Serra Lesson
Experimentation with Gaea revealed its strength in hierarchical, node-based terrain generation. Each terrain element builds logically from the last, starting with broad forms like canyons, then refining into rock formations, adding snow layers, and finally blending in surface details such as scattered rocks. This layered approach allows for a high degree of control and realism, making it well-suited for crafting complex natural landscapes.
However, after importing the landscape into Unreal Engine 5, the terrain appeared less detailed, potentially due to limitations in the export settings or resolution of the heightmaps and masks. While the scene runs smoothly on the current hardware, further investigation is being done through forums and documentation to improve visual fidelity in UE5.
A side-by-side comparison was created to evaluate the visual fidelity between Gaea and Unreal Engine 5. The Gaea render on the right contains noticeably more terrain detail, while the UE5 version on the left appears flatter and less refined. This discrepancy is likely due to resolution settings during the export process or limitations in the landscape material setup within UE5. Despite this, the scene performs well on current hardware.
Further research is being conducted through forums and documentation to improve landscape fidelity in UE5. Houdini exploration continued, focusing on how its procedural tools could enhance environmental effects like snow displacement and surface erosion, adding more dynamic elements to the scene.