Hey guys,
as promised in the TG3 images thread I am sharing the simple setup I used for the dirt pathfor the woods render.
Just open the TGD and see for yourself, really easy. I used a painted shader with a 3.5 m brush width and a 0.2 falloff for smooth edges.
I have embedded the path onto the camouflage surface shader group I had shared earlier.
The fractal breakup of the path allows the underlying camouflage terrain to shine through here and there, making it look more integrated and realistic.
Hope that's useful for anyone.
Cheers
Frank
Frank, thank you for this file. This indeed is a simple way to achieve the dirt path. Appreciate your generosity.
Hi Bob, you're welcome! :-)
Frank, while adding pops of trees and vegetation, what is your method of keeping them off the path? I'm familiar with Andy Welder's set up and thought maybe you have a different course.
Quote from: choronr on June 26, 2013, 12:41:00 PM
Frank, while adding pops of trees and vegetation, what is your method of keeping them off the path? I'm familiar with Andy Welder's set up and thought maybe you have a different course.
In the populator node, I specify the painted shader as the density shader, and then check the box to invert the density shader.
Now let's say you want the instances NOT to appear on the path AND you want to use a fractal to break up the distribution of the instances, then you simply multiply the color from an inverted painted shader with the breakup fractal (multiply color function node). Then in the populator, you specify the multiply color node as the density shader.
Regards
Frank
Thank you Frank, I appreciate your explanation. I will give that a try.
Hi Frank,
Had a chance to experiment with your file trying to pop with some plants while keeping them off the path. No success. Attached is a clipping showing the set up. What am I doing wrong?
Try this for a simple, but different setup. TG3, mind you.
Quote from: Dune on July 22, 2013, 02:37:58 AM
Try this for a simple, but different setup. TG3, mind you.
Thank you Ulco. I don't have the TG3 yet; but, will order soon when available. The path that Frank posted allows one to paint a curved path along a slightly hilly terrain. My issues is being able to create populations without having them appear on the path. I tried the method Frank explained; but, to no avail.
Quote from: choronr on July 22, 2013, 11:20:51 AM
Quote from: Dune on July 22, 2013, 02:37:58 AM
Try this for a simple, but different setup. TG3, mind you.
Thank you Ulco. I don't have the TG3 yet; but, will order soon when available. The path that Frank posted allows one to paint a curved path along a slightly hilly terrain. My issues is being able to create populations without having them appear on the path. I tried the method Frank explained; but, to no avail.
In the Distribution dialogue at the bottom is a Use density shader...I add a Distribution shader and in that in Coverage I click Blend by shader and assign the Paint shader for the path and click Invert blendshader . Using a Distribution shader I find gives control as well to slope and height...important if the grass leads to a lake.
Quote from: bobbystahr on July 22, 2013, 07:14:18 PM
Quote from: choronr on July 22, 2013, 11:20:51 AM
Quote from: Dune on July 22, 2013, 02:37:58 AM
Try this for a simple, but different setup. TG3, mind you.
Thank you Ulco. I don't have the TG3 yet; but, will order soon when available. The path that Frank posted allows one to paint a curved path along a slightly hilly terrain. My issues is being able to create populations without having them appear on the path. I tried the method Frank explained; but, to no avail.
In the Distribution dialogue at the bottom is a Use density shader...I add a Distribution shader and in that in Coverage I click Blend by shader and assign the Paint shader for the path and click Invert blendshader . Using a Distribution shader I find gives control as well to slope and height...important if the grass leads to a lake.
Thank you Bobby, I will give that at try. I'm itching to do a major overhaul to my project and looking forward to see if this will work.
Bobby, this works OK; but, the objective is to populate only outside of the 'Path' - see above. Frank's explanation should work, but it doesn't. I guess I'm not making the right connections.
Maybe this helps you out.
Quote from: Dune on July 23, 2013, 02:14:57 AM
Maybe this helps you out.
Ulco, you are too generous, thank you so much. I have done everything except stand on my head to get populations 'not to appear on the path'. I will check your file out tomorrow (getting close to bedtime here). I'm really looking forward this. Thank you again.
Bob
Here's the way I do it with a pop...maybe this will help. I just added a pop to Dune's project. Couldn't figure out what was happening with the grass clamp that was in there. It didn't seem attached to a populator...is that a TG3 thing?
Ulco, Bobby,
Off to take me wife to the eye doctor this morning. Later, will report some interesting results.
Bob
@ Bobby: yes that might be the culprit. Different shaders that may not show up in 'old' versions.
@ Ulco: When I open your file, the population becomes a single instance - the results because I'm using TG2; and, you are using TG3. I think I may have a way around this. I'm out the door again, some chores I need to tend to.
@ Bobby: I tried your setup and it worked; but, had to make some adjustments. Will explain later since I'll be gone for a few hours - chores to do after a bad storm.
Quote from: choronr on July 23, 2013, 03:14:19 PM
@ Ulco: When I open your file, the population becomes a single instance - the results because I'm using TG2; and, you are using TG3. I think I may have a way around this. I'm out the door again, some chores I need to tend to.
@ Bobby: I tried your setup and it worked; but, had to make some adjustments. Will explain later since I'll be gone for a few hours - chores to do after a bad storm.
Also Bob you'll notice in the Distribution shaders Tweaks tab I set the Fuzzy zone softness to 0...this keeps the pop with in the limits of the inverted Paint shader mask.
One thing I learned here is that opening a TG3 file in TG2 presents some issues - the one here is that a population set-up in TG3 comes out as a 'single object' in TG2.
Thank you both Ulco and Bobby Starr for your time and input here. I've been able to achieve getting the populations of grass to appear everywhere except on the path. For my project, I'll make some clip files from both of your files and employ them in my project.
Thank you guys for your help here - another fun learning experience. Planetside rocks!
Bob
Our pleasure Bob...just playin' around with TG3 Free this afternoon...going back to skool it seems....LOL
Quote from: bobbystahr on July 24, 2013, 05:56:34 PM
Our pleasure Bob...just playin' around with TG3 Free this afternoon...going back to skool it seems....LOL
If we never stop learning Bobby; then, its a good thing!