Archive notice: This article was originally published on February 7, 2018. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
The landscape generator tool World Machine has now integrated all the features of the Standard Edition with its new free version. The only difference is the prohibition of commercial use and a restriction to 513 x 513 pixels for assets.
World Machine in DP
In our upcoming DP Issue 02 : 18, we took a closer look at World Machine. With a focus on landscapes and terrain generators, we also tested other tools, including Houdini’s Heightfield Erode node, the UE4 Landscape tool, Dreamscape for 3ds Max and more! The publication date is February 26.
Feature Overview
Anyone who wants to bridge the waiting time can now download the free variant after this update to try out some of the features. Here is an overview:
- Procedural tools with extensive fractal generators and parameters for realistic and stylized terrains.
- Graph Editor as an interface enables non-destructive linking of nodes for creating and modifying landscapes.
- Guide & Sketch enables sketches to be drawn for terrain layouts, in order to quickly mark outlines of land areas, rivers or mountains, for example.
- With nature simulations , you can add erosion for different areas to your fractals, among other things.
- Texturing offers masking tools for defining texture maps, as well as weight map and megatexture export methods.
- Export of 3D data is possible with high bit-depth heightfields or in OBJ format. Color and normal maps can also be exported in various image formats.
Compatibility & Prices
To use World Machine, you need Windows 7, 8 or 10. Alongside the free version, you can purchase the Standard Edition for just under €80 for commercial use and removal of the restrictions. You can find more about that here.
For further information: To the World Machine website
