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5. Create Terrain

View this tutorial on Google Docs external link Create Terrain in StarLogo Nova

Description​

In this activity, you will be creating your own terrain.

Example Project: https://staging.slnova.org/Yasmin/projects/691764/

Editing the Terrain​

With the features in StarLogo Nova version 3, we can use blocks to make mounds and craters, better control the coloring of the patches, and adjust the lighting over the world.

Part 1: Create Hills​

Helpful Coding Blocks​

BlockDrawerUse
build mound blockEnvironmentRaises a mound in the terrain with a height given by the first input and a width given by the second input
dig crater blockEnvironmentCreates a crater with a depth given by the first input and a width given by the second input
reset terrain blockEnvironmentResets Patch traits: can choose between resetting color, height, custom traits, or everything.

Setup Code​

Add Terrain breed

Add a new breed and name it Terrain.

Part 1 setup code

On the World page, create 50 "Terrains" that will scatter, build a mound, scatter again, dig a crater, and then delete. Make sure to reset the terrain before creating the new agents so that each time you press setup, you do not build on top of the previous hills.

Check your Progress!​

When you click setup, do you notice a warping in the terrain? Increase the height of your mounds to make the terrain more mountainous, or decrease them to make it more hilly.

Hills result

Part 2: Create Lakes​

Water Level slider

Create a new slider widget and rename it to Water Level. Redefine the bounds to be from -10 to 10.

Add Water breed

Add a new breed and name it Water.

Water setup code

In the World page, create 1 Water. Set its color to blue, its shape to Ocean Floor 1, and its size to 40. Make sure to add a delete everyone block so that more water agents are not added unnecessarily when you click setup.

Water page code

In the Water page, set its z to always be the value of the "Water Level" slider.

Check your Progress!​

When you click setup and move the slider value, do you notice lakes appearing?

Lakes result

Part 3: Color the Patches​

Patches represent the grids dividing the SpaceLand. SpaceLand is composed of 101x101 patches, and each patch has coordinates from -50 to 50 (inclusively), with the patch (0, 0) at the center. With the Patch features in StarLogo Nova version 3, patches can now run code. This allows us to easily control the color of patches based on their height.

Dirt Path or River​

Color Terrain button

Create a new button widget and name it "Color Terrain".

Dirt path code

On the Patch page, set the color of the patches to be brown/blue if their z is between 1 and 2. Add a block setting the color of the patches to green beforehand so that the coloring resets each time you press Color Terrain and before you make the changes.

Check your Progress!​

When you click setup and then Color Terrain, do you see a path/river in the terrain? Try adjusting the range of the path from 1-2 to something else and observe what changes.

Dirt path result top viewDirt path result angled view

Snowy Mountain​

Snowy mountain code

Continue adding to when "Color Terrain" pushed in the Patch page with blocks that set patches above a certain height to have a chance of being brown or gray. At a certain height above that, make the patches likely to be white.

Forest Trees​

Forest trees code

In the Patches page, inside of when "Color Terrain" pushed, add blocks that give the patch a 5% chance of growing a tree if it is above the water level and not blue (not a river). Adjust the traits of the tree to have your preferred shape, size, and color. Increase the % chance to make the trees more dense.

Check your Progress!​

Click setup, adjust your slider to your preferred water level, then click Color Terrain.

Full terrain top viewFull terrain 3D view

Optional: RGB Colors​

Make the colors more varied or specific with the RGB block.

To make the grass be random shades of green:

RGB grass code

To make the dirt path be random shades of reddish-brown:

RGB brown code
RGB colors result with waterRGB colors result without water

Part 4: World Lighting​

Helpful Coding Blocks​

BlockDrawerUse
set directional light intensity blockEnvironmentSets the brightness of the directional light shining on the terrain to an intensity given by the input (by default it has an intensity of 1)
set directional light color blockEnvironmentChanges the color of the light shining on the terrain.
set directional light heading/angle blockEnvironmentSets the direction and angle of the light shining on the terrain. The heading determines which direction the light will come from (0 degrees being from the right and going counterclockwise). The angle determines the angle light hits the terrain (90 degs being directly above the terrain).

Light Intensity​

Light intensity code

In the World page, give the directional light an intensity (the default is 1). Try with casting shadows and without and observe the difference.

Day/Night Cycle​

Light angle code

In the World page, continuously update the angle of the directional light by setting its angle to be clock while forever is toggled. This makes the directional light rotate across the world with every engine tick, creating a night and day effect.

Daytime/Nighttime Toggles​

Day/night toggle code

Create two new toggle button widgets and name them Daytime and Nighttime. Set Daytime to be toggled on when the angle of directional light is 0 and Nighttime to be toggled on when the angle of the light is 180.

Daytime and Nighttime buttons

Sunset/Sunrise Colors​

Sunset/sunrise code

During sunrise and sunset, sunlight appears more orange because it passes through more of Earth's atmosphere, scattering away more blue and green wavelengths. To create a similar effect in the simulation, set the directional light RGB to (255, 80, 10) when the angle of light is 140 (right before sunset) and back to white (255, 255, 255) at 20 (right after sunrise).

Check your Progress!​

When you have forever toggled, do you notice the difference between daytime, evening, and nighttime? Try increasing the engine speed to speed up the night/day cycle.

Engine speed slider

Daytime

Daytime

Evening

Evening

Nighttime

Nighttime

Optional Extensions​

Gradual Sunset/Sunrise Transition​

Make the color transition during sunset and evening gradual.

Hint

Use variables, yield, repeat blocks, and the RGB block. At a certain time (light angle) decrease/increase the green and blue value of the light by a certain amount, yield, and then repeat many times (make sure to keep the RGB range 0-255).

Gradual transition code

Agent Day/Night Behavior​

Add agents that have different behavior during Nighttime vs Daytime. For example: Birds that fly around during the day, but sleep in a tree during the night.

Hint

Use the while Daytime/Nighttime toggled blocks in the agent's page.

Birds day/night behavior code

More Ideas​

  1. Add a "clock" to a databox which tells the time based on the angle of directional light (ex: 12:00 when it's directly over the terrain, and increasing by 1 every 15 degrees, until it goes back to 0:00 after 23:00)
  2. Instead of a mountainous terrain, create a sandy beach terrain with a water level that rises and falls over time to mimic ocean tides. Make the patches that become submerged in water darker than those that are never reached by the tide.
  3. Populate your terrain with different agents, some being nocturnal, others being diurnal, with differing behaviors during night vs day. Example: https://staging.slnova.org/Yasmin/projects/691770/
  4. Instead of mountainous terrain, create a desert, island, forest, etc.
  5. Make a game or simulation using your terrain as a backdrop.

Copyright 2024 MIT Scheller Teacher Education Program. Distributed under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC 4.0.