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New Features Guide: Voyager 1.6This chapter is provided as a convenient reference for users familiar with earlier versions of ArtMatic Voyager. It summarizes features added or changed in version 1.6. For detailed information, see the appropriate chapters of the ArtMatic Voyager Reference Manual. If you are upgrading from an earlier version of ArtMatic Voyager, be sure to read the chapter Upgrading from an Earlier Version.

The new ArtMatic 4.6 engine provides support for new architectures and vegetation possibilities.

New Requirements: ArtMatic Voyager 1.6 now requires MacOS X.4 or later. It is MacOS X.5 compatible.

New Features - Quick SummariesUniversal Binary•TIFF output• . Still images are now saved as TIFF images rather than in PICT format.Multi-processor optimization• .Newquad-threadedrenderingsignificantlydecreasesrenderingtimesonmulti-core computers. On Intel-Macs, times may be less than 1/20th of what they were in version 1.2.Architecture and Vegetation support added• . Architectural details (such as cities, roads and buildings) and some vegetation details are now possible via some new ArtMatic 4.6 new components.Speed optimizations• . Rendering speed is much faster in the high-quality modes and when casting shad-ows. Casting shadows can now be several times faster than before.Sublime Quality• . New Sublime Quality mode for improved rendering of ArtMatic-based elements that have sharp edges.Anti-Alias control• . A new option for super-high-res anti-aliasing for demanding renders.Horizon control• . A new setting allows the control of the distance to the horizon.File Bundles• .BundlespackagetogetherthescenefileandanyrequiredArtMaticfiles.Improved rendering of non-fractal and non-smooth surfaces.•Quartz-Based user-interface.•Ambient illumination range increased.•New shadow options• . New options have been added for casting shadows (details below).New texture and reflection options• . Extra ArtMatic outputs can now be mapped to Normal (for bump shad-ing)andReflections(forcreatingwindowreflections).Improved realtime preview•Maximum picture size now 10240 by 10240 pixels•Underwater color shift• option (Preferences)Add Foam on water• (Preferences). Add foam at water edges when the sea is rough with this option.Improved atmosphere model• . Atmosphere/haze height and the cloud layer altitude have been decoupled. Cloud plane height control• . The cloud plane height now has its own slider in the main user interface.Atmosphere height and cloud plane height are now keyframable and saved in both keyframes and places.•Much improved shadow accuracy• (withcastingshadowson).Seeexamplefile:Shadow in A AnimImproved Camera Path dialog• .Seeexamplefile:GFW Ride.vyImproved Places user interface.•Absolute scaling mode• forkeyframe-independentdistancescalingwhenusingArtMaticfiles.Newnumericalshortcut.Type‘i’inanumericalfieldtoenterthemathematicalinverse.•Many behind-the-scenes optimizations and improvements.•

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APPENDIX: New in Voyager 1.6

New File FormatToaddUniversalBinarysupport,anewfileformatwasintroducedforArtMaticProfiles.Intel-Macscannotnativelyreadthepre-4.0ArtMaticfiles.Tousethesefiles,youneedtoupdatethemorrunArtMaticVoyagerinRosettamode.Formoreinformationaboutupdatingoldfiles,seethechapterUpgrading from an Earlier Version

New Feature DetailsAdvanced shadow options. Preferences now features advanced options that are used Cast Shadows is turned on.(Therearestillcertain--rare--situationsinwhichaccurateshadowsaredifficulttocalculate(suchaswhenthere are many tiny high-elevation elements). For problematic cases, use Sublime quality mode.

Maxiumum Raymarch height: this limits the altitude at which VY scans for shadowing elements. This can speed up shadow calculation dramatically when only close-up shadows are of importance. (Otherwise Voyager can spend 95% of the lime looking for huge mountain shadows that are distant or not visible). Settingthelimittoalowervaluecanspeedupshadowssignificantly,butyouneedtomakesurethatshadows that should be visible do not suffer.

Use GW Optimization: This optimization computes a rough low-res shadow approximation in order to decide where there might be shadows. In the past this option was always on. In most cases, having this optiononresultsinsignificantlyfasterrendertimesthanwhenitisoff.Whentheoptionison,thereisarisk of undesirable artifacts. Turn this option off, in cases where there are problematic shadow artifacts. Turning the option off (when performance is fast enough) also allows you to avoid the “optimizing shadow” message that you otherwise see.

Use Jittering: Turning this option on (it is off by default) will diffuse shadow artifacts--which can result in a grainyeffectwhenerrorsarestrong.Thissettingisrememberedinfiles.Thispreferencewon’thaveavis-ible effect in most situations. Turn it on only if needed.

