Texture fading

[Whilyam]

I've followed the "your first age" tutorial on the wiki, and my age's rock came out well. The problem is that it only works when the close-up texture is mostly transparent. I'd like to be able to do what Cyan did in Kadish Tolesa where, if you walk forward and back, the tree bark becomes more or less detailed. Is the tutorial's way how you get that, or is there something I could be forgetting?

[Paradox]

As far as I know, we still aren't capable of reproducing the effect. We aren't entirely sure how it works.

[Jojon]

Hmm, *what* only works when the detail texture is mostly transparent? :7


Trylon kindly wrote a clarification on the mipmap level filtering you speak of:

http://guildofwriters.com/wiki/Detail_Texturing

[Whilyam]

*That* is what doesn't work right. If I have the same or a different image set on that mip-mapped layer, it simply over-rides the other one and never fades off. The mostly-transparent one likely did the same thing, only I never noticed it because it was mostly invisible anyhow.

[Jojon]

Ok, I just did a quick test and can claim that it works just fine here. :P

My guess is that you have already got a copy of the texture, that does not have the alpha-channel enriched mip-maps, in the pyPRP texture cache for the age. If you use the texture exactly the same way every time, maybe deleting it from the cache directory and let pyPRP regenerate it, might do the trick - otherwise, give the texture layer its own single user copy of the texture block.

[ekimmai]

Talking of texturing issues....

I have managed to get fairly good textures on some smaller or less-smooth objects but am facing difficulties with large smooth surfaces, e.g. a plastered internal wall. Using just one texture I either find the detail is too low or their is some ugly tiling effect. If I add a second texture with more detail on top (as per the basic rock face tutorial) I just get smaller (though admittedly more realistic) tiles on my walls (- I have taken the first texture image and made greyscale, added contrast and then set to calculate alpha in blender). Am I missing some special trick when using multiple textures or is it a case of adjusting the amount of alpha etc, or something else entirely??

Thanks in advance!

Ekimmai

[boblishman]

the second texture ... the actual PNG file ... MUST be semi-transparent ... and remember to set the FILTER to something like 0.85

[ekimmai]

Sounds like what I have been doing - allowing blender to calculate alpha based on the greyscale and applying filter of 0.9 (both under the Map Image tab). Do I just manipulate the amount of transparency/alpha then until it looks good? And can this be done from within blender so without amending the actual PNG used?

[boblishman]

its better to manipulate the actual png file .... then play with the filter setting in blender ... the filter sets the DISTANCE FROM THE CAMERA of when the semi transparent file appears/fades. Do not use the CalcAlpha Button in Blender ...

[ekimmai]

Thanks Boblishman.
Only slight problem then is I have no idea how to add alpha to an image itself. Can this be done using Gimp or something similar?