TC2 Node Painter - The TC2 extension for painting the world!

2017.3.0f3 personal



I save scene, then the texture disappear, and i have to click the node, and then the load cache button, on all nodes.

 

On the screen you still have the cache file assigned to the node painter - when you mean textures dissappear, is the node painter component missing the preview area? If that is the case, I can send you a package that likely fixes that.
If the textures only dissappear on the nodes in the TC2 window, not the node painter component, try to click refresh in the TC2 window.
Will test in 2017.3 myself now, thanks!
Seneral

 

@txarly Can't reproduce this straight away. Does this happen in a new scene with new painters, etc., aswell? Else I could give you the newest version (1.1.6 Preview) which fixes some of these errors, and see if that works. In that case, just send me a PM with your invoice ID!
Seneral

 

It is only the texture of the node painter component that disappears,the preview is ok, and the small eye of the node of the tc2 sometimes becomes red ,others not, and sometimes the node is disabled until i load the cache.
i haven´t tested on a new project.I will try when i have a bit of time


Before and after cache loading

 

@txarly Ok that is what I was confused about, so the actual canvas doesn't get lost fortunately, but the actual node somehow lost the reference to the RenderTexture that the NodePainter assigned to it. Any action to the NodePainter (load cache, paint, undo, etc.) should assign the canvas to the node again. Why it is lost in the first place, I don't know yet, I don't experience it when I save the scene.
I'll take a look at ways to prevent this
Seneral

EDIT: Fixed it, if you need it quickly, send me a PM!
Will push the latest update now, 1.2, which will increase the minimum required Unity version to 5.6.0. This allows me to remove an unstable workaround for the caching by using new callbacks in 5.6...

 

Thanks Seneral,really good work.I will wait for the update !!

 

I am currently getting some big lag for an 8km x 8km terrain, i tried reducing the resolution of the canvas as well as the size and messed with the paint and generation interval but with no luck, is there any single setting that would help it the most? I am also using a very low heightmap and splatmap resolution (1024x1024). Would appreciate any recommendation.

 

Hi! Painting itself takes no more than a few milliseconds, so unless you have a very bad PC, a canvas resolution of 1k or 2k should be fine for any painter.
For a total resolution of 1k lag should be minimal, as only the portion under the brush is actually assigned to the terrain (but all affected terrains are calculated). Should also be fast.
Generation Interval would be the setting I'd use, but you already did - So either you have a bad PC OR it's a bug...
There is a bug in the current version for new painters that are not yet saved to the Scene that take up CPU time, but I assume it has already been saved (and a cache file created)?
Finally, you could (and shiuld) minimize the outputs TC2 has to calcukate at a time, usually I use Heights and splats only and clear all others in the terrain area temporarily. Thing is, Objects and trees always get generated for the whole terrain, not only under the brush currently...

If that all does not help, try disabling Auto generate in TC2 and see if it still lags (try 4k canvas and default painting interval). That should not lag at all on a decent PC so it should give us an idea wehere the problem lies

Best regards,
Seneral

 

Thank you for the quick reply,i re-imported and saved my file and everything seems to be working smoothly for a 6 km x 6km! Thank you so much it works great now!

 

Hey everyone,
the new update 1.2 has been published on the AssetStore!
It mainly contains bug fixes, but by adjusting the minimum version to 5.6.0 I also raised the version by a number to differenciate.

Changelog Version 1.2 (21.01.2018):

As always, the full changelog can be found here.

It fixes the errors from @Mattness, @Ryry36 / @hac999, @NotQuiteSmith and @txarly

Best regards,
Seneral

 

works like a charm!! thank you

 

Hey I just bought the node painter.

is it possible that you could show how to create an area that is completely flat?

 

Hey, I suppose you mean you have a bumpy terrain and, using the painter, you want to flatten it?

There're only an option to flatten the actual canvas (using Lerp/Replace brushes), but that does not respect the other procedural nodes/layers already on your terrain. So while the canvas may be flat, the underlying nodes can still make the terrain bumpy.
But, using the canvas as a MASK, with some node setup, you can achieve this.
This relies on other nodes to flatten the terrain though, which can make things a bit tricky.

There's also a special kind of setuo that COMBINES that approach - this is really the key to many think achievable with node painter.
Given you want to flatten all the terrain that is below a certain layer in your graph, just create a new layer above it, with one selector (yellow) and one mask (blue) node, and set it to replace.
Now , when you use the SAME painter for both the mask and the value (selector), you can set parts of the terrain to a specific value. Please understand this approach before continuing.

To achieve that, we only need on painter, on oither the mask or selector node, and add an additional node target (bottom of the painter component) and set it to the other node so the canvas gets assigned to both nodes.

