export greyscale heightfield terrain? I get incomplete colour images

[anicg]

When I use heightfield output I get colour images. Heightfield images are greyscale values (white high, black low, greys in between). But why do I get coloured images when I export a png.
How do I get the full terrain, because for now I only parts (height, sediment…) spread in colour channels, where is full the terrain in greyscale? like the whole thing?
 

[evanrudefx]

Hey,

I believe it works best to save a different image for each plane. I would set height for red, green, and blue. I would set format to RGB and ignore alpha. I would also set it to auto remap.

hope this helps--

[Atom]

Try settings like these.

[anicg]

15 minutes ago, ejr32123 said:

Hey,

I believe it works best to save a different image for each plane. I would set height for red, green, and blue. I would set format to RGB and ignore alpha. I would also set it to auto remap.

hope this helps--

Does Houdini, yes or no, export the full terrain? I think this maybe the paramount difference between Houdini and [WM, Vue, Terragen...]

Because I have seen the sidefx video on H17 terrains in detail, and I've seen that story of red blue green... and he hasn't given me the impression Houdini can export an image of the full terrain.

So is it only in pieces? and how do I bring these pieces together? Why wouldn't Houdini have the full terrain exported?

[evanrudefx]

the heightfield plane will provide a map to displace your terrain as it looks in houdini. I use the other maps-debris, flow, etc for shading. For instance, I might want grass or snow in the debris areas. 

[anicg]

23 minutes ago, Atom said:

Try settings like these.

 

Ok these are the parameters. IT WORKS. MANY THANKS to both of you.

[anicg]

It is solved, thanks again to both of you.

I just would like to know what do people do with the exr's? 

I use the obj for clarisse, the png/tif for Vue/Terragen, but the colourful exr, what use does it have? am I missing something?

Edited December 6, 2018 by anicg

[evanrudefx]

You can save out different planes to different channels, RGBA but I don't believe you would actually use all the channels at once. For instance, if you have height saved to red channel, use the red channel for height. If you have debris mapped to blue channel, use that for adding shading to debris. I don't do this, typically. I just export a different image for each plane (as opposed to saving in different channels). Sometimes I have more planes than would fit in RGBA anyway. Slump, mesa,height,water,flow,mask, etc.

Edited December 6, 2018 by ejr32123

[anicg]

Thanks, i meant the colour image. Heightfields are greyscale, why colour?

Edited December 6, 2018 by anicg

[evanrudefx]

4 minutes ago, anicg said:

Thanks, i meant the colour image. Heightfields are greyscale, why colour?

Its colored because you are viewing RGB together. you can see the individual channels are greyscale. If you view only the red channel it will be greyscale

Edited December 6, 2018 by ejr32123

[evanrudefx]

as I said, the photo you are looking at is all of them combined

Edited December 6, 2018 by ejr32123