Procedural Location of Roads Using Desire Paths

Abstract

Procedural modelling of realistic environments that include elements derived from human activity can largely reduce production cost in animation, video-games and feature films. We address the problem of placing roads and other human-made elements, such as buildings, in a way that is consistent with the scene relief. Our approach is based on the calculation of so called desire paths, by means of the generation of many optimal paths according to different cost or distance functions. Using this idea, we rely on the information of the terrain properties to emulate the exploration of the scenario by a large number of pedestrians. From the routes generated by the pedestrians, we define walkability and habitability maps on the scene that can be later used to locate roads or buildings.