I'm on Mobile right now but I will try to add pictures in a moment!
Seneral

EDIT: Figured it is alot more complex so I made a video, processing right now
It is 15mins long but should give a good understanding on how it works I hope. It is the first installement of a 'Tip' series I wanted to make since some time. If there are requests as to what you want to achieve with TC2 Node Painter I'll try to make a video about it

 

@Censureret tip video is live! Hope it explains exactly what you need.
Recommend to watch it even if you don't need this specific case, might open your eyes to what is possible with some tricks
As I said, please tell me if you have an idea for another tip video!

As the resulting setup is a single layer you can overlay over your existing terrain, here is the prefab for the layer I created in the video:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/gt0x0vb5sh8rkkd/SmoothenLayer.prefab?dl=0
Just drag this prefab as a layer in your node graph above your other layers, scale the layer node to match your terrain size, then click the blue mask node with the node painter on it and create a canvas. It is configured to work good in most cases!

Best regards,
Seneral

 

hey,
i come with a suggestion,hope you like it

I´ve thinking how to create path/roads with node painter, but my code skills are not enough.
My idea is to create two buttons, one for the start point height level and the other for the end point level,so when the user activates the button he can select the value with a click of the mouse or just entering the values.
With this 2 levels, when you paint it must smooth gradually, as near is from the start point will smooth less and as it goes far will smooth more till it reaches the end point that will smooth a lot till the end height level is reached.This, playing with the size of the brush i think is possible to create ramps,roads,paths,rivers...




In the screenshot you can see a way to create a road in 3 steps with the help of some elevation in the terrain(the clear brown columns).I know there are other solution as easyroads but they create meshes, and will be hard to integrate with TC2 at the same time.Sure that there are other ways to do this and may be i am wrong, but a way to integrate roads,ramps,curves, in TC2 will give something that any other terrain tools is giving at the moment.Tell me what do you think.

best regards

 

At first I was sure to say that node painter is not designed for roads, spline-based tools are more suitable - and while they are, integration with TC2 is still missing and it would also lack some kind of control.
So, considering your idea, an easy and good way to maybe go about this is some kind of brush value guidance.
Basically, a set of points that TC2NP interprets as a path (not a bezier), and the brush value can be taken from a guidance point on the path. That guidance point typically follows your brush movements to always be the closest on the path.
That way you can set up points as in your image where you want your path to be, setup your nodes as in the video I posted earlier (to paint heights), and tell TC2NP to use the point line as guidance. Then, it would be easy to paint paths including ALL the manual control (varying widths, bumps, etc.)
Actually, this is completely new, never heard about this, but I think it does have it's potential. Thanks for proposing this. Can't promise anything in the near future though, next few days I have pre-abitur klausurs (tests) so I'll be busy, but following that I hope to investigate further.
Seneral

 

Glad you like it.There is a tool in the asset ,the Ramp Brush, where you place some points and size and modifies the terrain geometry.May be it can help you.I agreed with you that it has a lot of potential, so the roads and paths are one of the most important parts in terrain design.
Good luck with your tests and hope to hear soon with some news.

 

I was pretty sure that I can draw (pain just textures) on terrain with TC2 Node Painter... but I can't go figure how

 

Yes you can - I showed a friend how to, but it indeed required a bit of a setup unfortunately.
Basically you need to add a layer to TC2 for each splat you want to paint, because you need to mask each splat separately (TC2NP has no direct control over the terrain data, only through TC2). You can control that through a single Multi-Canvas painter, which in the end allows you to paint single splats or splat compositions (through noise) and also allows you to erase those manual changes locally and returning to the procedural textures.
I think another tip video would be best for that...
Not sure if I'll make it today, have another important test tomorrow.

 

I'll do some tests, but at this point that make more sense for layers
A quick video would be very very welcome. BTW, take your time.

 

Thanks Will definitely do one, but from the last two tests I know I probably won't be able to do a proper one afterwards

 

Fine I'll search for something different for the rivers beds

I've got this errors while try to save the map from TC2NP

Native and Cache return the first warning, while RAW gives an error.

Code (CSharp):

1.  
2. WARNING from Native Save
3. Unexpected save data size! Expected 4096*4096*2*1=33554432 Bytes! Received 8388608Bytes!
4. UnityEngine.Debug:LogWarning(Object)
5. TerrainComposer2.NodePainter.Painting:ExportCanvas(String) (at Assets/Node Painter/Scripts/Core/Painting.cs:1278)
6. TerrainComposer2.NodePainter.PaintingEditor:DoPainterUI() (at Assets/Node Painter/Scripts/Editor/PaintingEditor.cs:184)
7. TerrainComposer2.NodePainter.NodePainterEditor:OnInspectorGUI() (at Assets/Node Painter/Scripts/Editor/NodePainterEditor.cs:221)
8. UnityEngine.GUIUtility:ProcessEvent(Int32, IntPtr)
9.  
10. ERROR
11. Failed to save cache to 'Assets/Node Painter/Cache/758560768_Pesaro Height Map - 25kmq - 8192.bytes'!
12. UnityEngine.Debug:LogError(Object)
13. TerrainComposer2.NodePainter.Painting:SaveCurrentSession(Boolean) (at Assets/Node Painter/Scripts/Core/Painting.cs:1198)
14. TerrainComposer2.NodePainter.PaintingEditor:DoPainterUI() (at Assets/Node Painter/Scripts/Editor/PaintingEditor.cs:249)
15. TerrainComposer2.NodePainter.NodePainterEditor:OnInspectorGUI() (at Assets/Node Painter/Scripts/Editor/NodePainterEditor.cs:221)
16. UnityEngine.GUIUtility:ProcessEvent(Int32, IntPtr)
17.  

