Modelling forestry - visualizing a new plantation:

Our first step is to create a new project using the projects editor. We then open the layers editor, shown here, and create the first three layers we'll need. Two overlay layers to hold a Ordnance Survey Map and Satellite images which we'll use for texture mapping, and a Forestry layer to hold our forests.

Once we have our layers we open the Landscape Definition editor and import our landscape data. We're using Geomantics' processed SRTM data here, but any data source for the area would be fine.

Having imported the terrain data, we next need to add polygon information to show the position of existing forestry. If it's not visible already open the View/Edit layers panel and set Forestry as the editable layer. Then open the Tracing Parameters panel and set the background to the OS map image.

For clarity here we've also turned off the Heights layer.

Using the Add Terrain Area tool trace around the Forestry areas to define the forested areas (if you have GIS data available, for example from MapInfo or ArcView, you could just import this directly into the layer)

Once we've finished defining the forestry data we'll have a set of polygons designating forested areas. Here we've turned on Heights display and turned off the OS Map background to display the results of our efforts.

In this case we've traced all the forested areas, but if you know where you wish to view the landscape from and in which direction you may choose only to define visible areas.

In this simple scenario we've assumed all forested areas contain a similar mix of trees, but this could be changed by creating separate layers.

Once complete close the Landscape Definition Module and after positioning your viewpoint with the 3D preview open the Renderer by clicking the 'Take Photo' button.

This first image displayed by the renderer shows the OS map overlayed on the landscape surface. This is useful for orientatin ourselves.

If you see the landscape without the overlay close and on the main screen choose the OS Map layer from the Surface Map drop-down box above the 3D preview.

Click 'Full Photo Render' to draw our first photorealistic image. We've rendered here at a fractal level of 4 using the default colour scheme. Notice we can see our forested areas quite clearly matching to the OS map in the previous image.

One drawback with this approach is the lack of additional surface detail. This may be all you require, or it could be enhanced by adding additional fractals surfaces, layers and polygon information, but a simple shortcut is to use a satellite image over the terrain.

To render the satellite image check the 'Draw Overlay Image' box in the renderer and redraw the image. You will also need to ensure that in the layers dialog 'Draw Overlay for this terrain' is checked for the satellite image layer only.

Our resultant image is shown here. Note that we have used a quite low resolution image here (about 800 pixels square) so some blurring occurs in the foreground. The image is not directly texture mapped, but instead sampled as a source for fractal colours, so it's helpful to run at high fractalization to avoid artifacts.

The next step is to add our new plantations. For clarity we've defined a new layer - New Forestry - and used a red colour to show it.

Again we used the Landscape Definition editor to add the new polygons, but it is possible to do this in the 2D window of the main screen as shown here by highlighting the 'New Forestry' layer in the layers list then clicking on the 2D map.

In this example we've also switched the Camera icon on (purple icon in the 2D window) to show the position of our camera.

Open the Renderer again and redraw the image. Our new forested areas are plainly visible in the foreground, and also show up on the hills in the distance, but blended in due to atmospherics.

We're using a fairly standard atmosphere here, essentially the defaults but with the sun adjusted to give good shadows to highlight relief.

Finally the same image, but rendered without the satellite overlay.