Real-time Extendible-resolution Display of On-line Dynamic Terrain

We present a method for multiresolution view-dependent real-time display of terrain undergoing on-line modification. In other words, the method does not assume static terrain geometry, nor does it assume that the terrain update sequence is known ahead of time. The method is both fast and space efficient. It is fast because it relies on local updates to the multiresolution structure as terrain changes. It is much more space efficient than many previous approaches because the multiresolution structure can be extended on-line, to provide higher resolution terrain only where needed. Our approach is especially well-suited for applications like real-time off-road driving simulation involving large terrain areas with localized high-resolution terrain updates. Key words: dynamic terrain, triangle bintree, multiresolution representation, view-dependent mesh, level of detail

A framework for local terrain deformation based on diffusion theory

Terrains have a key role in making outdoor virtual scenes believable and immersive as they form the support for every other natural element in the scene. Although important, terrains are often given limited interactivity in real-time applications. However, in nature, terrains are dynamic and interact with the rest of the environment changing shape on different levels, from tracks left by a person running on a gravel soil (micro-scale), to avalanches on the side of a mountain (macro-scale). The challenge in representing dynamic terrains correctly is that the soil that forms them is vastly heterogeneous and behaves differently depending on its composition. This heterogeneity introduces difficulties at different levels in dynamic terrains simulations, from modelling the large amount of different elements that compose the oil to simulating their dynamic behaviour. This work presents a novel framework to simulate multi-material dynamic terrains by taking into account the soil composition and its heterogeneity. In the proposed framework soil information is obtained from a material description map applied to the terrain mesh. This information is used to compute deformations in the area of interaction using a novel mathematical model based on diffusion theory. The deformations are applied to the terrain mesh in different ways depending on the distance of the area of interaction from the camera and the soil material. Deformations away from the camera are simulated by dynamically displacing normals. While deformations in a neighbourhood of the camera are represented by displacing the terrain mesh, which is locally tessellated to better fit the displacement. For gravel based soils the terrain details are added near the camera by reconstructing the meshes of the small rocks from the texture image, thus simulating both micro and macro-structure of the terrain. The outcome of the framework is a realistic interactive dynamic terrain animation in real-time

A Framework for Dynamic Terrain with Application in Off-road Ground Vehicle Simulations

The dissertation develops a framework for the visualization of dynamic terrains for use in interactive real-time 3D systems. Terrain visualization techniques may be classified as either static or dynamic. Static terrain solutions simulate rigid surface types exclusively; whereas dynamic solutions can also represent non-rigid surfaces. Systems that employ a static terrain approach lack realism due to their rigid nature. Disregarding the accurate representation of terrain surface interaction is rationalized because of the inherent difficulties associated with providing runtime dynamism. Nonetheless, dynamic terrain systems are a more correct solution because they allow the terrain database to be modified at run-time for the purpose of deforming the surface. Many established techniques in terrain visualization rely on invalid assumptions and weak computational models that hinder the use of dynamic terrain. Moreover, many existing techniques do not exploit the capabilities offered by current computer hardware. In this research, we present a component framework for terrain visualization that is useful in research, entertainment, and simulation systems. In addition, we present a novel method for deforming the terrain that can be used in real-time, interactive systems. The development of a component framework unifies disparate works under a single architecture. The high-level nature of the framework makes it flexible and adaptable for developing a variety of systems, independent of the static or dynamic nature of the solution. Currently, there are only a handful of documented deformation techniques and, in particular, none make explicit use of graphics hardware. The approach developed by this research offloads extra work to the graphics processing unit; in an effort to alleviate the overhead associated with deforming the terrain. Off-road ground vehicle simulation is used as an application domain to demonstrate the practical nature of the framework and the deformation technique. In order to realistically simulate terrain surface interactivity with the vehicle, the solution balances visual fidelity and speed. Accurately depicting terrain surface interactivity in off-road ground vehicle simulations improves visual realism; thereby, increasing the significance and worth of the application. Systems in academia, government, and commercial institutes can make use of the research findings to achieve the real-time display of interactive terrain surfaces

