Thomas de Groot <tho### [at] degrootorg> wrote:
> Op 7-10-2023 om 23:12 schreef Samuel B.:
> > It looks a bit improved (or maybe just different), but I still see artifacts
> > characteristic of an 8-bit height map. The problem is that you can't add any
> > in-between elevations you didn't originally create... so, while the new image
> > might be a higher bit-depth, it will still contain the same stair-stepping
> > produced by the original 8-bits-per-channel image. [...]
> >
> Right. I see what you mean (although I don't really see the "shaggies"
> but you probably have a better screen, and better eyes, than I have ;-) ).

In the images you posted, I can't see individual height_field 'pixels,' but what
I do see is diffuse light being reflected only at certain angles, similar to a
'toon shader. It's a general lack of smoothness that the smooth keyword can't
touch... It's the same thing I've seen with free height maps found online.

> > I don't know exactly what your goals are, but can some things be done using
> > pigment maps and/or functions?
> >
> Basically, I use the image_map within a height_field function, more or
> less warped, and then sheared using a matrix.

Ah, ok. There are ways of ditching the matrix shears and doing everything
entirely with functions, but it would require somewhat extensive changes to the
code. And the result would not be the same :/

> I attach in p.b.s-f a zip containing a simplified scene file + the
> height_field image_map.
>
> --
> Thomas

I downloaded and rendered the scene. The result looks a lot smoother than the
images you posted... Did you use a dilate operation on the height_map? It seems
to have worked pretty well!

Sam

Btw, 'CamZoom' doesn't seem to do anything. Changing the camera's angle to this
makes it work: CamAng/CamZoom

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