Problem with "anchoring" population

Started by Ulcerguts, November 07, 2017, 11:13:00 AM

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Ulcerguts

I guess the image is self-explained enough...

I have put the last shader node in the "terrain shader" of the population node. "Sit on terrain" is checked. I have always proceded like this, and no problem since today. If I take the node "compute terrain" (put by default), it don't take in count some power fractal shader I place after the compute terrain. Perhaps I don't organize well my scene ?

The population placement is controlled by a distribution shader.
There are two heightfields in this image, they are blended via a distance shader. And the actual anchoring works exactly as he "skipped" the impact of the second heightfield and the distance shader.

Thanks in advance for any tips or advice. I feel like I missing something obvious ahah.

DannyG

Assign your population to sit on the last surface layer in your node string not the terrain or a Compute Normal is also an option. Compute normal calculates all the additional layers and tells TG the values.

For example place a Compute normal at the end of your surface layer set up. 
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Ulcerguts

Thanks for your answer, unfortunately it change nothing at all:


Oshyan

Is Fake Stones the very last shader before it goes into your Planet object?

- Oshyan

Ulcerguts


Dune


Ulcerguts

Yes, here it is:

Ofc, I can't post heightfield/image map and population related.

Thanks in advance !


cyphyr

If you swap out the height field for a procedural one do you still have the problem?
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Dune

I had little time, but added a rock pop. Try what this does...

Your min altitude was a bit high too.

Ulcerguts

Dune: Many thanks for your help, I have looked into it, you have put the compute normal before the fake stones ? It seems to work but only, as Cyphyr suggest, with procedural terrain. It is as Terragen don't recognize the second heightfield or the interaction between the two. I just don't understand at all.

The only solution I have, is to restrain the maximum altitude, I doesn't much affect the scene, and it's close to the result I would obtain.

Dune

No, I don't believe I changed that, but it might be that the heightfields are not working. I can't test without them though, so I used some arbitrary fractal terrain.

cyphyr

Hmm, probably nothing but I just noticed you have two distance shaders masking the one of the terrains and some following Power Fractals.
Distance shader should have a camera that the distance is defined from and these have none. Try assigning one of your cameras and see if that makes a difference.
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Dune

I noticed those too, forgot to mention, but perhaps without camera they work from 0/0/0, never tested that actually.

Ulcerguts

#13
Cyphyr: I have always assume that the distance shader use the active camera by default, simply because he have an effect on the scene, but yes it could be a part of the problem. I have recently increase the distance of near colors of the second distance shader for some reason and I have observed better result with the population, thanks for have pointed it !