It seems each time I introduce Fake Stones (from NWDA and others) into a project, they seem pick up the color of the main terrain. I'm sure the answer to this is probably simple; but, through various experimenting trying to prevent this, I have yet to find a remedy. I would appreciate hearing from you. Thanks.
Bob
Sure you got your layers in the proper order?
Quote from: neuspadrin on December 14, 2009, 12:45:20 PM
Sure you got your layers in the proper order?
Yes I do. The stones are connected to the last layer (as a child) in the array.
maybe upload a (non nwda'd) tgd of just some fake stones and the problem your having?
or a screenshot of your nodes and such?
We have discussed this problem in the past already. Check all surface layers if smoothing is enabled, Bob. If yes, add a compute terrain with a relatively small patch size before the fake stone layer. If this doesn't help, send me your tgd then I can have a look. I will do my best to explain to you why this happens, but you need to promise me to remember it this time ;)
Cheers,
Frank
Quote from: FrankB on December 14, 2009, 05:41:07 PM
We have discussed this problem in the past already. Check all surface layers if smoothing is enabled, Bob. If yes, add a compute terrain with a relatively small patch size before the fake stone layer. If this doesn't help, send me your tgd then I can have a look. I will do my best to explain to you why this happens, but you need to promise me to remember it this time ;)
Cheers,
Frank
Thank you Frank, I have sent you the file. Hopefully there is a better solution here.
Bob
I found the source of the issue you were having, and I'm explaning the solution here for everyone:
If you have fake stones as a child of a surface layer, and you want the stones to have their own color, do not use slope constraints in the surface layer! SLope constraints and fake stones don't go well together. Also slope constraints and intersect underlyong don't go well together, but that's another issue.
If you still want to apply a slope constraint, here's one way of doing it:
The solution is to add a slope constraint to the distribution mask of the fake stones itself, not to the surface layer it plugs in to. And the slope mask must be created with a distribution shader with the slope key "terrain normal". The distribution shader must be fed by the last compute terrain to become aware of the terrain and its slopes.
There may even be a simpler solution than that, but it works for me.
Regards,
Frank
Ahh that makes sense. I've done that accidentally before and realized it was using the slope of the rock, causing issues ;)
Quote from: FrankB on December 15, 2009, 11:38:09 AM
I found the source of the issue you were having, and I'm explaning the solution here for everyone:
If you have fake stones as a child of a surface layer, and you want the stones to have their own color, do not use slope constraints in the surface layer! SLope constraints and fake stones don't go well together. Also slope constraints and intersect underlyong don't go well together, but that's another issue.
If you still want to apply a slope constraint, here's one way of doing it:
The solution is to add a slope constraint to the distribution mask of the fake stones itself, not to the surface layer it plugs in to. And the slope mask must be created with a distribution shader with the slope key "terrain normal". The distribution shader must be fed by the last compute terrain to become aware of the terrain and its slopes.
There may even be a simpler solution than that, but it works for me.
Regards,
Frank
Hi Frank,
I very much appreciate what you have explained and provided here. I wish I were gifted with that second nature logic which you employ while working TG2. Each project I do unfolds new challenges; and, you've shed a lot of light on the obvious for me - thank you very much.
I'll report back with the results of my final progress on my current project soon.
Bob
Bookmarked this for reference. I have had difficulties with fake stones also. I had a hunch it was slope constraints, but I did not know how to fix this.
Ok, it seems I've overcome the stones/color issue; but, ran into another problem: 'white' is appearing on all the stones/rocks. I've gone over all the possibilities (surface layer; fractals; fake stones; power farctals; etc.) Tried all kinds of 'withs' and withouts' and still can not overcome the white creeping into stones/rocks. I can't seem to find the source of this white either! Attached the .tgd if you want to have a look. This issue happens once in awhile on other projects as well; but, never have been able to trace the source.
Bob
I had the same problem. The last tab of the fake stones shader has the 'base' color picker.
Quote from: njeneb on March 20, 2010, 05:11:25 PM
I had the same problem. The last tab of the fake stones shader has the 'base' color picker.
The stones are colored with a Power fractal. I tried it both ways; with color picker; and, with power fractal ...get white both ways.
Can you post a clip file of the fake stone shader and the attached nodes? I am curious why this is happening.
Quote from: njeneb on March 20, 2010, 11:20:04 PM
Can you post a clip file of the fake stone shader and the attached nodes? I am curious why this is happening.
I did include a .tgd file of the project. In it is all the fake stones with it's surface shader. Check this out. If it don't help, I'll send the clip file. Let me know.
QuoteThe distribution shader must be fed by the last compute terrain to become aware of the terrain and its slopes.
I never attach the distri shader to any compute, and it seems to work anyway. Doesn't it automatically read slopes, etc? I can imagine it doesn't read refinements after the first/main compute terrain, though.
---Dune
Hi,
The white is coming from one (or all) of the power fractal surface shaders of your stones (PF Sc5 etc.). I changed the grey values to brown and the white "problem" disappears.
Hope this helps.
Quote from: Kevin F on March 22, 2010, 05:05:30 AM
Hi,
The white is coming from one (or all) of the power fractal surface shaders of your stones (PF Sc5 etc.). I changed the grey values to brown and the white "problem" disappears.
Hope this helps.
Thanks Keviin, I appreciate your looking at the file. Strange thing about the power fractals; I once created a modified clip file of the stones after completing another picture. They were of a color combination that I figured would look good here in this new scene. To my surprise, all four of the different sizes of stones were all colored gray even though I had not changed a thing. I adjusted the largest one to the color I wanted to use on this new image and it still looked like 'white' areas were appearing. I didn't change the other sizes which I will do now and see what happens. I guess the ones I didn't change is the issue. Thanks again; and, I'll get back with the results.
Bob