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General => Terragen Discussion => Topic started by: sboerner on January 19, 2020, 05:46:48 PM

Title: Possible to convert DEM heightfields to a .ter file?
Post by: sboerner on January 19, 2020, 05:46:48 PM
I have a series of adjacent DEM files output via a stack of heightfield shaders. (The heightfields are needed to tweak the lateral placements of the DEMS.) 

Is it possible to pipe the output of the final heightfield shader into a heightfield operator so the displacements can be saved out as a .ter file? That would really simplify the rest of the work to be done on the scene.

Tried using heightfield load and heightfield generate but neither seems to work.
Title: Re: Possible to convert DEM heightfields to a .ter file?
Post by: WAS on January 19, 2020, 06:53:51 PM
If you pipe allll that through a heightfield generate at the appropriate scale and points, you can save the generation with all that DEM data to .TER.

The scale and points coinciding to your resolution heightmaps is the key to preserve detail. Can disable fractal tweaking.
Title: Re: Possible to convert DEM heightfields to a .ter file?
Post by: Oshyan on January 19, 2020, 07:12:57 PM
Use the docs here on Heightfield Generate -> Use Shader tab: http://planetside.co.uk/wiki/index.php?title=Heightfield_Generate_-_Use_Shader_Tab
Remember that the heightfield size and position settings will control what area is exported, and the settings for number of points will determine at what detail. You can use the heightfield bounding box in the 3D preview to position and scale it to where you want it visually, or do so numerically if you know the exact coordinates. Once setup the way you want, click Generate. Then in the node network right-click the node and choose Save As and you can save a heightfield as either EXR or TER.

- Oshyan
Title: Re: Possible to convert DEM heightfields to a .ter file?
Post by: WAS on January 19, 2020, 07:15:35 PM
Quote from: Oshyan on January 19, 2020, 07:12:57 PMUse the docs here on Heightfield Generate -> Use Shader tab: http://planetside.co.uk/wiki/index.php?title=Heightfield_Generate_-_Use_Shader_Tab
Remember that the heightfield size and position settings will control what area is exported, and the settings for number of points will determine at what detail. You can use the heightfield bounding box in the 3D preview to position and scale it to where you want it visually, or do so numerically if you know the exact coordinates. Once setup the way you want, click Generate. Then in the node network right-click the node and choose Save As and you can save a heightfield as either EXR or TER.

- Oshyan

Yeah almost forgot about that, Oshyan. The key take-away here, is you want position center to preserve the orientation of what you're inputting (at least from what I've found in most circumstances)
Title: Re: Possible to convert DEM heightfields to a .ter file?
Post by: sboerner on January 19, 2020, 10:44:01 PM
QuoteRemember that the heightfield size and position settings will control what area is exported
Oh, of course. That's the part I had forgotten. The final heightfield shader for the DEM was plugged into the generator's shader slot but was way out of position. Fixed now and working fine. Thanks.