Hello and Welcome!
This website is dedicated to the honours project, "Terrain Generation for Real-Time Simulation", completed by Peter Sbarski in 2004 at Monash University. The principal supervisors for this project were Dr. Jon McCormack and Dr. Alan Dorin. The second reader was Dr. Peter Tischer.
This website is split into five primary sections:
If you have any questions or comments please contact Peter as this email.
About TerraSim
"TerraSim" is a software application that was developed to test some algorithms and ideas put forward during the research phase of this project. This application allows the user to generate synthetic terrain models and explore them in real-time. It also allows the user to simulate and observe various meteorological and weather events. This application is free to download from the downloads section.
This website is dedicated to the honours project, "Terrain Generation for Real-Time Simulation", completed by Peter Sbarski in 2004 at Monash University. The principal supervisors for this project were Dr. Jon McCormack and Dr. Alan Dorin. The second reader was Dr. Peter Tischer.
This website is split into five primary sections:
- Welcome - the page you are reading right now.
- Introduction - explains the basic aims of the project and gives some background information.
- Research - talks about some algorithms and ideas that were put in practice to make the project possible.
- Downloads - allows the download of various deliverables such as the literature review and the thesis.
- References - lists various references used for the completion of this project.
If you have any questions or comments please contact Peter as this email.
About TerraSim
"TerraSim" is a software application that was developed to test some algorithms and ideas put forward during the research phase of this project. This application allows the user to generate synthetic terrain models and explore them in real-time. It also allows the user to simulate and observe various meteorological and weather events. This application is free to download from the downloads section.
What is this honours project all about?
A lot of games and simulations are based on outdoor environments. From flight simulators, used for pilot training and visualization of weather and various environments to massively multiplayer networked worlds, a high quality and visually striking terrain is a necessity. At the same time addition of real-life meteorological processes such as wind and rain can make a simulation or a game even more interesting. A persistent world with a climate that is reflective of its geography is more believable and more interesting than a static world with the same weather all year round.
This project explores different methods used to create and display visually rich landscapes. It looks at a number of important issues related to synthetic computer-based terrain including its generation, texturing and real-time performance measures. The project also involves a number of various effects, such as fog, shadowing and particle systems, used to make the terrain look more realistic. This work analysis various methods that could be used to produce a highly efficient and visually appealing landscapes applicable to many different applications.
The second part of this project describes various meteorological events including evaporation, precipitation, winds and temperature and offers a solution as to how they can be modeled and represented on a computer system. These solutions are incorporated into the terrain system proposed earlier. The result is an artificial world with semi-realistic meteorological processes. A dynamic landscape with changing weather and a functional atmospheric model.
Have a look at the introduction section for more background information or skip straight to the downloads section to try out "TerraSim". Alternatively, visit the research section for more in-depth information about the research conducted to make this project possible.
A lot of games and simulations are based on outdoor environments. From flight simulators, used for pilot training and visualization of weather and various environments to massively multiplayer networked worlds, a high quality and visually striking terrain is a necessity. At the same time addition of real-life meteorological processes such as wind and rain can make a simulation or a game even more interesting. A persistent world with a climate that is reflective of its geography is more believable and more interesting than a static world with the same weather all year round.
This project explores different methods used to create and display visually rich landscapes. It looks at a number of important issues related to synthetic computer-based terrain including its generation, texturing and real-time performance measures. The project also involves a number of various effects, such as fog, shadowing and particle systems, used to make the terrain look more realistic. This work analysis various methods that could be used to produce a highly efficient and visually appealing landscapes applicable to many different applications.
The second part of this project describes various meteorological events including evaporation, precipitation, winds and temperature and offers a solution as to how they can be modeled and represented on a computer system. These solutions are incorporated into the terrain system proposed earlier. The result is an artificial world with semi-realistic meteorological processes. A dynamic landscape with changing weather and a functional atmospheric model.
Have a look at the introduction section for more background information or skip straight to the downloads section to try out "TerraSim". Alternatively, visit the research section for more in-depth information about the research conducted to make this project possible.