Terragen Tutorial by Eric DeGiuli

Version 0.83 +++ Last modified May 19, 2003 +++ *NOTE* This is NOT the official Terragen webpage *NOTE* +++

Update:

May 19 2003: Well... it's been 2 years since this tutorial was created, and I haven't updated it at all. I no longer use Terragen regularly, and I only passively watch its development. If there's anyone out there that is still reading this, e-mail me and let me know. Several things have changed since this tutorial was created:

Terragen now has water transparency, and full reflection capabilities.
More importantly, the experienced Terragen users in the community seem to rely on far more advanced techniques than I describe in this tutorial. Terrain modeling deserves its own tutorial, as there are many secondary programs which are now used, (such as World Machine) as well as DEMs. Also, it has come to my attention that many people now create surface maps with 20-40 layers in them, far more than I describe here.

On the plus side, active development in Terragen has resumed, so perhaps interest will continue to increase, and there will be some new users coming to the community.

The program Terragen is a scenery generator currently in development, but already capable of images of photorealistic quality which can be used by amateurs and professionals alike. Because of this broad user base, the program is in need of a tutorial that is easily understandable, yet explains in great enough detail the features of the program. I am attempting to provide such a tutorial.

To download Terragen, go to this link: Terragen download page

If you are interested in seeing what Terragen can do, check out these galleries:

http://www.terraescape.com - Gallery by Armands Auseklis

http://nearworlds.cjb.net/ - Gallery by Etienne Blythe

http://www2.wbs.ne.jp/%7Esopan/terragen/demgallery.htm - Gallery by Yasufumi Sawanishi

http://individual.utoronto.ca/edegiuli/terragen/terragen.htm - My own gallery - Some selections:

The way that Terragen works is this:

You create or import a black and white image that represents the heights of each point in your world. This image is termed a heightfield, and will be referred to by that name hereafter.
You tell Terragen what colours to make each part of the terrain, differing surfaces based on slope, altitude, etc.
You adjust atmospheric parameters to control haze, sunsets, etc.
You adjust the position and altitude of the sun and other related parameters to affect the lighting of your world.
You create clouds to cover your world.
You render your final image at a large resolution -- which can take from minutes to hours depending on scene parameters!

The tutorial will follow that same basic order, so feel free to jump to whatever part you need help with. All key words, settings, and headings will be in bold type, and off-site links will be underlined. At any time, press the large Terragen Tut button at the top of the screen to return to this page. If you really need help, my email is at the end of the page, but I'll warn you: I can't provide in depth help for everyone..

For a little teaser, here is the image that I ended up with at the end of the tutorial:

Quick Links:

If you are just starting the tutorial, go to Introduction and Menus. I recommend that you follow the tutorial in order, but feel free to skip to any section you like.

Once you're done and have absorbed all the information within, make sure to take a stop at Terrasource, a comprehensive resource with links to all things Terragen related! There you'll find links to other tutorials, with information about the aspects of Terragen that I haven't covered in my tutorial, as well as links to more galleries, and some bizarre things you would never think of looking up otherwise!