A time-line approach for the generation of simulated settlements

In this paper we present a model for procedurally generating virtual settlements populated with roads, land parcels and buildings. Our model improves on existing research by considering historical influence on settlement growth. To do this, an interactive time-line is used, allowing for a designer to specify a number of architectural periods. These architectural periods are then used in the generation process, giving the designer a robust tool to interactively generate photo-realistic urban scenes. Our results show that a variety of settlement types and sizes can be generated. In addition, we demonstrate that road patterns within real-world settlements can be created using our system

Infinite Procedural Infrastructured World Generation

Käesolev magistritöö kirjeldab uudset algoritmi lõpmatu deterministliku maailma genereerimiseks koos üldlevinud tehislike ja looduslike struktuuridega, mis leiduvad parasvöötme asustatud piirkondades. Kuna lõpmatuid maailmu tuleb genereerida jupikaupa ning ilma ühegi naabruses oleva tüki olemasoluta, on genereeritavate struktuuride järjepidev ja deterministlik genereerimine keeruline. Kirjeldatav algoritm kasutab eksponentsiaalse genereerimise metoodikat, mis võimaldab genereerida erineva suurusega struktuure alates liiklusmärkidest kuni pikkade jõgedeni. Algoritm genereerib erinevat tüüpi lõpmatuid teede võrgustikke, nimedega linnu ja külasid, elektriliine ja levinumaid liiklusmärke nagu kiiruspiirangud ja suunamärgid. Asulatest väljaspool olev maastik genereeritakse kolme üldlevinud maakasutuse kategooria vahel – metsandus, viljakasvatus ning looduskaitsealad. Lisaks kirjeldatavale algoritmile antakse ülevaade eelnevast teadustööst lõpmatu protseduurilise maailma genereerimise valdkonnas ning kirjeldatakse edasiarendusvõimalusi lõpmatute asustatud maailmade genereerimiseks.This Master's thesis describes and provides an implementation of a novel algorithm for generating infinite deterministic worlds with both man-made and natural features commonly found in the civilized regions of the temperate climate zone. Considering that infinite worlds have to be generated in a piecewise manner without any of the neighbouring pieces necessarily existing, ensuring continuity and deterministic results for the generation of such features can be challenging. The algorithm uses an exponential generation technique, which enables the generation of varying sized features from traffic signs to rivers. The algorithm generates infinite road networks of different tiers, named cities and villages, power lines between them and common traffic signs like speed limits and navigation signs. Rural areas are generated based on three types of land usage – forestry, cultivation of crops and untouched nature reserves. The thesis also gives an overview of the previous work in the field of procedural world generation and proposes multiple new ideas for further expansion of infinite infrastructured terrain generation

Quantifiable isovist and graph-based measures for automatic evaluation of different area types in virtual terrain generation

© 2013 IEEE. This article describes a set of proposed measures for characterizing areas within a virtual terrain in terms of their attributes and their relationships with other areas for incorporating game designers\u27 intent in gameplay requirement-based terrain generation. Examples of such gameplay elements include vantage point, strongholds, chokepoints and hidden areas. Our measures are constructed on characteristics of an isovist, that is, the volume of visible space at a local area and the connectivity of areas within the terrain. The calculation of these measures is detailed, in particular we introduce two new ways to accurately and efficiently calculate the 3D isovist volume. Unlike previous research that has mainly focused on aesthetic-based terrain generation, the proposed measures address a gap in gameplay requirement-based terrain generation-the need for a flexible mechanism to automatically parameterise specified areas and their associated relationships, capturing semantic knowledge relating to high level user intent associated with specific gameplay elements within the virtual terrain. We demonstrate applications of using the measures in an evolutionary process to automatically generate terrains that include specific gameplay elements as defined by a game designer. This is significant as this shows that the measures can characterize different gameplay elements and allow gameplay elements consistent with the designers\u27 intents to be generated and positioned in a virtual terrain without the need to specify low-level details at a model or logic level, hence leading to higher productivity and lower cost

Quantifiable isovist and graph-based measures for automatic evaluation of different area types in virtual terrain generation

© 2013 IEEE. This article describes a set of proposed measures for characterizing areas within a virtual terrain in terms of their attributes and their relationships with other areas for incorporating game designers\u27 intent in gameplay requirement-based terrain generation. Examples of such gameplay elements include vantage point, strongholds, chokepoints and hidden areas. Our measures are constructed on characteristics of an isovist, that is, the volume of visible space at a local area and the connectivity of areas within the terrain. The calculation of these measures is detailed, in particular we introduce two new ways to accurately and efficiently calculate the 3D isovist volume. Unlike previous research that has mainly focused on aesthetic-based terrain generation, the proposed measures address a gap in gameplay requirement-based terrain generation-the need for a flexible mechanism to automatically parameterise specified areas and their associated relationships, capturing semantic knowledge relating to high level user intent associated with specific gameplay elements within the virtual terrain. We demonstrate applications of using the measures in an evolutionary process to automatically generate terrains that include specific gameplay elements as defined by a game designer. This is significant as this shows that the measures can characterize different gameplay elements and allow gameplay elements consistent with the designers\u27 intents to be generated and positioned in a virtual terrain without the need to specify low-level details at a model or logic level, hence leading to higher productivity and lower cost

