Overview
This talk explores how procedural systems can simulate, reinterpret, and evolve digital environments. Through projects ranging from algorithmic river meander models to speculative extraterrestrial landscapes, Robert Hodgin examines how generative workflows balance control with emergence. Alongside these landscape studies, Robert will discuss the simulation of a personal living space as a dynamic physics sandbox and how accidental discoveries, such as an unexpected parametric error, have led to new creative directions. By analyzing these projects, this presentation highlights the role of iteration, experimentation, and unpredictability in generative design.
Objective
Explore how generative systems create digital worlds that shift, erode, and evolve over time.
Five Things Audience Members Will Learn
- How procedural tools like Houdini and Gaea can generate dynamic, evolving landscapes
- The balance between control and discovery in generative world-building
- How simple accidents in simulation can lead to unexpected artistic breakthroughs
- Ways to use physics-based simulations to bring digital spaces to life
- How to create environments that feel organic, whether rooted in reality or entirely imagined
Target Audience
Artists, designers, and students interested in procedural art, simulation, and world-building.
