Planetside Software has doubled down on updates for its terrain generation and sky creation tools, Terragen 4.8 and Terragen Sky, catering to artists who want both worlds and skies under their control. These releases focus on features that combine automation with user control, enhancing workflows across VFX, CGI, and digital production.
Terragen 4.8: Faster Previews, Flexible Exports
Terragen 4.8 is a refinement-focused release, emphasizing smoother workflows and broader compatibility. The highlight? GPU-accelerated 3D Preview now works with AMD and Intel GPUs, bringing real-time responsiveness to scene adjustments. While the core renderer remains CPU-based, this update ensures faster interaction during complex terrain edits, regardless of your GPU brand.
The update also includes support for exporting 3D cloud volumes, allowing volumetric clouds to be rendered in external tools. This makes it easier to integrate Terragen’s detailed skies into pipelines without additional tweaks. In short, you can export your clouds and let another renderer handle the heavy lifting—a great option for artists looking for flexibility.
Planetside hasn’t forgotten about legacy users, either. Support for Windows 7 is still alive, with several bugs ironed out for stability. Prices for Terragen 4.8 remain unlisted, but more details are available on the Planetside Software website.
Terragen Sky: Paint the Clouds Your Way
The spotlight, however, shines on the Terragen Sky update, which introduces a long-requested feature: direct cloud painting. This tool allows artists to manually shape and position volumetric clouds, moving beyond the constraints of procedural algorithms. From delicate wisps to dramatic storm clouds, this update brings precision and artistry directly into the sky-creation process.
Cloud painting works seamlessly with Terragen’s existing workflows, ensuring compatibility while expanding creative possibilities. Additionally, real-time visualization within the 3D Preview lets artists see their adjustments instantly, cutting out the guesswork and making the process much smoother.
Planetside’s approach here is clear: empower artists to blend procedural efficiency with manual control. For those who’ve ever felt limited by auto-generated skies, this update is a breath of fresh air—or, perhaps, a puff of perfectly sculpted cloud.
Pricing for the Terragen Sky update also hasn’t been specified (It is a Beta, after all), but you can learn more on the Planetside Software website.
Caution: Test Before You Fly
While both updates bring exciting new capabilities, it’s essential to evaluate their stability before deploying them on critical projects. Features like GPU previews, 3D cloud exports, and cloud painting sound innovative, but production artists know simplicity and reliability are the true heroes of any workflow.
For detailed announcements, visit the full write-ups on Terragen 4.8 and Terragen Sky.
