Displacement Map - Modification and Interaction

Cut Blocks and Logging road in Northern British Columbia

As this process of forest rendering is based on simple texture information stored in various color channels, it is quite easy and fast to simply multiply these values by a separate texture which covers the entire terrain mesh to create animations or to show different forest states-

Here defined sections of the forest are removed as in the cut block and the road, or are 'dead' where the forest color is grey.  Areas that are removed are multiplied by the value  in the red channel in the cut map, which creates non linear boundaries-  

For the dead trees, a separate channel is added in the Forest Height Map for tree trunks - If the forest is 'dead" (blue Chanel), the height in the displacement filter is multiplied by the trunk value- all areas that are not trunks become flat or can be removed-

Cut Map

Forest Maps for Modification

Modification data alters forest Map information or is passed along through the displacement filter to alter the final coloring.

Modified forest showing decay, death, and human interaction-

Here he Green channel contains a 'decay' value which is used to interpolate the live forest color to a decaying color.  In the image above, the various stages of pine beetle infestations are shown, as well as basic human interaction.