Geometry Layers

What is Layer Data?

The "Layer Data" tab is where you can perform basic manipulations on a specific layer's geometry. This section contains "core controls" that are essential for fully controlling the layer's behavior (although this does not include its interaction with other layers).

Within this tab, you can adjust the layer's height values, noise types, noise sub-types, and transform values for location, rotation, and scale. Additionally, advanced controls are available for making more precise adjustments to the sub-noise values of the geometry. These controls are not necessary and are hidden by default, but provide greater flexibility for generating specific results.

It is important to note that not all layer types have the same controls. For example, a Noise layer has more controls available in this section than a Heightmap layer. Group layers, on the other hand, only have transform controls that apply to all layers within the group.

Notice: These controls may change over time. Please make sure you're on the latest version of the tool to ensure what you see in these docs are what is available in the addon. If we've missed something from these docs, please use the feedback form at the bottom to advise of the changes we must make. Thank you.

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Group

The Group layer is a layer that contains other layers. Any transforms, blending, or modifiers applied to a group layer will apply to all layers inside the group layer.

The ROOT layer is also a group layer. Clicking the [...] at the far left of the layer list's breadcrumbs you'll be take to the top most level where you can acces the ROOT layer and apply modifiers to the entire terrain. No other layers allowed on this root level, nor can you move or remove the ROOT layer.

Noise Data

Noise Basics

Height Multiplier

This value will change the height intensity/strength. This will NOT move the height upward only; it's designed to multiply the lowest and highest values, meaning if a value is above 0 then it will positively increase, if a value is below 0 it will negatively decrease. Bear this in mind if you wish for no value to go below 0.

Midlevel

This value adjust the "mid-level" (0 point in 3d space on the Z axis). Increasing this value will move the mesh higher, and drecreasing this value will move the mesh lower. The main use-case for this is to re-adjust the terrain if you wish to have one layer at a different midlevel to another.

Seed

This value goes between 0 to ± and will provide a totally random noise value. This is useful if you wish to quickly try out different shapes.

Scale

When you adjust the "scale", the noise pattern changes. This is because random values are added to the coordinates of a surface to create noise patterns.

Altering the scale impacts the spacing between the noise values by adjusting the virtual size of the surface. Decreasing the scale causes the noise to appear more spread out, while increasing the scale makes it more compact.

Additionally, it's important to note that changing the scale may affect the terrain's overall appearance. Thus, it's recommended to experiment with different settings to achieve the desired outcome.

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Detail

Detail in the context of noise textures typically refers to the level of complexity or intricacy in the generated texture. Higher detail levels generally mean more small-scale variations and more complex patterns.In some noise functions, this might be controlled by the "octaves" parameter, where more octaves lead to more detail.

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Roughness

Roughness controls the amplitude of the smaller detail. With higher roughness, the texture will have more contrast and appear more chaotic. Lower roughness values will make the texture smoother and more blended.This is often controlled by a parameter called "persistence" in many noise functions. Roughness is also a key property in physically based rendering (PBR) materials, controlling how rough or smooth a surface appears, which in turn affects how it reflects light.

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Distortion

Distortion refers to the warping or twisting of the noise pattern. Adding distortion can create more organic or unpredictable patterns, which can be useful for creating natural-looking textures like rock surfaces or turbulent water.Distortion is often achieved by using one noise function to warp the coordinates used by another, which can give a more natural, organic appearance to the result.

Noise Types

These are visualisations of the main noise function. Not the Sub-noise options

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Height Map

Opacity

How much this layer is visible

Image

Choose an image already opened in Blender to displace the terrain. Start typing to search for an image. See Height Map Picker to use installed height maps.

Height Map Picker

To select a height map installed in True-Terrain 5, access the Image picker and click on the square located to the far right. This action will prompt a popup window to appear, enabling you to choose from the available height maps currently installed in the system.

Extension

How the image is extrapolated past its original bounds

- Repeat: Repeat the image horizontally and vertically (tiling).

- Extend: Extend the image by repeating the pixels on its edges.

- Clip: Clip to the original image size and set all the exterior pixels values to transparent black.

- Mirror: Repeatedly flip the image horizontally and vertically.

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