Middle Earth DEM Project

**monks** · 12-27-2007, 07:17 PM

Hi, monks from ME-DEM here.

This is a series of zooms taken in World Machine Pro 2.0 beta's Explorer mode (in which you get to fly about your terrain!). The terrain is the Misty Mountains from J.R.R Tolkien's Lord of the Rings (modelled for the ME-DEM Project):
http://www.me-dem.org/component/opti...page/Itemid,1/

It's kinda modelled on the European Alps via networks of ridges and valleys.

The first zoom is rough but this should give you a sense of the scale of this range. It's around the same length as the Alps as it happens. Imagine the areas around the range fully modelled, hills, river courses, forests, etc
http://www.skindustry.net/medem/file.../WMZoom_01.png

In the next shot we start to see the macro structure. I've still some work to do on those- such as making certain areas higher in elevation than others- not just differentiating elevation along networks. The area around Moria (Caradhras, et al) will be more discernible as a bulge.
Also, getting the river valleys and rivers to flow naturally into the surrounding and will really help knit the terrain scene together-. Control over river flow is one of the aims.
The eastern flank (top) should rise dramatically from the plain. The western slopes will tumble down more gradually by way of the Ettenmoors, Trollshaws, etc.

The flat area to the north going off screen is the area prepped for the Grey Mts, ...here be dragons.

http://www.skindustry.net/medem/file.../WMZoom_02.png

As you can see the valleys tend to be a uniform altitude which is wrong really- that's next on the list: finish off valleys.

http://www.skindustry.net/medem/file.../WMZoom_03.png

This is a nice area.

http://www.skindustry.net/medem/file.../WMZoom_04.png

Coming in to land!

http://www.skindustry.net/medem/file.../WMZoom_05.png

The aim is to integrate this terrain into a huge map. Hope you like!

Merry Crimbo!

monks

**mmmmmpig** · 12-27-2007, 08:20 PM

what is the pixe resolution (10m right now?) that you are aiming for and are you going after a LANDSAT feel or an Iconos? I am REALLY interested in how this is going!

**monks** · 12-28-2007, 03:20 PM

To be honest, I wouldn't know the difference between the two. The terrain is fed through procedural erosion so any of the finer characteristics will be largely replaced anyway. The macro scale features, such as fractal mt range forms, will be preserved- that's something that procedural terrain modellers do very poorly (if at all).

10m, I wish! we are currently at 200m res- but that's the whole NW of M-E. The aim is to get down to around 25m using a set of apps written by RedRobes (member here). That's probably going to mid 08.
We've also got other routes we're looking at- using procedural zooms, etc. We'd like to get to about 2m res for an interactive terrain probably using Ogre. We're hoping to serve the terrain on NASA's WorldWind and get it into Viewing Dale.

We will be doing sections of the terrain as closeups as well for renders, there's always something going on, - so the Misty Mts could easily go higher res.

The biggest headache is managing hydrology. So far we've managed to keep the rivers in check, but it's always very difficult.

monks

**mmmmmpig** · 12-29-2007, 01:41 AM

Is this your job or is it just passion?

5 years ago I mocked up the shire using some aerials and photoshop, but during the great computer purge of 06 I lost most stuff on my work hard-drive.

**pyrandon** · 12-30-2007, 10:09 PM

These are wonderful! I can't wait to see the progress you achieve!

Thank you for sharing!

**monks** · 01-27-2008, 06:18 AM

Thanks!, and sorry for not responding sooner. It's a passion- and it doesn't seem to go away haha very irritating sometimes.

Yeh, you've just summed up why I'd like the ME-DEM project to be a persistent project. So many people have done so much great (and perhaps) overlooked and lost work pver the decades on Middle Earth.

Mapping the Shire will be an absolute treat. Any more info on how you mapped the Shire? Feel free to reg over at ME-dEM at get involved- the site's undergpoing repair at he moment tho.

Here's an update on the Misty Mts terrain in World machine Pro 2.0 beta. After respanning the terrain to the correct heights I've had to re-do the river valleys, so it's taken a little longer than I expected. I've concentrated on the valleys flowing from the Misty Mts. There are others, such as the Grey Mt watersheds, but that's for a later date.

Rivers

http://www.skindustry.net/medem/file.../Rivers_01.png

a few shots showing the Gundalok shelf just south of Mt Gundabad, and the Cold Fells on the western flank of the Misty Mts.

http://www.skindustry.net/medem/file.../Rivers_02.png

http://www.skindustry.net/medem/file.../Rivers_03.png

http://www.skindustry.net/medem/file.../Rivers_04.png

The plan is to use this terrain for a GeoTerSys test run. All the other river beds will be scored by RedRobes in GTS to control the river flow across flat areas. I'd like to see this at huge res, fully textured!

I'm also planning some tests in Geocontrol 2.0 beta, probably on a subset of the terrain

monks

**jezelf** · 10-10-2008, 08:19 AM

this is one of the most exciting projects around - love all the updates! Good going guys.

**monks** · 10-10-2008, 08:28 AM

Hey jezelf, thanks for the encouragement

Robes, the water does line up with the banks!- those black things you see are the mudflats I put in

..so if I remove that surface layer, the water goes right up to the sides- looks real cool.

I'm roughening up the water a bit now and I'm going to see what this all looks like with TGs default fractal noise re-introduced to the textures. It's looking a bit table-top at the moment.

monks

ps hey guys, if you want to check out some more cool pics of the project check out my MySpace page- the pics galleries:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm...ndid=262625983

Yuo might also want to check out my music as well in the Player- hope yuo like.