CG Modeling 3: Advanced - An Introduction to Computer Graphics for Artists - page 279

Fig. 15.6 “Greebels” randomized procedural surface detail (Courtesy of Kim Goossens)
Fig. 15.7 Procedurally generated terrain can be convincing, complex, and built more quickly than
traditional methods (Render courtesy of Andrius Drevinskas)
The game Red Dead Redemption (2010) used procedural tools to generate and
populate its extremely large desert landscape. Artists who understand a procedural
workfl ow are in high demand because of the cost savings they offer to any project.
This is true in the fi lm and video game industry. Although only a few games have
used them so far, procedural modeling is becoming more common now that con-
soles are able to render extremely large environments. Just Cause 2 for instance,
has a terrain mesh that covers 400 km 2 . Currently, the only reasonable method for
covering terrain of that size with high quality 3D assets is to generate and place
them procedurally.