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I'm experimenting with some procedural surfaces and I have a particle system on it. The problem is that, even though I'm using material displacement, the particles lie flat on the mesh.

Is there a way to get them to follow the displacement?

I have tried baking the displacement and applying it as modifier but it didn't work, because the baked map was very imprecise.

I will also have the same problem with a fluid simulation, I think.

Screenshot 1

Screenshot 2

Screenshot 3

EDIT: the baked map is clamped, even though it shows correctly in viewport

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    $\begingroup$ How are you doing the displacement? $\endgroup$
    – user1853
    Nov 25, 2017 at 16:31
  • $\begingroup$ A have node setup in displacement input of material output node $\endgroup$
    – Johan Apes
    Nov 25, 2017 at 23:03
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    $\begingroup$ My guess is that, given the "experimental" nature of the displaement as part of the material, you might be better off doing the displacement with a displace modifier $\endgroup$
    – user1853
    Nov 25, 2017 at 23:43
  • $\begingroup$ You're right, but then i have another problem with my displacement texture for the modifier, because if i bake the one from the materials all the values are clamped, even though they show properly in the viewport. I will upload the screenshot $\endgroup$
    – Johan Apes
    Nov 25, 2017 at 23:54
  • $\begingroup$ A link to learn how to get a texture out of geometry ! youtube.com/watch?v=arvhK4tvYuY&t=75s $\endgroup$
    – Tom Kuntz
    Jul 12, 2021 at 15:30

4 Answers 4

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This addon can do it. Only for UV coordinates materials.

enter image description here

https://blenderartists.org/t/atool/1267349

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Also make sure you checked "Use Modifier Stack" in particle settings Use_modifiere_stack

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    $\begingroup$ This method doesnt use displacement modifier but displacement node $\endgroup$
    – Johan Apes
    Aug 7, 2018 at 15:06
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"I have tried baking the displacement and applying it as modifier but it didn't work, because the baked map was very imprecise."

You indeed need to bake the node displacement as an image (probably a UV mapped image). If it is imprecise, it is because you used insufficient bit depth or saved as a .jpg (imprecise in depth) or because you used insufficient resolution on the image (imprecise in XY.)

For baking displacement maps, I would recommend checking out Johan Apes answer at Is it possible to make Particles follow Displacement Node? . Baking depth maps is also dealt with elsewhere on Blender Stack Exchange (many times) as well as elsewhere.

When worried about precision, I would recommend baking a depth map as a floating point, non-color image, and saving as .exr to preserve both the bit depth and values outside of the 0,1 range.

Swapping in a displacement modifier for nodes displacement is mostly straight-forward. For the values you're showing, you would need only to specify the texture image to be used and change the coordinates to UV. Modifier "Strength" corresponds to Scale and Midlevel corresponds to Midlevel. The Height from the Displacement node is what you're baking into the image.

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I think this may be a problem caused by the order of your modifiers.

Select your displacement mesh and look at the modifiers tab. All the particle systems should be at the bottom, below the displacement. If they are above the displacement, they will work off the flat mesh not the modified mesh.

This is the order you should have:

enter image description here

I hope this helps! Regards, C.

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    $\begingroup$ Thanks, but I'm not using displace modifier but true displacement, the experimental feature $\endgroup$
    – Johan Apes
    Dec 15, 2017 at 9:40

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