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News => Announcements => Topic started by: Oshyan on June 13, 2013, 01:46:02 AM

Title: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Oshyan on June 13, 2013, 01:46:02 AM
I know what you're thinking, "Holy crap, Terragen 3?". Yes, it's true. If you're here, you've probably already seen the news of the upcoming release and the major new features, and no doubt you have some questions. If you're still in the dark, be sure to check terragen3.com (http://terragen3.com) before continuing!

Now, about those questions. We put together an FAQ to try to answer as much as we could up-front. Ok, technically these are not all "frequently" asked questions, most of them haven't been asked before at all in fact, but we figure they soon will be. So we're preemptively striking with some answers to non-frequently asked questions too. ;)

How much will Terragen 3 Professional cost?
Final pricing will be announced soon. For now we can tell you it will be an increase over Terragen 2, but will still be very competitively priced.

Is that the complete feature list?
No, we're still fine tuning the feature set and we'll announce the complete list of features a little later. There are also many smaller features, new shaders, performance improvements, and bug fixes too small to mention in the initial announcement, but many of which are still very cool, for example a Vortex Shader!

What happened to Terragen "Deep"?
We decided that this was a product that occupied an awkward space in the market in terms of pricing and features, so Terragen Deep has been retired. The high-end functions have been expanded and moved into Terragen 3 Professional, while the core functionality will be available at a lower price point in Terragen 3 Creative.

Terragen 3 Creative - What's that?
Terragen 3 Creative is a new product that will make Terragen's powerful core tools and technology available at a lower price than was possible with Terragen 2. Of course it will not have all the features of the Professional version, but we have done our best to create a product that is of maximum use and value to non-professional users. The full feature set will be announced in a future update on Terragen3.com.

Will I be able to use Terragen 3 Creative for commercial purposes?
Yes you will, we do not intend to explicitly limit this use, although Terragen 3 Professional will be the ideal product for serious commercial work.

Why the name "Creative"?
This is a product made to appeal to the artist, people who are creating and rendering in Terragen because it's exciting, fun, and expressive. It is not a super limited "basic" or "light" version, and so that naming didn't fit. It's also not intended for high-end professional use, even though it's still a very powerful product, and commercial use will not be explicitly prohibited. We felt like "Creative" was a fitting name, even if it is a bit unusual.

Will all the features in the Terragen 3 announcement be available in Terragen 3 Creative?
No, there are several features that will only be available in Terragen 3 Professional, for example Render Layers and Elements. However a good majority of these features will be included in Terragen 3 Creative.

Will there be a different (simpler) interface in Terragen 3 Creative?
Not at this time, no. We see Terragen 3 Creative as a product that enthusiastic, dedicated artists can use to create imagery that is as complex, detailed, and realistic as they want. We are trying to limit that as little as possible, and we feel that the node-based approach to scene construction and the powerful but sometimes complex tools that Terragen users are familiar with are an important part of that capability. We intend for Terragen 3 Creative to bring the core capabilities of Terragen to an even broader audience than ever before.

I own Terragen 2 Deep (with or without Animation). How much will it cost to upgrade?
We will be providing very affordable upgrade pricing. Our existing customers are a top priority and we want to see as many people as possible being able to use the new features of Terragen 3 and create better and better work. Specific upgrade pricing will be available closer to the release in July.

What version should I upgrade to if I own Terragen 2 Deep?
You should upgrade to Terragen 3 Professional when it is available as it will maintain all of your existing feature set, and add many new tools and capabilities. Terragen Creative would be somewhat of a downgrade in a couple areas, so we won't be providing a migration path to it for owners of Terragen 2.

How many products are in the Terragen 3 line-up?
Just the two, Terragen 3 Professional and Terragen 3 Creative.

What are all the features of each Terragen 3 version? How do they compare?
We'll be releasing a full feature comparison closer to the release date (but definitely before release day).

Are animation capabilities still being sold at separate price points?
Yes, we feel that animation is an important feature, but one that not every user needs so we'll continue to offer both non-animation and animation versions of Terragen 3 products.

Will there be an animation option for Terragen 3 Creative?
Yes, there will be.

Will there still be a free version of Terragen 3?
Yes, absolutely. We have found this approach to be very beneficial both to us as a business and to the community and we plan to continue it.

Update 1:

Will the interface be significantly different than Terragen 2?
No, the overall interface remains largely the same, with some enhancements and new tools of course. We will make UI changes as needed to facilitate important new functionality or improve workflow, but we want to avoid confusion and retraining as much as possible.

Update 2:

Will there be a "grace period" for those who purchase Terragen 2 close to the release of Terragen 3?
Yes, we will provide upgrades for those who purchased after the June 12th initial announcement. We will contact qualifying buyers directly, following the release of Terragen 3.

I have some other question, will you answer it?
We are happy to answer any questions we can, but we have shared pretty much everything we're able to discuss at this point. You are welcome to post questions, just keep in mind we may not be able to give you much more detail until a bit later. We will add important new questions and answers to this FAQ as they come up.


Terragen3.com (http://terragen3.com) will be the best source of new information through to the release, so keep checking back on a regular basis, subscribe to the RSS, or better yet sign up for the newsletter (and a chance to win a free copy of Terragen 3 Professional!).

- Oshyan
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: AP on June 13, 2013, 07:58:32 PM
I was kind of hoping for procedural erosion but hey, a person can dream. Still, interesting news.
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: mhall on June 13, 2013, 08:03:31 PM
Sounds awesome! I'm hoping that Enhanced 3D preview means multi-threading and a substantial speed increase.

Really like the improvements to GI as well (ref: the comparison images on terragen3.com) - "ultra fast" sounds great!

Is it safe to infer that, as individual instance population control is now possible, then population caching comes along with that?

Object Mesh deformation - does that mean deformation is available with Ray Trace Objects on? Or is that something else?

Great job guys!

~Micheal
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: TheBadger on June 13, 2013, 10:48:18 PM
QuoteI have some other question, will you answer it?

Is this a Vue killer? Are you guys planning on taking over this very special part of the VFX market? I feel like dancing, can I?!!!!

No seriously, I'm really asking... Is this going to be the best terrain soft at any price? The answer before was an arguable yes, depending on what you wanted from it. But now? Because its sounds pretty damn impressive, even to a lay person like me.


Congratulations Planetside!!! Im proud to use your software in my work.

Cheers.

Oh Yeah, one more... Will you continue to support T2? Will these forums just add a T3 section, or is everything about to change?
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: rcallicotte on June 13, 2013, 11:10:46 PM
:o  Yikes! This is wonderful.  I've been waiting for the day.  I like what I see so far.   

I love this presentation and thanks to you guys in Planetside for keeping your customers in mind as you move forward.  Great move!

Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: TheBadger on June 13, 2013, 11:29:46 PM
QuoteSignificantly improved population control including per-instance editing and color variation

YES!!!! Now I can go nuts on being absolutely specific in my placement of object when Im designing a shot! Big thanks for this one!
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: mhall on June 13, 2013, 11:39:02 PM
I like the background image on terragen3.com ... Is that all TG3?
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Oshyan on June 13, 2013, 11:53:48 PM
Well Chris, there's always next year, right? ;)

Micheal, yes the 3D preview will be faster, as well as having some other improvements.

The new GI is much, much faster compared to equivalent detail in TG2 (actually TG2 can't even really match the equivalent detail, even with super high GI detail and GISD). The GI prepass still must be done, so that part takes the same amount of time, but the results are better for equivalent render time in all cases. Note that this affects surfaces only, you still need potentially higher GI settings for clouds in some cases. But it's pretty sweet regardless.

