Development of High-Resolution Virtual Terrain for Use in a Motion-Based Simulator with an Image Generator

Visual Simulation, Training, and Virtual Prototyping platforms demand ever increasing fidelity in their presentations. Visual cues such as lighting and shading, shadows, and distinguishable surface contour must be presented to offer a sense of depth and realism in the environment. High performance dynamics models require access to the surface contour at a sub-polygonal level to be correlated with the visual model. This project proposes a tightly-coupled visual rendering system and terrain query that will introduce high frequency content into the visual and terrain models using NURBS surfaces and height fields. These surfaces will be generated through a feature-rich GUI - ether parametrically or through importing elevation data such as LIDAR or Differential GPS. At runtime the terrain model may be deformed, with the outcome being presented both to the visual model and the terrain query. The visual model will represent the high frequency content using bump mapping and Phong lighting effects. To add additional realism, a combination of dynamic and static soft shadows and radiosity rendering effects will be implemented.