| Submitted by , posted on 29 September 2003 |

Image Description, by These screenshots are taken from my current project, Xenos. This is a technical demonstration project, showcasing a new algorithm allowing fast visualisation of geometrically complex terrains. Xenos uses an extremely fast preprocessing stage to allow complex surface geometry and contours to be visualised using a combination of large polygons, dynamic normal mapping and layered textures, allowing very large view distances without the need for fogging or limiting clipping planes.
The screenshots demonstrate how geometric surface detail (down to the level of individual per-pixel brush strokes from the paint package used to create the heightmap) can be represented without recourse to large poly counts or custom shaders.
As view position moves closer, extra geometry is introduced seamlessly, to the end that the detail visualised from distance can then be freely explored at close quarters.
The engine also employs LOD in the form of a hybrid approach, mixing elements of split-only ROAM and Geomipmapping, together with unique variation analysis to allow important detail elements to be preserved at large viewing distances, as well as allowing seamless changes of patch LOD without the need for edge-traversal or vertex rearrangement to prevent mesh tearing.
This demo currently renders a 1024x1024 heixel map at ~200 fps on a 1300 Celeron system with Geforce-3 Ti-200 without any form of frustrum or occlusion-based culling mechanism.
If you have any further questions, feel free to mail me.

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