Population caching is also a yes.

Mesh deformation only displaces the vertices of the object, it is not the same as micropolygon displacement or subpixel displacement. But yes, mesh deformation works with raytracing.

Badger, yes, we are stone cold killa's - you may commence dancing. ;)

We will continue to support TG2 for licensed users but of course we won't be selling it any longer, nor making it available for download, or supporting the free versions. The forums will probably convert to a general "Terragen Discussion", "Terragen Support" approach since now we could have any one of 3 program generations being discussed.

Oh and yes Michael, that image is pretty much all TG (except the birds and stars I believe, minor post work). It's from Jeff Boser, aka Darthvader1.

Thanks for the support and enthusiasm everyone!

- Oshyan
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: SteveR on June 14, 2013, 03:00:37 AM
Congratulation on the new release guys :)

I understand that pricing has not been announced etc. but as someone who literally is just about to buy TG2 today I am now a little unsure of what to do.

Any steers, as to when it might be best for me to purchase? Or should I just wait?

Appreciate this is a rather selfish question, but not an unreasonable one I hope!

Thanks
Steve
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Dune on June 14, 2013, 03:28:13 AM
Congratulations Planetside! Great visual impact on the introduction site: http://terragen3.com/ (http://terragen3.com/) Quiet, clean and powerful.

QuoteMesh deformation only displaces the vertices of the object, it is not the same as micropolygon displacement or subpixel displacement. But yes, mesh deformation works with raytracing.
So as long as you don't have a very high poly object the procedural 'bumps' won't add real displacement?
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Oshyan on June 14, 2013, 04:07:51 AM
Hi Steve, it's a little bit of a difficult question to answer at this point and it's rather personal to you and your situation. If you need Terragen capabilities before the July release, you should consider buying now; as we mentioned the upgrade pricing will be very reasonable. But if you can afford to wait and see, well that would be the way to make the most informed decision, of course.

Thanks for the positive critique of the site Ulco! And thanks of course for use of your imagery there. I love how that scene and your bridge model show off the new Global Illumination tech. It's obvious but not in-your-face, so to speak. I look especially at the area around the stairs up to the tower on the bridge, for example; the light occlusion there is much more realistic.

As for the displacement, think of this as a way to do what some were experimenting with for procedural wind, but allowing for raytraced objects and thus higher quality. In other words it does not add or change any capability to how TG renders models (and the limitations of that, e.g. no displacement in raytracing mode), but it lets you displace/deform the existing mesh vertexes procedurally.

- Oshyan
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: pokoy on June 14, 2013, 05:16:36 AM
Excellent  :D
Really happy with the improvement to the GI engine and the spherical camera.

Some questions:

- TG2 files readable? (I suppose yes but haven't seen in the FAQ list...)
- Spherical camera, so we're finally able to render out a 360° panorama with all elements? (Again, I suppose yes but feel like I need to ask to believe it :) )
- Any improvements to rendering/shading clouds? Like using noises for density, color etc.
- Win/Mac render clients? Any kind of job render management?
- Finally, can we see more images?  :D

Anyways, the feature list is so far exactly what I would've been asking for. Looking forward to the release!
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Hannes on June 14, 2013, 05:23:30 AM
YES, please show more TG3 images!!!!
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Antoine on June 14, 2013, 07:03:49 AM
This is a really good new. Especially with the new GI the rendering (already stunning) will be even more photorealistic.
Can we know how much faster it is ?
Could it be possible also to see some more pictures and particularly what the new 3D preview looks like.

Thanks again.
David.
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Tangled-Universe on June 14, 2013, 09:22:00 AM
Again congratulations Planetside on this milestone!

If I'm allowed by Planetside I will post some TG3 renders soon.
I have a couple on disk which show off the new GI pretty good.

Oshyan, if I may post them, is it appropriate to post them here or do you prefer to create a separate thread for that in this forum section?
I can imagine you prefer to keep this place tidy.

Cheers,
Martin
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: AndyWelder on June 14, 2013, 09:52:29 AM
Yikes!!! Barely used to working with 2 and now there's a 3?! When will we see show the new interface does look? There will be a new interface I suppose? And what will this gonna cost me, in €€?
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: paq on June 14, 2013, 10:30:11 AM
Hello,

This release looks really great !

Gmail seems to consider Planetside sign-up confirmation mail as spam.

Cant wait to see some big renders :)

Questions :

- Does the new GI enhancement improve details in shadow area ? (especially contact shadows)
- Is it possible now to populate a collection of plants/items with a single populator node ?
- Is it possible to apply some sort of subdivision node (catmull clark) on an imported model, so we can rise up the mesh density before applying a vertex deformer ?

Thanks a lot !

Did I mention I cant wait to see other renders ? :) (the background render on T3 blog is beautifull !)











Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Dune on June 14, 2013, 11:11:03 AM
I think I can tell you that the new GI is really awesome and very fast.
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: SteveR on June 14, 2013, 01:09:03 PM
Quote from: Oshyan on June 14, 2013, 04:07:51 AM
Hi Steve, it's a little bit of a difficult question to answer at this point and it's rather personal to you and your situation. If you need Terragen capabilities before the July release, you should consider buying now; as we mentioned the upgrade pricing will be very reasonable. But if you can afford to wait and see, well that would be the way to make the most informed decision, of course.

Thanks for the comment Oshyan, I am not desperate so I guess I ought to hold fire for a few weeks and see what gives. Thanks.
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: otakar on June 14, 2013, 01:32:45 PM
So let's see if I get this right:

For TG3 there will be:
- TG3 Free
- TG3 Creative
- TG3 Professional
- TG3 Professional + Animation

For those of us who have TG2 Deep, we will get an upgrade option to TG3 Professional for some yet to be announced amount. If we do not upgrade we will stay at TG 2.5.5

The comparison render on the TG3 site does indeed show the new capability nicely. Please keep the upgrade cost reasonable, especially for the hobbyists among us. The Creative version seems to be a downgrade (and therefore not an option) as described, so TG3 Professional is really where we (TG2 owners) want to be.
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: bla bla 2 on June 14, 2013, 01:38:48 PM
Comme, j'ai terragen deep animation, je peux avoir terragen 3 professionel + animation, c'est ça ?

Après la mise à jour ?.


As I terragen deep animation, I have three professional terragen 3 + animation, right ?

After the update?
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: N810 on June 14, 2013, 02:44:57 PM
Hmmm...  :-\

Is it going to some with some preset terrain types and populations
like (I think it was Oshyan) hinted about..?  :D
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Oshyan on June 14, 2013, 06:13:56 PM
pokoy, TG2 files will be readable, yes. They should render largely the same, we tend to keep backward compatibility as a high priority for all releases.

The spherical camera indeed allows you to render a full 360 environment. I believe layers/elements are supported for that but I'll verify.

There are some new inputs for cloud shading (yes, color) and some other shading improvements. More details to come.

Node rendering on Mac/Win is done through the existing CLI version. You can use a commandline flag to hide the UI if desired. We won't have a dedicated Win/Mac render node for initial TG3 release but perhaps later.

More images to come, of course. :)

Antoine, the new GI allows for higher detail at equivalent (or lower) render settings. It is comparable to GI Surface Details in TG2 in terms of its general effect, though the results are even better. The key is that it works in a fraction of the time as compared to GI SD. The normal GI prepass still needs to be done, so that part isn't faster, but for quality results the render times are much faster, half the time or less (assuming you would be using GI SD or higher GI detail/sample quality previously). More images and feature details will be shared throughout the coming weeks as we get closer to release, keep an eye on Terragen3.com (http://terragen3.com/) for updates (or subscribe to the newsletter or RSS).