Procedural modelling of terrains with constraints

Terrain is an essential part of any outdoor environment and, consequently, many techniques have appeared that deal with the problem of its automatic generation, such as procedural modeling. One form to create terrains is using noise functions because its low computational cost and its random result. However, the randomness of these functions also makes it difficult to have any control over the result obtained. In order to solve the problem of lack of control, this paper presents a new method noise-based that allows procedural terrains creation with elevation constraints (GPS routes, points of interest and areas of interest). For this, the method establishes the restrictions as fixed values in the heightmap function and creates a system of equations to obtain all points that they depend this restrictions. In this way, the terrain obtained maintains the random noise, but including the desired restrictions. The paper also includes how we apply this method on large terrain models without losing resolution or increasing the computational cost excessively. The results show that our method makes it possible to integrate this kind of constraints with high accuracy and realism while preserving the natural appearance of the procedural generation

Coherent multi-layer landscape synthesis

We present an efficient method for generating coherent multi-layer landscapes. We use a dictionary built from exemplars to synthesize high-resolution fully featured terrains from input low-resolution elevation data. Our example-based method consists in analyzing real-world terrain examples and learning the procedural rules directly from these inputs. We take into account not only the elevation of the terrain, but also additional layers such as the slope, orientation, drainage area, the density and distribution of vegetation, and the soil type. By increasing the variety of terrain exemplars, our method allows the user to synthesize and control different types of landscapes and biomes, such as temperate or rain forests, arid deserts and mountains.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

WorldBrush: Interactive Example-based Synthesis of Procedural Virtual Worlds

International audienceWe present a novel approach for the interactive synthesis and editing of virtual worlds. Our method is inspired by painting operations and uses methods for statistical example-based synthesis to automate content synthesis and deformation. Our real-time approach takes a form of local inverse procedural modeling based on intermediate statistical models: selected regions of procedurally and manually constructed example scenes are analyzed, and their parameters are stored as distributions in a palette, similar to colors on a painter’s palette. These distributions can then be interactively applied with brushes and combined in various ways, like in painting systems. Selected regions can also be moved or stretched while maintaining the consistency of their content. Our method captures both distributions of elements and structured objects, and models their interactions. Results range from the interactive editing of 2D artwork maps to the design of 3D virtual worlds, where constraints set by the terrain’s slope are also taken into account

Procedural generation of a city

Protseduuriline genereerimine leiab arvutigraafikas kasutust suurte virtuaalsete maailmade loomises. See lubab väiksemate failidega luua palju andmeid, tekitades seejuures juhuslikkust, mis muudab genereeritavad andmed ettearvamatuks. Antud töö eesmärk on luua ja kirjeldada süsteemi linna protseduuriliseks genereerimiseks. Lahendus võimaldab tekitada juhusliku välimusega linna, mis võtab arvesse kasutaja etteantud parameetreid. Linn sisaldab endas teedesüsteemi, visuaalselt eristatavaid rajoone ja puid. Lisaks antud töö raames välja töötatud lahendusele kirjeldatakse eelnevalt tehtud teadustööd keskkonna protseduurilises genereerimises. Antakse ettepanekuid ka valminud algoritmi edasiarendamiseks. In English: Procedural generation is used in computer graphics to construct large virtual worlds. It allows to create a significant amount of data with a small number of files, producing randomness in the process which makes the generated data unpredictable. The aim of this thesis is to create and describe a system for the procedural generation of a city. The solution allows to create a city with a random appearance that takes into account parameters given by the user. The city includes a road system, visually distinguishable regions, and trees. In addition to the solution developed in this thesis, previously created scientific work in the field of procedural environment generation is described. Proposals for further development of the created algorithm are also given

Realistic reconstruction and rendering of detailed 3D scenarios from multiple data sources