File Bundles.VoyagerfilescannowbesavedasbundlesthatlooklikefilesintheFinderbutactuallypackagetogetherallthefilesneededforascene.ThismakesmanagingscenesthatuseArtmaticsystemsmucheasierandmakesitlesslikelythatyouwillaccidentallychangeanArtMaticfileusedbyanotherVoyagerfile.SaveandSaveAswillusethebundleformatwhenArtMaticfilesareused(unlessyouturnofftheSave AM Files With Scene option in preferences.) The new Save As Bundle menucommandsavestheopenfileinbundleformatevenifnoArtMaticfilesarereferenced.Bundleshavetheextension“.vy”.

ArtMatic Scaling Mode options.(Preferences)Inthepast,ArtMaticVoyagerusedthescaleofthefirstkeyframeof an ArtMatic system to determine the scaling of the ArtMatic system to the planet. This had the unfortunate side-effect that vertical and horizontal scales were only 1:1 when the scaling was Pi-squared (rather than 1). An absolute scaling option has been added to make distance scaling more straightforward. See the Preferences chapter the tutorial ArtMatic Distance Scaling for more information.

New Extra Output options(inPreferences):ReflectionLevel,Normal(BumpMap).Reflectionprovidesthereflec-tivityataparticularposition.Thisallowsbuildingwindowstoreflecttheirsurroundingswhencreatingcities.Nor-mal (Bump Map) is used to create bump mapping/relief shading which is useful for giving windows an embossed effect. See the example Normal Test.vy. These options will mostly be used with systems based on the ArtMatic components (such as the architectural components) that are designed to be used as extra outputs.

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APPENDIX: New in Voyager 1.6

Improved Camera Path dialog.(Examplefile:GFW Ride.vy). The new Show Map option lets you see the terrain map with the camera path displayed on it. The dialog also uses a user-selectable gradient for improved elevation representation.

Combination mode enhanCementsCombination mode has been made much more powerful. The following additions have been made:

ArtMatic as Main Planet. The main planet can now be either an ArtMatic surface.

Layers.Acombinationmodeplanetcannowhaveupto6ArtMaticLayers(inadditiontothemainplanet.Turnalayeron/offwiththeactivecheckbox.Layersinusearemarkedwithareddotinthetab.

Global Scale Parameter. The Global Scale Parameter can be used to scale the ArtMatic layer (in all dimen-sions).

New Combination modes. Powerful new modes have been added: Minimum, Random Blend, Blend on Low,ExpNegAlpha.

Add Alpha mode has been improved. To preserve the old behavior set the slider to the maximum value.

Numericalfieldsrangeisnow+-100andisrelativetocurrentlocation.

Improved centering interface. Click on the combination mode editor’s overview to center the system. This is useful for placing architecture elements.

NEW MODES. Below is a summary of the new modes. See the chapter ArtMatic Surfaces and Color Tex-tures for detailed information and the new tutorial chapter Using ArtMatic Elements in Scenes.

Minimum mode example Minimum.vy BlendOnLowsmode

Exp Neg Alpha mode Random Blend mode

Minimum: Compares the planet surface to the ArtMatic elevation and takes whichever one is less. The slider controls the mix of the base planet and the ArtMatic system. See the example Files: Comb Txt FractMin.vy and Minimum.vy. Minimum.vy shows how to cut a river/canyon into a built-in planet.

Random Blend.(Examplefile:Ripple Desert). Randomly blend in the ArtMatic surface using a low frequen-

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APPENDIX: New in Voyager 1.6

cy random noise function. The slider controls the frequency of the function used to blend in the ArtMatic system.

Add Alpha. (Changed in 1.6). The elevation of the ArtMatic layer is now used to control the blending of theArtMaticlayerandthemainplanet.WithFollowat0,Alphachannelvalues>0areusedtoblendtheArtMatic system with the host planet. The slider determines the degree to which the ArtMatic layer is de-formed to follow the main planet surface contour. To replicate the pre-1.6 behavior set the Follow slider to the maximum.

Blend On Low. (Example: Alley Deep Temple): The ArtMatic system is blended in where elevations are low on the host planet. The slider controls the maximum elevation at which the blending occurs.

Exp Neg Alpha. (Example: Exp N Blend.) Exp Neg Alpha mode blends in the ArtMatic layer where its eleva-tion is greater than 0. This mode is useful in situations where you want something to be placed on the planet surface by cutting through it -- such as a road cutting through mountains. The blending is done usinganexponentialfunctionsothattheinfluenceoftheArtMaticlayerincreasesrapidlyastheArtMaticsurface values rise above 0. The ArtMatic tree needs to be carefully set up so that the desired features have elevations above 0 and elevations are below 0 everywhere else. If you view the ArtMatic system us-ing the Geographic Clut, the main planet will appear everywhere where the image is blue.