====== L3DTVi2 algorithms======
===== General =====
L3DTVi2 is written in Delphi using the [[http://www.glscene.org|GLScene]] library. To render terrain, L3DTVi2 uses GLScene's terrain renderer, which includes a hybrid [[http://www.cognigraph.com/ROAM_homepage|ROAM]] - brute force tessellation method that gives distant horizons while maintaining moderate triangle counts.
===== Rendering water =====
Water is rendered in L3DTVi2 as a second heightfield, which allows multi-level and non-flat water.
{{l3dtvi2:algorithms:techshot6.jpg?350}}
Screenshot from L3DT viewer (forerunner of L3DTVi2), showing water
rendered as a heightfield. Note lakes at different altitude to sea.
===== Detail map =====
Most 3D terrain renderers modulate the ground textures with a high-resolution greyscale 'detail map' to provide the illusion of highly detailed textures. In L3DTVi2 this is done twice at different resolutions using a vertex shader program, which provides even greater detail.
{{l3dtvi2:algorithms:high_detail.jpg?350}}
Pretty foreground in L3DTVi2 thanks to detail map.
The detail map used in L3DTVi2 is shown below:
{{l3dtvi2:algorithms:detailmap.jpg?350}}
The greyscale detail-map.