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General => Terragen Discussion => Topic started by: Mid-Knight Acchan on May 27, 2022, 10:50:29 PM

Title: Difference between "Along vertical" and "Along normal
Post by: Mid-Knight Acchan on May 27, 2022, 10:50:29 PM
I am referring to the "Displacement direction" sample image, "File:DefShdr 09 DisplacementTab DisplacementDirectionAlongVertical.jpg".
The image is not vertical as in "File:DefShdr 09 DisplacementTab DisplacementDirectionAlongVertical.jpg".

https://www.planetside.co.uk/wiki/index.php?title=File:DefShdr_09_DisplacementTab_DisplaceDirectionAlongVertical.jpg

"Along vertical" and "Along normal" give the same result, what am I doing wrong?
(https://dotup.org/uploda/dotup.org2813975.jpg)
Title: Re: Difference between "Along vertical" and "Along normal
Post by: Dune on May 28, 2022, 01:34:20 AM
Better use a vector displacement shader, like this. Or you could place it before the default shader.
Title: Re: Difference between "Along vertical" and "Along normal
Post by: Mid-Knight Acchan on May 28, 2022, 03:21:04 AM
Thank you for your response.
However, wouldn't that mean that the "Displacement direction" by itself would not work?
Are you saying that the wiki sample does not use only the "Default Shader"?
Perhaps the "vertical" in the sample is "vertical" for the "Planet" object, not the red object?
Title: Re: Difference between "Along vertical" and "Along normal
Post by: Dune on May 28, 2022, 03:42:29 AM
I tried several options but couldn't get it to work with just the default shader, so I guess it doesn't work indeed. Even with a transform shader set to world vertical (by planet/world standards) isn't vertical on the small sphere. I can't tell how the wiki example was made. There's no tgd either.
Title: Re: Difference between "Along vertical" and "Along normal
Post by: Mid-Knight Acchan on May 28, 2022, 04:30:33 AM
I still think so. Thanks for the confirmation.
TG is a deep black box in many ways ;)
Title: Re: Difference between "Along vertical" and "Along normal
Post by: Dune on May 28, 2022, 05:27:05 AM
It is indeed ???
Title: Re: Difference between "Along vertical" and "Along normal
Post by: Matt on May 29, 2022, 03:33:27 PM
Quote from: Mid-Knight Acchan on May 28, 2022, 03:21:04 AMPerhaps the "vertical" in the sample is "vertical" for the "Planet" object, not the red object?

Yes. The wiki example shows displacement of the planet. The red dome isn't a separate red object, it's part of the planet. I don't know exactly which shader Kevin used to create the red dome, but we can create a similar looking dome with a Simple Shape Shader whose edge profile is set to "Radius".

It's unusual to use the Default Shader directly on a planet, but the displacement direction settings are available in case you do. It has the same displacement direction options as other displacement shaders, but some of the options only make sense when displacing a planet. We wanted to show what all the settings do, even if it's not a typical use case.
Title: Re: Difference between "Along vertical" and "Along normal
Post by: WAS on May 29, 2022, 04:06:48 PM
I usually use a default shader for static planets, IE textures and stuff. But for procedural, I haven't really done that. It may be easier to mask reflection areas this way instead of masking a surface layer, but meh.