PROCEDURAL METHODS FOR URBAN MODELING TUTORIAL

IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, May/June 2008, pp. 18–26

The world in the Need for Speed racing games includes visually complex and detailed models of hundreds of miles of roads in city, suburban, and rural settings.

Procedural Urban Modeling in Practice

by Benjamin Watson, Pascal Müller, Peter Wonka, Chris Sexton, Oleg Veryovka, and Andy Fuller

Procedural modeling is finally going mainstream. Until recently it was a boutique solution, used only when no other options existed. Now procedural modeling is often the cost-effective solution, used because the alternatives are too expensive. In film, games, and other applications, consumers expect richer, higher-quality digital content for their dollar. Because budgets won't allow content producers to increase cost significantly, they have only one choice: they must improve their tools. Procedural modeling is the primary ingredient in these tools.

Read more ►

Share this article

Subscribe to IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications

IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications magazine bridges the theory and practice of computer graphics, from specific algorithms to full system implementations.

Current issue:
Visualization Applications and Design Studies

What else is new?

POPULATING VIRTUAL WORLDS

The boundaries between the real and virtual worlds are breaking down, not only in the entertainment arena, but in business, politics, education, and beyond. Read more ►

More articles:

3D Social Virtual Worlds: Research Issues and Challenges
Three-dimensional social virtual worlds such as Second Life reveal challenges worth exploring for both researchers and managers.

Brain-Computer Interfaces, Virtual Reality, and Videogames
Major challenges must be tackled for brain-computer interfaces to mature into an established communications medium for VR applications.

Procedural Urban Modeling in Practice
Film and game studios are turning to procedural modeling to model cities. Learn about the CityEngine tool and the use of procedural urban modeling in Electronic Arts' Need for Speed games.

Modeling Crowd and Trained Leader Behavior during Building Evacuation
Crowd simulation can shed light on the behavior of individuals being evacuated from a building who might not know the structure's connectivity or who find routes blocked.

Brain Springs: Fast Physics for Large Crowds in WALL•E
WALL•E required believable physics for human and robot crowds, which Pixar technical directors created by combining a custom spring-physics system with traditional simulation methods.

Modeling Groups of Plausible Virtual Pedestrians
This proposed methodology for modeling dynamic crowd scenarios uses perceptual studies to improve the crowd's visual plausibility.

     Related links ►

     Virtual Worlds Poll ►