To test the wisdom of my hindsight, I configured a DEM-based
terrain of southwest Colorado which included the famous RGS
scene of Lizard Head pass. Using just three shader layers and
a single model of a conifer tree, I was able to generate the
scenes [16,17] with just a few hours of work. I contend that
even these results far exceed what a person with my artistic
skills could achieve with paint and brush. The lesson here is
to keep the models as simple as possible and remember that
these images are backgrounds.
Conclusion
In the end, my experience with terrain modeling was another
challenging yet satisfying chapter in this great hobby. The real-
ism of the backdrops is way beyond anything I could have
achieved by hand-painting. Being able to use the actual topog-
raphy of scenes added a new dimension to the realism. I am
very pleased with the results, and hope it will inspire you to
use this technique to create a masterpiece background.
