Indigo Renderer Forum

Hi guys!

I've had this idea for a while now, but i started to script it on the weekend. It's a small scattering tool for Indigo that scatters a model over the surface of another model. It is similar to 3ds Max scatter except that it uses Indigo instances. The actual scattering is created during the export process so there is no heavy geometry in the max viewports. You can also have multiple "layers" of different objects on one model.
I think it could be useful for making carpets and stuff like that. It can't cover very large areas though, but I got quite good results using it on 10x10 meter square. So i guess it can be used for doing grass for very small areas.

There is no user interface yet. I'm thinking, that maybe i'll integrate it into Maxigo some day...as a modifier or something like that.

Here is a quick grass test (rendered in Indigo of course). There are 2 "layers" scattered on to a plane. One is a weed model and other is flower.

wonderfull idea!!!!!!!
thaks suvakas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
filippo

it's going to be interesting thing
are indigo colored flowers also full geometry or sprites?

BTW...
nice to see you again here

Let's steal that for Blendigo, stat.

wow! great!
@zsouthboy: lol, I kinda thought the same^^
but in a bit different nuance:
suv, learn python and script it

That's awesome, suv! I had the same idea for SketchUp/Indigo but haven't got around to working on it yet. Great work!

Whaat

Great result!
By the way, there is a script in my collection already, that does the same thing, if I'm not mistaken.
I share it here.

Thanks!

@sth
Everything is geometry. No alpha maps.

I added texture support. Scattered models can now get their color from ground. Should be good for making carpets. Exporting time is a bit longer when using a texture though.

Some tests of different carpet types...

O_O

You made some kind of super micro poly displacement!

OnoSendai wrote:O_O

You made some kind of super micro poly displacement!

It kind of reminds displacement indeed though.

O.o GREAT FUR!!

suvakas wrote: I added texture support. Scattered models can now get their color from ground.

Simply awesome!

But...how??? Do you have to create a different Indigo material for each color of the texture map at export time? How do you extract the color of the texture and apply it to the scattered model? I am guessing there are some Maxcript functions that can help you out here.

... or do you UV-map the fur, as if it was a single plane, which gives the correctly coloured effect?...

Whaat wrote: But...how??? Do you have to create a different Indigo material for each color of the texture map at export time? How do you extract the color of the texture and apply it to the scattered model? I am guessing there are some Maxcript functions that can help you out here.

If I place an object on to the surface model, then I'm storing the UV coordinates of surface from that exact spot and then I'm geting the pixel color of texture bitmap according to those UV coords.
When i have the pixel color, then I'm creating an indigo material with that color.
In short it is just tracking UV vertex back to bitmap pixel.

that means, it's diffuse, only - right?