Populator

Started by choronr, August 07, 2012, 02:52:28 AM

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choronr

How do you get a 'Populator'?

choronr

#1
The reason I ask this question is that since I used a file from this forum, I noted where a population was used that had 'two' inputs for the object population (see image). That is why I thought a separate 'Populator' shader was available.

Note: Of the two inputs, one is for 'density shader', the other is for 'terrain'. One would think that since I've been so long with Terragen2, I would know this ...but I don't. Your help please! 

Oshyan

Not sure what your original question refers to. Some inputs are dynamically created when connections are made inside the node's settings. In this case the default Population node comes in with a connection to the Compute Terrain in its Terrain input but *no* Density Shader, thus no Density Shader input shows up. If you add a Density Shader in the node settings, you will see 2 inputs, the Terrain input and the Density Shader input.

- Oshyan

Dune

In this respect it would be handy to have the density input node already present (like in most other nodes). When I need to find a density shader from the context menu, and it happens to start with Z among hundreds of nodes, I have to scroll all the way down. It would be much easier to just pull the line.

Tangled-Universe

Yep, agree with that. Now I have to copy/paste the density shaders name into the populator node to have the port created and connected, while drawing a line is faster and more straight-forward.

Dune

Ah, so C+P works as well? Just the name from the node?

Oshyan

I don't disagree. To be honest I'm not sure why it's done this way. I'll find out. ;)

- Oshyan

Tangled-Universe

Quote from: Dune on August 07, 2012, 03:56:41 AM
Ah, so C+P works as well? Just the name from the node?

Yep, I also do that for blendshaders and such...

Dune

Learned something again.

choronr

Thank you all ...the old dog has learned again.

Matt

It's easy enough for us to change the default behaviour here so that it's an external link rather than internal. It sounds like external might be the better default.

Matt
Just because milk is white doesn't mean that clouds are made of milk.

Tangled-Universe

Thanks Matt, small changes like these really add up in the end and will make TG2 more pleasant to work with.

If you're having a crack at it anyway, why not add the 'select and configure multiple populations at once' feature mentioned here? ;)
http://www.planetside.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=14892.msg145084#msg145084

:D

jo

Hi Martin,

We have already started on something which allows you to change preview related settings for multiple objects/populations, such as the display mode, although this won't be in the next release. Being able to change positions etc. of multiple items is desirable certainly but that is a bit further off I'd say.

Regards,

Jo

Tangled-Universe

Thanks for the heads up Jo. Great to hear a start has been made with object display modes :)