Edge profile mask

[Ashley]

Hi,

Not sure if I have phrased this question correctly,

Is it possible to control the "edge profile" and "edge width" of a simple shape shader using an image map?
Or failing that, with a mask is it possible to effect the shape of an image map in a similar way?

Any suggestions welcome 

Cheers

[bobbystahr]

The fractal warp shader breaks em up real good and with the built in fall off lots of stuff is possible

[Ashley]

Thanx bobbystahr 

Yeah I had started to play with the fractal warp, its great.
I'm now trying to figure out how to blend the border of the resulting shape evenly along the edge.

I've attached a tgd to further explain.
If I use the border blend from the effect tab of the image map shader, the blend transition is from the bounding box not the image.
I want the same control over the shape blend as found in the simple shape shader.

Any ideas?

[Kadri]

There are more then 1 way certainly.
I would blur the image outside.For me it is the easiest way.
If you play with the "disp conversion gamma" you can change the look too very drastically.
Use very high and very low numbers and you will see.
But the best way it works if you have a more grayscale stepped image at first.
With a drastic sharp lined 2 color image you won't see much.

But i would plan accordingly and use a more controlled image first.

You might get more and different answers here probably.

[Ashley]

Thanx Kadri,

Editing the image externally is what I thought too.

I noticed there is a "import txt file" for the polygon of the simple shape shader.
Does it work? and what format works?

[Kadri]

...
I noticed there is a "import txt file" for the polygon of the simple shape shader.
...

Could you show where it is?

[TheBadger]

Thanks for this thread.
I am trying it too now. Using the warp on a simple shape and getting much nicer blend with default settings. Inside the simple shape is a image mask, I will try it on that too and see what control I can gain.

[Ashley]

@Kadri,

There is an option box next to "Type of Shape", where you can select between cirle/elipse, square/rectangle, or polygon.

[Kadri]

It is not what you think it is Ashley.
"Polygon sides: This setting lets you control the number of sides when Type of shape is set to "Polygon". "

From here:
http://planetside.co.uk/wiki/index.php?title=Simple_Shape_Shader

I asked because i can't see ""import txt file"" anywhere.

[Kadri]

By the way if you want to use a blurred (or any other kind of ) image map and play with it it is the best way if your original image is an EXR or at least 16 TIFF file.
Otherwise you will get hard steppings most probably. It is not needed but depends on your use in Terragen. So if you have hard steppings with image maps keep that in mind please.
This is mostly if you want to go extreme. For small standard displacement mostly normal 24-32 bit image types like jpg, png are OK.

[Kadri]

And Terragen doesn't like straight Y displacement mostly. Just a little small blur that won't be seen anyway is sometimes a help too in that aspect.

[TheBadger]

It looks like there is no way at all to effect only the displacement amplitude setting of an image mask shader. (other than all or nothing in its own setting)

You can use a power frac in the mask input of course. But then you are really only effecting the top of the surface and any effect on the edge/sides is incidental.

The image mask shader is the fastest easiest way to get specific displacement shapes in TG. But there looks to be no way to apply any of TG's powers to the displacement amplitude setting of an image mask shader.

What we need is a way to make a Simple Shape Shader, take on the edges of a image mask. Then at least we could use all the ways that a SSS/Warp/PF can be combined.

But maybe I am wrong here. Do any of you know any way at all, to effect only the displacement amplitude setting of an image mask... Other than simply changing its all or nothing amount.

Anyone any way?

[Dune]

I don't quite understand what the problem is, actually. You can use PF's to alter displacement amplitudes of any mask, or another image map, or sss's...

[Oshyan]

Yeah, I'm also unsure of what is being asked here...

- Oshyan

[TheBadger]

When using an image map to create a displacement, the displacement is controlled by the displacement amplitude setting + or -. Right? Well there is no way to mask that and gain the control that a sss offers in combination with a warp shader.

I guess that a PF and a distribution shader could be used in the chain. But I don't think that could possibly lead to the control or use you get with a sss and warp. Anyway, there is no simple plug and play here like with a sss and warp. two nodes one connection and presto.