactive response and visually realistic results. We present a system that builds on parallel pixel‐based texture synthesis to enable interactive creation of an output terrain from a database of heightfield exemplars. We also provide modelers with control over height and surrounding slope by means of constraint points and curves; a paint‐by‐numbers interface for specifying the local character of terrain; coherence controls that allow localization of changes to the synthesized terrain; and copy‐paste functionality to directly transplant terrain regions. Together these contributions provide a level of realism that, based on user experiments, is indistinguishable from real source terrains; user control sufficient for precise placement of a variety of landforms, such as cliffs, ravines and mesas; and synthesis times of 165ms for a 1024 2 terrain grid.