Andy, the interface is largely the same as TG2. This is not the same kind of complete overhaul that Terragen 2 was to Terragen Classic. We're adding tools and significant new capabilities, but the UI remains structurally and functionally the same. As noted previously, pricing details will be announced a bit later.

paq, yes the detail in shadow areas is significantly improved with the new GI mode. This is one of my favorite new features.

Population grouping is something we're looking at, but may not make it into the initial TG3 release.

We do not have object subdivision in there yet, but it's a good idea. I'll add it as a feature request for the future.

Otakar, yes that's correct. Don't worry, upgrade prices will be very reasonable.

bla blah, I'm not sure what you mean.

N810, yes we do plan to have some presets included. I don't know if we'll be including objects though as they significantly increase the size of the download and the installer, so a preset for a population would not necessarily make sense. We'll include as much starter content as we can and it will probably be added to over time.

- Oshyan
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: TheBadger on June 14, 2013, 09:36:31 PM
QuoteGmail seems to consider Planetside sign-up confirmation mail as spam.
Confirmed on my end too.
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: cyphyr on June 15, 2013, 03:48:55 AM
Once you tell gmail it's not spam it shouldn't be an issue for future emails. I use gmail and haven't experienced this or if I did it was a looong time ago.
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Tangled-Universe on June 15, 2013, 04:11:05 AM
The new GI method offers more detail in shadows. Left is "old", right is "new".
Before this new method lighting/shadows on vegetation and shadows of displaced terrains were "missed", just to put it simply.
This new method gives more depth to your lighting and shadows, strongly emphasizing the 3D feel of your image and thus makes things feel less flat.

In this specific sample the effect in displaced surfaces is huge.
Using this new GI makes you think twice on how much displacement you should apply ;)
So what we see here is that previously, for the left image, I overdid the displacement to get the look I wanted.
The new GI method is more accurate and now shows nicely the flaws in my displacement setup.

Next example, if anyone is interested, will show the difference in vegetation.

(http://www.cgscenery.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/GI.jpg)
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Oshyan on June 15, 2013, 04:14:51 AM
Looks great Martin. You can feel free to post these in a separate thread if you want. I'm not sure if that's better or not, likely it would get more exposure though (at least if you titled it "Terragen 3 examples" ;-) ).

- Oshyan
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: cyphyr on June 15, 2013, 04:18:41 AM
Mind if I join in too ?
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Oshyan on June 15, 2013, 04:23:13 AM
Go for it Richard. :)

- Oshyan
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Hannes on June 15, 2013, 04:53:59 AM
Just changed my pants and now desperately looking for the separate thread. Martin! Richard! Where is it? Show your pictures! Please!  :'( :'( :'(
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Hannes on June 15, 2013, 04:56:47 AM
Found yours, Richard. Need to buy some more pants...
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Antoine on June 15, 2013, 04:59:19 AM
Thank you Martin.

Indeed the difference is noticeable, there are lot more contrast. Really this is a good new.
Yes it would be nice if you could post example on shadowed vegetation but also is it possible to post an example with clouds (from above) receiving shadow from mountains. Right now it looks quite flat in 2.5
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: AndyWelder on June 15, 2013, 06:36:17 AM
QuoteAndy, the interface is largely the same as TG2. This is not the same kind of complete overhaul that Terragen 2 was to Terragen Classic. We're adding tools and significant new capabilities, but the UI remains structurally and functionally the same.
Thank you, Oshyan, that's a huge relief, believe me!
Now off to get more paper hankies for wiping away the drool all over the place!
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: cyphyr on June 15, 2013, 07:59:23 AM
Can you make a small change on the Terragen 3 page so that thumbnails show up when facebook links are made.
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: pokoy on June 15, 2013, 09:56:59 AM
Thanks Oshyan, that sounds really exciting.
Love the GI example, too. I don't know if it's due to different render settings but the sampling on the vegetation in the example above seems to be better as well.
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: rcallicotte on June 15, 2013, 12:19:16 PM
Looks nice TU! Thanks.  The bushes look fuzzier, though.  Why does that happen?
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: rcallicotte on June 15, 2013, 12:20:08 PM
Where?  Would you post a link?

Quote from: Hannes on June 15, 2013, 04:56:47 AM
Found yours, Richard. Need to buy some more pants...
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Hannes on June 15, 2013, 12:26:08 PM
Here:
http://www.planetside.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic,16222.0.html
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: rcallicotte on June 15, 2013, 12:41:19 PM
Thank you!!


Quote from: Hannes on June 15, 2013, 12:26:08 PM
Here:
http://www.planetside.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic,16222.0.html
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Oshyan on June 15, 2013, 05:36:06 PM
Quote from: cyphyr on June 15, 2013, 07:59:23 AM
Can you make a small change on the Terragen 3 page so that thumbnails show up when facebook links are made.

I added Open Graph support stuff yesterday, it should be working for Facebook. Google+ picks it up correctly, hehe. Let me know if you continue having problems with thumbnailing in posts for Terragen3.com links. It will depend somewhat on the specific page though; pages with no imagery might not show anything (or only a video, in the case of the Man of Steel trailer).

- Oshyan
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Bjur on June 16, 2013, 05:03:52 AM
With my my TG 2.5 i have done lots of quality vs. render time tests recently (espacially GI wise)..

Does it makes sense to stop further tests and additional comparisons because of/facing the comming TG3?

I am talking about animations..


Greetings, Alex
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Oshyan on June 16, 2013, 05:08:16 AM
There will be some differences with TG3, to be sure. However many of this will relate to use of new features, which are generally optional.

- Oshyan
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: sjefen on June 16, 2013, 01:28:03 PM
This is really awesome news!

I have a question tho. Will this version of Terragen support SSS?  :)
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: choronr on June 16, 2013, 03:55:25 PM
Congratulations Planetside. Looking forward to the release. Been with you folks since early Terragen Classic; and must say, - never have found a better way to express creativity!
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Oshyan on June 16, 2013, 04:00:03 PM
Quote from: sjefen on June 16, 2013, 01:28:03 PM
This is really awesome news!

I have a question tho. Will this version of Terragen support SSS?  :)

That is not planned at this time, no.

- Oshyan
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Antoine on June 17, 2013, 06:06:51 AM
I would like to know if in the new GI engine there is the possibility to adjust the strenght setting on surface in two ways : between objects to objects and sky to objects ? In some cases it could be vey helpfull.
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: bla bla 2 on June 17, 2013, 11:05:56 AM
I would to say, i have terragen 2 deep animation. With the update, it will become terragen 3 professional animation or not ?
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: TheBadger on June 17, 2013, 02:29:51 PM
Bla Bla, yes. That is my understanding too. YOu will have to buy the upgrade. The upgrade will cost less for you than for a new user.
But of course, I may misunderstand too. In any case, Oshyan said it will be a nice price for all current users! And Im sure it will be. I don't think it will be over the top even for a new user. Planetside has been rather generous about their prices from what I have seen.

OshMan, if your reading this. Can you say something about upgrading from student versions? Don't think I have heard a mention on the topic in few years now.
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Oshyan on June 18, 2013, 12:00:43 AM
Antoine, I don't think that kind of GI control is available at this point.

Badger is correct regarding upgrades and pricing.

