GC shading first impression

[cajomi]

just to let you know, what I am working at:
You see the improved Thin Flows erosion in action, rendered in GeoControl, with a first basic shader.
Yes, GC will also export complete shaders for games, and other situations.

[Criss]

Am i to assume these will be several hi-res color maps with several masks for use of texture blend mapping over terrain heightfields in other terrain related software?

[monks]

Looking good!

monks

[cajomi]

GC will produce one! complete texture map. That is most important for game developing.

If you want to texture yourself, you will be able to create as much masks as you like.

I have found, that far to often the flowmaps were not used for shading. I hope, this will change, because in GC it will be kind of automatic, so that the users can see very fast, what flowmaps can do.
But of course, with the full selection bundle in GC, the most advanced selection for terrains at all in the market, there are much more possibilities.

[mauronen]

Very impressive!

How GC2 produces texture maps? There's a kind of "climate designer" (for example to produce texture maps that reproduces rocks, greens, deserts, snow, maybe water..., etc.) that wraps texture on the terrain?

Thanks in advance.

Mauro.

[cajomi]

Shading is in general very simple. Different colours to different parts of the terrain.
Two a bit different greens applied to low sloped areas, well that grass or trees. From far away.
And white applied to the higher parts is snow.
You will see.

[mauronen]

If i've understood well it's similar to GC1 shading, realized through selection of a colour scheme into "Colouring" menu, right?

[cajomi]

No, it is very different to GC1. IN GC 1 the colour is only depended from the height.
But in GC 2 you can make the colour depended from height, also different sets a possible (not only one gradient), from slope, form relative position, from orientation, from roughness of the terrain, from the different flowmaps, while every erosion filter (including the inverse erosions) produces a own flowmap, which can be used afterwards.
And at least, it will also possible to draw a mask.
The texture will be a layered texture. The masks are used as alpha channel. So at all, similiar to Terragen 1.

[mauronen]

Great!
Now i've understood. Sincerely, i didn't thought that you would improve GC2 in that way. But now that i know your purpose, i'm very anxious to own a license.
Ok. I foresee your answer: "be patient for 2 or 3 months" ;) . I know, i know. But let me be at least excited at the idea of use this great software :grin: .

[Criss]

That all sounds very nice, i think when it is fully implemented i just may make more color gradients.