During the last years, we have witnessed significant improvements in digital terrain modeling, mainly through photogrammetric techniques based on satellite and aerial photography, as well as laser scanning. These techniques allow the creation of Digital Elevation Models (DEM) and Digital Surface Models (DSM) that can be streamed over the network and explored through virtual globe applications like Google Earth or NASA WorldWind. The resolution of these 3D scenes has improved noticeably in the last years, reaching in some urban areas resolutions up to 1m or less for DEM and buildings, and less than 10 cm per pixel in the associated aerial imagery. However, in rural, forest or mountainous areas, the typical resolution for elevation datasets ranges between 5 and 30 meters, and typical resolution of corresponding aerial photographs ranges between 25 cm to 1 m. This current level of detail is only sufficient for aerial points of view, but as the viewpoint approaches the surface the terrain loses its realistic appearance. One approach to augment the detail on top of currently available datasets is adding synthetic details in a plausible manner, i.e. including elements that match the features perceived in the aerial view. By combining the real dataset with the instancing of models on the terrain and other procedural detail techniques, the effective resolution can potentially become arbitrary. There are several applications that do not need an exact reproduction of the real elements but would greatly benefit from plausibly enhanced terrain models: videogames and entertainment applications, visual impact assessment (e.g. how a new ski resort would look), virtual tourism, simulations, etc. In this thesis we propose new methods and tools to help the reconstruction and synthesis of high-resolution terrain scenes from currently available data sources, in order to achieve realistically looking ground-level views. In particular, we decided to focus on rural scenarios, mountains and forest areas. Our main goal is the combination of plausible synthetic elements and procedural detail with publicly available real data to create detailed 3D scenes from existing locations. Our research has focused on the following contributions: - An efficient pipeline for aerial imagery segmentation - Plausible terrain enhancement from high-resolution examples - Super-resolution of DEM by transferring details from the aerial photograph - Synthesis of arbitrary tree picture variations from a reduced set of photographs - Reconstruction of 3D tree models from a single image - A compact and efficient tree representation for real-time rendering of forest landscapesDurant els darrers anys, hem presenciat avenços significatius en el modelat digital de terrenys, principalment gràcies a tècniques fotogramètriques, basades en fotografia aèria o satèl·lit, i a escàners làser. Aquestes tècniques permeten crear Models Digitals d'Elevacions (DEM) i Models Digitals de Superfícies (DSM) que es poden retransmetre per la xarxa i ser explorats mitjançant aplicacions de globus virtuals com ara Google Earth o NASA WorldWind. La resolució d'aquestes escenes 3D ha millorat considerablement durant els darrers anys, arribant a algunes àrees urbanes a resolucions d'un metre o menys per al DEM i edificis, i fins a menys de 10 cm per píxel a les fotografies aèries associades. No obstant, en entorns rurals, boscos i zones muntanyoses, la resolució típica per a dades d'elevació es troba entre 5 i 30 metres, i per a les corresponents fotografies aèries varia entre 25 cm i 1m. Aquest nivell de detall només és suficient per a punts de vista aeris, però a mesura que ens apropem a la superfície el terreny perd tot el realisme. Una manera d'augmentar el detall dels conjunts de dades actuals és afegint a l'escena detalls sintètics de manera plausible, és a dir, incloure elements que encaixin amb les característiques que es perceben a la vista aèria. Així, combinant les dades reals amb instàncies de models sobre el terreny i altres tècniques de detall procedural, la resolució efectiva del model pot arribar a ser arbitrària. Hi ha diverses aplicacions per a les quals no cal una reproducció exacta dels elements reals, però que es beneficiarien de models de terreny augmentats de manera plausible: videojocs i aplicacions d'entreteniment, avaluació de l'impacte visual (per exemple, com es veuria una nova estació d'esquí), turisme virtual, simulacions, etc. En aquesta tesi, proposem nous mètodes i eines per ajudar a la reconstrucció i síntesi de terrenys en alta resolució partint de conjunts de dades disponibles públicament, per tal d'aconseguir vistes a nivell de terra realistes. En particular, hem decidit centrar-nos en escenes rurals, muntanyes i àrees boscoses. El nostre principal objectiu és la combinació d'elements sintètics plausibles i detall procedural amb dades reals disponibles públicament per tal de generar escenes 3D d'ubicacions existents. La nostra recerca s'ha centrat en les següents contribucions: - Un pipeline eficient per a segmentació d'imatges aèries - Millora plausible de models de terreny a partir d'exemples d’alta resolució - Super-resolució de models d'elevacions transferint-hi detalls de la fotografia aèria - Síntesis d'un nombre arbitrari de variacions d’imatges d’arbres a partir d'un conjunt reduït de fotografies - Reconstrucció de models 3D d'arbres a partir d'una única fotografia - Una representació compacta i eficient d'arbres per a navegació en temps real d'escenesPostprint (published version

Procedural Content Generation in 3 Dimensions using Wave Function Collapse in Minecraft

This investigation into the effectiveness of Wave Function Collapse as a Procedural Content Generation Technique (PCG) in Minecraft sets out to determine whether this method can be used easily by players and game designers to generate content that mimics the original content. We also set out to determine whether this technique can be implemented by game designers or community modders easily enough to improve the default generation of settlements in Minecraft. We grade the effectiveness of our output using metrics provided by the Generative Design in Minecraft Competition in order to test whether generated content is effective. Tests were conducted on terrain that was taken from an existing Minecraft world, and featured a mixture of structures ranging from simple to complex in design meant to simulate structures that players would build near the beginning of the game. Unfortunately, our conclusion is that in it’s most basic form, Wave Function Collapse is unsuited as a PCG tool for Minecraft. During the course of our testing, we found that the run times for simple algorithms were too long to be effective, and the algorithm fails to generate content for many of the test cases regularly. In order to make it more suitable, a number of improvements are suggested including global constraints, weight balancing, and layering PCG methods. Overall, this approach has potential, but requires more work before it is a suitable replacement to current PCG methods for Minecraft settlement generation