anyone know of a way to use the material nodes to blur textures? I know it can be accomplished in the render nodes, but for my specific problem that means duplicate objects on different layers with different materials…a real pain when it comes to animating. If there was a way to do this in the mat nodes it would simplify things for me four fold.
-Trev
If you’re using image files, just turn the filter parameter way up. If you’re trying to blur reflections, use env mapping instead of raytracing and use low map resolutions.
good tips, thanks. That’s not going to work for my particular problem, but it’s something in ever thought of to keep in mind. What i’m doing is using a depth map of an object generated by the new transmisivity filter in the transp raytracing panel to drive a blur function on a transperent material to basically blur any objects seen through the geometry based on how thick the object is. The thicker areas show up darker than the thin areas and so get blurred more. It works great in the node editor, and is basically an addition I wanted to make to the current SSS solutions but right now the only way to do it is having duplicate meshes with the transmissive and trasnperent mats on different render layers and comp it in the node editor. If the blur function was available in the mat nodes the whole thing could be implimented in one texture without needing to duplicate the mesh onto layers and comp it in the render nodes.
Sorry. I don’t think there is. Maybe in the future?
you could make one renderlayer that does NOT include the lens, get the Z map from that, run it through the new blur node, and then composite the blurred image with the lens (which is rendered through another renderlayer.)
HOWEVER, you know that Blender does refract, so just make your lens (geometry) transparent, and Blender will distort/blur the objects just like real life.
Z and thickness of things are not known or are irrelevant in materials. It is only relevant when the camera takes a picture and Blender renders.
in fact, with the new Displace node, you dont even need a lens/geometry, just a mask that mimics a lens. see http://mediawiki.blender.org/index.php/Manual/Compositing_Nodes_Distort