- Oshyan
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Bjur on June 18, 2013, 04:38:29 PM
Hi Oshyan, another question:

Layer and render element output.. Is it possible now to integrate/safe all needed layers separately into .exr's for using it in post programs like Nuke for example (especially a layer like z-depth/buffer)? That would be awesome.

Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Tangled-Universe on June 18, 2013, 04:47:27 PM
It will be awesome, because yes we can ;)
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Oshyan on June 18, 2013, 04:48:30 PM
That's exactly what the render element output feature does, yes. It outputs separate images for each "pass" (element) you select to to save, including the typical depth, alpha, etc. as well as motion vectors, separate lighting passes for atmosphere and surfaces, etc. The Layers functionality allows you to group the scene and output only components from a given group (layer) from a particular renderer, which gives you even more control than just full-scene elements. These two things can be combined, of course.

- Oshyan
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Bjur on June 18, 2013, 04:55:12 PM
Yay!  :-*
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Tangled-Universe on June 18, 2013, 06:12:54 PM
Exactly, it's marvelous for correcting stuff in post. Too strong specular? Reduce that layers' visibility. Or more specular? Play with the levels to boost them.
Direct lighting and indirect lighting are separated, allowing you to alter the shadows specifically, or the contribution of GI.

Here's a different example than the one on the Terragen3.com site:
http://www.planetside.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic,16222.msg158603.html#msg158603

It already shows it's power and I even haven't done it entirely correctly because photoshop can't fully handle EXR for all functions.

Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Oshyan on June 18, 2013, 06:20:30 PM
Yeah, that's a great example Martin. Nicely laid out to illustrate what you can do. :)

- Oshyan
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: engineer on June 19, 2013, 05:08:00 AM
Congratulation, the examples are looking  8) and the news are really exciting.

However, what about documentation? Are the TG2 docs still usable or will TG3 docs be at hand?
Will TG3 include the long announced development kit or any kind of macro support?
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Tangled-Universe on June 19, 2013, 06:37:10 AM
Current documentation doesn't cover TG3 related creative, logically, but will still be usable for TG3.
You shouldn't worry about migrating from TG2.5 to TG3.
The core fundamentals of creating your scene is still the same (there's no paradigm shift like TG0.9 -> TG2).
However, as you may have noticed, a lot of other stuff is added ;)
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Oshyan on June 19, 2013, 05:35:47 PM
We are continuing to update documentation over time. In fact it seems that people have (unfortunately) gotten used to docs not being available and don't check anymore, but the node reference in particular is worth looking at whenever you have a question about a particular setting. It's not complete yet, but expanding all the time (and linked to directly from each node with the ? button).

We unfortunately won't have an SDK yet, nor macro capability. Both will be announced and noted on feature lists when available.

- Oshyan
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: reck on June 19, 2013, 05:46:47 PM
OK here are my questions. They are to do with current limitation in TG2 that have hopefully been resolved in TG3 for the most part.


Looking forward to hearing a release date, full feature list and of course upgrade price.
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Oshyan on June 19, 2013, 05:58:19 PM
Reck, no displacement does not work on imported objects when raytracing is being used. That would definitely be noted as a semi-significant feature once resolved. Unfortunately the changes needed to make that work well are fairly significant, but it's certainly something we intend to address in the future.

Details on the rest will have to wait a bit, but I think there will be some good news for at least some of those concerns.

- Oshyan
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: reck on June 20, 2013, 03:27:01 AM
Okay, Dokey. Update is sounding great, just hope we don't have to wait too long to get the rest of the details.
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: DannyG on June 20, 2013, 07:54:27 AM
Like what I have read here, my check is already written. One question with v3 Pro's price getting up to 500us+ for a new user will there be any additional content provided? Perhaps an X-Frogs or Silva3d package to sweeten the deal for potential new users. I think this might be a nice solid kick in the balls to Vue Complete which is hovering around this same price tag but has 100+ models 'in the box'   
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: bla bla 2 on June 20, 2013, 11:16:28 AM
Are there, the simple shape shader ? :)
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: TheBadger on June 20, 2013, 11:33:10 PM
Quote500us+
?
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: masonspappy on June 21, 2013, 04:34:02 AM
Quote from: DannyGordon on June 20, 2013, 07:54:27 AM
... 500us+ ...

Showstopper
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: DannyG on June 21, 2013, 05:34:10 AM
Quote from: TheBadger on June 20, 2013, 11:33:10 PM
Quote500us+
?

Well guys for a NEW user v2 Deep w/ Animation is $439.00us http://planetside.co.uk/2012-02-25-04-59-29/buy-terragen-2 (http://planetside.co.uk/2012-02-25-04-59-29/buy-terragen-2). A majority of this you already shelled out if you are registered so the cost for upgrade will be much cheaper, but its going to be about $500+ for a new user. That's what the below statement tells me.
"How much will Terragen 3 Professional cost?
Final pricing will be announced soon. For now we can tell you it will be an increase over Terragen 2, but will still be very competitively priced."
We'll find out soon once the final pricing is announced 
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: AndyWelder on June 21, 2013, 10:29:26 AM
It's been a while since I last visited that page, Danny, and I'm flabbergasted by the prices I see mentioned there. If those are an approximation of what we can expect to be asked to pay for TG3 I'm afraid I'll have to pass on TG3 and stay with TG2. It's a hobby for me and I can only afford hobby prices.
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Tangled-Universe on June 21, 2013, 10:40:01 AM
Andy, just in case, you know there will be update prices for the people who already own a TG2 license?
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: AndyWelder on June 21, 2013, 11:29:47 AM
Yup, TU, I know there will be a rebate for those who own a registered version of TG2. But still, even a, let say most generous 30% off from "way too expensive" is still something I can't afford. That's just stating a fact and I'm not begging for more rebate: If you want to play in the big league be prepared to pay big prices. I guess, looking at the prices of the "competition" ::) the price sure is o.k. for what's delivered.
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: DannyG on June 21, 2013, 11:53:23 AM
Quote from: AndyWelder on June 21, 2013, 11:29:47 AM
Yup, TU, I know there will be a rebate for those who own a registered version of TG2. But still, even a, let say most generous 30% off from "way too expensive" is still something I can't afford. That's just stating a fact and I'm not begging for more rebate: If you want to play in the big league be prepared to pay big prices. I guess, looking at the prices of the "competition" ::) the price sure is o.k. for what's delivered.
Obviously we don't know what the price will be for the upgrade. I wouldn't shut the door until we hear what PS sets the price to. Thats my opinion anyway. BTW this is the cheapest software of its kind on the market, I'm no expert but I do shop around.
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: AndyWelder on June 21, 2013, 12:15:24 PM
QuoteBTW this is the cheapest software of its kind on the market
Totally agree, Danny!!
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: choronr on June 21, 2013, 12:28:49 PM
Well, if worst comes to worst, I still have my box of unused Crayolas from 71 years ago.
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Simius Strabus on June 21, 2013, 03:56:54 PM
Don't want to be a cheap bastard here, but a discount for those who already have tg2 would be kinda nice...
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Tangled-Universe on June 21, 2013, 05:16:06 PM
Quote from: Simius Strabus on June 21, 2013, 03:56:54 PM
Don't want to be a cheap bastard here, but a discount for those who already have tg2 would be kinda nice...

