Suggestions on how to....

[Stiglr]

I may be about to embark upon an entirely different kind of project, for me: topographic terrain creation.

That's as wildly different from aircraft and vehicle building as it can get. One's technical and mechanical, the other organic and random.

So... what's the best way to approach this? I'll be working from a flat map of an area with hints as to varying contour levels (it's a board wargame map). With the hexagonal overlay, I'll have a good solid distance scale for the X axis.

What's the best way to generate terrain from point to point, with some nice randomness? My first guess involves multiple levels of subdivisions... or perhaps some randomness or "noise" to get the effects I want?

Then... for trees and foliage: I'll have a few stands on farms and what-not, but will also need some copses and forests, of varying types of trees. What's the best way to approach this?

Buildings, farmhouses, stone walls and the like will be easy to contemplate.

Anyone with experience on this who can guide me?