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General => Terragen Discussion => Topic started by: N-drju on March 28, 2014, 07:38:59 AM

Title: No problem atoll!
Post by: N-drju on March 28, 2014, 07:38:59 AM
So here I am trying to create a ring island. Obviously I can't make it using raw procedural terrain. What I was trying to make was to use a blending shader so that land mass is, so to say, atoll-shaped. What I get from this however are large pieces of land that, yes, are elyptical but have ridiculously steep slopes plunging into the water at 90 degrees.

In this sort of situation - how can I make the land look somewhat milder at the shoreline? I don't want to create a pre-made image map this time (which would obviously solve the problem.) :(
Title: Re: No problem atoll!
Post by: bobbystahr on March 28, 2014, 10:48:59 AM
1.Create a procedural terrain. I doubled the displacement in the terrain editor, Heightfield shader 01 Tab
2.In top view make a Paint shader at the center of the terrain with fall off on the brush (see the .tgd) Play around with the fall off till you get a beach area if you need one, I didn't go that far. I'd advise playing around with the Paint shader's fall off on a flat terrain at first to see what it does re: slope etc. with displacement. Remember to use negative numbers if you want the displacement downwards.
3.Use the Paint shader as an inverted mask  in the Mask by shader slot.
4.In the Shaders tab I added a Displacement shader and once again used the Paint shader this time for negative displacement to give more depth in the lagoon created.
5.I then applied the desert_cliffs .tgc that comes with the presets as a quick texture for display, mess around here to get the texturing you are after.
Hope this helps some.
Title: Re: No problem atoll!
Post by: Hannes on March 28, 2014, 12:00:12 PM
Wow Bobby, that second image looks awesome!! Definitely something you should refine and render with higher quality settings.
Title: Re: No problem atoll!
Post by: zaxxon on March 28, 2014, 12:20:45 PM
I agree with Hannes, take that one and run with it! Very nice.
Title: Re: No problem atoll!
Post by: bobbystahr on March 28, 2014, 12:42:01 PM
I may just...twas a quick and dirty to explain a  concept but agree it has merit....thanks y
all...
Title: Re: No problem atoll!
Post by: TheBadger on March 28, 2014, 01:37:46 PM
Yes indeed. Reminds me a little of a number of environments I have been to. You could take this a lot of ways Bobby. Its a great base.
Title: Re: No problem atoll!
Post by: bobbystahr on March 28, 2014, 01:52:12 PM
Quote from: TheBadger on March 28, 2014, 01:37:46 PM
Yes indeed. Reminds me a little of a number of environments I have been to. You could take this a lot of ways Bobby. Its a great base.

Feel Free!
Title: Re: No problem atoll!
Post by: Oshyan on March 28, 2014, 09:51:53 PM
Agree with Hannes. :D Also, another way to do this is with a Crater Shader, I think...

- Oshyan
Title: Re: No problem atoll!
Post by: bobbystahr on March 29, 2014, 02:51:35 AM
Quote from: Oshyan on March 28, 2014, 09:51:53 PM
Agree with Hannes. :D Also, another way to do this is with a Crater Shader, I think...

- Oshyan

D'oh...should have thought of that as well...good one Oshyan
Title: Re: No problem atoll!
Post by: Dune on March 29, 2014, 04:15:03 AM
Or just two circular simple shapes subtracted from eachother and warped/displaced.
Title: Re: No problem atoll!
Post by: bobbystahr on March 29, 2014, 12:23:53 PM
Good one Dune....this is turning into a cool thread for noobs who need options....this shows how jam packed Terragen is...maybe when we have chats like this, a quick and dirty .tgd or .tgc would be helpful to include as seeing helps a not of new users more than verbose descriptions which can be 'mildly'  heh heh heh, confusing....
Title: Re: No problem atoll!
Post by: bobbystahr on March 29, 2014, 01:01:58 PM
Quote from: Dune on March 29, 2014, 04:15:03 AM
Or just two circular simple shapes subtracted from eachother and warped/displaced.

Having a brain cramp Dune...how does one subtract a SSshader from another SSshader?
Title: Re: No problem atoll!
Post by: j meyer on March 29, 2014, 02:47:50 PM
Here you go Bobby.
Two of several possibilities. ;)
Title: Re: No problem atoll!
Post by: bobbystahr on March 29, 2014, 04:30:03 PM
Quote from: j meyer on March 29, 2014, 02:47:50 PM
Here you go Bobby.
Two of several possibilities. ;)

thanks mate...I sometimes have week long brain cramps...hopefully it's just I  need Spring which is resisting the natural flow here that's dulling me
Title: Re: No problem atoll!
Post by: yossam on March 29, 2014, 04:47:38 PM
LOL...........I agree with the pic and your explanation.


Except it's 2014.  ;)
Title: Re: No problem atoll!
Post by: bobbystahr on March 29, 2014, 05:21:57 PM
Quote from: yossam on March 29, 2014, 04:47:38 PM
LOL...........I agree with the pic and your explanation.


Except it's 2014.  ;)

yeah...we had that problem last year as well and I'm to lazy to up date a FaceBook meme....
Title: Re: No problem atoll!
Post by: N-drju on March 30, 2014, 03:14:18 AM
Boy what a long topic have that become! :D Thank you gentlemen for your answers!

I solved my problem in a usual fashion that is - combined some of your solutions into one to get the effect I've anticipated. :D

Cheers!
Title: Re: No problem atoll!
Post by: bobbystahr on April 03, 2014, 10:21:05 AM
Quote from: Hannes on March 28, 2014, 12:00:12 PM
Wow Bobby, that second image looks awesome!! Definitely something you should refine and render with higher quality settings.

Here y go Hannes...an interior lagoon shot done in TG3...I may move this over to TG2 so I can do a much higher res/size image as this worked out no too bad.
Title: Re: No problem atoll!
Post by: Hannes on April 03, 2014, 10:25:41 AM
Great Bobby! But I have to say that I'd love to see exactly the image you posted a few posts before refined. The second one of your couple. The POV was perfect!
Title: Re: No problem atoll!
Post by: bobbystahr on April 03, 2014, 10:57:21 AM
Quote from: Hannes on April 03, 2014, 10:25:41 AM
Great Bobby! But I have to say that I'd love to see exactly the image you posted a few posts before refined. The second one of your couple. The POV was perfect!

Will give that one a try in TG2 then Hannes...thanks for the input...I tend to default to TG3 lately for all the new features like Ambient Occlusion in the GI tab, but TG2 is a full program, thanks again mate...so has that in it's favour....
Title: Re: No problem atoll!
Post by: bobbystahr on April 03, 2014, 04:56:27 PM
Quote from: Hannes on April 03, 2014, 10:25:41 AM
Great Bobby! But I have to say that I'd love to see exactly the image you posted a few posts before refined. The second one of your couple. The POV was perfect!

Been playing around with the top long view but it occurred‎ to me you might have meant the entry shot I also posted...am I right?