dynamic waveset ripples

[D'Lanor]

I finally got this to work for wavesets. The script in the wiki tutorial was throwing an export error:

Error Show Spoiler

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "<string>", line 174, in open_file
File "<string>", line 93, in export_age
File "D:\Blender\.blender\scripts\alcresmanager.py", line 145, in save
self.prp.write(f)
File "D:\Blender\.blender\scripts\alcprpfile.py", line 659, in write
o.writeobjects(buf)
File "D:\Blender\.blender\scripts\alcprpfile.py", line 412, in writeobjects
o.write(buf)
File "D:\Blender\.blender\scripts\alcprpfile.py", line 329, in write
self.data.write(buf)
File "D:\Blender\.blender\scripts\alc_MatClasses.py", line 2921, in write
plMultiModifier.write(self, stream)
File "D:\Blender\.blender\scripts\alc_AbsClasses.py", line 193, in write
plModifier.write(self,stream)
File "D:\Blender\.blender\scripts\alc_AbsClasses.py", line 90, in write
hsKeyedObject.write(self,stream)
File "D:\Blender\.blender\scripts\alcurutypes.py", line 601, in write
self.Key.write(buf)
File "D:\Blender\.blender\scripts\alcurutypes.py", line 459, in write
buf.WriteSafeString(self.name,self.version)
File "D:\Blender\.blender\scripts\alc_hsStream.py", line 128, in WriteSafeString
u_str.write(self,ver)
File "D:\Blender\.blender\scripts\alcurutypes.py", line 267, in write
c,=struct.unpack("B",self.name)
File "D:\Python25\Lib\struct.py", line 87, in unpack
return o.unpack(s)
struct.error: unpack requires a string argument of length 1

Then I changed this alcscript part:

Code: Select all

                waveset:
                  - <waveset ref(same name as waveset surface)>

To this:

Code: Select all

                waveset: <waveset ref(same name as waveset surface)>

And now it exports ok. So I guess the PyPRP code for wavesets ripples turned out differently than originally intended. PyPRP is not expecting a list here but a single item. Maybe that should be set up for a list since there can be multiple targets as well.


[i]Edit: Error hidden behind spoiler tag (no longer relevant).

[Nadnerb]

Okay, really.. you posted about this exactly 25 minutes after I corrected the error in the wiki. Good catch..

[boblishman]

YEAH!!! ... finally got them working ...I also found that changing the (material, MapTo tab) setting to Multiply (from the default Mix) makes the rings appear correctly (they were turning black as they got bigger then just "poofed") ... and now, they fade properly as they dissappear ...

Show Spoiler

ripples.jpg (168.78 KiB) Viewed 4601 times

[D'Lanor]

Now that you have simplified your waveset geometry, do the ripples appear on the terrain surface where parts of the waveset go under it? Mine do.

[boblishman]

errr...nope ... but, my waveset mesh is quite a bit below the surrounding landscape (in a hole) plus, there's quite a difference between the waveset plane's position and it's object centre (2 blender units =2 feet in Uru) ... it also means that the surrounding landscape is much higher than the waveset "render" (object centre) so it's "well inside" the landscape ... if I remember, Prad is quite "shallow" ... try lowering your waveset mesh (not the object centre) and see if that helps ...

[boblishman]

actually ...I just went back in to check for you ... if I zoom in you can see that the ripples are actually higher than the waveset render ... so, if your landscape is quite "shallow" where the waveset meets it... i guess it will show ...

dlanor.jpg (145.57 KiB) Viewed 4589 times

[D'Lanor]

I also found that changing the (material, MapTo tab) setting to Multiply (from the default Mix) makes the rings appear correctly (they were turning black as they got bigger then just "poofed") ... and now, they fade properly as they dissappear ...

Strange... they turn black when I use Multiply. I get the best results with Add. It is kind of subtle then, but that is just what I need to prevent the ripples showing through my surrounding terrain.

[Nadnerb]

Cool, I hadn't experimented with blend modes. I'll add that to the tutorial. Also, about the edges of the ripples intersecting your terrain because it is higher. The ripple's alpha follows the alpha of your waveset. If you've built your waveset with varying depth so that it becomes transparent at the edges, the ripples will becomes transparent too, and you won't be able to see them by the time the intersect ground level.

Show Spoiler

rippleEdge.jpg (30.17 KiB) Viewed 4522 times

(yeah, not very good ripples at the moment, but I just started. )

[boblishman]

Strange... they turn black when I use Multiply. I get the best results with Add. It is kind of subtle then, but that is just what I need to prevent the ripples showing through my surrounding terrain.

...I'm guessing the results will depend on your ripple texture (and maybe some other settings) ... I just tried Add on mine ... but they appear too bright for my liking ...

what kind of texture are you using?

[D'Lanor]

what kind of texture are you using?

This one.

ripple.png (4.98 KiB) Viewed 4499 times

If you've built your waveset with varying depth so that it becomes transparent at the edges, the ripples will becomes transparent too, and you won't be able to see them by the time the intersect ground level.

I guess the defaults gave my waveset a varying depth then. But I never had transparent edges. It looks like the ripples are floating above the water. How can I undo the varying depth?