Issue with cc3+ new update and sheet effects

thatguy14

Hi Everyone,

I am having an issue with sheet effects in cc3+. This is a fresh install with the vintaryi cartographic collection installed (might be relevant but most likely not).

I started a new dungeon designer map. This is a large map. I have filled some stuff and was trying to create some hills. However, when I turn on sheet effects I am getting these holes in the fills that I am using. One fill is a solid color. The other fill is a bitmap that I am pretty sure comes with the base program.

When I zoom in or out, I get these holes in the fills (when they have sheet effects on). heres a link to two images showing this: http://imgur.com/a/NkwT4. I have also uploaded the cc3+ file. I have no clue what is causing this and have never seen it before. Nothing I am doing is complex. This is a completely fresh install of cc3+ with dd3 and cd3 and the newest update. Let me know if you need any more info.

Lorelei

Ah...that tends to happen when you apply the edge fade on a poly that is colored the same or very similar to the sheet below it. The fix for this is to create a "liner" sheet as i like to call it between the two matching colors - make this a solid color fill something very different from what you are working with. I've attached an example on your map - i added the sheet HILLS LINER SHEET - Viola! No artifact (we call this "acne", btw )

thatguy14

Ah okay that's an interesting one! I didn't know how to search for the issue but glad to know I'm not the only one who has experienced it. Acne is definitely a good term for that Thanks a lot!

thatguy14

I actually just tested this on my home computer which is running an older version (version 3.76). When I don't have the liner there it works fine. Is it something to do with the new update?

Lorelei

Ok...you know what? I think i am totally wrong here. I use a liner sheet when i bevel - there is an artifact that occurs then, too....not when i use the edge fade. And oddly, when i tested the map again and hid the liner page, i got no acne. Weird. hmmmm....i'm gonna let Remy or Dogtag help with this one. I really should just stick to making maps, and not trying to help, as i OBVIOUSLY have no idea what i am talking about - hahaha.

thatguy14

yea I think it might be related to the new update? Because that's the difference between the computer that has the issue and the one that doesn't

Dogtag

Lorelei lamented:Ok...you know what? I think i am totally wrong here. I use a liner sheet when i bevel - there is an artifact that occurs then, too....not when i use the edge fade. And oddly, when i tested the map again and hid the liner page, i got no acne. Weird. hmmmm....i'm gonna let Remy or Dogtag help with this one. I really should just stick to making maps, and not trying to help, as i OBVIOUSLY have no idea what i am talking about - hahaha.

Well, you may not know what you're talking about when you say you don't know what you're talking about, Lorelei.      I think you're right about what the problem is. The issue isn't necessarily limited to the Bevel effect. Edge Fade, Inner can cause problems too, and I'm betting other effects that play with the alpha (transparency) of the color can as well. The issue can manifest differently. With Bevel, you tend to get "pimples" or "dimples" and with Edge Fade you tend to get "holes" or "spots". And, it's possible the effect comes and goes depending on the zoom, refresh, or other circumstances, though I don't know for sure.

I can't say with certainty that this is the issue but I think it probably is, and not the update. I can tell you that when I opened thatguy14's map it on my system (v3.78), I saw the spots. And zooming in and out made the spots appear and disappear on and off. Changing the color of the top shape to a brown bitmap fill removed the spots for me. This is similar to adding a sheet between two similar colors.

Perhaps Monsen or jslayton can chime in with more certainty one way or the other.  

Cheers,
~Dogtag

Monsen

This is nothing new. The effect use changes in color between sheets to determine the edges of the entities on the sheet being processed. When it encounters places with the exact same colors as the prior sheet, it will see the neighboring changed pixels as an edge, and fade that area. However, when using bitmap fill with patterns, the position and visibility of these spots will vary between zoom levels, window size/screen resolution, and quality settings. Even if you don't seem them immediately on another computer, some zooming in/out should reveal them.

This can happen with any effect that modify edges of entities, such as bevels and fades.

Loopysue

Using a bevel with an edge fade is definitely quite interesting (which is why I only very rarely use that top down mountain technique), but a liner sheet usually cures the whole lot.

In my own experience this side effect is more common if you have a texture with a large tonal range (ie if the texture has a lot of very white or very black pixels in it.)