Using the cycles experimental render engine, how do I use textures in nodes to create actual mesh geometry and not just bump?

Question

I'm trying to create displacement on actual mesh, not just bump, by using texture maps in nodes and the cycles experimental render engine. This is to create more controlled surface geometry using procedural textures than just using a displacement modifier directly on the mesh.

I run into two problems even with all the settings apparently correct, (i.e. material properties settings set to bump and displace):

1. When using nodes in cycles experimental render engine, the textures do not displace the actual mesh and only bump.

2. When using cycles experimental render engine, the object does not appear in rendering. In other words the object that is renderable using the same camera, visibility settings in Eevee render engine disappears with the only change being switching to Cycles Experimental render engine.

I am using an amd firepro w5100 graphics adapter.

I am wondering what is the likely user error here :-)

Hope this was more clear.

Thank you

Answer 1

Two reasons why your mesh is not displacing. 1= you have to give your mesh a subdivision modifier and set it to adaptive (Can be done only in experimental cycles mode) so you can have enough geometry for displacement. 2= Instead of adding a math node between your noise texture and displacement output, replace the math node with a displacement node. The color of your noise texture should first be plugged nto the factor of a color ramp node and the colour of the color ramp node into the height input of your displacement node. The scale input on the displacement node decides how heavily the mesh is displaced. Then connect the displacement node to your displacement output. Your mesh will be actually displaced now. Note: You have to foolow both the methods for real displacement to work. If you get really huge spikes on your mesh try reducing the scale on your displacement node. If it still doesn't work try subdividing your mesh in edit mode a lot of times and make sure to have adaptive subdivision on on your sudivision surface modifier.

Answer 2

Give your object a Subdivision Surface modifier.

Then turn on Adaptive Subdivision. (Make sure you're using the Experimental feature set in Cycles.)

Don't forget to have a Displacement node connected to the Displacement output of your node tree.

In your object's Material Settings (Properties Panel > Material tab > Settings > Surface) set Displacement to 'Displacement And Bump.'