For some strange reason, Elevation has been left out of the Enviorenmental Functions in the shader list.

Please ask Daz to fix as I have many  C5 saved shaders which need it.

bwtr

Hi BWTR, That function is in there but under a different name: Environment. It now has more controls and greater precision so you can fiddle with Altitude (elevation), Slope and Orientation on either a local or global scale. You can do way more with it now. :D Mark

Environment already has been in C5 and unless I missed something, it didn't change at all.

I agree though that Environment and Elevation were a little redundant, so maybe that's why they dropped it.

You're right Sti, Environment is in C5. I'm guessnig it's just a streamline thing. However, old shader that use Elevation will have to be converted now. :-/

Mark. With C5 we had 4 individual shader functions in the Elevation Functions folder. In C6 we only have the 3. Elevation has been dropped.

Those three remaining functions appear to be identical to that same 3 in C5?(At first glance I can not see any "improvements"!)

I see no reason why Elevation should have been dropped. Especially if it creates work for long time Carrara users. Hope you can check, help and advise Daz if appropriate.

Brian

bwtr

Mark. This thread resulted from problems trying to do Surface Replication. You may find the following exercise of interest.

On a Terrain, apply  some grass(Hair) to parts of the Terrain. Then, Insert an object onto the Terrain. Apply the Surface Replication to that object onto that Terrain.

Hope someone can take the time to look at this "problem!"

(PLEASE don't reconfirm I am crazy!!!!!!!)

bwtr

It seems that one must do surface replication BEFORE applying grass (hair)!

bwtr

Hi BWTR, Here is the comment I received back from from the Carrara lead engineer: "The elevation shader was a bit obsolete since it’s functionality is covered by the more powerful environment shader. So the elevation shader is still present for compatibility but we have removed it from the menu to simply a bit the user interface. It should not cause any problem with existing shaders." So, no retooling of "old" shaders is required. Regarding hair, yes hair is a last step. Mark

Thanks Mark. I am amazed at the variety of difficulties--over nearly three days--trying to work in a scene where hair had been applied early. Jambing, crashing etc.

There appears to be, maybe, a very limited list of thing that one can do anywhere in the scene, after hair has been applied to any object? 

Perhaps a list of do's and don'ts could be a helpful addition to the Help ?

bwtr

Will be very happy when the SR1 (and2?) arrives.

bwtr

I still can not understand the thinking for deleting the old Elevation function. For simpletons like me it is FAR easier and logical to us than what we are left with. A crazy, unnecessary exclusion made by Daz.

As is the deletion of the Poser type "Transposer" interaction we had previously with Amapi. OK I can forgive not up dating to a newer version of Amapi, but taking away a WOW thing we had in C5 is crazy!

Any Daz head thumping appreciated!

bwtr

Quote - Hi BWTR, Here is the comment I received back from from the Carrara lead engineer: "The elevation shader was a bit obsolete since it’s functionality is covered by the more powerful environment shader. So the elevation shader is still present for compatibility but we have removed it from the menu to simply a bit the user interface. It should not cause any problem with existing shaders." So, no retooling of "old" shaders is required. Regarding hair, yes hair is a last step. Mark

 

Then maybe we need some direction on its use.  How do I use the Environment shader to get the Wiggle that was in Elevation?  I can only seem to get a smooth gradient.

Thanks
Mike

Great scene Brian, I like the penguins - and the water looks realistic.

Never Give Up!

Hi Mike, Using the shader tree structure shown in the screen capture, you now have all/any of the Carrara functions available as a "wiggle". Even more powerful options like DCG's EnhanceC will allow you animate these mixes if you want. Pretty cool stuff. Mark

wait a bit - are those penguins? ya gonna need some icebergs IMVHO. penguins in the grass, alas. o.k., maybe they're those aussie penguins. in regard to the hair recalculation, maybe they could add some function to lock it, so that recalculation can be disabled/enabled.

Miss Nancy. Why presume that penguins ONLY live --all the time--around ice/icebergs?
We have penguins close to Adelaide and who ever sees even snow here? (Today is late in the first month of Spring and it's maybe 38C!)

With say the Surface Replicator, you can have that work on a duplicate of your Terrain, and do what you want thereafter on the original terrain. It seems that you can not similarly segregate the Hair painting function.  Please tell me how if you can please!

bwtr

This is a follow on from that earlier image. I added some C6 "Render time displacement on terrains".  A very HUGE increase in render time and odd changes to the waters edge appearance. Another working sequence method to be worked out!

bwtr

Quote - Hi Mike, Using the shader tree structure shown in the screen capture, you now have all/any of the Carrara functions available as a "wiggle". Even more powerful options like DCG's EnhanceC will allow you animate these mixes if you want. Pretty cool stuff. Mark

 

Thank you Mark.  You're right, now that's cool.

A possible working sequence to avoid some of the later working problems with grass (hair) on a terrain.

Duplicate your terrain. And then,(Note the order) before anything else, click off the visibility. Then drag the hair into that selected (invisible) terrain and work on as you need in the vertex room!

You can then use your original terrain for whatever you had in mind, creating a beach line, as the target terrain for your water intersect. creating surface replications etc.

bwtr

A quick rough test of my "theory". What a relief!

bwtr