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Darkling
Simulations, makers of the DarkTree modular shader
system has released SimbiontTS
2.0. SimbiontTS is a set of shaders with an
interface specifically designed for Caligari's
trueSpace 5.
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108 shaders and 28 primitive procedurals
gathered in 7 material
libraries (MTLs).
| Library Name |
Items |
| Abstract |
9 |
| Bio+Eyes+Skin |
27 |
| Build+Interior |
20 |
| Metal+Techno |
21 |
| Nature+Space |
14 |
| ReflectanceShaders+Primitives |
28 |
| Stone+Wood |
17 |
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These shaders are generated for the surface as needed. They
are resolution independent, meaning that a surface will look
just as nice from a distance as it would close up. Your geometry
is likely to break up before the material surface quality
will. The material properties can affect all four shader channels
in tS and can be layered in various combinations to add almost
infinite subtle/intricate surface variations. The shaders
can also be animated (good for waves). They can be used alone
or combined with texture/bump maps. I did not try combining
them with other tS or third party procedural textures, though
the documentation says they can be. Using one of the primitive
surfaces in conjunction with a bitmap can really enhance an
object. The primitive surfaces can be loaded (individually
or combined) into the color, bump, and transparency channels.
Procedural shaders are intended for
use in renderings (still images or digital video), do not
use them for realtime interactive display (Viewpoint, Shockwave
3D, VRML, or X).
I come from a traditional art background,
so I am used to painting custom textures and applying them
to my objects. This can be as much work as the modeling and
lighting of a scene/object. Natural looking textures, with
nice chaos patterns can be a challenge to create by hand,
but this is a breeze. My eyes love to dance across these surfaces,
they are extremely tangible (in a virtual sense).
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The SimbiontTS 2.0 shader set has an excellent array for
all sorts of surfaces. Some textures are best suited for mechanical/architectural
objects, while others are more appropriate for organic/soft
objects. These procedurals can really tax your video card.
I am using a 64Mb GeForce2 MX 4000, at 1280x1024 (32bit) on
a 19" monitor, and a scene with 27 separate textures
took over 2 1/2 minutes to switch from accelerated wireframe
to a solid rendered workspace. Real-time solid display of
these textures can be misleading in trueSpace, so pre-render
to get an idea of what you've got.
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| Realtime D3D in trueSpace |
Rendered File |
The tabbed interface gives easy access
to the SimbiontTS controls, without cluttering up the workspace
with lots of windows. Version 1.0 had a separate dialog box
for each channel and a more limited access to the controls,
this a quite an improvement. The Tweaks (new in this version)
have a unique interface, color swatches can be edited with
a full color palette, or a click-drag in the color swatch
can change the H/S/V values easily (cutting down on the need
for more dialog boxes). Attributes are easily changed (colors,
uv, bump amplitude, random seeds), applied to objects and
saved in material libraries for future usage and/or sharing
with other users. Play with the various settings for a while
to get the hang of them.
The installation was clean simple.
I chose to locate tS during the install process, rather than
set it up manually later, an option for the more adventurous.
Most installation apps will auto locate the associated programs,
but this required a little hand holding. Once completed, I
was pleased to find that all the material libraries were properly
placed and ready to open and use.
The User Guide documentation is
presented in an HTML format. As expected, it covers the interface
and the various shaders' attributes. Personally, I don't mind
the electronic documentation, once digested, it doesn't add
to the piles on my desk. ;)
SimbiontTS 2.0 can load files created
by DarkTree 2.0 (.DTS, .DSTC, .DSTP, or .DSTB). These files
can be found for free, dig around on the Internet or ask a
friend with the full DarkTree 2.0 package to make some for
you.
| SimbiontTS 2.0 (108 shaders) |
| New |
FREE |
(less than
0¢ each) |
| Upgrade |
FREE |
(less than
0¢ each) |
The best news is the price, FREE (price change announced
at SIGGRAPH 2002). SimbiontTS 1 will not work with
trueSpace 5, but version 2 has been updated to provide access
to these wonderful textures.
An excellent addition/update to the tS toolbox. A nice set
"as is", but with the modifiers, the collection
can be quite vast.
 ---Mark
"Moonman" Dowman
02/19/02 (updated 08/13/02)
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