Using the Distance shader

[choronr]

One of the confusing things to me is the use of the Distance shader; which, in the case of cloud positioning could be very useful - but, how does one know to select the proper numbers for close and far distance if you don't have a point of reference? I would appreciate any information on this ...thanks.

[dandelO]

I see what you mean.

You could try opening the density shader preview window and enabling the measure tool function. If you zoom out to a further preview than the default 1km, you have a distance measurement device for the clouds.

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[choronr]

Brilliant; thanks Martin - this will now make some sense. I appreciate your reply.

[dandelO]

It only gives you a Z-depth distance, of course, not a height measurement.
I'd love a measuring device for actual points on volumetric clouds, for example, too, instead of just the distance to the background node sphere when you click/mouse-over a portion of sky. This would be very hard to implement into TG2, though, I assume.

[Dune]

What I sometimes do is plug the distance shader into the color input of a last (test) surface shader, raise your viewpoint and thus adjust the gradient. Hope this helps.

---Dune

[choronr]

What I sometimes do is plug the distance shader into the color input of a last (test) surface shader, raise your viewpoint and thus adjust the gradient. Hope this helps.

---Dune

Thanks Dune; I will be looking into this method ...sounds interesting.