Using Terragen to make animation for tests

[pogo stick]

If this thread doesn't belong here, move it to appropriate place please.
I am rendering a video using Terragen - even the unregistered copy is already capable of up to 1280x960, this will be enough for HDTV-720p (1280x720).

I just wonder if it is easily possible to make this terrain, world, and script available so that other people may reliably reproduce the result and use it for own tests.

(Water ripples, the sun, and clouds are animated.)
HDTV-Preview.jpg (http://forum.doom9.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=4007)
HDTV-Preview.avi.zip (http://forum.doom9.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=4008)
Looks nice! If this thing is not too big to download and not too complicated to use, all testers could run encoder at the same settings on the same source to compare encoding time and fps on different CPUs.
If, then I'd zip the small "world" and "script" file, and give you instructions on how to create the "terrain" file (it is reproducible). But I'm afraid the rendering time amount is horrible. Those with fast computers may be happy to just need few days, but on my Duron-800, I don't even get 100 frames per day, it will take around a week I'd guess.
For those who want to have the same animation for tests:

- run Terragen 0.9.19
- create a new terrain:
+- use "Ridged Multi Perlin" as algorithm
+- uncheck random coordinates, use (0, 0)
+- move the slider all the way right (biggest terrain structures)
- switch to "terrain units" instead of "meters"
- modify the terrain
+- set a height range of (-12, 12)
- save the terrain (e.g. as "HDTV.ter")

Load the attached "World" file HDTV.tgw (@ mods: please approve the attachment).

- run Scripter

- use some useful image and script filenames (e.g. C:\TEMP\HDTV | C:\TEMP\HDTV.tgs)
- Frame Number: (1, 400)
- {no "Camera Pos" animation}
- Sun heading: (-20, 60)
- Sun altitude: (20, -60) -- oops: must be in Australia...
- Exposure: (4.0, 1.5)
- Shadow Lightness: (5, 50)
- "Create it"
- "Notepad it"
- as second line, enter "CloudVel 2,135"; save

Execute script. Go on vacation over the weekend.
HDTV_tgw.zip (http://forum.doom9.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=4045)

I followed your instructions and I got 400 640x480 bmp pictures in about 18 minutes. Too fast? And then I made 25 fps video out of it. Here (http://pogo-stick.nm.ru/t.mp4) is version encoded using latest Nero Recode. Don't look at the quality, it's only about 60 kbps just to show what came out. It looks different from your samples.

[LigH]

With HDTV resolutions (1280x720 for an unregistered version) it takes a bit longer (due to the bigger picture area). And it seems to depend on the CPU features, although I don't know anything about possible optimizations, but it seems that SSE capable CPUs render much faster than just the frequency proportions between an older and a modern CPU!
__

Between my old example and the current script, I changed a few settings - they must look different! ;)

[Selur]

"I got 400 640x480 bmp"
sure that you did "Load the attached "World" file HDTV.tgw (@ mods: please approve the attachment)." ?

Cu Selur

[LigH]

Ah, Selur - just another point. You must be right, my camera was not set below the surface, and the "World" file contains rendering options like the picture dimensions.

[pogo stick]

sure that you did "Load the attached "World" file HDTV.tgw (@ mods: please approve the attachment)." ?
Sure, I did.

[LigH]

After starting Terragen (or resetting the world), you'll have the following settings (in "Terrain units"):

- Camera position: (128, 0, 1 above surface)
- Target position: (128, 128, 0 above surface)
- 640 x 480 pixels
- only the "Surface map" as layer

After loading the attached world file, you'll get:

- Camera position: (144, 16, 2 above surface)
- Target position: (112, 80, 2 above surface)
- 1280 x 720 pixels
- five additional layers branching from the "Surface map"

[ac-chan123]

Have someone a rendered Version and can share it. I have no Windows anymore.

[LigH]

The 400 rendered BMPs in HDTV resolution take 1.1 GB! And I would strongly not recommend to compress it lossily before shipping...

[pogo stick]

After starting Terragen (or resetting the world), you'll have the following settings (in "Terrain units"):
Oh, then I didn't. I only opened it in 'Landscape - Surface Map'. Sorry. :o
It looks much better now. And slower.

1 frame renders about 1,5 minutes.

Just to check: is this (http://img141.echo.cx/img141/1173/00016fq.jpg) the right first frame?

[Didée]

Just a note - looking at those pics, I've the impression there's lack of (sub)pixel antialiasing.

Don't know about available terragen settings (POV-Ray slave ;) ), but overlaying 10% of a radius-1 or -2 gaussian blur in AviSynth usually appears visually nice.

[LigH]

Just to check: is this (http://img141.echo.cx/img141/1173/00016fq.jpg) the right first frame?
No. There should be water. I guess you forgot the height range scaling (between -12 and 12) after generating the terrain. And the sun should be below the horizon, starting in the "night".
__

@ Didée:

Simple sub-pixel anti-aliasing is available even in the unregistered version. And it is enabled in the world file. The "Ultra" setting and "Extra blended details" shall be available only to registered versions.
__

Currently, the video shall look like this:

http://www.ligh.de/tmp/x264-r260A_Q24.avi

[pogo stick]

No. There should be water. I guess you forgot the height range scaling (between -12 and 12) after generating the terrain.
Fixed it. Now it's water all over.
And the sun should be below the horizon, starting in the "night".
The sun is shining brightly here. I guess I forgot something else. What could it be? I rechecked it 3 times. :confused:

[LigH]

Oops - my fault: Swapped signs.

- Sun heading: (20, -60)
- Sun altitude: (-20, 60)

[pogo stick]

Thanks for your scripts and help.
With water it turned out to be very slow. Something about 35-40 hours. I have Athlon 64 3500+.