Chaos Enscape Ideas Portal
The online platform for Enscape users to submit, vote, and collaborate on creative suggestions.
The online platform for Enscape users to submit, vote, and collaborate on creative suggestions.
Title: Advanced “Fur Material” for Realistic Grass, Carpets, Fabrics, and Hair Effects
Description:
Enscape could greatly benefit from the introduction of a Fur Material System, similar to what exists in Lumion and V-Ray. This would allow users to create highly realistic grass, rugs, fabrics, and soft surfaces directly within Enscape’s real-time rendering environment — without relying on external displacement or geometry-based solutions that slow down performance.
1. Core Concept:
The “Fur” material simulates fine surface fibers by generating camera-facing micro-strands (billboards or procedural hair geometry) distributed across the surface of a mesh. Each strand reacts dynamically to lighting, shadows, and wind simulation.
2. Key Parameters:
To ensure control and optimization, the system could include adjustable sliders and texture slots such as:
Density: Number of fur strands per unit area.
Length: Base and variation control for strand height.
Thickness: Diameter of each strand (helps control softness or coarseness).
Color / Texture Map: Defines fur color using albedo or custom maps.
Normal / Roughness Map: To simulate surface reflection at the strand level.
Gravity: Defines direction and bend of strands.
Wind Influence: Connects with existing Enscape wind system for motion.
Specular Intensity: Controls glossiness and light scattering for realism.
Shadow Detail: Enables accurate shading and self-shadowing.
LOD System: Automatically reduces strand density with distance for performance.
The fur system could be integrated as a new material type or extension of “Grass” material, offering more flexibility:
✅ Material Type Option: Add “Fur” as a selectable category beside “Grass” and “Clearcoat.”
✅ Procedural Rendering: Generate fur dynamically at render time using GPU instancing or geometry shaders.
✅ Performance Optimization: Use screen-space density reduction and normal blending for distant surfaces.
✅ Compatibility: Support for texture-based masks to limit fur areas (ideal for rugs or partial coverage).
✅ Physics Integration: Optional tie-in with wind parameters already used by vegetation assets.
Carpets and Rugs → Realistic fibers reacting to light.
Fabrics and Upholstery → Velvet or soft furniture materials.
Animals / Characters → Short fur or hair simulation.
Nature Elements → Grass patches, moss, or organic surfaces.
Enhanced realism in interior and landscape renders.
Maintains Enscape’s real-time performance and simplicity.
Eliminates dependency on complex geometry-based solutions.
Bridges the gap between real-time and offline render quality.
Offers greater creative control for designers, architects, and visualization artists.
This feature would bring Enscape closer to the realism achieved in Lumion, Unreal Engine, and V-Ray, while preserving its ease of use and fast workflow. A lightweight, procedural “Fur Material System” would significantly elevate Enscape’s material realism, particularly for interior designers and landscape architects.
