- Real-time generation of geometry: Basic principles -
The entire VWorldTerrain technology is based on one basic principle: data can be dynamically generated
by the engine in real-time.That entails two major characteristics:
- there are no limitations
to |
 |
 |
- calculations
are extremely precise |
In order to generate geometry ( i.e. the total amount of polygons which make up the terrain), VWorldTerrain resorts to a series of procedural calculations, dedicated to the rendering of each type of desired landscape. Thus, there are specific functions for mountains, others for plains, lakes, etc. Each one of them moves along the same procedural rules. If you change the parameters to be applied to these calculations, it is possible to obtain an infinite number of functions, and therefore to display a great variety of true-to-life landscapes.
Basically, a procedural
function can be defined as follows:
Function which is based on a series of iterative calculations, the results of
the first row of calculations being re-applied to the second row, u.s.o. After
each iteration therefore, another “daughter ”-geometry is obtained,
which comes on top of its “mother”, so as to generate detail in
a homogenous way.
By adjusting
the level of detail, according to the distance which separates the observer’s
eye from the scene we can display a true-to-life landscape whose geometry complies
with personal computers’ calculations capabilities (i.e. maximum number
of polygons that can be displayed this way).