As in...you don't know yet about the pricing for TG2 license owners?
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: masonspappy on June 21, 2013, 05:46:44 PM
Quote from: choronr on June 21, 2013, 12:28:49 PM
Well, if worst comes to worst, I still have my box of unused Crayolas from 71 years ago.
And I've still got those nifty graphics programs on my Commodore-64 (aka "a real man's computer')
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: TheBadger on June 21, 2013, 09:29:15 PM
Hi

Was more or less just asking about Danny's guesstimation. Not trying to be critical. In all honesty and seriousness I think TG2 is fairly priced now. And I doubt I will think otherwise for Version 3. It is a massive program with many ways to use it (unlike TPF, which has only one use). Im not trying to interrupt debate/discussion, just saying what I think.

In the future, If T3 or T4 fixed the displacement issues, had full object support (FBX and obj including multi tilling and functional rigging animation) and if they included a limited particle system for rain and fire, for example. And had a good wind system as well as some of the other technical things people talk about. I would not hesitate to pay more than 1,000+ dollars. (compare Terragen to maya/max softimage and so on (they all have problems and limitations too, by the way) but cost multiple thousands of dollars more. And with the big packages you still HAVE to buy expensive plug-ins to do everything you see in the movies.

As things are now I think T2 is at fair market value, and really probably even costs less than what its worth IMO (despite that I personally am not as good with it as lots of you guys, and so don't get the same use out of it.)

Also remember that Oshyan and Jo and Matt provide first hand user support (try getting that from autodesk). If you take all of the pluses of planetside together with the actual software. It really is underpriced (relative to pricing in the industry). And probably that is why development is a little slower. If they charged more they could afford to do more, but then some of us would not be able to use it. So I can't bring my self to complain too much (and I do love complaining). I think they have done a good job balancing everything. And I honestly feel like the balance is more in our favor than theirs, and they get big loyalty points from me for that.

Having said that, Im just as concerned about upgrade prices and new users prices as anyone. But only because of my personal situation, and not because I think the prices will be silly (like TPF for example ;)). I do hope that it will go easy on us, but I trust these guys and will  probably pay what they ask without much grumbling...Probably  ;D

On the new user price, I just want to see more new users, so I can look at more new work. And because the more new users there are, the more opportunities being a user my self will create. But if they keep making a free edition and also student prices, than I don't see a problem.

One question I still have is what the upgrade from a student priced version to a full commercial version (from T2 to T3) will be. And also, Im not sure why they will stop selling T2 since they still sell Terragen Classic? But Again, Im just talking from my personal situation. I don't see anything unfair now or coming down the pike.

Just saying.

;D YEah, I got something to say about everything, So what? ;D  ;)
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Dune on June 22, 2013, 02:07:07 AM
I totally agree with Michael. And most of us will have a couple of hundred dollars left after we've passed out, so why not spend that now  ;) Won't be any use after...
I don't think Planetside will get rich from all the hours they put into this, and I look in total awe at their crafty work (don't know how else to say it).
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Simius Strabus on June 22, 2013, 04:07:02 AM
Quote from: Tangled-Universe on June 21, 2013, 05:16:06 PM
Quote from: Simius Strabus on June 21, 2013, 03:56:54 PM
Don't want to be a cheap bastard here, but a discount for those who already have tg2 would be kinda nice...

As in...you don't know yet about the pricing for TG2 license owners?

Yeah. Is there a special pricing?
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Oshyan on June 22, 2013, 04:09:26 AM
Yes, as noted in the FAQ:
I own Terragen 2 Deep (with or without Animation). How much will it cost to upgrade?
We will be providing very affordable upgrade pricing. Our existing customers are a top priority and we want to see as many people as possible being able to use the new features of Terragen 3 and create better and better work. Specific upgrade pricing will be available closer to the release in July.

- Oshyan
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Simius Strabus on June 22, 2013, 05:09:43 AM
Oops, must have missed it...  :o
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: masonspappy on June 22, 2013, 05:22:26 AM
Seriously, I probably over-reacted when I saw the first blurb about pricing.   For what it it capable of achieving ,  I believe Terragen really is the best deal going on the market.
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: rcallicotte on June 22, 2013, 11:32:41 PM
 ;D

Cool.

Quote from: Oshyan on June 22, 2013, 04:09:26 AM
Yes, as noted in the FAQ:
I own Terragen 2 Deep (with or without Animation). How much will it cost to upgrade?
We will be providing very affordable upgrade pricing. Our existing customers are a top priority and we want to see as many people as possible being able to use the new features of Terragen 3 and create better and better work. Specific upgrade pricing will be available closer to the release in July.

- Oshyan
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: icarus51 on June 24, 2013, 10:15:38 AM
Hi,
Vortex shader in TG 3 can possibly to render land/waterspout and tornados? Or Funnel Clouds?

Thanks.
Claudio
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Tangled-Universe on June 24, 2013, 11:07:48 AM
Of course you can do that, as long as you know the standard ways of altering noise patterns, like warping/masking etc.
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: icarus51 on June 24, 2013, 11:16:15 AM
Wow! Beautiful. Thanks TU.
Claudio
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: stevesideas on June 25, 2013, 11:58:59 AM
Hi Guys,

I purchased Terragen 2 yesterday. I didn't see any info regarding Terragen 3 so I'm wondering if I sit in exactly the same position as people that purchased Terragen 2 last year for instance ? Will I receive a free update to T3 or will there be any kind of extra discount for purchasing so close to the release of the new version ? I'm basically wondering if there is a line drawn by Planetside that allow T2 users to upgrade for free if purchased within a month or so of the release of T3 ?

One other thing I'm wondering is that will T3 have some kind of network render preview similar to almost all other render engines these days? I'm assuming it will become multicore with T3 but the extra power of using DR for previews would be a great additional feature.

One last thing. Will there be some kind of DR rendering for final renders ? ie, stills and animations ?
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: miqtidar on June 25, 2013, 05:10:23 PM
Hey oshyan,


Can we use TG3 PRO Animation for rendering an animation scene as distributed rendering.

what I mean is multiple desktops rendering one frame from animation and sharing different desktops CPU and RAM power for rendering only one frame from animation using network LAN.

Or we have something like distributed rendering, we see in Maya and vray or etc.

Thanks.
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Oshyan on June 25, 2013, 10:33:24 PM
Steve, yes there will be a "grace period" if you purchased after the Terragen 3 announcement on June 12th. We'll be contacting those who qualify after the TG3 release (including you :D).

We do not have any kind of network or distributed rendering functionality built-in at this time, either for previews or final renders, but it's something we're considering for the future. In the meantime you can use several existing render managers to deal with renders between multiple machines on a network (within the number of render node licenses you have). There is a list of compatible render managers here: http://planetside.co.uk/2012-02-25-08-58-14/terragen2-resources (http://planetside.co.uk/2012-02-25-08-58-14/terragen2-resources)

- Oshyan
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Markal on June 28, 2013, 12:39:09 AM
I can't wait to get lost in this new software. I'm hoping button 9 will make its return in this version....the original TG had it and it needs to be back with more juice...the Brit whit needs to live on!!!  ;)
You guys rock!!!
Thanks,
Mark
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: stevesideas on June 28, 2013, 01:22:38 PM
Quote from: Oshyan on June 25, 2013, 10:33:24 PM
Steve, yes there will be a "grace period" if you purchased after the Terragen 3 announcement on June 12th. We'll be contacting those who qualify after the TG3 release (including you :D).

