Making plants for terragen from scratch

[jo]

Hi Badger,

You can see a description of those displacement settings here:

http://www.planetside.co.uk/wiki/index.php?title=Surface_Layer_-_Displacement_Tab

The only difference is that there is the Displacement image parameter in the Default shader, which simply takes an image you want to use to generate displacement. In your case that would be your bump image.

Regards,

Jo

[Kadri]

...
By the way: I did some simple tree fungus. Same seed and X/Z-rotation offset (in objects) and they stick to the trees.

Nice way 

[TheBadger]

Hello,

Several things have come up as a result of this thread and trying to do what I set out to do. It is likely that these problems are a result of me making a mistake  but I can't be sure yet.

A) Problems I found with making .tgo(s) of my .obj(s) for use in TG2

1) After making a .tgo and importing back into TG2, I found that the model was broken into sections. In- between each section was empty space where I could see the background through.
2) The image maps also did not display properly. Image Maps I was using are .png.
3) Displacements set before making the .tgo did not remain set in the resulting .tgo

Of the above, I did not save a .jpg of the render. If no one has seen what I described, or knows what it is, I will try to reproduce it to post an image.

B) Problems applying displacements to objects.

1) Displacements added to smooth objects work. However, not consistently. When adjusting values for displacement (bump) between two acceptable parameters ie; too much and too little, portions of the model that are displaced become completely black. (Note) The nature of the displacement is extreme in the first place; imagine bark on a tree, but acting more like 'frizzy' hair.
2) Displacements to an object set as a population do not seem to adjust relative to the change in the object size when a population is set to vary (for size)

Can anyone explain these things based on my descriptions? Does any of this sound normal, or does it read like user error?

Thank you


@ Jo
Thanks for the link. I found it helpful. Why no link from the help button (?) with-in TG2? Are you rewriting it?
Just some praise for you guys: I like the (?) button a lot! I like that there is one in every tab and setting. Most software does not have the help set up that way. But they should! 

@Dune
I am curious as to how your distribution method for the fungus on the trees, could apply to drops of water.
I would not want to make a lot of plants with water drops on them. But if your method could be applied to models of drops, that then could be distributed en mass to the objects that would be great!

I have not modeled any water drops yet. The only way I am willing to do it is if I can find a good distribution method. What are your thoughts?


Thanks everyone.

[jo]

Hi,

Thanks for the link. I found it helpful. Why no link from the help button (?) with-in TG2? Are you rewriting it?

Do you mean why no link from the Default shader help button? That's because we haven't got to documenting that one yet. The link I posted was from the Surface layer shader.

Just some praise for you guys: I like the (?) button a lot! I like that there is one in every tab and setting. Most software does not have the help set up that way. But they should! 

I'm glad you find it useful :-). I think we're making good progress towards there actually being something on the other end when it's clicked too.

Regards,

Jo

[Dune]

It's kind of fickle to make drops on leaves in this method. The leaves and drops have to fit exactly. It's easier to add drops afterwards. Here's screendump of quite a while back, maybe it's of use to you.

[bobbystahr]

It's kind of fickle to make drops on leaves in this method. The leaves and drops have to fit exactly. It's easier to add drops afterwards. Here's screendump of quite a while back, maybe it's of use to you.

That's freakin' brilliant....is there a .tgc of this in File Sharing...if not could there pretty please be one soonish...thanks and hat's off to your creativity....

[Oshyan]

A:
1, 2, 3: Seems like these  issues might all be related. I haven't seen them but if it looked like the example in this thread: http://www.planetside.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=14620 then it may be a new bug. I'll see if I can test this tonight, but would probably be ideal if you could provide a TGO example file.

B:

1: Extreme displacement on imported objects is not guaranteed or necessarily even likely to work. The higher the geometry resolution of your model the more likely it will work, but still it's problematic. Best to avoid anything extreme on imported models. If you need big geometry changes, do them in a modeling app.

2: That's normal, texturing is in "world space" by default, so it's going to be consistent relative to world position rather than relative object scale.

