Parameter

Description

Terrain Size

This radio button group selects the size (vertices along a side) of the generated terrain

Terrain Type

Sets the surface's type. Regular spreads equally sized bumps over the terrain. Fractal combines several levels of detail. Turbulent is also fractal, but has discontinuities in gradient. At low resolutions (low terrain sizes) the difference between Fractal and Turbulent isn't noticeable. Displaced has a different generation algorithm, better suited for mountain chains. Can't be generated sequences of Displaced type, just single meshes.

Terrain Generation

Controls the way successive terrain patterns are obtained. 
Random - each time will be obtained a new pattern. Use this until you are contented with the pattern.
Same As Previous - repeats the previous pattern with the present parameters. Use this if you are contented with the overall shape and you want to fine-tune the surface.
Seeded - allows you to enter a seed value for the random number generator to obtain a specific pattern. Each terrain pattern has an associated seed value, so you can re-obtain a shape if you know its seed. The seed is an integer between 0 and 4,294,967,295.

Height

Sets the vertical extension of the terrain (but is neither the average height, nor the vertical distance between the highest and lowest points). Range:0 to 10,000

Levels

For Fractal, Turbulent and Displaced types, sets the number of levels of detail. The range of entered values is ±1 … 8, but the maximum value is applicable only for the largest terrain. For 64x64 the effective maximum number of levels is 7, and so on. The program will do only the maximum possible levels even if the user enters a higher value. A negative value means the specified number of levels is added beginning with the smallest one, otherwise with the largest level. Ex: Let's say (metaphorically) the levels of detail are: mountain, hill, hillock, ... , rock, pebble, sand. Now, levels = 3 means the terrain will be composed of mountain, hills and hillocks. For levels = -2 the terrain will have pebbles and sand. For a Regular terrain, this parameter sets the size of the bumps (low value - large bumps, high value - small sized bumps).

Skip Levels

Instructs the program to skip a certain number of levels of detail generating the terrain. Ex: Setting Levels at 7, a value of 2 for Skip Levels will generate a terrain with levels of detail 7, 4, 1. It is possible to make a terrain with a single level of detail, skipping all the levels but that set by Levels.

Step

Sets the step between successive levels of detail, beginning with the overall shape, down to the point level. Range: 1 to 3. Low values give rocky surfaces, high values produce smooth terrain. Regular type ignores this parameter.

Iterations

Number of iterations. Increasing it, the pattern becomes richer and rougher. Range: 1 to 100.

Parameter

Description

Grid Spacing

The distance (in Anim8or units) between successive rows or columns of vertices Range: 1 to 1000

Sequence

Specifies the number of objects generated as a sequence. The range goes from 1 up to the size of the terrain. Note that an .an8 file containing a long sequence of large objects could be huge! (Ex: a file with an animated sequence of 128 objects of 128x128 is approx. 143 MB large). Has no effect on Displaced terrain type.

Cycle

Check this option to generate a looping sequence. It is available for sequences of at least 3 objects. The longest cycle is half of the terrain’s size. Ex: for a 64x64-sized terrain, the longest generated cycle will be 32, even if you enter a larger value for sequence! Using this option with "Drift Speed" other than 0, the behavior will be different (see below).

Animation

Instructs Terranim8or to include in the exported .an8 file a scene containing the animation of a sequence.

Clouds

Checking this option the terrain will be wrapped spherically in the generated Anim8or scene. This is ideal for creating the appearance of the sky dome. Note, that this is a file output option, so in the wire frame image of Terranim8or the terrain appears just plain! This option shows its maximum benefit for clouds generation with Anim8or's radial fog.

Dome Radius

The radius of the sky dome (in Anim8or units) receiving the clouds. Range: 0 to 10,000. It is effective if "Clouds" is checked.

Dome Angle

The angle of the cloud-mapped area of the sky dome, seen from the origin of the scene. Range: 0 to 180 degrees. It is effective if "Clouds" is checked.

Parameter

Description

No. of Stars

Number of generated stars. Range: 0 to 20,000

Sky Radius

The distance of the spherically distributed stars from the origin. Range: 0 to 10,000

Location

This radio-button group controls the spatial distribution of the stars. Particles are expensive for the computers, therefore it's no point in placing stars where the camera will never look

Parameter

Description

Number of droplets per frame

Droplets visible in a frame. Range: any integer number

Starting / Ending Frame

Staring / ending frame of the animation. Range: 0 to 100,000

Falling time

Lifetime of a droplet. Range: 1 to 100,000

Ground Level

Y coordinate of the ground. Range: any number

Cloud Center

Coordinates of the rain/snow cloud's center. Range: any number

Cloud Size

Linear extension of the rain/snow cloud. Range: 0 to 100,000

X shift

The drift (in Anim8or units) of the droplet's path against the vertical, measured on the x-axis. Suggests wind. Range: any integer number

Z shift

The drift (in Anim8or units) of the droplet's path against the vertical, measured on the z-axis. Suggests wind. Range: any integer number

Variation

The maximum deviation of a droplet's path from the mean direction, measured on ground level (in Anim8or units).  Introduces randomness in the look of the animation. Range: any integer number

Parameter

Description

Starting Frame # 

Staring frame of the animation. Range: 0 to 100,000

Ending Frame #

Ending frame of the animation. Range: 0 to 100,000. Must be greater than Starting Frame #.

Textures

The same as Anim8or's. You are not allowed to specify a different texture for Ending Frame (but different percentages, yes). For animating textures, you are invited to choose the first image file from a number-terminated filename sequence, like "myimage00012.jpg", or "whatever1.bmp". You should have an image sequence of consecutive numbers ("myimage0013, myimage0014, ...") to cover the range from start-frame to end-frame. JPEG, BMP, or GIF files are allowed.