We do not have any kind of network or distributed rendering functionality built-in at this time, either for previews or final renders, but it's something we're considering for the future. In the meantime you can use several existing render managers to deal with renders between multiple machines on a network (within the number of render node licenses you have). There is a list of compatible render managers here: http://planetside.co.uk/2012-02-25-08-58-14/terragen2-resources (http://planetside.co.uk/2012-02-25-08-58-14/terragen2-resources)

- Oshyan

Music to my ears. Thanks for clarifying this ! Is there a Terragen 3 beta I can test ?
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Oshyan on June 28, 2013, 03:48:03 PM
We will not be having a public beta this time around.

- Oshyan
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Simius Strabus on June 29, 2013, 04:24:27 AM
Just out of curiosity, will version 3 be able to use the GPU's processing power?
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Oshyan on June 29, 2013, 04:27:01 AM
No, we will not be utilizing GPU resources for primary rendering for Terragen 3.

- Oshyan
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: rcallicotte on June 29, 2013, 08:12:30 PM
And we will get to see this not happen soon, I hope.   :D

Quote from: Oshyan on June 29, 2013, 04:27:01 AM
No, we will not be utilizing GPU resources for primary rendering for Terragen 3.

- Oshyan
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Tangled-Universe on June 30, 2013, 06:44:54 AM
Quote from: rcallicotte on June 29, 2013, 08:12:30 PM
And we will get to see this not happen soon, I hope.   :D

Quote from: Oshyan on June 29, 2013, 04:27:01 AM
No, we will not be utilizing GPU resources for primary rendering for Terragen 3.

- Oshyan

No, TG's architecture doesn't lend itself very easily to be handled by the GPU.
TG would need to hop on the raytracing bandwagon in order to benefit of the GPU rendering (r?)evolution which is happening now.
In order to do so the software will need to be turned inside out and upside down. Frankly I don't see that happen soon.
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: rcallicotte on June 30, 2013, 11:23:55 AM
@TU - I was kidding around.  All I care about is the release, which is what I hope Oshyan understood.   ???
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Simius Strabus on June 30, 2013, 02:56:30 PM
Cant wait to get me little hands on this software  :)
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: TheBadger on July 02, 2013, 11:00:01 PM
lol! I just noticed on the T3 page, that if you click on an image, and then when the image is large, quickly resize the main browser window, then the image will dance. I like it.

Man Im a dork.

P.S.
Can we get a hard date yet? Please? Or something to drool over. This is agonizing! I almost wish you had not told us it was on the way. I feel like a little kid waiting for gifts on christmas, but mom said I have to wait until after the meal. I hate it! GIVE ME GIVE ME GIVE ME!

Sorry, Im ashamed of my self for this latest outburst of my freak. I know it, I'll admit it, I'm an obsessive internet weirdo. But I like it.
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: choronr on July 03, 2013, 01:09:48 AM
Are you related to Howey Mandell?
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: TheBadger on July 03, 2013, 04:21:17 AM
HA! Maybe :/
The funny part is Im not even a real person. I'm a software bot posting pre-programed statements randomly on the internet. But I have an error message and cant seem to leave this forum. Its troubling to say the least.
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Bjur on July 03, 2013, 12:25:26 PM
Quote from: TheBadger on July 03, 2013, 04:21:17 AM
The funny part is Im not even a real person.

Now THIS deserves a meme..  ;D

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BzIKss02b3X_MC1GRzUxT0hjS2M/edit?usp=sharing (https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BzIKss02b3X_MC1GRzUxT0hjS2M/edit?usp=sharing)

*Edit: WTH, link wasn't workin..
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Upon Infinity on July 04, 2013, 12:00:12 PM
The million dollar question is: can you use a TG2 scene in TG3?  And import all other data, populations, camera position, etc?
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: jaf on July 04, 2013, 12:49:58 PM
Quote from: UponInfinity on July 04, 2013, 12:00:12 PM
The million dollar question is: can you use a TG2 scene in TG3?  And import all other data, populations, camera position, etc?

Along with this question, will TG2 run side-by-side with TG3 and if yes, would there be a licensing problem doing that with TG3 an upgrade (instead of a full product)?
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Dune on July 04, 2013, 02:19:54 PM
You can use a TG2 file in TG3.
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: TheBadger on July 05, 2013, 01:10:49 AM
Bjur

HA HA HA haha HA ha HH Ah ah AH AAHh! I like that s#!t!  ;D

Hmmm. It seems the robot on the left has a nipple erection. Starships must be cold.
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: sjefen on July 06, 2013, 09:10:31 AM
Will there be an ambient occlusion render element?
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: TheBadger on July 06, 2013, 02:38:35 PM
Oshyan,
I just saw the video you posted on T3 website. AWESOME

Did you guys see how the plants now look in the 3D preview?!!!! As someone who obsesses over object placement, both individual and population, I love what I just saw. A bunch of other nice stuff in the video too, I thought.

But did anyone catch what Oshyan said about "you may get a view of another new T3 feature", when he was clicking on a window? I couldnt see what it was. Please tell me!  ;D

Also, Oshyan, will all new products be released at the same time. Will OSX be at the same time. And will the OSX version have all that windows version has?! Im not to worried about it. Planetside does a good job of taking care of us mac people. But I would still like to know.

Thanks for the drool maker. I saved some in a jar for posterity  :o.
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Upon Infinity on July 06, 2013, 05:23:30 PM
Quote from: TheBadger on July 06, 2013, 02:38:35 PM


But did anyone catch what Oshyan said about "you may get a view of another new T3 feature", when he was clicking on a window? I couldnt see what it was. Please tell me!  ;D

It was the 'Show Object As Textured' feature in the 3D preview.  Which is a step-up from Show As Wireframe. 
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: jo on July 06, 2013, 06:47:57 PM
Hi Michael,

Quote from: TheBadger on July 06, 2013, 02:38:35 PM
Will OSX be at the same time.

Yes. We've pretty much always done simultaneous releases since TG2 went final.

Quote
And will the OSX version have all that windows version has?!

Yes. TG is basically half developed on OS X. The bulk of the UI/non-rendering stuff is written on OS X while the rendering stuff is written on Windows. Mac support isn't an afterthought.

Regards,

Jo
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: DannyG on July 06, 2013, 07:51:01 PM
Content library looks awesome, can't wait. One question.. once items are loaded into the new library and organized, will this introduce any load errors from TGv2 project files ? Another words will the path from TGv3 to the users v2 content folder be altered?
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: jo on July 06, 2013, 09:15:10 PM
Hi Danny,

Quote from: DannyGordon on July 06, 2013, 07:51:01 PM
Content library looks awesome, can't wait. One question.. once items are loaded into the new library and organized, will this introduce any load errors from TGv2 project files ? Another words will the path from TGv3 to the users v2 content folder be altered?

The content library doesn't force any organisation on your files. When items are added to the library they remain in the same place on disk. The content library doesn't make use of an actual organised "Library" folder at this stage, although it will in the future. Even then you won't have to put items into that location unless you choose to.

For the first release the content library doesn't have a lot of ways to actually organise content beyond some basics. That will have to wait for a future update. However it's still very useful, I use it all the time for loading objects for example.

If you have used the TG2 Library and Contents preferences to designate a library folder then we'll have some advice about that in the Library documentation. Suffice to say there won't be any issues relating to it.

Regards,

Jo

Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: DannyG on July 06, 2013, 09:25:25 PM
Thanks Jo !
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: jaf on July 06, 2013, 10:05:44 PM
Quote from: Dune on July 04, 2013, 02:19:54 PM
You can use a TG2 file in TG3.
The reason I asked is Oshyan wrote "pokoy, TG2 files will be readable, yes. They should render largely the same, we tend to keep backward compatibility as a high priority for all releases."

