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General => Terragen Discussion => Topic started by: gregsandor on March 28, 2010, 03:04:29 AM

Title: quick question re: single poly billboard for population
Post by: gregsandor on March 28, 2010, 03:04:29 AM
I made a rectangular single poly object for a distant plant, and it renders okay unless I use raytracing for objects, but it isnt casting shadows.   I've gotten this to work before, its just been a while.  What do I do to get it to render with raytracing on?

Following this thread: http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=5177.30
Title: Re: quick question re: single poly billboard for population
Post by: gregsandor on March 28, 2010, 03:57:02 AM
...
Title: Re: quick question re: single poly billboard for population
Post by: Henry Blewer on March 28, 2010, 08:23:51 AM
There is a check box in the render's quality tab. It's to the left under the detail and object AA sliders. If the box is checked, raytracing of objects is on. When this is turned off, the objects are rendered in the 'classic' Terragen 2 object renderer.
Title: Re: quick question re: single poly billboard for population
Post by: gregsandor on March 28, 2010, 02:41:08 PM
TG won't render a single poly object with shadows.  If I make a 2 poly object it works.
Title: Re: quick question re: single poly billboard for population
Post by: Henry Blewer on March 28, 2010, 05:08:33 PM
Hmmm... The simple answer is not to use billboards. The hard answer is I do not know how to solve this. Terragen 2 uses object efficiently  enough that I don't use billboards.

Maybe the procedural grass in the object/population would work. They would have to be scaled the right size. The image and alpha maps added. It would also be necessary to make the rotation face the camera for all instances. I believe the procedural grass is a plane 2D object.
Title: Re: quick question re: single poly billboard for population
Post by: gregsandor on March 28, 2010, 05:44:35 PM
Patient:  "Doctor, my arm hurts when I move it like this."
Doctor:  "Don't move it like that."

It works with 2 polys so that's what I'm doing.
Title: Re: quick question re: single poly billboard for population
Post by: Henry Blewer on March 28, 2010, 07:18:57 PM
At least I did not do a Dr. Phil. :-X
Title: Re: quick question re: single poly billboard for population
Post by: gregsandor on March 28, 2010, 07:51:51 PM
Corn!
Title: Re: quick question re: single poly billboard for population
Post by: Henry Blewer on March 28, 2010, 08:47:05 PM
That seems to have worked out well.
Title: Re: quick question re: single poly billboard for population
Post by: bobbystahr on March 30, 2010, 02:52:49 PM
Quote from: gregsandor on March 28, 2010, 07:51:51 PM
Corn!

and very nice corn as well.. ...
Title: Re: quick question re: single poly billboard for population
Post by: Oshyan on April 01, 2010, 01:41:30 AM
How is the render time with billboards? Do you have 3d geometry versions to compare it to?

- Oshyan
Title: Re: quick question re: single poly billboard for population
Post by: gregsandor on April 01, 2010, 01:52:16 AM
For the corn I only have the 2-poly objects.  I have about 600,000 of them in my scene and they dont seem to add a lot or time to the render.  I suppose I could replace them with higher-poly objects for a test.
Title: Re: quick question re: single poly billboard for population
Post by: Oshyan on April 01, 2010, 02:28:43 AM
We'd definitely be interested in the results of any tests you run.

- Oshyan
Title: Re: quick question re: single poly billboard for population
Post by: bobbystahr on April 01, 2010, 02:38:36 AM
Quote from: gregsandor on April 01, 2010, 01:52:16 AM
  I have about 600,000 of them

Heh heh heh, could you maybe spare one, or have you shared and I'm unaware of where.. ...
Title: Re: quick question re: single poly billboard for population
Post by: gregsandor on April 01, 2010, 03:05:33 AM
bobby -- the image map I'm using is a temp one and I can't distribute it.  However, I can give you the object here in a couple of hours (have to finish something else first.)  I'll upload it here this morning.
Title: Re: quick question re: single poly billboard for population
Post by: gregsandor on April 01, 2010, 05:11:39 AM
Okay here's the corn.  It measures 1 meter wide by 2 meters tall.  The left half of the template is for one plane, the right for the other.  When you make your texture try to get the trunk or stalk on center of each half.  You'll need to make your own alpha-mapped texture.  For mine I used one photo copied to each side and blacked out some of the leaves for the left side image, then left them on the right side image and there blacked out the other ones.
Title: Re: quick question re: single poly billboard for population
Post by: bobbystahr on April 01, 2010, 08:30:27 AM
thanks Greg....I'll have a play with this.. ...
Title: Re: quick question re: single poly billboard for population
Post by: gregsandor on April 01, 2010, 06:34:25 PM
You're welcome.  I'm looking forward to seeing how you use it.