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General => Terragen Discussion => Topic started by: Hetzen on September 25, 2010, 08:47:46 PM

Title: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: Hetzen on September 25, 2010, 08:47:46 PM
Ok, I thought it could be quite cool to set up a thread dedicated on getting different patterns of noise that we can all use in our projects. The idea is that it can be any type of node network you like, but the point is to demonstrate what shapes you can produce procedurally that maybe of use for other users to learn or get ideas from.

Please submit a .tgc and screen grab of the pattern, with a brief description, and allow people to ask questions and answer on how your thought process worked out what you submit, so that others may understand and preferably expand on.
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: Hetzen on September 25, 2010, 08:58:44 PM
Ok, here's one to start things off.

Dry stone wall.

What's happening here, is that anything that protrudes further than the last, is used, anything below is ignored. I've set up the vector constant "1_1_3" as the 3 dimensional scaler. ie, things are getting stretched in the z axis by 3 times. If you want to apply this to a wall, you would change the vector constant to 3,1,3 for example, so that the noise is flatter through Y.

Of course this is a little exagerated in scale. But by changing the constant vector's values, you change the noise scale. Have a play, it's quite powerfull to muck around with.
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: Volker Harun on September 25, 2010, 09:01:15 PM
Hey Jon,

good title for this thread.

First the basic to use a function ... it needs an input. Mostly it is done with one of the 'Get position'-nodes ... which one actually the best is, might evolve later in this thread.

So, what does the Get Position generally do? Think of your render screen to be a window into another dimension ... a window, that shows your scene. Now TG2 is going to render the scene ... it takes in simple terms ... one pixel of your screen and pokes a needle through this window.
TG2 remembers if it touches some atmospheres and objects until it finally touches the ground ... the position, it got the 'Get position'.

So why there are more than one position ... ???

I guess, because there are a few steps to get a position at all:
1. The part before a 'Compute terrain' node
2. The part after the 'Compute terrain' node
3. The part before the 'Planet' node

Steps 1 and 2 can be cascaded and used quite often in a complex scene ...

So long, Volker
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: Volker Harun on September 25, 2010, 09:08:08 PM
Quote from: Hetzen on September 25, 2010, 08:58:44 PM
Ok, here's one to start things off.

Dry stone wall.

This is really nice ... and I must tell, I really like the use of the conditional scalar ... very elegant!
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: Hetzen on September 25, 2010, 09:20:48 PM
Thank you. I know a few don't like this node, but to be honest it makes my logic a little more simpler to myself. So if anyone has any better ideas, please chime in.

I'd like to add also, that the Colour Adjust at the end, flattens off the white. You may want to add a PF to get variation in height from the flattness, or take the white level up a few notches to get more diamond shapes in it's extrusion. But the initial idea was to try and create rock layers. I think this is quite a good starting point.
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: Volker Harun on September 25, 2010, 09:45:17 PM
Quote from: Hetzen on September 25, 2010, 09:20:48 PM
... the initial idea was to try and create rock layers. I think this is quite a good starting point.
Though I have not tried it, it should work ... Everything else is adding details with the surface shaders.


Here is a solution to break up the simple Perlin function with a PF.

The Lead-in scale of the PF defines how much noise is added at all. The lower the value, the more of the original Perlin will show up.
The High-Colour should be around the scale of the Perlin itself. Play with the Contrast and Roughness to get more or less noise into those patterns.

In the screenshot you see two outputs ... the smooth-step scalar (hugggzzzz DandelO) could be a very good base for an overcast sky ... just adjust the scales ...
The transform scalar is a beauty imho ...lots of contrasts and details .... I will feed you later with one or two examples with this one ...

Cheers,
Volker

P.S.: The Transform should only work with the 'Get position in texture' so you might want to rewrite your old functions ... and this might be the 'Get position'-node that fits right into the space before the 'Planet'-node.
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: Hetzen on September 25, 2010, 10:07:23 PM
Volker, my Tesco Lager export is catching up with me at 3am, I guess it's 4am your side. But as I understand your nodes, your PF at the top fed into the Scaler to Vector is acting as a Redirect Shader when applied to the Add Vector. That's quite outstanding. The smooth step is flattening the peaks of your noise, the Transform offset by 10m through the Difference, is creating the cracks.

Interesting. Nice stuff. I'm going to play with this tomorrow.
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: dandelO on September 25, 2010, 10:36:43 PM
Functional drinking, I like it! Tis vodka at this end! I'll drive the computer home tomorrow!

I do believe I've found the best repetative functional noise, ever, btw. If I posted the .tgd I'd get a lot of unhappy chap's responses I fear, maybe even banned from the club! Maybe on April the 1st I will... :D
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: Volker Harun on September 25, 2010, 10:38:16 PM
Yep, it is 4 am over here and 30 min ... but my wife is on a trip and my boys sleep at another place.

