terraforming geometic shapes

[ricefrog offline]

i want to create a much more synthetic-feeling terrain than the normal style of map has. instead of rolling hills or jagged spikes with natural random features which resemble real terrain, i want something that looks like it was carefully designed and then carved out with precision instruments.

to achieve this design goal, i'd like to start off with a totally flat terrian, and then "carve" mathematically exact geometric shapes out of it.

take for example a sphere -- i would want to make a bowl that was EXACTLY a half-sphere. or maybe half a cone lying on its side along the long axis, or other shapes described by a mathematical equation.

so, i'm curious if anyone can suggest a good way to generate such a terrain.

here's a couple of ideas for approaches, i wonder if you guys could offer your opinions based on your experience. personally, i have "Tried" the terraformer tool, so i have a rough idea of what it can do, but i have not used it enough to know it's true capabilities.

1. use the terraformer tool and do it by hand

2. generate a greyscale image in a paintshop app and try to use gradient-type tools to carve out the shapes... finish up with terraformer.

or, the extreme/exact case:

3. figure out how to output from java to a PNG file format .. use the geometric equations in code to generate a greyscale bitmap which describes the heightmap.


4. ???

any suggestions welcome. thanks.

-ricefrog

[Roy Fokker offline]

[ricefrog offline]

damn, looking at the JAVA APIs i only see a way to READ from PNG files... I can't see a way to output to one.

does anyone who knows java know anything about writing to graphics files?

specifically, i want to:
1. instanciate a new 256x256 greyscale image
2. set the pixel values
3. output to a PNG file

.. so that i can import that into T2 as a terrain.

any leads?

btw if i figure this out, maybe i can find some way to make a general tool out of it. failing that, at least i can share the methodology.

-ricefrog

[]Bio]-[azard[ offline]

output to bmp and convert to png with windows paint. use clipboard operations if you have to.