Article

Terrain generation using genetic algorithms

Authors:

John J. LeggettAuthors Info & Claims

GECCO '05: Proceedings of the 7th annual conference on Genetic and evolutionary computation

Pages 1463 - 1470

https://doi.org/10.1145/1068009.1068241

Published: 25 June 2005 Publication History

Abstract

We propose a method for applying genetic algorithms to create 3D terrain data sets. Existing procedural algorithms for generation of terrain have several shortcomings. The most popular approach, fractal-based terrain generation, is efficient, but is difficult for a user to control. Other methods tend to require too much user input. In this paper, we provide an alternative method of terrain generation that uses a two-pass genetic algorithm approach to produce a variety of terrain types using only intuitive user inputs. We allow a user to specify a rough sketch of terrain region boundaries, and we refine these boundaries using a genetic algorithm. We then couple this with a database of given terrain data to generate an artificial terrain, which we optimize using a second genetic algorithm.

References

[1]

Baeck, T., Fogel, D. B., Michalewicz Z. and Back, T. Evolutionary Computation 1: Basic Algorithms and Operators. Institute of Physics Publishing; 2000.

Digital Library

[2]

Burke, Carl. Generating Terrain. http://www.geocities.com/Area51/6902/terrain.html.

[3]

Duchaineau, Mark et al. ROAMing Terrain: Real-time Optimally Adapting Meshes. In proceedings of IEEE Visualization '97. IEEE Computer Society Press, 1997.

Digital Library

[4]

Erosion 3D. Schmidt, Walter A. (dev). http://www.geog.fu-berlin.de/~erosion/

[5]

Fernandez, António Ramires. Lighthouse 3D - Terrain Tutorial. http://www.lighthouse3d.com/opengl/terrain/index.php3.

[6]

GeoCommunity. ThinkBurst Media, Inc. http://data.geocomm.com/

[7]

Kelley, A., Malin, M. and Nielson, G. Terrain Simulation Using a Model of Stream Erosion. ACM Computer Graphics Vol. 22, No. 4, August 1988, pp.263--8

Digital Library

[8]

MojoWorld. Pandromeda, Inc. (dev). http://www.pandromeda.com/

[9]

Mitchell M. An Introduction to Genetic Algorithms. The MIT Press, MA, 1999.

Digital Library

[10]

Peitgen, H., Jurgens, H., Saupe D., Jnrgens H. and Jurgens H. Chaos and Fractals. Springer-Verlag, 02-edition, 2004.

Digital Library

[11]

Prusinkiewicz, Przemyslaw and Hammel, Mark. A Fractal Model of Mountains with Rivers. In proceedings of Graphics Interface '93., 1993.

[12]

SimCity 4. Electronic Arts (pub). 2003.

[13]

Terragen. Planetside Software (dev). http://www.planetside.co.uk/terragen/

[14]

Ulrich, Thatcher. Rendering Massive Terrains Using Chunked Level of Detail Control. In proceedings of ACM SIGGRAPH 2001., 2002.

[15]

Unreal Tournament 2004. Epic Games, Inc. (dev). Atari, Inc. (pub). http://www.unrealtournament.com/

[16]

USGS. National Mapping Program Standards. http://rockyweb.cr.usgs.gov/nmpstds/demstds.html. United States Geological Survey, 2003.

[17]

WERU. Wind Erosion Simulation Models. http://www.weru.ksu.edu/weps.html. Wind Erosion Research Unit, Kansas State University, 2003.

Cited By

Choure MJain HSurve CMunot MJaiswal R(2024)Unsolved Problems in the Field of Procedural Shaders and Procedural TerrainSmart Trends in Computing and Communications10.1007/978-981-97-1323-3_35(409-417)Online publication date: 26-May-2024
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-1323-3_35
Li W(2023)Synthesizing Realistic Cracked Terrain for Virtual Arid Environment Generation2023 8th International Conference on Communication, Image and Signal Processing (CCISP)10.1109/CCISP59915.2023.10355686(361-366)Online publication date: 17-Nov-2023
https://doi.org/10.1109/CCISP59915.2023.10355686
Howard DMunn HDolcetti DKannemeyer JRobinson NWagner M(2022)Assessing evolutionary terrain generation methods for curriculum reinforcement learningProceedings of the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference10.1145/3512290.3528870(377-384)Online publication date: 8-Jul-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3512290.3528870
Show More Cited By

Index Terms

Terrain generation using genetic algorithms
1. Computing methodologies
  1. Artificial intelligence
    1. Control methods
    2. Search methodologies
  2. Computer graphics
    1. Shape modeling
2. Theory of computation
  1. Design and analysis of algorithms
    1. Algorithm design techniques
      1. Dynamic programming
  2. Randomness, geometry and discrete structures
    1. Computational geometry

Recommendations

Parametrically controlled terrain generation
GRAPHITE '07: Proceedings of the 5th international conference on Computer graphics and interactive techniques in Australia and Southeast Asia

In this paper, we propose a novel approach towards parametrically controlled artificial terrain generation. Our proposed method focuses on generation of terrains having mountains of prespecified height and spread of base region and peak nearly at a ...
Neural network crossover in genetic algorithms using genetic programming
Abstract
The use of genetic algorithms (GAs) to evolve neural network (NN) weights has risen in popularity in recent years, particularly when used together with gradient descent as a mutation operator. However, crossover operators are often omitted from ...
Using messy genetic algorithms for solving the winner determination problem
GECCO '10: Proceedings of the 12th annual conference companion on Genetic and evolutionary computation

The paper presents a study on the application of messy genetic algorithms for the winner determination problem in the combinatorial auction realm. Messy genetic algorithms operate explicitly on building blocks in order to obtain good solutions. Since ...