The addition of the PF is a simple Redirect. Yes.
I like this way more, as it is very difficult to address this one already. A Redirect shader with its three inputs is really a tough girl ... if you do not feed her with care, she might be very upset, you know ;) ;D :D

I will be very busy on another project, but will join in here till and then ... having two or three things in mind ;)
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: Volker Harun on September 25, 2010, 10:40:25 PM
Quote from: dandelO on September 25, 2010, 10:36:43 PM
Functional drinking, I like it! Tis vodka at this end! I'll drive the computer home tomorrow!
LOL ... by the way ... Vodka has been my nickname for about 24 years ... mainly because those (lovely) Aussies were not able to pronounce my name correctly :D ;D ;)
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: Volker Harun on September 26, 2010, 06:44:19 AM
Okay, here is a more complex pattern.

I like the displacement caused by the Difference scalar on the floor.
The pattern on the (undisplaced) sphere is not my taste, but might be useful on the one or other occasion ... it is driven by the smooth step scalar.

Cheers,
Volker
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: Seth on September 26, 2010, 07:14:57 AM
freaking functions !!!
goddamnit can't get it working in my brain !!!
nice to see you full back on TG2 Volker ;)
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: bla bla 2 on September 26, 2010, 08:43:28 AM
j'aime pas quand il y a beaucoup de node je me perd. ^^

I like(love) not when there are many of node I loses me. ^^
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: schmeerlap on September 26, 2010, 10:45:28 AM
Spectating with glaikit look on phizog  ;D

John
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: Volker Harun on September 26, 2010, 11:06:30 AM
Quote from: schmeerlap on September 26, 2010, 10:45:28 AM
Spectating with glaikit look on phizog  ;D
Which translator did you use??? :D ;D
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: dandelO on September 26, 2010, 11:45:46 AM
My one, wahey! :D
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: Dune on September 27, 2010, 02:58:44 AM
I'm really looking forward to your wave displacement functions, Hetzen...
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: Volker Harun on September 27, 2010, 03:48:18 AM
Attached is a more advanced version of the soft Perlin noise.
Thematically it is bound to this post of Dune: http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=10810.msg111374#msg111374

Cheers,
Volker
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: Dune on September 27, 2010, 04:01:39 AM
Ah! So this would perhaps be perfect to use as 'global variation node set' for pops. Looks nice and PF like, especially if its appearance can be 'seeded'. Thanks Volker. I'll check it out.
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: j meyer on September 28, 2010, 11:06:07 AM
Volker - Nice fractal.Somehow it made me think of that one
            http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=1822.msg17979#msg17979
            Have you ever dissected that btw? Was too much for me.
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: Volker Harun on September 28, 2010, 11:56:39 AM
Quote from: j meyer on September 28, 2010, 11:06:07 AM
            Have you ever dissected that btw?
They are totally different ... but thanks for showing me this river mask, I really forgot that it is existing.
It is a clever setup, but what I like most is his/her shading technique :)

Maybe later this day, I am going for a reduced setup, which might be more understandable ,-)
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: j meyer on September 28, 2010, 01:05:19 PM
It was definitely not my intention to accuse you of anything.
Your fractal just made me think like:hey wasn't there someone who made
a whole scene with blue nodes?
I still have the file in my TG folder (under functional madness), but never had
the nerve to analyze it as of yet.
Looking forward to your next file.
Cheerio,J.
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: Volker Harun on September 28, 2010, 01:27:43 PM
Quote from: j meyer on September 28, 2010, 01:05:19 PM
It was definitely not my intention to accuse you of anything.
Sorry that I sounded like that ... I was just in a hurry, my wife is on holidays and I have to keep all available eyes after my sons and the dog ,-)
Now they are in bed and I have time to relax :) By the way, I have the scene rendering right now ... the original ... to see if an easier setup is really helping to reduce rendertime ... it is almost finished now after 90 minutes (which is longer than expected ...)
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: Volker Harun on September 28, 2010, 01:48:28 PM
If few minutes later ... it is not to simplify that much ... I must admit it is a very clever piece of work.
I am thinking of another kind of setup, which might be faster ... and different.

The only sad thing about this function is its slowness ... else it is a burner ... where is this guy!?!?! ;) :D
Title: Teasers
Post by: Volker Harun on September 28, 2010, 07:12:00 PM
For now just two teasers ...

Tiled Perlin-noise and tiled Voronoi-noise ... I introduced this technique a while ago (Link (http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=813.msg81186#msg81186)) ... but this is a bit better, I think.

which one is more relevant to be used for a render? ... Neither? I guess so ...
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: Hetzen on September 28, 2010, 07:58:10 PM
That first could pass as stitching or sack cloth. Some of these textures you come up with could be very usefull on insect model close ups.
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: Kadri on September 29, 2010, 02:10:54 AM

Metal ; especially the first one.
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: Volker Harun on September 29, 2010, 03:18:18 AM
Another teaser ...
It is the function from the second picture above ... with a little add-on ... I will not upload that one, as it might be too confusing.

Attached but is the TGC from the first image. It has two triggers: The Tile Scale and the Threshold.
I think these two will be enough to destroy the function ;) ;D

While having some ideas about this setup, I might post another screen from a node network.

