Moho Forum

I think the scripting abilities of MOHO are really cool, but I wonder if it would be possible to apply scripts as shaders.

For instance.. just how there are "shading" and "soft edge" shaders which modify the fill or outline, you could select a scripted shader, which could do something new that a user (like me) could create..

What say ye?

Describe whtcha looking for a little better, please. It's more in the specifics.You can access pretty much all of the layer property values, so, for example, you could key the layer blur to the layer depth, and stuff like that. One of the things I'd like to see would would be the ability to change the settings of a Style on the fly. Haven't been able to figure that one out, and I don't think you can now. But that seems to me that it would let me do things like desaturating the color of objects as the layer gets farther away, and stuff like that. 'Course, you can't have the same style at multiple depths, but as long as you don't have styles asigned to multiple characters, no problem.

Okay, I got a little OT there. But the basic problem I have is that the easiest way to make those kind of effects (IMO) is through the styles, and the scripting interface doesn't let you there.

7feet wrote:seems to me that it would let me do things like desaturating the color of objects as the layer gets farther away, and stuff like that.

...WOW! I always have wanted "fogging" in Moho and I can't avoid are thinking in 7feet proporsal... I don't know, but maybe you must think in other way to get this, in example, a several masking groups (one for each plane of depth) that contains sub-layers according with his Z position, and in the top of each masking gropup, a white (i.e) layer that change his opacity depending of the group distance of the camera... much more complicated, I suppose, but without the problem of the styles that you said... I don't know if this is reasonable and more ideas will be welcomed! CIAO!

A DISCOVERY! Just forget the previous pourpose! Forget all that mess of maskings groups, please, I don't know what I had saying...

Now here I go: 7FEET! I get it! Another idea ...A most simple way! Listen to me, this is the trick "First, I thought that the maximun Offset in Layer Shading Effect was 1024 and cause of this I rule out this possibility, but seems that (like in other cases) this is a "virtual" Moho limitation..." Well, what about a Embedded Script that raise this value to a very high level (2048, 4096, 8192, 16384... or even better a figure in consonance with the distance...) for make the effect can cover any shape in the layer tinting it with a variable semi-transparent color in consonace of the distance with camera? With this, each layer can be in any Z position and it would be tinted with total liberty (without groups limitation). Plus, I've beem making experiments and, if you don't use blur (that is not necessary), this technique almost don't affect to render times! (even with VERY high Offset values ) neither previews for obvious reasons... I don't know if I get explain propertly, and maybe when you read this it can seem to you a very complicated thing (or not), but I think that can be a very simple solution... Only bear a few things in mind, Shading Offset value (even could not be necessary) and Color/alfa Value (and maybe direction, but I think neither) in consonance with camera distance... Uf, that's all... WHAT DO YOU THINK?

So 7feet is the scriptmaster here?
Oh pleasy pleasy please please make us some scripts!

I forgot about this one for a bit, Ramón, and it took me a bit to figure out exactly what you meant. But I think it might be better as a menu script that you run before you render that sets the layer shading color. Otherwise you wouldn't be able to use much in the way of any other embedded scripts. But I like that idea, I'll probably give it a whirl. Combined with the Depth of Field that would probably look pretty damn cool.

HELLO again 7feet! I'm happy that finally it attract your attention I've been thinking in another ideas, like you say, relationated with camera aspects... I thought in embedded script because is the one way (I think) to block this parameter and make Shading Offset changes dinamically, I mean, if you make a normal key frame change to set this parameter (i.e.) at "16384" if then you open a Layer Properties window and pres OK (in any tab) the Shading Offset come back automatically to the 1024 maximun value at current frame, and this could be a little mess... Another reason is, of course the possibility of can see the results at any point in your render, anywhere the camera be situated (even ANIMATED), makeing test in the most easy and quick way...

7feet wrote:Otherwise you wouldn't be able to use much in the way of any other embedded scripts.

Yes, I've thought about this, but is very easy merge embeded scripts codes in only one *.lua file to get that several embedded scripts works fine (even for me! ) for the same layer... anyway, I know that this could be a mess too and had thinking in another solution based in groups, all layers that be (more or less) at the same depth, grouped in the Group Layer that contains the embeded script... in this way, all the sub-layers could contain his own embeded scripts... ejem...

The another thing is something that I have had in mind since Moho 5 was released... It's about Depth of Field issue, I always have wished animate this effect but actually is an impossible thing... In fact I never use it because if you move your camera (or even, cause is a Origin based effect (...bug?), if you translate the layers in X or Y axis ) the objects are blurred without any possible control about it... (frustraiting ) Well, I don't know if now Lua interface could have acces to Depth Of Field parameters to base it dinamically in the distance/depth of the certain empty layer called (i.e.) "CameraTarget", if this could be possible you only should move that CameraTarget layer to the desired focused distance in the space along the time! And maybe, changing the Blur Parameter of this Target layer control too the level of Max Blur Radious... Well, and if this could not be possible, another option can be change the Blur Radius of the affected layers in the same way as the Fogging script of avobe... ... ...Uf... I think that I have reached the maximun number of words that I can write in English in the same day... I think I'm becoming in a "guiri" just now SORRYento... ADIOS!