Itoo Software Forum

Forest Pack => Forest Pro (*) => Topic started by: Pixelab on December 04, 2017, 01:05:20 PM

Title: Forest Color ambiguity
Post by: Pixelab on December 04, 2017, 01:05:20 PM

How exaclty are working the color pickers and the values in the spinner after the maps ?



I've always (wrongly) assumed that the map is mixed with the color picked in (A) with a (B) value like everywhere else in max (it would actually be nice to have this option : input colors instead of maps... after all it's called forest color !)

But now I realise the spinner works like a probablity value (B) and the color in the picker (A) is not used anywhere

+ what's the use of default ??

Help file is unclear about this, it should be improved

Also, is it correct to assume that the override (C) works like a photoshop layer filled with a color randomly taken in the gradient, with the same blending mode on top of the map with strength(random beteween the 2 values) = opacity ?

Title: Re: Forest Color ambiguity
Post by: iToo on December 05, 2017, 10:23:32 AM

Hi,

- The color pickers are used only if there is not a map asigned in the slot. In this case, it works exactly as you suggested (input color instead map).

- The spinner after the maps defines the probability to use that specific map/color.

- Default map/color is used only if all other maps/colors are disabled. It's not blended with them.
We introduced this slot simply as a container when Forest Color replaces an existing map in the material (When Max asks about "Replace Map ? ->Keep old map as sub-map").

- Yes, Override works exactly as you described: it gets a random color from the gradient, and applies it using a random strength between min/max values.

- The way that the tint color is applied depends of the "Blending Mode" selector. It works similar to the Photoshop blending modes.

I hope everything is clear. If not, please don't hesitate to ask.

Title: Re: Forest Color ambiguity
Post by: Pixelab on December 05, 2017, 10:44:28 AM

Thanks a lot, this is perfectly clear now.

You should update the help file with this info.

Quote from: iToo on December 05, 2017, 10:23:32 AM

- The color pickers are used only if there is not a map asigned in the slot. In this case, it works exactly as you suggested (input color instead map).

I was wiring VrayColors  into the slots, I can skip this step now.

Since all the spinner were at 100, I think it was using only the first one, or should it work like in forest probablilty (normalised probabilty) ?

Title: Re: Forest Color ambiguity
Post by: iToo on December 05, 2017, 01:31:03 PM

Thanks for your suggestion. We'll add a note to the documentation

Regarding the probability, values are normalized internally. So, four values at 100% are really 25% for each one.