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Landscape Simulations
Software Evaluations Visual Nature Studio (VNS) and World Construction Set are programs developed by 3Dnature. They have similar capabilities, but VNS has additional tools for placing and specifying vegetation. VNS has excellent graphics and data handling capabilities. It handles a wide variety of data types with little required input from the user. VNS imports Arcview files and their associated databases very easily. It allows the user to specify the vegetation type, height, and density using the associated polygon database. The ability to specify ecosystem characteristics for polygons is excellent. www.3DNature.com Cost: $2500 Ease of Use If you are completely unfamiliar with landscape simulation software, the learning curve is fairly steep. If you have experience, it is not difficult to learn the basics. The tutorials are exceptional. Beyond the basics of importing a DEM, importing a .shp file, and placing vegetation, the program becomes very involved. To utilize the full potential of this program I would recommend the training provided by 3DNature. Ease of viewpoint placement If you have coordinates for a viewpoint, they can be directly specified. Aiming the camera is just as simple. You either enter coordinates, or use the mouse and one of the views to point the camera Terrain accuracy The DEM imports and is displayed as accurately as the data you are using. Vegetation accuracy VNS uses actual pictures of vegetation for its overstory and understory components; therefore, the image accuracy is very good. New images for different vegetation can be created using a photo editing software. The software can use the stand parameters from a GIS database, so the placement is as accurate as the GIS data. Ease of vegetation manipulation In order provide before and after pictures to demonstrate management practices, it is necessary to change the stand parameters in the database files. This is about as simple as it can get. Photo-realism The photo-realism is very good. This program provides good images at the stand level and at the landscape level. Walk-through/Fly-through capable VNS does have the capability to create fly-through’s of the landscape. It is fairly easy to do. There is a separate program, Scene Express, that allows the movies to be exported and viewed. Training availability VNS provides training at their facilities for a price. Otherwise they have good tutorials that explain how to perform various necessary operations. Sample Image 
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