This is the project I undertook for my Computer Science class first semester. It randomly generates a landscape using an algorithm known as MPD (MidPoint Displacement).
The way it works is that the 4 corner points are randomly set. Next the point in the middle of those 4 are set by taking the average of the 4 corner points, and adding/subtracting a random value.
Next you set the point in the middle of two corners and the middle point, again using the average plus or minus a (smaller) random displacement.
This continues until every point has been set.
I took this project on with very limited knowledge of C++, and learned a lot as time went on. For my first major challenge using a new language, I think I did very well.
There are still quite a few things that are buggy, such as the shading, but I am working on getting all bugs fixed.
The only things you need to worry about in this program are the "Max Displacement" and the "Artifact Indifference". The "Max Displacement" is the highest random value that can be used to set a point's height. The "Artifact Indifference" looks for any point that for whatever reason is at least a certain height higher than all those around it, and redefines its height, making the landscape flow more smoothly.
Thoughts? Comments?
