It turns out that through this characteristic of self-similarity
and the insertion of specialized randomization functions, one
can very realistically simulate patterns found in nature includ-
ing the terrain of a mountain, vegetation on a hillside, and even
clouds in the sky. Virtually every element of Terragen is layer-
ing the effects of multiple fractal functions to create a virtual
model of a 3D scene.
While it may be helpful to understand fractals, luckily that is
not required. When someone asks how a computer can create
such realistic images, simply answer, “fractals, of course.”
Scene development
There is no way to convey all of the details required to become
proficient with Terragen in this article. My objective is to convey
the basic process and demonstrate the possibilities.
The overall process of building scenes in Terragen is as follows:
Establish the bare terrain
Position camera
Shade terrain
