noie stack

Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Noise Stack Operations in Terraform Add-on

1. Introduction

This document outlines the procedures and key aspects of working with the Noise Stack in the Terraform add-on. The Noise Stack is a crucial component for terrain manipulation, allowing for non-destructive editing and flexibility in terrain creation.

2. Layer Management

• Ghost Icons:

  • Located in the stack window, these icons are used to hide or unhide layers.

  • Hiding layers allows users to preview changes without permanently altering the mesh.

3. Non-Destructive Workflow

• Terraform is designed to be non-destructive:

  • All operations on the layers, such as adding, editing, or deleting, are reversible.

  • A buffer memory tracks all changes from the start, ensuring that no operation is permanent.

  • Users can modify parameters without reaching a "point of no return."

4. Noise Modifiers

• Global Application:

  • Noise Modifiers affect the entire Noise Stack rather than individual layers.

  • These modifiers process the terrain after the noise layers are composited, offering basic yet useful functions.

• Types of Noise Modifiers:

  • Warping: Includes domain warping, turbulence warping, and swirl warping, each utilizing different algorithms for coordinate warping.

  • Filter Warp:

    • Displaces vertices using common image editing filters (e.g., Gaussian blur).

    • Treats the terrain as a height map image and applies convolution-based filters.

5. Compositing and Stamping

• Stamp Functionality:

  • Stamps are designed with borders that lower to zero, enabling seamless blending into existing terrains.

  • This is intentional to prevent visible seams at the edges of the terrain grid.

• Multiplication Operation:

  • Currently, noise layers are composited using multiplication.

  • Any area with a zero value will remain zero, even if other noise layers exist beneath it.

  • Future updates may include options for different compositing methods (e.g., addition, screen).

6. Conclusion

• The Noise Stack provides extensive control over terrain manipulation with a focus on non-destructive editing.

• Users should be aware of the current limitations of the multiplication operation in compositing noise layers.

• Further tutorials and updates will cover additional features, such as the modifier stack.