POV-Ray : Newsgroups : povray.programming : How to composite heightfields? : How to composite heightfields? Server Time
29 Jul 2024 08:24:43 EDT (-0400)
  How to composite heightfields?  
From: Charles Krause
Date: 27 Mar 1998 23:24:58
Message: <6fhtmu$oo3$1@oz.aussie.org>
Here's what I would like to do, although I suspect that it's not
possible under this version of Pov-Ray. BTW has anyone compiled a 'wish
list' of features people would like to see? :)

    What I'd like to do is to create a height field, where each point's
height is the SUM of the heights of 2 or more other height fields at the
corresponding point.

    For example. At point <2,3> the height of Height_Field_1 is 0.3 and at
<2,3> on Height_Field_2 is 0.25. The height at the point <2,3> on the
resulting height field at <2,3> is 0.55.

    Why do this? What I'd like to do is form land masses. While plasma
fractals are wonderful for the creation of RANDOM landscapes, I'd like to
create a 'general outline' height field, and then drape the plasma fractal
over it.

    For example, if Heigh_Field_1 is a cone, and Height_Field_2 is a plasma
fractal, then you have a generally random landscape with a humped 'island'
in the middle, which is still 'rocky' in shape. Add a water plane, and
viola. A realistic island. If I want to add more islands, or alter the shape
of the existing one, I simply alter the 'general outline' height field.

    While I've proposed compositing 2 height fields, I don't see why one
could not 'drape' a plasma fractal height field over objects, either.

    Thoughts anyone?


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