Uses for the gradient node

[gordonrobb]

Can anyone show me any examples of what the gradient node is any good for. I've been waiting for some time for it to arrive in the LW plugin, and now that it's here, it's not what I thought it would be. Seems just like some overly complex way of blending textures using another texture.

Any help/ideas/pointers would be much apprecieated.

[acc24ex]

try using gradient mixed with dirt and colour to test it out - like a mix node

[roeland]

Seems just like some overly complex way of blending textures using another texture.

You can indeed describe it like this. It works a bit like the curves tool in Photoshop. You define a series of control points on the curve, and then this curve is used to map the input texture value to the output value.

--
Roeland

[FrankPooleFloating]

I think that I, much like gordon, was expecting something very different than what the gradients in SDK brought. I'm finding that if what I want to do is actually possible, I'd likely need to jump thru so many hoops, it would be tons easier just making custom opacity maps in PS and using that instead - just as I have, since using Octane in LW. I appreciate the efforts of Octane Team and Juanjo, but if I can't do things like quickly make a gradient to apply to something based on distance from pivot/origin along a given axis, I will have little or no use for this.. unless I am enlightened to all kinds of goodies that gradients can otherwise be used for...

[gordonrobb]

What I was more looking for us some examples people might have of it in use.