World Machine 4059, the first update of the Dragontail Peak series, is now available. Its main novelty is support for real 3D terrain using Vector Displacement Maps, allowing the creation of overhangs, caves, and cliffs that traditional height maps could not represent. Key devices like Erosion and Snow already support this technology.
How the new vector displacement system works 🏔️
Unlike height maps, which only store a single elevation value per point, Vector Displacement Maps store displacement directions and magnitudes. This allows the terrain to have overhangs, caves, and complex shapes without relying on a flat base surface. Most of the program's devices, such as Erosion and Snow, have already been updated to work with this technology, making it easier to migrate old projects to the new system.
Now your cliffs will no longer be a simple steep slope 🪨
If before a cliff was basically a very steep slope that looked like it was made with a ruler, now you can have caves, overhangs, and shapes that defy gravity. Of course, get ready for your friends to ask if you've switched to Blender or if your PC has started smoking. No, it's just that World Machine 4059 has decided that height maps were too boring for 2024.