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Fractal landscape
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<p>A fractal landscape or fractal surface is generated using a <a href="/facts/Stochastic/uMbgL94r">stochastic</a> algorithm designed to produce <a href="/facts/Fractal/sXj38JeN">fractal</a> behavior that mimics the appearance of natural <a href="/facts/Terrain/r2lduLeI">terrain</a>. In other words, the <a href="/facts/Surface/0XA8ce89">surface</a> resulting from the procedure is not a deterministic, but rather a random surface that exhibits fractal behavior. </p><p>Many natural phenomena exhibit some form of statistical <a href="/facts/Self-similarity/9Nvo7edY">self-similarity</a> that can be modeled by <a href="/facts/Fractal_dimension/pJ9tVnwn"> fractal surfaces</a>. Moreover, variations in <a href="/facts/Surface_texture/URUzkL9u">surface texture</a> provide important visual cues to the orientation and slopes of surfaces, and the use of almost self-similar fractal patterns can help create natural looking visual effects. The modeling of the Earth's rough surfaces via <a href="/facts/Fractional_Brownian_motion/KBzUMrNV">fractional Brownian motion</a> was first proposed by <a href="/facts/Benoit_Mandelbrot/fa8tKP93">Benoit Mandelbrot</a>. </p><p>Because the intended result of the process is to produce a landscape, rather than a mathematical function, processes are frequently applied to such landscapes that may affect the <a href="/facts/Stationary_process/vozdgfEX">stationarity</a> and even the overall <a href="/facts/Fractal_dimension/pJ9tVnwn">fractal behavior of such a surface</a>, in the interests of producing a more convincing landscape. </p><p>According to <a href="/facts/Rhonda_Roland_Shearer/um4faA2s">R. R. Shearer</a>, the generation of natural looking surfaces and landscapes was a major turning point in art history, where the distinction between geometric, <a href="/facts/Computer_generated_imagery/ThJ2gh1X">computer generated images</a> and natural, man made art became blurred. The first use of a fractal-generated landscape in a film was in 1982 for the movie <i><a href="/facts/Star_Trek_II:_The_Wrath_of_Khan/PTUEq7E4">Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan</a></i>. <a href="/facts/Loren_Carpenter/22scYjGc">Loren Carpenter</a> refined the techniques of Mandelbrot to create an alien landscape. </p>