Terragen is a
scenery generator
A scenery generator is software used to create landscape images, 3D models, and animations. These programs often use procedural generation to generate the landscapes. If not using procedural generation to create the landscapes, then normally a ...
program for
Microsoft Windows and
Mac OS X developed and published by Planetside Software. It can be used to create renderings and animations of landscapes.
History
Released in stages (tech preview and
beta
Beta (, ; uppercase , lowercase , or cursive ; grc, βῆτα, bē̂ta or ell, βήτα, víta) is the second letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of 2. In Modern Greek, it represents the voiced labi ...
) to a participating community, Terragen 2 was released to pre-purchasers on 2 April 2009. Terragen 2 is offered in feature limited freeware and full-featured commercial licenses.
Planetside Software released the first public version of Terragen 2 after more than three years of development of both the core technologies and the program itself. Since then there have been several released updates to both licenses of the software along the development cycle with a series of technology previews and a beta release. The "final" build was released on April 23, 2009, and more updates, including feature modules, are expected to be released later.
Planetside released Terragen 3 in August 2013. Version 3.1 was released in February 2014. Version 4 was released in 2016.
Terragen Classic
Terragen Classic is popular among amateur artists, which can be attributed to it being
freeware
Freeware is software, most often proprietary, that is distributed at no monetary cost to the end user. There is no agreed-upon set of rights, license, or EULA that defines ''freeware'' unambiguously; every publisher defines its own rules for t ...
, its intuitive interface, and its capability to create
photorealistic landscapes when used skillfully. It can also use
DEM (digital elevation model) files, and other graphic surface maps for rendering.
A commercial version of the software is also available and is capable of creating larger terrains, renders with higher
image resolution
Image resolution is the detail an image holds. The term applies to digital images, film images, and other types of images. "Higher resolution" means more image detail.
Image resolution can be measured in various ways. Resolution quantifies how cl ...
, larger
terrain
Terrain or relief (also topographical relief) involves the vertical and horizontal dimensions of land surface. The term bathymetry is used to describe underwater relief, while hypsometry studies terrain relative to sea level. The Latin w ...
files, and better post-render
anti-aliasing than the freeware version.
The terrain is generated from a two-dimensional
heightmap. The program contains facilities for importing and exporting heightmaps to images, for use in other programs.
Use in media
Rendering software contributed by PlanetSide proprietor Matt Fairclough was used by
Digital Domain for effects in ''
Star Trek Nemesis''. Terragen Classic was used in ''
The Golden Compass'',
the 2006 remake of ''The Wicker Man'', games, and many TV commercials.
An image from what is now known as Terragen Classic appeared on the April 16, 2001, cover of ''
Newsweek
''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely ...
'', and Terragen was used for animations in
Brandy Norwood
Brandy Rayana Norwood (born February 11, 1979), better known by her mononym Brandy, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, actress and model. She is known for her distinctive sound, characterized by her peculiar timbre, voice-laye ...
's "What About Us?"
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devi ...
. The classic version was also used by numerous artists, such as
("Orogenesis" series), and the French photographer Mathieu Bernard-Reymond ("Vous êtes ici" series and "Pôle" series). Terragen Classic was used to create
skyboxes for 3D
video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device to gener ...
s such as ''
Serious Sam''.
The software was used by Devastudios to create the mountainous scenery in the intro used by
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
for its centennial anniversary in 2012 with ''
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol'' in 2011, which would be carried on for
Paramount Players,
Paramount Television Studios and
Paramount+
Paramount+ is an American subscription video on-demand service owned by Paramount Global. The service's content is drawn primarily from the libraries of CBS Media Ventures (including CBS Studios), Paramount Media Networks (formerly Viacom Med ...
.
Devastudios also used the software for the sky and clouds in the revamped version of the 2019
Warner Bros. Pictures logo in 2021 with ''
Locked Down'', which would later be carried on for
Warner Bros. Television,
New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema is an American film production studio owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and is a film label of Warner Bros. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye as an independent film distribution company; later becoming a film studio after ...
and
Warner Animation Group.
See also
*
E-on Vue
*
VistaPro
*
Picogen
References
External links
Planetside's Terragen websiteLuc Bianco’s Terragen gallery
*
{{Fractal software
Freeware 3D graphics software
Global illumination software
Fractal software