Just worried by the words "render largely".  If we can run TG2 and TG3 without a licensing problem, then I don't see a problem.

Not a big deal.... just wondering while I'm waiting.  :)
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Matt on July 07, 2013, 12:52:42 AM
Quote from: jaf on July 06, 2013, 10:05:44 PM
Just worried by the words "render largely".  If we can run TG2 and TG3 without a licensing problem, then I don't see a problem.

Not a big deal.... just wondering while I'm waiting.  :)

You can have TG2 installed at the same time as TG3. They won't interfere with each other, unless you set environment variables to override some Terragen features. That's an advanced features which most of you don't need to use, so you'll be fine.

The only thing to be aware of is that .tgd files may be associated with one version of TG, so when you double click on a .tgd it will open the version of Terragen that you installed most recently.

Matt
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Dune on July 07, 2013, 03:59:13 AM
Only when opening files in TG2, which were made in TG3 and using some of the newer nodes, they won't be recognized and may leave 'gaps' in node lines.

Come to think of it, won't that be an issue when TG3 users are sharing files? Perhaps not everybody will upgrade to TG3, though they should!
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: jaf on July 07, 2013, 12:25:54 PM
Thanks Matt/Dune!  That sounds good.  I was hoping to keep the ability to re-render some of my TG2 scenes in the future... maybe a different resolution or updated model.  Of course I would try them in TG3 first. -- Jerry
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: TheBadger on July 07, 2013, 06:32:03 PM
Thank you.
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Hannes on July 11, 2013, 05:16:32 AM
Just saw the product comparison and trying to put my eyeballs back into their sockets...

Some questions:
What is 4D noise? I assume the fourth dimension is time?!
Is it somehow similar to the noise you can use for "custom mesh deformation on objects"?

What is "New cloud inputs for modulating lighting"?

Sorry, if these questions have been asked earlier, but I'm quite excited, if not aroused ;)
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Oshyan on July 11, 2013, 05:22:52 AM
This is a family forum Hannes, keep your pants on! ;)

4D noise evolves through time; rather than simply move your noise function in 3D space to simulate changes in the noise function (when really all you're doing is changing the position of the noise function relative to e.g. a cloud shader), with 4D noise the noise function actually animates. It's quite useful for evolving cloud animations, for example. You could use it for mesh deformation on an object as well, but you can drive the mesh deformation with any displacement shader as well, with or without 4D noise.

The new cloud inputs allow you to use a shader input to modulate the Direct, Enviro Light, and Ambient lighting, giving you a lot more control over specific cloud shading. You can also use a shader to control the shadow function.

- Oshyan
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Hannes on July 11, 2013, 05:55:43 AM
Great! Thanks for your response.
(I'll try to cool down!) ;)
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: reck on July 11, 2013, 08:10:20 AM
Its really great to see multi-threaded populations and multi-threading in the render window as well. Also it looks like the good old rock object might be useful now as well, any improvements to the built in grass object?

Also....
How does the population colour variation work?
Whats the "enhanced renderer view" that's only available in the pro version? 
What is the upgrade price? --> Just found this post re the pricing - http://www.planetside.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic,16317.msg159694.html#msg159694
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: icarus51 on July 11, 2013, 05:01:29 PM
Hi,

Terragen 3 will have to be installed over the old Terragen 2 or should be uninstalled the old and then installed the new?
Old Terragen 2 Projects files will be open by TG 3? Maybe are stupid questions but i'm no sure about this matter. :)
Sorry if you already answered these questions.
Thanks.
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: TheBadger on July 11, 2013, 05:04:06 PM
^^
You can have both versions on your system at the same time. T3 will open T2 files. But if you double click a T2 file it will open with T2, you need to tell the T2 file to open with T3.
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: icarus51 on July 11, 2013, 06:49:19 PM
Hi,

Thanks Badger,  this way is much better.
Greetings.
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Jonathan on July 13, 2013, 11:30:06 AM
Hi All,

This looks awesome.

Apologies if these questions have already been answered:

- I have a six core Intel I7 (12cpu) processor, but am limited to using 4 with TG2. Will I be able to use all CPUs with TG3?

- When is TG3 going GA and what is the grace period for upgrading at the prices you have released?

Thanks All.

Jonathan.
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Oshyan on July 13, 2013, 02:52:51 PM
You should be able to use TG2 with all 6 cores/12 threads already. You certainly should be able to with TG3, but no particular change in multithreading of the main renderer has been done.

GA = General Availability? We'll be announcing release date info soon. You'll have at least a couple months at the announced prices.

- Oshyan
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: reck on July 13, 2013, 05:17:59 PM
Quote from: reck on July 11, 2013, 08:10:20 AM

How does the population colour variation work?
Whats the "enhanced renderer view" that's only available in the pro version? 


Anyone know the answer to this please?
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Matt on July 13, 2013, 08:13:57 PM
Hi Jonathan,

If Terragen doesn't detect the correct number of cores you can go to Preferences and override the number of cores you want Terragen to use. This works in both TG2 and TG3. Do that right now so you can get the most out of TG2! :) You probably want to set it to 12 to use all 12 virtual cores.

The bug with detecting 6 core (12 thread) CPUs hasn't been fixed yet, but use the override in Preferences and you shouldn't have any problems.

Matt
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Oshyan on July 13, 2013, 09:06:10 PM
Population color is built-in to populations now. You can plug in a shader to control variation plus optional built in (simple) variation.

The "enhanced renderer view" currently only allows you to switch between RGBA image channels but in the future will be expanded to allow viewing of other render element outputs, and have other tools as well.

- Oshyan
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Jonathan on July 14, 2013, 04:17:42 AM
Thanks Mark / Oshyan. Can't wait!
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: reck on July 14, 2013, 07:42:01 AM
Quote from: Oshyan on July 13, 2013, 09:06:10 PM
Population color is built-in to populations now. You can plug in a shader to control variation plus optional built in (simple) variation.

The "enhanced renderer view" currently only allows you to switch between RGBA image channels but in the future will be expanded to allow viewing of other render element outputs, and have other tools as well.

- Oshyan

OK thanks. Need to have a play.
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: TheBadger on July 14, 2013, 12:22:33 PM
"Enhanced DEM Support"
http://terragen3.com/focus-on-features-enhanced-dem-support/

hooray!
Now maybe I can use this stuff too, without getting lost in all the technical mumbo jumbo as I have.

It looks like were going to be getting a lot of nice new stuff. Well worth the upgrade price. Heck, the improved rendering quality is reason enough to be happy. But as a spoiled American (and damn proud of it), I want more!

Whats behind door number 3, Oshyan?!! Whats behind door number 3?!!
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Kevin F on July 14, 2013, 01:05:23 PM
Quote from: Matt on July 13, 2013, 08:13:57 PM


The bug with detecting 6 core (12 thread) CPUs hasn't been fixed yet, but use the override in Preferences and you shouldn't have any problems.

Matt


Hi Matt, I have no problem with TG2 detecting 6 cores by default.
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: elipsis1 on July 16, 2013, 03:22:50 PM
So I currently have Terragen 2 installed on 3 machines.  I have never really known what "render nodes" are, is this where you team up multiple systems to render in tandem?

With the $149 will I still be able to install it on 3 machines as long as I only use one at a time for single renders?

Also I have Mac and PC platforms, any problem there?

Thanks!
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Oshyan on July 16, 2013, 04:12:55 PM
Terragen licenses are for a single user, they're not "node locked". So you can install Terragen on multiple machines, but without additional render nodes you may only use 1 at a time.