Comments

Information & Contributors

Information

Published In

cover image ACM Conferences

GECCO '05: Proceedings of the 7th annual conference on Genetic and evolutionary computation

June 2005

2272 pages

ISBN:1595930108

DOI:10.1145/1068009

Editor:
Hans-Georg Beyer
Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences, Austria
,
General Chair:
Una-May O'Reilly
CSAIL, MIT

Copyright © 2005 ACM.

Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than ACM must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from [email protected]

Sponsors

Publisher

Association for Computing Machinery

New York, NY, United States

Publication History

Published: 25 June 2005

Permissions

Request permissions for this article.

Request Permissions

Check for updates

Author Tags

Qualifiers

Article

Conference

GECCO05

Sponsor:

GECCO05: Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference

June 25 - 29, 2005

Washington DC, USA

Acceptance Rates

Overall Acceptance Rate 1,669 of 4,410 submissions, 38%

Contributors

Other Metrics

View Article Metrics

Bibliometrics & Citations

Bibliometrics

Article Metrics

24
Total Citations
View Citations
1,853
Total Downloads

Downloads (Last 12 months)46
Downloads (Last 6 weeks)5

Reflects downloads up to 24 Dec 2024

Other Metrics

View Author Metrics

Citations

Cited By

Choure MJain HSurve CMunot MJaiswal R(2024)Unsolved Problems in the Field of Procedural Shaders and Procedural TerrainSmart Trends in Computing and Communications10.1007/978-981-97-1323-3_35(409-417)Online publication date: 26-May-2024
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-1323-3_35
Li W(2023)Synthesizing Realistic Cracked Terrain for Virtual Arid Environment Generation2023 8th International Conference on Communication, Image and Signal Processing (CCISP)10.1109/CCISP59915.2023.10355686(361-366)Online publication date: 17-Nov-2023
https://doi.org/10.1109/CCISP59915.2023.10355686
Howard DMunn HDolcetti DKannemeyer JRobinson NWagner M(2022)Assessing evolutionary terrain generation methods for curriculum reinforcement learningProceedings of the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference10.1145/3512290.3528870(377-384)Online publication date: 8-Jul-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3512290.3528870
Romhanyi ASzenasi S(2019)OpenGL-based Modular Lightweight 3D Framework with Physics Capabilities2019 IEEE 17th World Symposium on Applied Machine Intelligence and Informatics (SAMI)10.1109/SAMI.2019.8782777(239-244)Online publication date: Jan-2019
https://doi.org/10.1109/SAMI.2019.8782777
Schaal J(2017)Procedural Terrain Generation. A Case Study from the Game IndustryGame Dynamics10.1007/978-3-319-53088-8_8(133-150)Online publication date: 31-Mar-2017
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-53088-8_8
Pech ALam CHingston PMasek M(2016)Using Isovists to Evolve Terrains with Gameplay ElementsApplications of Evolutionary Computation10.1007/978-3-319-31204-0_41(636-652)Online publication date: 15-Mar-2016
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31204-0_41
Puig-Centelles AVarley PRipolles OChover M(2014)Automatic terrain generation with a sketching toolMultimedia Tools and Applications10.1007/s11042-012-1214-x70:3(1957-1986)Online publication date: 1-Jun-2014
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/s11042-012-1214-x
Santamaría-Ibirika ACantero XSalazar MDevesa JSantos IHuerta SBringas P(2014)Procedural approach to volumetric terrain generationThe Visual Computer: International Journal of Computer Graphics10.1007/s00371-013-0909-y30:9(997-1007)Online publication date: 1-Sep-2014
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/s00371-013-0909-y
Santamaría-Ibirika ACantero XSalazar MDevesa JBringas P(2013)Volumetric Virtual Worlds with Layered Terrain GenerationProceedings of the 2013 International Conference on Cyberworlds10.1109/CW.2013.31(20-27)Online publication date: 21-Oct-2013
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1109/CW.2013.31
Liapis AYannakakis GTogelius J(2013)Sentient worldProceedings of the Second international conference on Evolutionary and Biologically Inspired Music, Sound, Art and Design10.1007/978-3-642-36955-1_16(180-191)Online publication date: 3-Apr-2013
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/978-3-642-36955-1_16
Show More Cited By

View Options

Login options

Check if you have access through your login credentials or your institution to get full access on this article.

Full Access

Get this Publication

View options

PDF

View or Download as a PDF file.

eReader

View online with eReader.

Media

Figures

Other

Tables

View Table of Contents