 

Ok I've been able to fix it.
It's 'cause the asset works at max. with 4090x4096 so you have to "Resize" to 4096 and then export or save the cache.
@Seneral any chance to see a future upgrade about it?

 

sounds like what you showed me awhile back, as I asked if we could do something like it. works out great. hehe works very easily, once you understand the process.. Which Seneral showed me, awhile ago as I suggested that it do this and then he showed me a way you could as I love to paint detail for my splats maps around objects and other stuff .


Far as Rivers, I suggest RAM, which will have even more good features soon.. I use it for my Steam game and works like a charm. Its he same developer who made World Streamer, CTS, and many more.

 

Hm, makes sense with your explanation. I indeed regarded only 4096, I didn't think 8k would be used, so an error on my side. Btw, any notes on the performance while using an 8k grascale texture?
Will definitely look into supporting this and maybe trying to squeeze out more performance out of the shaders if possible

Yep, exactly that Complicated initial setup, but once it works, it's really nice.

 

Show to me please !

I have RAM, but I wish to paint the river's bed.

 

Actually, I probably will make the video today, so maybe in a few hours you have a way
I would recommend Cascade as another option, although because of certain circumstances it's currently unavailable. Hope it's back in store soon. But if I'm correct RAM should also have an option to carve rivers, no?
And when I will have the chance to implement the idea mentioned above, painting rivers per hand will also be a feasable option

 

nope, didn't see any "Worrying" issue, isn't too fast, but you can paint in real-time without any problem. But you aren't able to save, so, sooner or later you will loose all things that you've done. I've learned the lesson too late.

About the river, on my project I'm working on a hand-painted application, so water is hand painted too. and RAM is just enough. Also I'm unsing Stylized Water Shader, and the author told me that he will create a shader for rivers too. so I'm fine with it. =)

 

Ya sorry about that. So you did loose it Will support to save at 8k soon, probably with the next update including the guided brush feature, or if you definitely need 8k, I can send you a quick fix.

 

Dude at the moment I've a more serious problem...
p.s.
Sorry I'm a bit slow when talking in english

 

Ok, got it. Though I have to say, I can neither reproduce that in 5.6.4 nor in your version, 2017.3...
What I can recommend for now:
If you don't need it, don't load the whole maps in your node painter.
Instead, use normal RAW nodes as base and then overlay many, smaller node painters over the terrain as needed.
This
1. increases painting speed due to lower res
2. decreases memory usage, as the whole canvas (including intermediate rendertextures) in 4k is loaded in memory once on startup and when painting
Also, I do not recommend to export and restore using the texture format. Textures in unity are always 8Bit, and you see what 8 bit can do to your heightmap (the stepping)... That's why there's RAW and Native (Same as raw but combined with metadata required to recreate the canvas).

Just in hope of finding something, can you send me the canvas cache that produces the white results?
If that works for me I can only conclude that there is some undesired platform dependency in my RAW code... but it should read RAWs the same way TC2 does, so no clue.

 

This is a 4097 x 4097 PC IBM, 1 index and 16bit.
Now i've a doubt, maybe it's cause 4097 instead 4096 which is the max that TC2NP can use?

 

4096 isn't strictly the max it can use, but there might indeed be complications because of that. I'll have a closer look tomorrow.
Was that the corrupted file that loads as white for you?
Because I imported the raw just fine as 4097 - I saw in your vid you had a resolution of 4096 in your node painter? What did you do to get that resolution? Usually when you import it should take the exact measurements and load them, so you would end up with a 4097 like me, not 4096.
Also, if you load up any of the save files you made in the video (except texture) manually, do they end up as white?
What if you save the canvas as native or raw and immediately try to load the file again?

Besides that, I just finished the video, will upload tomorrow
Best regards,
Seneral

 

Ok, uploaded the video!
You notice I'm a bit tired from the exam, hope it doesn't annoy.

In this one I am showing how you can use the Multi-Format to set up a Splat Painter to overlay over your procedural texture for detailing.

