Difference between revisions of "Heightfield Smooth"

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== Overview ==
 
== Overview ==
This node smooths a heightfield by averaging a certain number of points next to a given sample point.  A value of 0 in the “Smooth radius” setting results in no smoothing, while a value of 10 would average the given sample point with 10 of its closest neighbors.  
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This node smooths a heightfield by averaging the sample points within the “Smooth radius” value. This value is defined in metres and in world spaceIt is not dependent on the heightfield’s resolution, ensuring that the smoothing effect will be “similar” whether a heightfield's resolution is 1024 x 1024 or 8k.
 
 
When setting the “Smooth radius” value be aware of the heightfield’s resolution, that is the number of points in a TER file or the number of pixels in an image file, because the more points contained within a heightfield, the less the distance that separates themTherefore a value of 10 smooths a larger area when the heightfield’s resolution is 10 x 10 than when the resolution is 1000 x 1000.
 
{|
 
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| [[File:HFSmooth_11_NumPnts10x10.jpg|none|266px|Heightfield resolution 10 x 10.]] || [[File:HFSmooth_12_NumPnts100x100.jpg|none|266px|Heightfield resolution 100 x 100.]] || [[File:HFSmooth_13_NumPnts1000x1000.jpg|none|266px|Heightfield resolution 1000 x 1000.]]
 
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Fractal detail can be added to the smoothed heightfield via the Heightfield’s Fractal Detail tab.
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[[File:HFSmooth_43_HFFractalDetail.jpg|none|800px|Fractal detail added to smoothed heightfield.]]
  
  
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* '''Smooth radius: ''' Sets the number of nearest points to include in evaluating the smoothness of the sample point. The higher the value the smoother the terrain.
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* '''Smooth radius: ''' Sets the maximum distance in metres from the sample point being smoothed. The sample points within this radius are averaged together forming the final smoothed value.  The smoothing process is similar to a gaussian blur falloff; that is, sample points closer to the point being smoothed have greater influence on the smoothing result than points further away.
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<ul>
 
<ul>
 
{|
 
{|
 
|-
 
|-
| [[File:HFSmooth_08_NumPnts10_SmoothRadius0.jpg|none|266px|Heightfield resolution 10 x 10, Smooth radius = 0]] || [[File:HFSmooth_09_NumPnts10_SmoothRadius2.jpg|none|266px|Heightfield resolution 10 x 10, Smooth radius = 2]] || [[File:HFSmooth_10_NumPnts10_SmoothRadius10.jpg|none|266px|Heightfield resolution 10 x 10, Smooth radius = 10]]
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| [[File:HFSmooth_25_SizeInMetres500_SmoothRadius0.jpg|none|266px|Heightfield size 500 metres.  Smooth radius = 0. ]] || [[File:HFSmooth_26_SizeInMetres500_SmoothRadius10.jpg|none|266px|Heightfield size 500 metres.  Smooth radius = 10.]] || [[File:HFSmooth_27_SizeInMetres500_SmoothRadius100.jpg|none|266px|Heightfield size 500 metres.  Smooth radius = 100.]]
 
|-
 
|-
| [[File:HFSmooth_05_NumPnts100_SmoothRadius0.jpg|none|266px|Heightfield resolution 100 x 100, Smooth radius = 0]] || [[File:HFSmooth_06_NumPnts100_SmoothRadius2.jpg|none|266px|Heightfield resolution 100 x 100, Smooth radius = 2]] || [[File:HFSmooth_07_NumPnts100_SmoothRadius10.jpg|none|266px|Heightfield resolution 100 x 100, Smooth radius = 10]]
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| [[File:HFSmooth_28_SizeInMetres4k_SmoothRadius0.jpg|none|266px|Heightfield size 4000 metres.  Smooth radius = 0.]] || [[File:HFSmooth_29_SizeInMetres4k_SmoothRadius10.jpg|none|266px|Heightfield size 4000 metres.  Smooth radius = 10.]] || [[File:HFSmooth_30_SizeInMetres4k_SmoothRadius100.jpg|none|266px|Heightfield size 4000 metres.  Smooth radius = 100.]]
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|} <br />
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The smoothing effect is independent from the heightfield’s resolution, whether expressed as the  “Number of points” setting or the number of pixels in an image file.  What matters is the distance in meters which is based on world space.  Notice in the example images below that although the heightfield resolutions are very different the final smoothing across the terrain looks very similar.
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{|
 
