You see it almost every day; in television commercials, movies using special effects; and, in magazine advertisements. The tools used by the artists in these industries over the past several years have spun off some outstanding digital imaging software for use by those who are gifted with artistic abilities; and, are used by beginners and experts alike.

The images you will see here are largely of landscapes; complete with sky, various atmospheres, direct or indirect sun or moon; water, surf and a myriad of terrains and surfaces. The artist using Terragen™  will begin to create a picture by either creating a terrain within the program; or, by creating a terrain using a DEM (digital elevation model) file available from numerous sources - some of which are mentioned on the home page. Additionally, the artist may also combine some terrains with other existing terrains. Further, the artist can take a terrain into another program called TerraFormer 2 and apply certain natural geological and weathering effects like terracing and erosion to the combined terrain. Another popular terrain generator is the program called World Machine which uses a different approach to terrain generation.

Using Terragen™, the artist has the choice of using various terrain sizes to produce a picture. Namely, the sizes are: 129x129; 257x257; 513x513; 1025x1025; 2049x2049; and, 4097x4097. The best detail is attained by using terrain sizes of from 1025 to 4097.

After the artist has finalized the choice of terrain, the file is saved and becomes a 'height map'. This appears as a 'bird's eye' view - or a topographical map from which the artist will begin to position a camera for the best point of view (POV). You are free to place the camera anywhere; at any altitude or pitch angle as long as the POV produces a reasonably interesting scene.

Next, we need to find the best position for the light source (sun or moon). Again, the choices for sun position are almost unlimited just as long as it enhances the total image. Just as in photography, low positioned light sources produce deeper shadows and give the image depth.

Now that a good position is found, the artist works of the effects of the atmosphere. Once again, the possibilities are infinite. There are settings to produce various types of clouds, haze, color of sky, and atmospheric decay. Atmospheric decay is the element that creates a reddish sunset. It is the result of dust particles and moisture in the air that causes sunsets to have their beautiful colors.

Before the artist begins working on the terrain surfaces, he or she may elect to introduce water into the scene. The WaterWorks plug-in for Terragen™ is used for this purpose. The artist checks the lowest and highest points of the the terrain and makes a note of it since it will become important if a sandy beach is part of the scene. After the water depth is set, the artist decides what the terrain surface should look like. Maybe it could be a winter scene with snow and ice cover; or a springtime scene with lush green grass. The combinations are limitless.

The surface layers start with the base surface of the terrain. It can be smooth or rough and of any color. Each subsequent layer becomes the 'child' layer to the parent base surface of the terrain. Some artists will use from up to 20 to 30 child and sibling layers over a base terrain to create a marvelous photorealistic scene. With certain program 'plug-ins', the artist can add 'overlays' to the terrain surfaces. These overlays can produce the pebbles, rocks, gravel; and many other details to the surface. Overlays are made using the SOPack plug-in for Terragen™.

After the composition is complete, the artist must make the final render which will be saved as a .bmp file. The larger the final render - the better detail! The largest we have rendered was 6000 x 4500. Some artists have rendered pictures much larger than this.  Upon completion, the artist may elect to do additional post work on the image such as re-sizing and sharpening; adding other elements to the picture such as stars and planets - there is no limit to this process. The final product can be saved in a number of formats that are suitable for posting on web sites; or, for printing.

Be sure to see the latest information on 'Terragen 2™' at the Planetside web site ...this is an exciting development!