Presented by dotnet, this session explores the architectural decisions and programming techniques that enable Gaea’s terrain engine to push .NET beyond typical workloads for massive, high-performance simulations.

High-Performance Terrain Simulations in .NET

Presented by dotnet, this session explores how Gaea’s terrain engine achieves industry-leading realism and scale for applications ranging from AAA games to NASA simulations, all powered by .NET technologies.

Key Topics Covered

  • Modular Terrain Engine Design:
    • Overview of organizing terrain processing workflows into modular, re-usable components.
  • SPMD Execution in Managed .NET:
    • Leveraging Single Program, Multiple Data (SPMD) patterns in managed code to efficiently process billions of computations per build cycle.
    • Strategies for maximizing parallelism and performance in .NET environments.
  • Custom Memory Management (“Spawning Pool”):
    • Building a specialized memory management solution tailored for predictable and high-volume computational workloads.
    • Techniques for minimizing allocations and garbage collection impact within .NET.

Use Cases & Production Examples

  • Terrain generation for major IPs including Star Wars, Star Trek, Alan Wake 2, Death Stranding
  • Real-world simulation use at NASA

Resources

Conclusion

This session provides a deep technical dive for developers interested in pushing the performance limits of .NET, focusing on large-scale simulation, engine architecture, and advanced resource management.