simple TERRAIN?

[robert_s]

Hi all!!
I would like to design a very simple Flight Simulator. I have a quite good understanding of C++ and a basic knowledge in OpenGL.
Now! the question is what sould be the first step to design a flight simulator. I don't have a clue how to start it.
I thought about creating terrain first!? but I am sure its wrong!
Can anyone give me some clues?.

By the way does anyone know where I could find some good tutorials or sites on how to create Terrains from scratch with some code examples? or anyone have a source code taken from some book or something that has a very simple terrain that I could learn from. I just want to see how it works.
I have the red book but surprisingly there is nothing about it.
Thanks for any help!

[nickels]

For terrain you should check out http://www.vterrain.org . There is a wealth of info.

I would create the terrain as one entirely separate piece/program with an api for displaying a position and orientation. Then make your simulation as another plugin that pumps out these values. That way you can make as many different types of simulations as you wish: cars, tanks, airplanes, helicopters, and on and on.

I used to do this for a living. Simulation rules, software engineering sucks.

[robert_s]

thanks so much Nickels! this link is very helpful! http://www.opengl.org/discussion_boards/ubb/smile.gif

[MrShoe]

Here is a good site for beginners, thanks to Tim Stirling for this website and tutorial! http://www.geocities.com/timstirling/land_eng/LandEng1.htm

[Tim Stirling]

I will 'shortly' be creating the third one that loads a heightmap and does a very simple quadtree type culling, has better texturing and contains simple per vertex lighting.

[robert_s]

Thanks Tim! your tutorial is very helpful! http://www.opengl.org/discussion_boards/ubb/smile.gif
I can't wait for the one you've just mentioned! http://www.opengl.org/discussion_boards/ubb/smile.gif

[B. Jacob]

Hi !

I'm another beginner having similar problems.
I actually have an infinite terrain with sunlight and fog, but I don't manage to enable backface culling ! When I simply write
glEnable(GL_CULL_FACE), it does not work !
Please Help !

[robert_s]

Try this Jacob - http://www.cbloom.com/3d/techdocs/culling.txt

One more Question to all - Should I draw the wireframe for the whole area in one go? even if it is not visible? and then put the texture on the visible part?

[Warrior]

Hi
Just enabling culling might not be enough.
You may need to specify a face to cull.
glCullFace(GL_BACK);
Try that command.

- Dave