Intro to Experiment 3 - The Valley

val·ley

(\ˈva-lē\)n.

Etymology: Middle English valeye, from Anglo-French valee, from val valley (circa 14th century)

1a: an elongated depression of the earth's surface usually between ranges of hills or mountains
1b: an area drained by a river and its tributaries
2: a low point or condition

3a: hollow, depression

3b: the place of meeting of two slopes of a roof that form on the plan a reentrant angle

source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/valley



The Valley of the Waters, Blue Mountains National Park

Source: http://www.nationalpass.com.au/npws-map-static.php

The above picture shows Wentworth Falls, cascading down some 100 metres, into the Valley of the Waters. This photo was taken from Elizabeth Lookout, on the National Pass Trail, a six kilometre track originally built by hand in 1907 which traverses the cliff edges of The Valley of the Waters. In 2002, construction began to restore the track to it's original state by a team of heritage stone masons, costing $1.5 million. In 2008 upon re-opening, the project won major heritage conservation awards from UNESCO and the National Trust of Australia.

Source: http://www.nationalpass.com.au/index.php

I'd describe it as a 'keyhole' valley, being tucked away from the main escarpment, and somewhat more protected from the elements. I've chosen this valley as its a beautiful example of the Australian landscape, and for me, not far from home.

Crysis Wars / Sandbox 2 - Environment based on Valley of the Waters

After many attempts, this was the result of my experimentation with Crysis. The vegetation wasn't as dense or widespread as I'd planned; the program repeatedly froze when trying to cover the entire terrain. So it can be said that while it's "loosely based" on the Valley of the Waters, it was still a surprising result.