newbie query

[Feenixnz]

Hey guys,

When would I use a distribution shader?? I've been playing around with a Surface Layer and its got the same features along with the freedom of plugging a power fractal shader into the colour function? Sorry if this seems a stupid question but this is the first time I've used Terragen 2 or any land generating software for that matter =) any assistance is greatly appreciated.

thank you =D

[FrankB]

As far as I am concerned, the distribution shader is primarily good for creating masks or blendshaders that have an altitude and slope constraint. But you are right in that the same thing can be done with the surface layer. So it seems like the distribution shader is just a simplified surface shader  - but it "lives" in the color shader menu, so can be more easily found when people look for, well, a distribution shader.

Cheers,
Frank

[Oshyan]

The Distribution Shader simplifies control of distribution for other non-surface layer shaders because, unlike the Surface Layer, it only outputs black-to-white. You can get confusing results when trying to use a Surface Layer as a blend shader for another node if you have any colors in there. It may also be faster to compute (though don't quote me on that) since it doesn't include all the functions of a Surface Layer, so if all you need is to control the distribution of another node, and not have any of the actual effects of a Surface Layer, then probably best to use the stand-alone Distribution Node.

- Oshyan

[Henry Blewer]

I use it often for plant populations. It works very effectively for altitude and slope constraints. I also use it to control the 'clumping' of the trees.  You can give the tree (object) populater a high density. With the distribution shader, it's easy to mask out areas. So you end up with high density patches of trees scattered in nice distant clumps if you want.

[rcallicotte]

@njeneb, thanks for telling us how you do this.  Have you tried using the Paint Shader instead to do the same thing?  I'm not saying it would be better, but it seems like it would be easier.

[Henry Blewer]

The paint shader is ok. If I want something to be in a specific area. I can wait a day for a render, but I get impatient while the preview updates. Then I find the preview is not located on the right spot correctly. Worse, sometimes it causes a crash. Since I seldom do anything which requires that much control, the distribution shader works fine.

[Feenixnz]

thanks everyone for the help. This has helped me to understand the shader and its use a lot more. =D