Glow Tutorial

Glow is a very interesting effect in Terragen, e.g. to create red-hot earth (lava, vulcanos etc.). In other colour variations the glow can be used in many different ways.

Glow is formed by an interplay between atmosphereric blue and water, there is no separate adjusting possibilty.

The Atmospheric Blue parameters you can find at the atmosphere adjustment:



1. Glow without water

The glow effect is mostly used for fire or scenes similar to vulcanos.

Following images as examples A. without and B: with glow:

A
B

Therefore, how is this effect created?

  • 1. Increase the density to e.g. over 80 % for the "atmospheric blue".
  • 2. Reduce the half-height to something over 10 %.
  • 3. Lower the water lever strongly into the minus, in this example to -10000.
  • 4. With help of the sculpting tool the terrain is lowered at some places until the wanted strength and intensity is reached.


For the "glow" following settings were used for the "atmospheric blue":

  • Density: 86%
  • Half-height: 12,8171 m

These two settings have to be adjusted depending on the terrain used. For lower glow for example the half-height has to be reduced strongly. Or for less strong and intensive glow the density has to be reduced or the terrain has to be lifted at the corresponding places.



2. Glow with water

It is also possible to create "glowing" water. For this the water depth is reduced a little bit and the density of the atmospheric blue is also reduced.

Again for example following images A: without glow and B: with glow:

A
B

Settings here:

  • Density: 73%
  • Half-heigh: 91,13 m
  • Water-depth: -300 m

Again the settings have to be adjusted depending on the terrain used.

This method is one way in order to e.g. show rock etc. in/under the glow. Example:

Settings here:

  • Density: 8%
  • Half-heigh: 60,12 m
  • Water depth: -30000 m

Again the settings have to be adjusted depending on the terrain used.



Effects through glow

Glow sometimes creates interesting effects as the "flame effect" here. This is certainly not a 100 % result, but anyhow a possibility to make an image more interesting. Here the effect is formed together with the fog effect.

Again for example following images A: without and B: with fog.

A
B

To create this effect glow again was used in interaction with rays from one side and ground fog.

The fog breakes the light of the glow and creates such "flames" in connection with fog and the right point of view.



Tips & Tricks for glow

  • 1. The colour of the atmopheric blue corresponds to the darkest colour of the glow.

  • 2. If the intensity of the glow is too strong, saying there are white areas which are too big, it can be changed by an increase of the half-height.

  • 3. If the half-height is raised, the distance between the start and the outer edge of the glow effect increases and the colours become softer.

  • 4. The colour of glow should be mixed of all three possible colours, in order to get colour variations from the start to the edge of the glow.

  • 5. In case of reduction of the half-height of the atmospheric blue the colour of the atmosphere is shifted to the glow point. Therefore, in case of a strong glow an additional blue sky is not possible. If a coloured sky is nevertheless required, the half-height should not be reduced too strong.


It has to be remarked that there is no magic recipe for the use of glow. If and how an image or an effect shows depends on the terrain used and the settings for light and colours.

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