TerraCore: A Fractal Terrain Generator (2008)

Undergraduate: Leah Townsend

Faculty Advisor: Jack Snoeyink
Department: Philosophy

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The computer program, TerraCore, is a solution to the challenge of creating virtual fractal terrain. Drawing on concepts pioneered by Gavin S.P. Miller and further explored by Paul Martz, the resulting program is a fractal terrain generator capable of creating simulated oceans, islands, hills, plateaus, and mountains. The program makes use of two main algorithms for calculating the location of virtual terrain points, and then uses several different versions of averaging the surrounding points to derive the elevation of those virtual points. The generated points then form a self-similar fractal design. The presentation will take programmers and non-programmers alike through the operation of these algorithms, explaining each stage in detail, with the result being a better understanding of fractals and the TerraCore terrain generation method, both of which have wide ranging applications for the video gaming industry, engineering, etc.