TGC Shader Gallery Request

Started by WAS, June 30, 2019, 02:21:19 PM

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WAS

Add a drop-down section under the Shaders list on the left which is a list of your TGCs, sorted by name, could mouse over for description or something, but when clicking a shader in your network, and than double-clicking a TGC, would add that TGC next in the chain of nodes, or if no shader select, just add the shader unconnected to the network. Maybe even using a button like the normal shade network for a option to add as child. The user can define a path in their config to a TGC folder, which would be recursively read for TGC files. Maybe a default location under Documents/Program install (Documents would be better for preserveration like User/Documents/Terragen/TGC Library)

TGCs are very important part of Terragen, both in work flow between projects, and sharing with the community, but there hasn't been much work done for TGCs since their inception. I've honestly wondered why no TGC library has been made on Planetside as an official resource for sharing and obtaining them outside the confusion of the forums. In the modern age, the average person doesn't know how to function forums anymore, and many are finding the systems cumbersome in general.

I feel this would save a lot of manual setups for TGCs within Terragen, and any new shaders you save (to disk within the path), would be handled.

Dune

I think you can keep them in the library. Which I don't use, btw. I always store my tgc's in an orderly folder, and they're one or two clicks away.

Oshyan

#2
This is indeed what the Library is for. Type->Clips, keep the library open and it's super quick access.

- Oshyan

WAS

#3
Quote from: Dune on July 01, 2019, 01:05:39 AM
I think you can keep them in the library. Which I don't use, btw. I always store my tgc's in an orderly folder, and they're one or two clicks away.

Yep, that's why I want that ONE click away being right there in the shader working window. And like you said, they're all in a folder, just like I'm talking about. Now all you have to do is select that folder in TG config and they're now all loaded, one click away, names and descriptions without floating annoying windows unhinged from the program.

I've still never used the library, very unintuitive. It's not even part of the default vanilla workflow and hidden strangely. Again, as I've mentioned and others, most of what you need is right in the context menu making most the library useless and cumbersome to pull up and drag around.

Library isn't quick to me, it's just an annoyance really. Gotta bring it up, and than type to search, if I know what I'm typing for exactly. That should be a last resort option for not finding something like most search features. You have all these features for the shader network that can be used for a intuitive TGC library, a real library. It's shader category, title, search tags which you could use as filters rather than keywords.

Also my TGCs don't seem to stay loaded in the library. I use hundreds but only seem to be most recent shaders I've inserted in last week.

I feel these are definitely antiquated and slow approaches to the work flow that should be improved, and again TGCs are a main part of working with TG. Even in tutorials I see the library used rarely. Once in a blue moon. Most people still just right click insert exactly where they want form file browsing.

WAS

Heck with the XML format and how small shaders are, like I mentioned with a PlanetSide gallery, it could easily hook into that platform and people could be loading THC from PlanetSide on the fly from the list, offering a "PlanetSide Repository" in the gallery or something. Should really be more emphasis on the format considering it's frequent use.