The SDK (Software Development Kit) will allow anyone who can code in C++ to write plugins for Terragen that extend its capabilities in a myriad of ways, from generating or loading new types of data (e.g. new fractal functions, or support for new data formats), to new types of shading, to automation and interoperability functions, and more.
It's an important option to have available for larger studios, who often use SDKs to integrate applications into their sophisticated multi-stage production pipelines, but it will also be used by individual independent developers to create plugins of any scale, large or small, to handle a variety of useful things. We're not so much intending that people develop core functionality with it - things that we have on our road map - but rather that they create new and different things to make Terragen more versatile and interesting. Imagine, for example, a generator that creates "classic" fractals like Mandelbrot, Julia, and other sets, for use as terrains, masks, etc. Or a new type of Erosion shader. Either of those could be done easily.
We're looking forward to seeing what the community will do with it, and we already have several prominent developers interested.
- Oshyan
