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General => Terragen Discussion => Topic started by: Regda on October 02, 2017, 01:00:23 PM

Title: TG4 - Merge Sand-Terrain with Erosion-Terrain using Deposition Maps
Post by: Regda on October 02, 2017, 01:00:23 PM
Hi,

i try to create a Desert like Area for a Skybox, for that i am using the Dunes from wiwine, the Eroded Giant Fake Stones from bobbystahr and the Erosion Shader from blinkfrog.
My problem is that the gradient between the Moutains and the Sand is to sharp, it looks like a cut.
Also there is to much Sand in the Mountains but else there is something green/gray in it where i couldn't find the Colorvalue for it.
The Screenshots are showing how it is (with and without using Maps from Erosion Shader):
[attach=1]
What i want is a smooth gradient where the sand is going a little bit into the Mountains (i marked it) like in the following Picture (from blinkfrog):
[attach=2]

I am a bloody beginner who started with TG1 tried something with TG2 and has to do some skyboxes with TG4 now, please think about that there is a lot i don't know.  :-\
Can somebody help me with it? (tgd-File and Erosion Shader included)

Greetings
Regda


Eroded Giant Fake Stones:
http://www.planetside.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic,20752.msg206852.html#msg206852 (http://www.planetside.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic,20752.msg206852.html#msg206852)

Erosion Shader:
http://www.planetside.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=20752.0 (http://www.planetside.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=20752.0)

Dunes Tutorial:
https://www.planetside.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=18400.0 (https://www.planetside.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=18400.0)
Title: Re: TG4 - Merge Sand-Terrain with Erosion-Terrain using Deposition Maps
Post by: bobbystahr on October 02, 2017, 11:37:16 PM
I would recommend using a Distribution shader with Maximum slope set around 70% and having it come after the mountain shader so it climbs up I don't have TG on this computer but I'll put a sample together on my workstation and add it to this post in a bit.

This is a quick and dirty example but you should be able to suss it out from this.I only used the constraints in the actual Surface shader but if you've used the the Slope and Altitude constraints in that you can add the Distribution shader which has the functions you need.
Title: Re: TG4 - Merge Sand-Terrain with Erosion-Terrain using Deposition Maps
Post by: Regda on October 08, 2017, 11:34:50 AM
Thank you for the fast answer, i will try it.  :)
Title: Re: TG4 - Merge Sand-Terrain with Erosion-Terrain using Deposition Maps
Post by: bobbystahr on October 08, 2017, 04:56:56 PM
Quote from: Regda on October 08, 2017, 11:34:50 AM
Thank you for the fast answer, i will try it.  :)

You can do these things in both a Surface layer and a Distribution shader. When I'm just texturing terrain I tend to use the ones in the Surface layer but for controlling population Distributions, the Distribution (obviously) is my first call heh heh.
Title: Re: TG4 - Merge Sand-Terrain with Erosion-Terrain using Deposition Maps
Post by: N-drju on October 09, 2017, 01:38:43 AM
Hmmm. To be true, I was also frequently wondering how can you, for instance, put a texture / rocks / whatever on mountain ridges and only there. That would require something more than just a distribution shader I guess.

Similarly, how can you fix a texture to the tip of the mountain peaks only if, for instance, the altitude of peaks differs between one another? Do each of them with a painted shader first? I don't think so.
Title: Re: TG4 - Merge Sand-Terrain with Erosion-Terrain using Deposition Maps
Post by: Dune on October 09, 2017, 02:43:44 AM
You should use color to drive both ridge displacement ánd their texturing (so same color as mask). If the displacements are not to extreme, that may work.
Title: Re: TG4 - Merge Sand-Terrain with Erosion-Terrain using Deposition Maps
Post by: Regda on November 13, 2017, 03:39:23 PM
So i tried it, but i think it will not work like this.
The problem is that i am using a merge-shader to combine the output of the 2 node-blocks (mountains, dunes) because the Dunes doesn't have an input.
In your example the Surface-Shader should be the Dunes but the Surface-Shader does have input.
[attach=1]
Title: Re: TG4 - Merge Sand-Terrain with Erosion-Terrain using Deposition Maps
Post by: Dune on November 14, 2017, 02:52:57 AM
Maybe you should try a setup like this, where you can add the clips you need to the surface shaders' child inputs. Low terrain and high terrain can be controlled by the PF mask and some color adjusts.