MAKING A PICTURE

MAKING A PRETTIER PICTURE
LOADING A PCX IMAGE
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Before we further explore Vistapro features, let's take a look at a saved PCX image of the TUTORIAL.DEM landscape.
Select the Load PCX option from the LOAD menu (top of the screen). You should now see the Vistapro File Requester. If you are unfamiliar with the File Requester, refer to Tutorial #1: Loading a DEM Landscape.
Position the mouse pointer over the PCX directory and click the left button. Search the list of files until you find the file: "TUTORIAL.PCX". Click the left mouse button on this file. Vistapro will now load and display the PCX image.
The image that you are looking at was created using the TUTORIAL.DEM landscape and several of Vistapro's options. It probably looks a lot different than what you were able to achieve using the features in Tutorial #1. Through the use of Vistapro's features, this relatively dull landscape has been "prettied" up a bit.
Let's examine some of the options used to give this image its look.
To get back to the topographical map and Control Panel, click the left mouse button.
ADDING TEXTURE
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Artificial detail can be added to a landscape by using the Texture buttons. They are located on the Lower Control Panel under the word: Texture. They consist of four buttons, of which only one can be activated at a time. The buttons are: "O", "L", "M", and "H". They stand for Off, Low, Medium, and High.
The higher the texture setting, the more Vistapro will break up displayed polygons into smaller pieces. Each piece is drawn as a slightly different shade, thereby giving the landscape a more textured look.
Set your camera and target location and try rendering the images using each of the texture settings.
SETTING THE TIMBER LINE
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Locate the Tree button. Right below the Tree button is a numerical gadget. The number in this gadget indicates the timber line, which is the altitude above which there are no trees. Just as in nature, the timber line is a fuzzy value. Some trees will appear above the timber line and some bare areas will appear below it.
An altitude can be entered into the numerical gadget, or you can use the Tree button to select the tree level by clicking on the Tree button and then clicking on the topographic map at a location which has the desired altitude.
If the DwrTre button is not selected; Vistapro will not actually draw trees, instead it uses the tree colors (see CMAP) to color the ground.
Try rendering the current landscape with different values for the tree line.
DRAWING TREES
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Through the use of the DrwTre button, you can specify whether Vistapro will draw trees on the landscape or not. Trees may be drawn anywhere that the tree colors are used (see Timber Line above).
Trees are time consuming to draw and may take from twice as long to render as the same scene without any trees. To draw trees, click on the DrwTre button. You will then see a requestor giving you the option to change the tree size and type.
The numerical gadget in the center of the requestor specifies the tree size in meters. You will also see a Pine and Oak button. Click on one of these to specify the type of tree to draw.
SETTING TREE DENSITY
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Use the TreDns numerical gadget located on the Middle Control Panel to specify how many of the polygons drawn with tree colors will have trees drawn on them (if the DrwTre button is selected). Useful values range from 0 to 300. A value of 150 will result in one half of the tree colored polygons having trees.
SETTING SNOW LEVEL
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The snow level is the lowest elevation where Vistapro covers the landscape with snow. Just like the timber line, this is a fuzzy value.The snow level can be entered directly into the numerical gadget under the Snow button, or you can click on the Snow button and then click on the topographical map.
ADDING A LAKE
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To add a lake to your landscape, first select a location for your lake. It needs to be an area of landscape surrounded by landscape of a higher elevation. Move your mouse around until you find the lowest point in the surrounding landscape.
Now click on the Lake button and then click on the topographical map at an altitude just a bit lower than the lowest elevation of the surrounding landscape. If you select an altitude that is higher, the lake will spill over into other areas where you may not want it.
ADDING A RIVER
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The River button is used to create rivers that flow downhill, from the selected starting point, following the curves of the landscape. A river will continue to flow downhill until it reaches the ocean, the edge of the topographic map, or until it runs into another river. Placing a river on top of an existing river will widen the existing one. You may stop the flow of a river by pressing the ESC key or the right mouse button.
To select the river location, click on the River button and then on the topographical map.
