How to get Craters on moon

[Oshyan]

To save "settings" for a particular effect you will need to identify all the nodes that create it. In this case they are probably all contained within or connected to your 2nd "planet" which is the moon. You are probably dealing mostly with Shaders, although some Terrain nodes may also be involved. Once you identify the nodes you need to save select each one in turn, one after another, by holding down Shift and clicking, then go to File->Save Nodes as Clip File. Later on you can use Insert Clip File on the File menu to load that group of nodes. You will need to connect it up again in your new scene, but it shouldn't be too hard to do so as long as you select the right nodes to save in the first place.

- Oshyan

[§ardine]

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you... had to get a new cpu this one gave up on me!
I see what you have done here, although I am not sure that I understand it all. Not yet. I did try ticking and unticking the color option and when I unticked it no moon showed at all! Not sure why but I am slowly beginning to understand.
I have 2 more questions if you don't mind?

1. How can I save all the settings from the render just for the moon? That way if I want to use the same again all I have to do is load it, or type it, all back in to get the same result on a different landscape.

2. How do I go about making those images to apply to the moon like the 2 files you sent the link for?

I do like the results that those files gave...thank you 

Ok, here is a few tips on using the image map shader on a planet, so that the image is stretched over the whole object: 

1. Specify projection type "spherical" on the first tab of the image map shader, choose "position center" and add the same position coordinates as your planet. Basically this tells the image shader where to project the spherical image from. Otherwise it won't lay right on your planet.

2. Determine if you are wanting displacement (actual craters in this case) or color added (pictures of the craters) these two are in there respected tabs. I would strongly recommend that you only choose one of these depending on the type of image you are using.

• moonmap4k.jpg is basically a picture of the moon showing the shadows of craters and lit surfaces. Use this sort of image with "apply color" and it will paint the moon to look as if the craters were there (this is the recommended choice given your current lighting)
• moonbump4k.jpg is a height map of the moon. Thus by using displacement with the image you will get realistic craters that cast their own shadows (if the lighting is at the right angle) be sure to specify how hight the displacement should go using the amplitude option -notice I went up to 100,000 in the example in order to get enough height to be visible

A couple of things to keep in mind: -you must have either displacement or apply color checked otherwise nothing will be done and you will have the planet with no texture i.e. invisible. -Also if you want to save this for future use in other scenes just select the planet node right click on it and select "Save node as clip file" [edit] Oshyan beat me to the post and is right: be sure to select all nodes that you are needing (unless they are in the internal network as is the case here)[/edit] just remember if you move the planet be sure to change the coordinates in the image map shader.

Hope this helps clear up what's going on
~§ardine

[rubydancingmoon]

Oshyan & Sardine.... thank you both very much.
Not sure that I followed all of that but have managed to save my first clip file... just hope I got it all.
As for the image overlays that seems a little more complicated. I will spend some time flicking between your replies and TG2 itself see if I can get to grips with all this.
Again, thanks very much... learning all the time here. [just hoping I can remember it all!] 

Certainly is different using node based programs!