- Oshyan

[Dune]

is there a .tgc of this

You can just make it from the screendump, it's not that hard. The drops are small billows I believe. Maybe I'll find a tgc...

[bobbystahr]

is there a .tgc of this

You can just make it from the screendump, it's not that hard. The drops are small billows I believe. Maybe I'll find a tgc...

problem for me is all the nodes have names on them I don't recognize mate...

[TheBadger]

Luminosity Another involved bunch of questions. 

Suppose you have a sphere object. The sphere is divided into two equal parts at the equator, but is one connected object.
The top dome has one texture and the bottom dome has its own texture.

1) If you wanted light to pass through the object, so that the bottom dome illuminated anything beneath it, to some degree, but the top dome to have no transparency. How would you go about this?

I saw in the objects internal network that there is a tab for transparencies, But I have no idea how to use it.

Do I need to make the map transparent in my modeler first?
If the top dome is not transparent, how can light move through it anyway?

2) Now suppose that you want the entire sphere transparent, and that you want the light source to be within the sphere.
How do you put a light source in an object?!?!?

Thanks guys. Hope I make sense.

[bobbystahr]

Luminosity Another involved bunch of questions. 

Suppose you have a sphere object. The sphere is divided into two equal parts at the equator, but is one connected object.
The top dome has one texture and the bottom dome has its own texture.

1) If you wanted light to pass through the object, so that the bottom dome illuminated anything beneath it, to some degree, but the top dome to have no transparency. How would you go about this?

I saw in the objects internal network that there is a tab for transparencies, But I have no idea how to use it.

Do I need to make the map transparent in my modeler first?
If the top dome is not transparent, how can light move through it anyway?

2) Now suppose that you want the entire sphere transparent, and that you want the light source to be within the sphere.
How do you put a light source in an object?!?!?

Thanks guys. Hope I make sense.

starting with #2...copy the sphere's coordinates and paste them to the light...it should appear dead center of the Sphere.

#1 is a bit crazier and I can't really answer it but what you want to do is not I think doable in TG3+ as we don't have full access to grayscales and filtering like many 3D apps have...I've tried similar experiments with zero success, ie: putting a light in a lamp . Trying to make Stained Glass from image maps is equally beyond me but keep asking...someone may have a cool trick I'm not aware of....yet....

[Matt]

You could have one object that is visible to camera but does not cast and shadows, and a second object that is invisible but casts shadows. Maybe that gives you the freedom to get the effect you want?

Using opacity maps you can cause some parts to be opaque and others to be completely transparent. It's either on or off, no shades in between, but perhaps you can use an extra light source with shadows disabled to add light into the shadows of the first light.

Global Illumination will also add light from any bright object, so if you put a light inside a translucent sphere, some light will spill out due to GI.

Matt

[TheBadger]

Matt,
Would what was done in this thread be an example: http://www.planetside.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=13536.0
I see multiple lights, and two of them are either in, or maybe behind an object.

I will try to work out your suggestion. Sounds difficult though. But if it works!

[Matt]

Would what was done in this thread be an example: http://www.planetside.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=13536.0
I see multiple lights, and two of them are either in, or maybe behind an object.

It looks like those two tall lamps at the back could be open-topped, so you wouldn't need any transparencies for those. If you want to do something like that but add a visible dome that lets light through, you could switch off shadows for the dome. That would switch off shadows from all lights though.

Matt

[dandelO]

More likely, this thread, TB.

http://www.planetside.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=13664.0

Same scene but, Matt's example description is also present in the objects of the animated version. One sphere casts a shadow/reflection, but the opposite version of each object appears in the reflection/real world. That was necessary to make the sphere's behave as I wanted them to. There are two moving objects, both at the same places throughout but you can only see the effect of both together(and believe it to be 'one') by seeing in the mirror and in the real world together.
For example, the shadow/reflections of the pink sphere comes from an invisible geometry sphere where the visible(metallic) sphere(on this side of the curtain) is actually casting no shadow or reflection. I think that's how it worked on that file, at least. Something like that.