Vector-Based Terrain Modelling

Abstract

Vector-based graphics offer numerous advantages over grid-based models, including resolution independence and ease of manipulation. Despite these benefits, their use in landscape modelling remains uncommon because of a lack of direct editing and interactive feedback, essential for matching the artist's vision. We introduce a new vector-based model for creating digital terrains based on computationally efficient primitives. We propose a method to convert grid-based digital elevation maps to this representation with a user-defined level of accuracy. Once vectorized, the terrain can be authored using interactive high-level skeleton-based tools adapted to the primitive representation, allowing local deformations that automatically adapt to underlying geomorphological structures and landforms of the terrain.