Spline Distance Fields: A Novel Terrain Generation Technique
To overcome limitations in the Tangerine game engine, the author developed a CPU ray tracer called Star Machine and a racing game prototype, Rainy Road. Rainy Road requires an efficient and compact terrain rendering system capable of handling roads and other terrain features defined by splines. The author introduces a novel terrain generation technique using spline distance fields. This technique utilizes splines to generate terrain surfaces by calculating the distance of a point to the nearest spline and its normal vector to determine elevation. This avoids the limitations of traditional heightmaps and supports procedural object placement. The technique is under active experimentation and research, with exploration of improved interpolation strategies and the use of sparse point clouds.
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