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Suggestions list last updated 22/July/2003 - suggestions@planetside.co.uk This is a list of the most commonly requested/suggested features, improvements and bug fixes for Terragen™. It also lists work that is planned for upcoming versions. You can find a development timeline and extra details relating to that on the "what's for the future" page. The suggestion list exists so that you can quickly discover if a suggestion has already been noted, before making the suggestion yourself. To keep the list as concise as possible, it does not go into great detail about each item and it does not list details which fall under an existing item, unless they are deemed extremely important. Please bear this in mind if you make a suggestion and it is not added to the list. Items listed in bold have high priority, and are hoped to be implemented in the nearer term. The items are organised into a number of categories: General Rendering Specifics Scene Features Terrain & Surface Maps Water Sky, Atmosphere & Clouds Animation & Scripting General 3D accelerator support for realtime previews. This is present in Terragen Mac, will be added to Terragen Windows. (3D hardware will not be used for full rendering - see Rendering Specifics) Plug-in system (already present but will continue to be expanded), allowing: Cloud textures/effects Atmosphere textures/effects Lighting effects and more Porting to other platforms - already available on Windows and Mac Linux Amiga Integration with other 3D packages, for Rendering and camera motion (see Rendering Specifics) Terrain mesh/texture (see Terrain) Externally created objects (see Scene Features) Write 'Terragen' plugins for other graphics packages LightWave Cinema4D Miscellaneous Save images in other formats besides BMP ( already possible in Terragen Mac ) Show sunlight direction, camera view etc. on all maps Rendering Specifics Allow plug-ins to extend rendering capabilities Quicker updates (priority for sky) Multi-threaded rendering / multi-processor support under Windows NT/2000/XP UI and Renderer run in separate threads in Terragen Mac on OS X, improving responsiveness while rendering. Will be added to TG Windows. Progress report (% completed, time spent/remaining) 3D accelerator support will not be implemented for full rendering because it is too specific to benefit significantly. We do not see possibilities for new generation programmable hardware in finished renders at this time. will be used for realtime previews (see General) Integration with other 3D packages Camera motion (some tools available, see Resources) Z-Buffer Only re-rendering parts of the scene that have changed Camera effects Motion blur (can be achieved by using Bitty or Anthill - see the Other Utilities page) Depth of Field (soft focus) (LensFX plugin can do this - see the Resources page) Lens Flare Scene Features Allow plug-ins to extend rendering capabilities Trees / grass / other vegetation Rocks, pebbles, boulders Better water, rivers, waterfalls etc. (see Water) Render artifical/external objects created in other 3D packages Lens Flare (see Render Specifics for other camera effects) See also (Sky, Atmosphere & Clouds for other features) Terrain & Surface Maps Support for more terrain/DEM file formats Import proper image formats (not just raw) - already supported in Terragen Mac Better terrain editing - we have plans for a completely new terrain editor more varied tools 'flattening' and 'roughening' tools simulate natural processes eg. erosion layers, selections etc. Water Better ripples and waves - improved in v0.9 Animated waves and ripples (already available, but not user-configurable) More realistic shorelines Wave/ripple interaction with wind and shorelines Increased flexibility and user control over water appearance Multiple water levels Rivers Waterfalls Underwater scenes Sky, Atmosphere & Clouds Plug-in textures and effects Quicker updates while rendering 'Black Edge Of The World' problem Multiple cloud layers More varied cloud types and styles Multiple suns Stars, planets and moons Weather and storm effects rain/snow, lightning, wind, ... Animation & Scripting Progress status (number of frames rendered/remaining) Integration with other 3D packages (see Rendering Specifics) Some tools already available (see Resources) More script commands for animation features, as well as other non-animation features