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General => Terragen Discussion => Topic started by: prasad5787 on July 19, 2011, 07:10:35 PM

Title: Auto Landscape Design using Terragen Software
Post by: prasad5787 on July 19, 2011, 07:10:35 PM
Hi Guys,

With my supervisor permission, I am allowed to discuss now regarding our new experiment done on generating landscape designs with less user Inputs.

Less user Inputs :-X?
YES, With less than 5 mouse clicks for every 2 mins, could bring what user is expecting to design (imaginery scenery) almost closer to 75%.
In this process, user need NOT to know how to modify, adjust and attach parameters at any point during the process. Everything is adjusted by it self.

How ????
Using IGA, Interactive Genetic Algorithm.
Our application reads user mind and communicates with Terragen engine with user specifications to render what he is looking for. Selected twice on IEEE Evolutionary Computation.

Any Example?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OISauX-XAVY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDey8uyzvqg

Any problems :( ?
Yes, Rendering what I can. I need to render 16 images at once which is taking almost 2 to 3 mins for every generation. Planned to implement network rendering but ran out of time now. May be in our next update.

UI interface is attached with this post. I am happy to answer any type of doubts that you guys might have. It sounds strange alright when I say this process really works but it does  ::).

Many thanks to Oshyan, Matt, rArcher and manymore those who share their ideas and helped me around during my research.
Title: Re: Auto Landscape Design using Terragen Software
Post by: Henry Blewer on July 19, 2011, 09:20:14 PM
This reminds me of the fractal variation selector used by Apothysis.
Title: Re: Auto Landscape Design using Terragen Software
Post by: TheBlackHole on July 20, 2011, 12:58:47 AM
Quote from: njeneb on July 19, 2011, 09:20:14 PM
This reminds me of the fractal variation selector used by Apothysis.
I think you mean Apophysis.  :) </spellcheck post>
Title: Re: Auto Landscape Design using Terragen Software
Post by: Draigr on July 20, 2011, 07:42:37 AM
Mmmm, Apophysis. There's a pretty snazzy version known as Apophysis 7X. I've gotten some fairly amazing renders outta that actually. A coupla took my breath away once they were done.
Title: Re: Auto Landscape Design using Terragen Software
Post by: Oshyan on July 20, 2011, 05:41:10 PM
Very cool to finally see the project you were working on. It looks like an interesting approach to scene development. I've seen similar things in other apps, as some have mentioned. Nice to have something like this for TG use though.

- Oshyan
Title: Re: Auto Landscape Design using Terragen Software
Post by: Kadri on July 20, 2011, 07:00:54 PM

Looks very interesting!
I had my doubts especially because of this " Our application reads user mind... " :)

Will this available to the public and if yes in what form and when? At least if you can say anything just approximately !
Title: Re: Auto Landscape Design using Terragen Software
Post by: cyphyr on July 20, 2011, 07:30:56 PM
It could be a great library/pre-set tool. Looks like a useful way of quickly setting up a scene for further tweaking. It would be sweet if it could run within Terragen.
:)
Richard
edit: Looking at it again I think I've got the wrong end of the stick, I don't see a way storing "libraries" of settings but rather generating variations upon a theme. Still good work though.
Title: Re: Auto Landscape Design using Terragen Software
Post by: neon22 on July 20, 2011, 11:03:39 PM
I have a couple of Questions:
1. Looks like the node network is quite simple. (e.g. 2min in in second vid)
Is your genetic algoruithm only perturbing parameters in existing nodes - or is it also capable of adding/subtracting new nodes (sets of nodes)?

2. If adding new nodes - do you have sophisticated rules about where the legal conections can go ?
  or is this future work ?

3. Do you start with a set of known exemplars?

4. If you have several exemplars with wildly differing internal topologies. Do you handle that ?

Would love to help out if its needed.
Cheers...
Title: Re: Auto Landscape Design using Terragen Software
Post by: prasad5787 on July 28, 2011, 08:07:44 AM
Hi neon22,


Our main concept is on IGA logic (which is working) and ofcourse of creating beautiful sceneries with less effect.
Title: Re: Auto Landscape Design using Terragen Software
Post by: prasad5787 on July 28, 2011, 08:16:18 AM
Quote from: Kadri on July 20, 2011, 07:00:54 PM
Will this available to the public and if yes in what form and when? At least if you can say anything just approximately !

We started with very few parameters that actually listen to user and manipulates them selfs.
Before it comes to public use, we would like to add good some of parameters and nodes.

We can release like a plugin to Terragen software. (if its legal to do so)
Title: Re: Auto Landscape Design using Terragen Software
Post by: Kadri on July 28, 2011, 08:18:43 AM

Thanks , prasad5787  :)
Title: Re: Auto Landscape Design using Terragen Software
Post by: prasad5787 on September 06, 2011, 06:03:23 AM
Hi Guys,

We experimented new way of generating landscape design using Aesthetic Measure Fitness Function.
What it does is, will replace user fitness function with its own fitness function. In other words, it will find the best and worst scenery by itself.

Soon I will upload the videos onto youtube and post the links.

Here's an example done so far in finding the BEST and WORST in our early experiments.

Images attached.
Title: Re: Auto Landscape Design using Terragen Software
Post by: Henry Blewer on September 06, 2011, 08:11:27 AM
I think both need quite a bit of work done on them. But these are early examples; I am looking forward to the video.