Geração de terrenos em tempo real

Tese de mestrado, Informática, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, 2008A geração de terrenos em tempo real é um problema complexo. Efectivamente, as necessidades de armazenamento e de processamento resultantes da quantidade de dados envolvida levantam um conjunto de problemas que tornaram esta área um tópico de investigação muito activo no domínio da computação gráfica. A maioria do trabalho efectuado concentra-se num conjunto de técnicas que procuram colmatar as dificuldades que surgem na representação de terrenos. Estas técnicas consistem sobretudo na aplicação de estratégias de culling e de nível de detalhe, com o intuito de reduzir o impacto que a representação de um terreno, especialmente os de grandes dimensões, tem ao nível do desempenho. Isto não obstante a grande evolução ao nível das placas gráficas que se tem verificado ao longo dos anos, mas que não tem sido, no entanto, suficiente para lidar com a tensão constante entre realismo e velocidade, entre fidelidade e número de frames por segundo que encontramos nesta área em particular e de uma forma geral na computação gráfica. Nesta dissertação apresentam-se conceitos fundamentais relacionados com a geração de terrenos em tempo real, tais como a representação do terreno, o particionamento espacial, o culling, o vertex caching, a coerência espacial e temporal e a utilização de vertex textures no envio dos valores elevação para o GPU. Inclui-se também a descrição dos algoritmos de geração de terrenos considerados mais relevantes, seleccionando-se dois da classe Tiled Blocks, segundo a classificação proposta por Losasso e Hoppe, para comparar o seu desempenho. Estes algoritmos aplicam duas técnicas diferentes de nível de detalhe, bastante comuns na maioria dos algoritmos desta classe e são, respectivamente, o Geomipmapping, descrito por De Boer e o GPU Terrain Rendering, descrito por Vistnes. Avaliou-se ainda a integração da técnica de occlusion culling empregue no algoritmo de Terrain Occlusion Culling With Horizons, descrito por Fiedler, e a utilização das vertex textures como alternativa no envio dos valores de elevação para o GPU. Como ponto de referência e com o intuito de avaliar a diferença a nível de desempenho, bem como verificar a necessidade de utilizar técnicas de nível de detalhe, concretizou-se também uma aproximação de “força bruta” que não utiliza nenhuma técnica de nível de detalhe.Real time terrain rendering is a complex topic. The main reason is cheer amount of geometry involved, which raises a number of problems that made this area an active topic of research in the field of computer graphics. Most of the work is centered on a group of techniques especially developed to give an answer to the problems faced when representing a terrain in real time. Culling and level of detail techniques are therefore essential tools to face the performance problems that a representation of a terrain in real time, specially a large one, brings. This despite the great technological evolution of the graphic cards over the years, which has not been, however, sufficient to deal with the constant tension between realism and speed, between fidelity and number of frames per second present in this area in particular and generally in computer graphics. In this dissertation real time terrain rendering concepts are presented, such as terrain representation models, spatial partitioning, culling, vertex caching, spatial and temporal coherence and vertex textures. Some of the most relevant real time terrain rendering algorithms are also discussed. From these, two belonging to the Tiled Blocks class, following the classification proposed by Losasso and Hope, are compared in terms of performance. These algorithms apply two different of level of detail techniques, quite common in most algorithms of this class. They are, respectively, the Geomipmapping, described by De Boer, and the GPU Terrain Rendering, described by Vistnes. Additionally the integration of the occlusion culling technique described by Fiedler on the Terrain Occlusion Culling With Horizons algorithm is evaluated as well as the use of vertex textures as way of sending the elevation values to the GPU. As a reference point and to evaluate the impact in the performance, of level of detail techniques a brute force approach that does not apply any of those techniques was also developed