|-
 
|-
| [[File:HFSmooth_02_NumPnts1000_SmoothRadius0.jpg|none|266px|Heightfield resolution 1000 x 1000, Smooth radius = 0]] || [[File:HFSmooth_03_NumPnts1000_SmoothRadius2.jpg|none|266px|Heightfield resolution 1000 x 1000, Smooth radius = 2]] || [[File:HFSmooth_04_NumPnts1000_SmoothRadius10.jpg|none|266px|Heightfield resolution 1000 x 1000, Smooth radius = 10]]
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| [[File:HFSmooth_37_NumPnts64_SmoothRadius0.jpg|none|266px|Heightfield resolution 64 x 64. Smooth radius = 0.]] || [[File:HFSmooth_38_NumPnts64_SmoothRadius10.jpg|none|266px|Heightfield resolution 64 x 64. Smooth radius = 10.]] || [[File:HFSmooth_39_NumPnts64_SmoothRadius100.jpg|none|266px|Heightfield resolution 64 x 64. Smooth radius = 100.]]
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|-
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| [[File:HFSmooth_40_NumPnts1024_SmoothRadius0.jpg|none|266px|Heightfield resolution 1024 x 1024. Smooth radius = 0.]] || [[File:HFSmooth_41_NumPnts1024_SmoothRadius10.jpg|none|266px|Heightfield resolution 1024 x 1024. Smooth radius = 100.]] || [[File:HFSmooth_42_NumPnts1024_SmoothRadius100.jpg|none|266px|Heightfield resolution 1024 x 1024. Smooth radius = 1000.]]
 
|}
 
|}
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</ul>
 
</ul>
</ul>
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</ul> <br />
  
  
 
[[Category: Heightfield Operators]]
 
[[Category: Heightfield Operators]]

Latest revision as of 18:49, 29 January 2021

Heightfield Smooth

Overview[edit]

This node smooths a heightfield by averaging the sample points within the “Smooth radius” value. This value is defined in metres and in world space. It is not dependent on the heightfield’s resolution, ensuring that the smoothing effect will be “similar” whether a heightfield's resolution is 1024 x 1024 or 8k.

Fractal detail can be added to the smoothed heightfield via the Heightfield’s Fractal Detail tab.

Fractal detail added to smoothed heightfield.


Settings:

    • Name: This setting allows you to apply a descriptive name to the node, which can be helpful when using multiple Heightfield smooth nodes in a project.
    • Smooth radius: Sets the maximum distance in metres from the sample point being smoothed. The sample points within this radius are averaged together forming the final smoothed value. The smoothing process is similar to a gaussian blur falloff; that is, sample points closer to the point being smoothed have greater influence on the smoothing result than points further away.
      Heightfield size 500 metres.  Smooth radius = 0.
      Heightfield size 500 metres.  Smooth radius = 10.
      Heightfield size 500 metres.  Smooth radius = 100.
      Heightfield size 4000 metres.  Smooth radius = 0.
      Heightfield size 4000 metres.  Smooth radius = 10.
      Heightfield size 4000 metres.  Smooth radius = 100.

      The smoothing effect is independent from the heightfield’s resolution, whether expressed as the “Number of points” setting or the number of pixels in an image file. What matters is the distance in meters which is based on world space. Notice in the example images below that although the heightfield resolutions are very different the final smoothing across the terrain looks very similar.


      Heightfield resolution 64 x 64. Smooth radius = 0.
      Heightfield resolution 64 x 64. Smooth radius = 10.
      Heightfield resolution 64 x 64. Smooth radius = 100.
      Heightfield resolution 1024 x 1024. Smooth radius = 0.
      Heightfield resolution 1024 x 1024. Smooth radius = 100.
      Heightfield resolution 1024 x 1024. Smooth radius = 1000.


A heightmap or heightfield is an array of height values, usually in a grid which describe the height at specific points in a defined area. Heightfields are used to represent real-world and virtual terrain in a specific, easily converted format. Most heightfields can be represented as simple image data in grayscale, with black being minimum height and white being maximum height.

A sample refers to a value or set of values at a point in time and/or space. The defining point of a sample is that it is a chosen value out of a continuous signal. In Terragen 2 it is usually a mathematical (procedural) function that is being sampled.

A single object or device in the node network which generates or modifies data and may accept input data or create output data or both, depending on its function. Nodes usually have their own settings which control the data they create or how they modify data passing through them. Nodes are connected together in a network to perform work in a network-based user interface. In Terragen 2 nodes are connected together to describe a scene.