new thread regarding WFabs macro idea

Macros and Plugins
#1

Well lets brainstorm a little and do not use to much technical launguage
Im dutch i dont understand everything :stuck_out_tongue:

#2

Sure, I’ll keep that in mind! Let me compile some stuff about this idea first, then we can expand on the material macro concept.

#3

Yeah you do so i will check this every time you reply

#4

First of all the purpose of this macro:

  1. To provide a versatile terrain material to simulate various types of natural substances, like sand, rock, vegetation and snow.
  2. To provide a faked representation of advanced material features like Bump, specularity, ambient occlusion, and grain (roughness)
  3. We can use mask input to apply multiple materials with different properties to the world.
  4. To have two methods for every parameter, the traditional coloring methods and file inputs.
  5. To go for realistic looking materials fast.

So let’s begin discussion, but please keep it to the point.

#5

Yeah i get that, its fast that threads dwell of from the root

Anyways

The main purpose should be texturing
So how is we going to add this bump and grain
The rest is pretty easy to do

#6

grain is simple, just use a high frequency noise and a perlin cloud, and combine them as a mask. use that for color distribution. about bump i’m not sure just yet. I’ll get the specifics here as soon as I get my machine back from wm :x

#7

Just focus on the material substance for now, terrain features should be ignored in the first iteration. If anyone else has any idea they can chime in too.

#8

So maybe add multiple selectors to one chooser
Then have a advanced perlin( because its parameters) to choose between the two
And have the selectors have colorizers(made specially for this macro) attached to them
And do a pull up on both lines so when theres no files selected it lets you choose colors?

#9

Yes that may work. But how am I going to use it myself if you make it? I cannot use any of your macros without crashing my world.

#10

Dit you update to 2.6? :o

#11

why selectors though? we can add a mask input to the macro, then the user can choose what type of selectors they wanna use. and no I didn’t update yet.

#12

My macros are made with 2.6 thats why its crashes

So you want selectors outside the macro…
Im getting confused a little…
Im sorry

So mask inputs for selection types
Masks for file inputs?

Right

#13

Since we are working for a material rather than a coverage map, selector can be inserted in input ports or masks. I’ll get back tomorrow on this, it’s 2 am here. Maybe when I try something on this line I can be more helpful.

#14

So you actually thinking about a material editor kinda thing?
To create materials you want to use right there in thw macro parameters itself

#15

Yes, that is exactly what I mean!

#16

Thats an ambitious project

Talking shaders
Types of blending
Types of falloff
Reflectiveness
Bump
Shadows
Normal maps
Ambient

I thought about it alot
Cause i use it in 3ds max alot

But its also means a lot of parameters and a way to switch views
Wich i already developed…check a box and you see the mask
Uncheck it and ull see endresults

#17

You did ask for an idea! I’ve had this one since I started texturing thread http://forum.world-machine.com/index.php?topic=2537.0 . I realized while working that texturing is impractical in world machine, due to lack of texturing tools. That was when I started experimenting with a procedural material concept. But since I’m not as experienced with macro parameters and such, I figured you would have a better chance at implementing this one.

#18

Alright then you need to tell me alot about how you did some things
And we have to figure out a way to make at least 2 materials happen
In one macro so you have option to blend those layers like photoshop
And get it to shoot it to the next and have that overlay on top of the next
So you can make any material you want

Else parameters would get to hundreds

#19

Better idea would be to keep the macro focused on just one material, blending can be done the traditional way outside the macro. For example, let the macro produce a single sand material (let that be as complicated as you like, but keep parameters for the user simple), then use that with deposition or flow mask, such that for all purposes, it’s a file texture!

#20

Okr one material at a time…
Thats astablished

Next up
Add noice is very abstract and repetitive
Add posibility gives graine but it makes pixel like noice
Blur that to get texture in?

Also how many inputs should there be and what are the uses of them

And the bump, isnt that going to be spikey?