It seems that there are presently two ways to create fields of grass :
- a simple height-field for grass looked from afar (nice enough in many cases)
- a grass macro that creates individual blades for grass in close-up. Most grass
macros I've seen give very similar results.

The trick to make a whole field is to create a small mesh patch and then
replicate it where it's needed. I've included for instance a "Prairie" macro in
my own grass macro (
http://www.mediaport.net/Artichaud/Tran/sources/gtsrcef.htm) that replicates the
patch on a flat surface. You can also look at Abe's source file for his
impressive "Afternoon" picture (source in binaries.scene-files 14 april 1999)
where the grass covers a hillside. Positionning the patches on a given surface
and adjusting the level of randomness for the blade size, shape, color and
position require some coding. It can be interesting to mix several types of
grass, or to use a function that changes the density of the grass on the
surface. Note that some of the surface creation macros that are currently shown
on binaries.images could be customised to display grass meshes instead of
triangles or spheres. Chris Colefax's fur macros can be used to that purpose
too.
Gilles Tran



Mike Metheny wrote:

> Has anyone looked at the numerous grass macros (i have looked at a few) and
> perhaps knows of a tutorial for making a field of grass?  Ken I know I asked
> you about the grass on a hilly slope thing so I won't ask again (leveller
> right?) And also, anyone know about ways of coming up with realistic looking
> rain?
>
> --
>
> Mike Metheny
> lon### [at] vtedu
> mik### [at] loneshepherdcom
> http://www.loneshepherd.com/
>
> "When one's words are no better than silence, one should keep silent."

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