Procedural Vegetation Placement



Introduction

Creating realistic and dynamic vegetation on a terrain in Unity is an important aspect of many game and simulation projects. Not only does vegetation add visual interest to a scene, it can also have a functional purpose, such as providing cover for characters or obstructing their line of sight.

There are several techniques and algorithms that can be used to generate vegetation in Unity, each with their own strengths and limitations. In this article, we will explore different methods for generating vegetation, such as using a noise map to randomly place plants and using a genetic algorithm to evolve the placement of plants based on the fitness of each location. We will also discuss how the fitness calculations can be used to vary the type of vegetation that is generated, such as using different models or textures for plants based on the fitness of the location.

Through practical examples and code snippets, this article will provide a step-by-step guide for implementing these techniques in Unity and creating realistic and dynamic vegetation on a terrain.

Using a noise map to randomly place plants

A noise map is a 2D texture that is generated using a mathematical function, such as Perlin noise or Simplex noise. The values of the noise map range from 0 to 1 and can be used to determine the probability of a plant being placed at a specific location on the terrain. For example, areas of the terrain with a high value on the noise map could have a higher probability of being covered in plants, while areas with a low value could have a lower probability.

Generating a noise map

First off we will need to generate a noiseMapTexture.This is a texture that has been generated using a noise function, such as Perlin noise or Simplex noise. There are several ways to generate a noise map texture in Unity, including using the Mathf.PerlinNoise function. It's not 100% necessary to generate a texture to work from, you could use the noise functions directly. However, creating a texture does provide some advantages that we will leverage later.

Here's the code for generating a noise map using Mathf.PerlinNoise:

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In this example, width and height are the dimensions of the noise map texture, and scale is a parameter that determines the frequency of the noise function. By adjusting the scale value, you can control the roughness or smoothness of the noise map.

Alternatively, you can use the FastNoise asset from the Unity Asset Store to generate noise map textures. This asset provides a variety of noise functions and allows you to easily customize the parameters of the noise generation. You can then use the GetNoiseMap function to generate a noise map texture and assign it to a material, as shown in the example code above.

Placing objects

To use a noise map to generate vegetation in Unity, you will need to first create a noise map texture and assign it to a material. This material can then be applied to the terrain using a script that iterates over each vertex on the terrain and checks the value of the noise map at that location. If the value is above a certain threshold, a plant prefab can be instantiated at that location.

Here is an example of how this can be implemented in Unity using C#:

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In this code we are generating and placing a cylinder. You can place any GameObject using this approach. If you want to place a terrain tree a few changes will be needed, but we will not bother with that right now.

Using a noise map to generate vegetation can be a quick and simple way to add plants to a terrain, but it can also result in a lack of control over the placement of plants and a less realistic distribution. However, by adjusting the parameters of the noise function and the threshold for plant placement, you can achieve a wide range of results and create a variety of vegetation patterns on your terrain.

Using a genetic algorithm to evolve the placement of plants


Varying the type of vegetation based on the fitness of the location


Conclusion