CHAPTER 6

image

Fractals, Height Maps, and Particle Systems

This chapter presents a hodgepodge of effects that we can achieve with mathematics. Topics that we will cover include:

  • painting directly with the GPU
  • an introduction to fractals and the Mandelbrot set
  • height maps and terrain generation
  • rotating the camera with the mouse
  • particle systems

Because I have long been enamored with the strong intersection of mathematics and beautiful imagery that it produces, this chapter is particularly fun for me to write about. Even if you do not particularly enjoy mathematics, you can still brush past most of the details/technical explanation and experiment ...

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