Best regards,
Seneral

 

Thank you for the video, it's amazing, and not so complicated.

About my issue:
1 I guess you have to create a grid let's say 4x4
2 load the raw and scale it.4.01 on X and Y.
3 on the node where the raw file is loaded, add the TC2NP.
4 save, all.
5 quit Unity, reload,
that should be enough.

Once you've got the issue I guess, even play the level will reproduce the problem, and the only option is to load the texture 'cause the other option will gives the white texture.

Why I don't have the + sign? (I'm using TC 2.6)

 

sorry I dont have the time, in the middle of a game for Steam and other stuff. hehe. it takes a few to understand and set up. once you do it works awesome.

 

Did you really load the raw into the node and then added the painter?
From what I've seen, you loaded the raw in the painter.
Anyway, either way I couldn't reproduce it. This probably won't change, so I need you to answer my questions
1. If you save the canvas as native and immediately load it again, will it turn out white?
2. If that file from 1. DOES turn out white, please send it to me (native bytes).
3. Can you test the following native file? It is a 4097 canvas that loads fine for me.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bes32Xjig0Qjoxcs3h4gm_i8zIsqdr5S/view?usp=sharing
Hope we can resolve this for you. Since I followed your instructions closely and experimented myself it can only be a problem related to your setup, how unlikely that may be...

Regarding the missing button, that is a somewhat common TC2 bug... can't really tell why honestly, I usually try to reimport the TC2 folder...

Seneral

 

Ok, I've "discoveder" that my TC2 installation was messed up

Indeed after started a new project and re-download the TC2, the + sign is now present.
So I'll start from zero. Tonight...
In the meantime thank you

 

Another update, sorry for the multy-post.
After the last update (2.6) everything is working fine and smooth.
No more "white picture bug". (So, I guess the problem is get solved by itself)

I still work directly on the Raw as I show in the video 'cause i can't subtract from the height-map underneath, for example, if I wish to draw a river, I can't 'cause TC2NP let me just add terrain altitude, and only after, I can subtract from it.

That's 'cause we start from the black, so nothing can be less than 0
If in Modification I set height at a certain value, it could work but all terrain will pushed up by default and even in this case I'll never can get down more than the original HeightMap.

So the only way si to import a raw directly in TC2NP (I guess)

 

Cool, although a TC2 update should not be responsible for this... I'd very much like to blame another random Unity abnormality for it, but let's wait and see first
As for substracting, you correctly said that you can set a canvas base level to 0.5, this os correct, you just need to correct that offset in the assigned node itself. You can set the height/vertical offset on the node to negative half of the node height (= usually -500). That works great
Seneral

 

Ok I've a strange problem, on Color it is present the + sign just like in your video

I'm using TC 2.6


but no on Splats

 

Ah, now it makes sense, seems I didn't not make clear I created a layer group, not a normal layer...
You need to right click the plus button when you create a layer, which will make it a layer group, and only that can have child layers...
But the occasional TC2 bug with that exact button not being there (but the 'lines' to it) is real, so I confused it with that

 

Yea, not I've got it!
And that's also a really useful feature!

Thank you

 

Glad it works Yah agree, helps keeping things organized.

 

.. Ok it works fine, but 4096 scaled by 12 times, looks terrible... also 'cause I'm working with Cursor Size:0.001
I need to fine a different method

 

As I said, I don't recommend your setup
First, don't put the heightmap in a painter, but on normal nodes and use the painter to modify the underlying terrain (Remember: Set height to 0.5 and lower the node by half it's height). That also allows you to use local node painters, in other words, many small node painters that are fast, have a small footprint which you can quickly scale, move around, etc. Also, as currently when you finish a stroke, the whole canvas area is generated (in your setup, ALL terrain tiles), with a small canvas it is always only as much as you need.
Should be way more solid for large scale editing than trying to squeeze a whole multi-kilometer terrain in one painter
Might even make yet another tip video about such large scale editing...
Seneral

 

I'll create another scene so I'll test all testable methods
I wonder if there are any tips/advice about texture scaling, you know, smaller near the camera and bigger on far distance.

I bet it will be welcome by a bunch of people

 

Get a proper terrain shader, most advanced ones have it
RTP did it first I think (called UV Blend), does a great job, but is complex. For starters I would recommed MicroSplat, it is extremely efficient, and it's anti-tiling module supports this (called distance resampling).

 

Ok I need a tutorial for that too...
your Terrain Area require texture not shaders or materials, so should I model the terrain with TC2 and then use RTP for the textures?

 

No, you can specify a custom terrain terrain material in terrainArea directly, or each individual terrain if you wish so (just like with normal Unity Terrains). As for RTP, it's even easier, if TC2 detects RTP in your project, you just need to click the Add RTP button on TerrainArea and then you have the option to automatically assign height and normal maps for tesselation / global normal map. Pretty useful really