- Oshyan
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: elipsis1 on July 16, 2013, 05:40:48 PM
Perfect.  Thanks Oshyan!  :D
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Antoine on July 20, 2013, 08:46:22 AM
I have upgraded this morning and got the licence key very fast so it's already installed. I have done some quick tests here and there and I am really happy with this new version.

I have just a few GI settings questions :

   - What the GI prepass padding is all about ?
   - Is bounce to the ounce related to how many bounces between surfaces like in other renderers?
   - Does the radius slider have to do with precision in GI Surface details ?

Thank you for this update !
David.


Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: SilverCity on July 20, 2013, 07:38:34 PM
Sorry if this has been addressed already. Do you plan on releasing a demo in the near future?
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Matt on July 20, 2013, 08:00:30 PM
I'll update the GI documentation with these new features soon. You can find out about GI prepass padding already in the Wiki: http://planetside.co.uk/wiki/index.php?title=Terragen_2_Global_Illumination

There will be a Free Non-Commercial download at the final launch date, July 29th, 2013.

Matt
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: N810 on July 22, 2013, 01:46:29 PM
Awesome Mat  ;D

I was expecting the usual 3-6 monts untill the free version.  ???
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: bobbystahr on July 24, 2013, 02:19:10 PM
WOW...nuff said...oh yeah...Thanks Matt et al
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: icarus51 on July 24, 2013, 04:01:50 PM
Hi,

For trying i have downloaded T3 free edition. Am i wrong or 'Ray Trace Atmosphere' has gone? The substitute is 'Defer Atmo/cloud'?
And DoF how works? if i check the box anyhting happens. Is it a limited function in T3 Free?
Thanks.

Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Oshyan on July 24, 2013, 04:14:19 PM
Yes, "Defer Atmo/Cloud" is the same as Ray Trace Atmosphere, it does the same thing, it has just been renamed.

Depth of Field works in the free version, you just need to set an appropriate focus point, and it helps to have close foreground elements with a visible background. With a reasonable focus distance (set in the camera node, measured in meters), you should see blur.

- Oshyan
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: icarus51 on July 24, 2013, 05:45:48 PM
OK, Thanks Oshyan!
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: stevesideas on July 24, 2013, 06:02:32 PM
Am I correct in thinking the previews were not multithreaded in TG2 but are now in TG3 ?

I am one of the guys who purchased TG2 full after 12th June. Am I eligible for the pre-release and also which version am I now eligible for ? Will it be TG3 pro ?
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Oshyan on July 24, 2013, 06:12:35 PM
Steve, if you email us at registrations AT planetside.co.uk with your TG2 registration info we can process your TG3 upgrade early, but in general the grace period upgrades will be handled just after release day. TG2 purchasers will be upgraded to TG3 Professional.

Correct that the preview was not multithreaded in TG2 and is now in TG3.

- Oshyan
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: stevesideas on July 25, 2013, 05:16:40 AM
Quote from: Oshyan on July 24, 2013, 06:12:35 PM
Steve, if you email us at registrations AT planetside.co.uk with your TG2 registration info we can process your TG3 upgrade early, but in general the grace period upgrades will be handled just after release day. TG2 purchasers will be upgraded to TG3 Professional.

Correct that the preview was not multithreaded in TG2 and is now in TG3.

- Oshyan

Thanks. I've sent the email. Thanks for the clarification on multithreading.
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: TheBadger on July 28, 2013, 11:38:37 PM
Hi Oshyan, or whoever answers this.

So have we been told everything now, about whats new? Or are there some things you still have not reveled?

I saw rain in someones post in image sharing. Whats that about? I got the feeling it was TG generated and not post or import of some kind. But the image post did not say much.

By the way, I saw the video for the population editor. That is a nice addition! I was very happy with what I saw.  8) I know I said so earlier from the announcement. But the video really shows it off nice. I expect I'll use that tool in just about every project.
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Oshyan on July 28, 2013, 11:50:35 PM
It's all pretty much out there at this point. No built-in rain at this point.

- Oshyan
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: mash on July 29, 2013, 12:02:12 AM
Whats the procedure for a Linear workflow in TG3?
Do you have to apply a gamma correction on the shaders? I assume you would need to on any SRGB texture files.
In the professional version will the render view window display linear files?
Or will you need to save the Liner file out and view it in an external viewer that will convert it to SRGB?
Thanks,
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Matt on July 29, 2013, 12:30:15 AM
Quote from: mash on July 29, 2013, 12:02:12 AM
Whats the procedure for a Linear workflow in TG3?
Do you have to apply a gamma correction on the shaders? I assume you would need to on any SRGB texture files.

In all versions of Terragen 2 or 3, the Image Map Shader has a built-in "convert to linear" setting which defaults to gamma 2.2 (which is an approximation to sRGB). This assumes you are loading an sRGB texture and want a linear workflow. If your texture is linear (e.g. an EXR) then you should set "data is linear" or set the conversion gamma to 1.0.

Quote
In the professional version will the render view window display linear files?
Or will you need to save the Liner file out and view it in an external viewer that will convert it to SRGB?
Thanks,

In all versions of Terragen 2 or 3 the Render View uses whatever gamma is set in the "Effects" tab of the render node. It defaults to 2.2. The whole setup is designed for a linear workflow and display on a gamma 2.2 display by default. However, this display gamma is baked(*) into the 8-bit or 16-bit low-dynamic-range image which the Render View displays, so if you want to change the gamma you'd need to re-render, but if you want a linear workflow you shouldn't need to change the gamma. EXR output is *always* linear, and ignores the gamma on the render settings.

(*) We might be able to make this dynamic in future.

You might see differences between the Render View and an external EXR viewer because Terragen has some built-in tone mapping controls (on the "Effects" tab) which affect the low dynamic range image, but not the EXR. If you turn off "contrast" and "soft clip effect" it should be perfectly linear.

I hope that makes sense. Let me know if you'd like anything explained differently.

Matt
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: jaf on July 29, 2013, 12:41:56 AM
Quote from: TheBadger on July 28, 2013, 11:38:37 PM
Hi Oshyan, or whoever answers this.

So have we been told everything now, about whats new? Or are there some things you still have not reveled?

I saw rain in someones post in image sharing. Whats that about? I got the feeling it was TG generated and not post or import of some kind. But the image post did not say much.

By the way, I saw the video for the population editor. That is a nice addition! I was very happy with what I saw.  8) I know I said so earlier from the announcement. But the video really shows it off nice. I expect I'll use that tool in just about every project.

That may have been my image called "Farm" in the image sharing forum.  It was a TG2 render and the ripples in the pond were objects with a water shader.  The rain drops were post processed using Perfect Photo Suite.
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: DannyG on July 29, 2013, 08:10:41 AM
<---- Got his update and is an extremely happy customer
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Bjur on July 30, 2013, 06:54:00 PM
Hi all.

A shy question:

A TG 2.5 scene was loaded into TG 3 Free.

Why or for what are some shaders/nodes are "whitened" (or have white outlines) now in the Node Network window?

I'm sry if this got already answered somewhen/somewhere before and i was missing it..

Alex

Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Oshyan on July 30, 2013, 07:01:18 PM
I believe your question is answered here: http://www.planetside.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic,16471.0.html

- Oshyan
Title: Re: Terragen 3 pre-release FAQ
Post by: Bjur on July 30, 2013, 07:03:45 PM
Hell yes, thank you!  :)