How to mask reflectivity?

[N-drju]

Hello Guys,

It's been a while since I logged in here.  It looks like I went out of practice a bit...

I can't seem to find a way to mask reflectivity (will there ever be a "mask" input in the shader? *sigh*). I've been trying to attach the reflective shader to the surface layer's "child" input and mask that with a PF. Then, limit the reflectivity further by setting a height limit. It results in either a complete failure or a very poor result.

Any suggestions how to get it working?

[N-drju]

Scratch that - I have found a way.  I simply added a PF mask and attached the reflective shader to the main input plug. I attempt to have a chimney cowl and the top of it is supposed to be covered in soot. This is why I needed this feature.

[Dune]

I simply added a PF mask and attached the reflective shader to the main input plug

huh? How does that work? The method you described earlier (child+reflective+masking surface shader) should work.

[N-drju]

huh? How does that work? The method you described earlier (child+reflective+masking surface shader) should work.

Kind of a mental shortcut I made - I should be more specific. Yes, this is possible - I just use the default surface layer color for the sooty part and apply the mask.

Needs just a little adjustment afterwards to make the stains even darker. Constant color works great to that end.

(The blackness in the lower part is the fault of the cloud shading in that particular example and is not an artifact. No problems like that in my target image.)

[WAS]

I dont think its supposed to work like that. Main input isn't suppose to be masked by surface layer. It should be only masking the surface layers color, not reflectivity from main input.

[N-drju]

I dont think its supposed to work like that. Main input isn't suppose to be masked by surface layer. It should be only masking the surface layers color, not reflectivity from main input.

So what? It suits my needs just fine.

[WAS]

Well it may very well be a bug to be fixed?

[Dune]

If it works for you, it works. But this setup actually just adds some patchy (fractal) blackness to the top end. Over the reflection. A color adjust (low gamma) as child would also work to make it darker, btw.

[WAS]

If it works for you, it works. But this setup actually just adds some patchy (fractal) blackness to the top end. Over the reflection. A color adjust (low gamma) as child would also work to make it darker, btw.

Is that not the actual PF mask being applied? Rest is fuzzy/alt zone.

Kinda wish we had just a Mask Shader. A main input, breakup, and mask. Breakup is applied to anything between 0 and 1, if applied (could be a checkbox). Surface layers have so much other stuff going on and I often use them for masking. Just seems redundant for such small task.

[Dune]

The PF masks the black surface shader in.

I'm satisfied with the surface shader, though I admit there's extra's not needed just for masking. But another node again?

[WAS]

Why not? Surface layer is redundant, and lots of topics on just how to mask stuff cause there is no straight forward mask.

Additionally breakup strangely only effects alt and slope fuzzy zones. Breaking up the mask zones is something I often do and have to do by functions before feeding it to a mask input.

[Dune]

Not redundant for me, I use it all the time.

Breakup also works on the greys off masks, not only slope/alt.

[WAS]

Breakup also works on the greys off masks, not only slope/alt.

Only as coverage, which clamps child input by mask clamp boundaries and ruins scalars. Child inputs becomes a 0-1 range so if working with anything beyond that, or needing smooth black zones to back up into, it won't work.