Other parameters

Identical with the corresponding Anim8or parameters

Parameter

Description

Starting Frame # 

Staring frame of the fire. Range: 0 to 100,000

Ending Frame #

Ending frame of the fire. Range: 0 to 100,000. Must be greater than Starting Frame #.

Firebase width (# of atoms)

Number of particles at the bottom line of the fire. Range: 1 to 128. Wider fire =  more particles

Firebase width (Anim8or units)

Width of the fire bottom in Anim8or units. It is updated when modifying Firebase width (# of atoms), Size of fire atoms, or Horizontal compression. Not directly editable.

Fire max. height (Anim8or units)

Maximum vertical extension of the flames. Useful range: -100 to 100. A negative value makes an upside down fire.

Flammability (Burning speed)

Sets the velocity of the flames. Low flammability needs more particles. Range: 10 to 50. The speed depends also on Fire max. height.

Chaos

Sets the amount of chaotic movement of the flames. Range: 0 to 1000. The useful range goes from 0 to Fire max. height. Chaos extends the width of the top of the fire.

Wind

Shifts the top of the fire with the specified amount. "+" = wind from left, "-" = wind from right.

Campfire

Makes a fire with an overall triangular shape.

Size of atoms (Anim8or units)

Sets the size of the fire particles and indirectly the width of the fire.

Height variation

Sets how much can differ the random flame length compared to Fire max. height. Range: 0 to 1

Horizontal compression

Squeezes the base line particles with the specified factor. Influences the width. Range: 1 to 1000

Hot colors balance

Changes the proportion of the two colors at the bottom of the fire. Range: 0 to 1

Hollow

Sets the density. A higher value makes the top of the fire mushy, spongy. Range:0 to 1 

Sparks

Make the appearance of sparks at the top of the fire. Range 0 to 1

Darken

A low value makes a lighter fire, a higher value makes a richer and darker color. Range: 0 to 1

Want your own colors for the flames? No color selector?

Customize the colors of the fire in Anim8or, modifying as you wish the materials of the object "TAN8fire". You  can simulate smoke using shades of gray with different levels of transparency.

Parameter

Description

Start fireball ( frame #)

Staring frame of the fireball. Range: 0 to 10,000

Start debris ( frame #)

Staring frame for debris. Range: 0 to 10,000

Fireball lifetime (frames)

Number of frames while the fireball is visible. Range: 0 to 32

Debris' lifetime (frames)

Number of frames while the debris are visible. Range: 0 to 100

Number of debris

Total number of debris dispersed by the explosion. Range: 0 to 10,000

Debris' speed (units / frame)

Minimum speed. Range: 0 to 1,000

Debris' speed variation

Sets random debris' speeds above the minimum speed. Range: 0 to 10

Fireball initial radius

Range:0 to 1,000

Fireball expansion factor

Sets the expansion rate of the fireball. Range: -10 to 10, zero not allowed. A negative value means initial inflation followed by deflation.

Fireball bumpiness

Sets the height of the bumps on the fireball. Range: 0 to 1,000

Parameter

Description

Start Frame 

The first frame for the light to shine. Before that, is completely black. Range: 0 to 10,000

End Frame

The last frame for the light to shine. After that, is completely black. Range: 0 to 10,000

Color

The color of the light (R G B color vector). Range: 0 to 255

Luminance %

The luminance value (as percent) of the given R G B color. It's an information, not editable.

Min. luminance %

Minimum value of the variation. Range: 0 to 100

Max. luminance %

Maximum value of the variation. Range: 0 to 100

Min.-max. variation interval (frames)

The number of frames between two consecutive light variations. Range: 0 to 1000. Can be made random by Random altering of variation interval.

Random altering of variation interval (%)

Alters randomly a cyclic variation defined by the above-mentioned parameter with a given percent. Range: 0 to 100. If zero, the light will have a perfect cyclic variation.

Parameter

Description

Length 

The length of the straight path of a trail particle. Range: -1,000 to 1,000. A negative value makes the trail particles to move in the same direction as the leading object, otherwise in an opposite direction.

Variation %

Maximum random variation in "Length", as percents. Range: 0 to 100

Diameter

Diameter of the trail's emitter, in Anim8or units. It is also the trail's diameter, if not altered by "Divergence". Range:0 to 1,000

Divergence

Spreading of the trail particles' track relative to the tangent to path. Range: 0 to 180 degrees

Density

Consistency of the trail, as number of generated particles per frame. Range: 0 to 1,000

Persistence

The life span of a trail particle. Range: 0 to 1,000 frames

Delay

Number of frames representing the advance of the leading object against the trail.

Object Element Name

The name of the leading object as it appears in Anim8or's scene (in the Object Element Editor). 

Customizing the trail particle

Edit in Anim8or the object "TAN8dummy" as you wish.

Parameter

Description

Motion start frame 

The first frame for the object to move. Range: 0 to 1,000

Motion end frame

Last frame of moving. Range: 0 to 1,000

Initial velocity (units / sec)

The speed of launching the object. Range:0 to 1,000

Aiming to: X, Y, Z

Anim8or coordinates of a target point for launching the object. It's not the point where the object will land, just the tangent to the start of the path!

Surface gravity (units / sec^2)

Gravity at the planet's surface. Range: 0 to 1,000 The default value compensates for Anim8or's small length units.

Anim8or Frame Rate

It is important to set the frame rate that will be used, for mathematical accuracy of the motion.