Cheers, Volker
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: inkydigit on September 29, 2010, 07:34:49 AM
very interesting as always Volker....great patterns, will take a peak later!
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: j meyer on September 29, 2010, 10:19:10 AM
Cool patterns.
Got to look at that later to day.
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: j meyer on September 29, 2010, 05:34:50 PM
Since Volker started out with the repetitive patterns i thought these
are going to fit here also.
[attachimg=#]
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: j meyer on September 29, 2010, 05:35:56 PM
and the colored version

[attachimg=#]
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: Walli on September 29, 2010, 05:50:32 PM
print that out, really large and sell it as 70´s wallhangings/wallpaper
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: dandelO on September 29, 2010, 06:34:35 PM
Cool, J Meyer. I made something similar but with displacements as well: https://sites.google.com/site/d4nd310/fractalo.jpg
And animations of the same with opposing warps; http://vimeo.com/13430115
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: j meyer on September 30, 2010, 10:20:31 AM
Yeah,the seventies...sigh...those were the days..........

Martin - i do remember,trippy stuff.Most likely i was just too lazy to
           comment back then.


Volker - i like the use of the transform shader,seems to have some possibilities.
            And i liked it's use in your city set up aswell and the way you made use
            of the blending and break up inputs of the surface layer there.Clever!
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: Volker Harun on September 30, 2010, 10:59:59 AM
Quote from: j meyer on September 30, 2010, 10:20:31 AM
Volker - i like the use of the transform shader,seems to have some possibilities.
            And i liked it's use in your city set up aswell and the way you made use
            of the blending and break up inputs of the surface layer there.Clever!
Thanks :)
The Transform shader only works with PFs and the Get position in texture ... but it is very handy to use the same function several times with different scales.

I like this tapestry stuff :) I wished, my brain would be sorted like this ;) ...

What about something like Sine-City ... this famous Mojo-Render????
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: Volker Harun on September 30, 2010, 11:29:28 AM
Here is an old Thread (http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=7337.0) with Patterns ... combining these patterns with fractal noise should be very funny :)

And here is a basic image of the SinCity-setup:

(http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=7275.0;attach=19284;image) (http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=7275.msg80497#msg80497)

Interesting or Attic?
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: j meyer on September 30, 2010, 12:31:30 PM
Volker - actually your brain must be sorted like this,at least somehow,
            because i developed the above from your julia file. ;D
            Sine-City,why not,what exactly do you have in mind?
            Personally i'd like to combine such patterns with the kind of
            symmetrical stuff i did last year
            http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=6023.0
            for example.Had some chocolate stuff too,but can't remember
            that threads name at the moment,was from red nodes only,like
            the other one.Wanted to explore the reds some more at that
            time,just to show that you don't need the blue ones to do such
            things.
           
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: Volker Harun on September 30, 2010, 12:46:09 PM
Quote from: j meyer on September 30, 2010, 12:31:30 PM
           Sine-City,why not,what exactly do you have in mind?      
I was wrong, not the fantastic SinCity by Alex Niko ... I meant the SineWarrior Planet in MojoWorld
Quote from: j meyer on September 30, 2010, 12:31:30 PM
Personally i'd like to combine such patterns with the kind of
           symmetrical stuff i did last year
           http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=6023.0
           for example.
This is really good stuff and has lots of potential! I have missed a lot these months.
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: j meyer on September 30, 2010, 01:38:53 PM
Thankies.
I'm not familiar with Mojoworld generally and Sine Warrior Planet particularly,sorry.
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: dandelO on October 23, 2010, 10:33:51 PM
Maybe someone could use this half-arsed maze noise. It's not scientific, just breaks up lines according to a voronoi noise but, makes a decent enough rough mask for a hedge-maze, or something. I wouldn't use it for displacement, it's pretty rough. :D

Used on a 100m population of TG grass clumps here;
[attachimg=#]

[attachimg=#]

Now, someone make an accurate version... ;)
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: j meyer on October 24, 2010, 10:20:48 AM
Nice noise.
Electronic landscapes maybe?
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: Henry Blewer on October 24, 2010, 01:04:51 PM
I always thought the planet Aurora would have a landscape like this. (Issac Asimov, Lije Bailey series...) Robots tended all the farms and estates. I always thought the landscapes would be rather geometric.
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: Hetzen on October 24, 2010, 02:29:06 PM
Nice one Martin. I like this one a lot.
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: N810 on October 25, 2010, 02:02:45 PM
Wow thats prety cool dandelO.  :o
Title: Tiled Perlins advanced
Post by: Volker Harun on January 20, 2011, 05:03:08 AM
Here is the scene file for this (click it):

(http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=11600.0;attach=28705;image) (http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=11600.0)

It uses one function for tiled Perlins which is used in different transformations.

Regards,
Volker
Title: Re: Noise in Blues or Reds - Function/PF based patterns
Post by: inkydigit on January 20, 2011, 05:39:15 AM
thanks Volker...this looks really interesting!