CHANGING THE HAZE LEVEL
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The haze level is the amount of haze that will appear between the camera, target, and horizon. With a 0 haze level, the horizon will be crystal clear, but you will lose a little of the depth of the image. To set or change the haze level, click on the Haze button. Vistapro will generate a value based upon the distance between the camera and the target. Alternately, you can enter a value in the numerical gadget below the Haze button.
SETTING THE LIGHT DIRECTION
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To change the light direction, click on the Light button on the Middle Control Panel. You will see a target drawn around the topographical map. Each circular line represents the altitude of the light source in degrees. Notice that there is a line radiating out from the center (or bulls eye). This line represents the direction of the light source.
You will also see a new Lower Control Panel. On the left of the panel are the "N", "E", "S", and "W" buttons for the most simple light directions. These represent light coming from the north, east, south or west at 45 degrees above the horizon.
If you want your light source to come from one of these directions, then click on the button representing the direction from which you want the light to come. If, however, you want the light to come from a different direction, click on the Custom button.
After clicking on the Custom button, move the mouse pointer to the topographical map. Notice that moving the position of the mouse pointer on the map changes the end point of the light source direction/altitude line. Once you have the direction and altitude set to your liking, click the left mouse button to accept the setting.
Alternately you can use the numerical gadgets on the Light Lower Control Panel to input values.
SHADOWS AND EXAGGERATION
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You will also see two buttons on the Light Lower Control Panel; they are Shadows and Exager.
If the Shadows button is selected, Vistapro will take into account the light source direction and create shadows on the landscape.
The Exager button exaggerates the shading of the landscape. With this button selected, the rate at which shadowed areas darken is increased.
CHANGING COLORS
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Vistapro allows you to change its color map. This allows you to fine tune your image to get that perfect look of realism. It also allows you to tamper with nature; imagine flaming red snow, or pink lakes and rivers. By altering the color map, you can drastically change the look of your landscape.
Before you change colors, make sure that the LckPal button is not selected. If the button is depressed, click on it to raise it.
To change the colors, click on the CMap button in the Middle Control Panel. This will activate the Color Control Panel. You will see two rows of buttons labeled with the names of landscape features. To the left are red, green, and blue slider bars. To change the color of a landscape feature, click on the button and use the slider bars to change the color.
To exit the Color Control Panel and keep the new colors, click on the Accept button. If you don't want to keep any changes made, click on the Reject button.
At this point take a minute to look over chapter 6 of this manual. After you have read chapter 6, experiment with different colors until you find a set that you would like to save.
SAVING THE COLOR MAP
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The Vistapro color map can be saved by using the Save CMAP option from the Save menu (top of the screen). Once you pick this option, you will be presented with the Vistapro File Requestor. The Filename Window will contain a list of directories. Click on the CMAP directory. You should see a list of CMAP files (they have a DEM extension).
Click on the Filename: text gadget and enter the filename:
TESTCMAP
followed by pressing the ENTER key. This is the name under which the current color map will be saved. Now click on the Save CMAP button at the top left of the File Requestor.
Your color map has now been saved.
LOADING A COLOR MAP
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Let's load a different color map. Pick the Load CMAP option from the Load menu. You will now be at the Vistapro File Requestor. Switch to the CMAP directory and click on the file "TUTCMAP.DEM". Now click on the Load CMAP button.
Set your camera and target positions and render an image. As you can see the landscape looks quite different.
Pick the Load CMAP again and load the file that you previously saved: "TESTCMAP.DEM".
SAVING YOUR RENDERED IMAGE
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Now that you know how to create beautiful and bizarre images, the next step is to be able to save your masterpiece for viewing at a later date. Using the techniques covered in earlier sections, render an image that you would like to save.
Now pick the Save PCX option from the Save menu. You will see the Vistapro File Requestor. Switch to the PCX directory and then click on the Filename: text gadget. Enter:
MYPIC
followed by pressing the ENTER key. Now click on the Save PCX button.
Your picture is now saved and can be viewed by using the Load PCX option or by using any IBM paint or viewer program that supports the 256 color PCX format.