Introduction to World Construction Set

World Construction Set is widely recognized as the best photorealistic terrain modeling, visualization, rendering and animation software on earth. Combined with real world elevation and ground cover data it can produce visualisations of breath-taking accuracy.

WCS is the choice of GIS professionals, natural resource scientists, architects, engineers, film/video animators, television broadcasters, game developers, educators and other serious terrain visualization and animation users worldwide.

Real-World Tools

Real-world GIS-based tools let you render actual places on the planet. WCS 5 supports ArcView for realistic visualization of GIS data. You can also project satellite data on the terrain, and even use it to specify foliage growth.

Science based and artistically powerful, WCS is packed with professional features. Experience true spherical terrain with unlimited terrain rendering (even the entire planet!). WCS gives you extensive support of readily available terrain, 3D object, vector, point, image, image sequence and GIS data formats. You can also create your own terrain with the included DEM Designer and the Fractal Terrain Generator.

Enjoy realistic Rules-Of-Nature(tm) that let you place thousands of highly realistic and efficient 3D-shaded Image Object trees and other foliage automatically, across the entire terrain. The Rules let you account for things like sun direction wind direction, altitude, and water drainage so foliage grows where it should, just like in nature, for scenes of incredible beauty and realism.

The Project Wizard lets you create Rules with a single click, and the Ecosystem Editor lets you tweak to your heart's content. Ecosystems are also multi-level so you can simulate complex overstory/understory combinations such as those found in rain forests. A comprehensive foliage library is included, along with natural-looking rock stratification.

You can also use Image Objects to place other images and animations into your environments. Add signs, characters and more. Create them in paint and animation programs, or video tape real actors or moving, growing plants. Bring your skies to life with multiple layers of amazing 3D-evolving clouds, the sun and the moon. The moon can even show phases. Add water with waves, automatic breakers, beaches and tide support. Exciting new Terraffectors(tm) and Effects put you in control. Make your own terrain features, including roads, streams, lakes, hills, mountains, dams and dikes. WCS adds cuts and fills automatically.

Add splashes of light, tinted areas or shadows. Clear a building site, draw a road, make an orchard, add a flower bed, or specify an entire forest. All Terraffectors and Effects are non-destructive, so you can experiment freely.

VERSION 5.2 NOW AVAILABLE!   Just £620* ($900) from NPA

The best yet! Version 5.2 includes many improved features and enhancements, including:

• Amazing New Interface: World Construction Set is now much easier to use.
• Image Color and Band Control: Alter color and contrast of Image Objects. Rearrange GIS color bands. Great for satellite data visualization or foliage color control
• New Import Wizard: makes importing a wide variety of data easier than ever. And now you can directly import even more types of DEM and vector data, including SDTS, GTOPO30 and much more.
• ArcView file support: Import Shape files for GIS visualization.
• Improved data handling: WCS can handle unlimited DEMs and vast amounts of Vector data. Huge projects are not a problem.
• True GIS Georeferenced Rendering: Accurate latitude and longitude coordinates let you render real places where they belong on the planet. Use WCS alone or with other GIS software to visualize real places as they were, as they are now or as they could be in the future.
• Real Planet Model: True spherical terrain for accurate visualization of low level fly-overs and large-scale planet shots.
• Unlimited Terrain Rendering: Why limit yourself? Render anything from close-up scenes to the entire planet. Whole Earth data, suitable for rendering the Earth from space, is included with the program.
• Flexible Ecosystems: Place a forest, plant a flowerbed, or clear the trees from building site. Great for parks, golf courses, and landscaping. A single Ecosystem can now have multiple Materials, which can each have their own overstory, understory and ground overlay texturing for enhanced realism.
• Improved Waves: Now use different sets of waves for each body of water or any specific area. Complete envelope controls let you create wave effects that are more realistic than ever.

Integration with Other Programs

WCS 5.2 includes support for external 3D programs, including LightWave 3D, Inspire 3D and 3D Studio Max. Scene import, scene export and the included 3D compositing plugins let you combine realistic terrain and high quality 3D objects together in the same scene. You can also import and render 3D objects directly within WCS. WCS supports 3D objects in LightWave, 3D Studio and DXF formats. The exclusive new Translucency parameters let you simulate light transmission. This is great for realistic looking leaves.

Use the Powerful new Texture Engine to create animated, layered textures for 3D objects and terrain surfaces. Combine components from a large selection of procedural textures and image texture options. Create brick, rock, bark, asphalt, paint and much more. Render 3D objects, including trees, created in LightWave, MAX, Onyx Tree Professional, Tree Druid, LSYSTEMS and other programs. Example 3D Onyx trees are included with WCS 5.2.

By itself or with other programs, WCS delivers incredible power to animators, scientists, architects, educators, students and anyone interested in exploring and simulating the earth and other planets.

Documentation

WCS 5.2 includes the "Using WCS 5" printed manual. Here you'll find more than 500 pages of step-by-step tutorials, tips and other useful information. The rugged ring binding lets the manual lay flat for easy access. The extensive index makes it easy to find answers.

For additional coverage of all of the features of WCS, the comprehensive Interactive Online Reference Manual is just a mouse click away. Extensive links let you easily explore what WCS can do.

Prices & Availability

WCS 5.2 is currently available for Intel (Windows 95/98 and NT/2000). WCS 4.5 is currently available for DEC Alpha (Windows NT) and Power Macintosh. WCS 2.04 and the new Amiga Render Engine are currently available for Amiga, with newer versions in the works. Prices, when you order from NPA, are as follows:

All prices are subject to an additional shipping charge of £20 ($32) to anywhere in the world. * Prices based on £1=$1.45 Subject to fluctuate with exchange rate.

All images above © 3D Nature 2000.