How to? Overlapping roots

[gestoryscht]

Hi guys,
I am pretty new to Substance Designer and actually I want to create a jungle ground/root texture. Everything else is pretty 'easy' to achieve, but I have big problems with the root part - to be more precise, with the overlapping part.

This is what I want to achieve:


by Daniel Thiger

How do I make the overlapping part?
My first thought was it to do it with a simple blend. Obviously this doesn't work with screen, add, lighten etc because you will always see the underlaying root and I want a perfect overlapping blend. Copy is the same, but now with harsh lines.
Then I thought I could darken the bottom and lighten the top root, where the intersection is, up, but this looks very wrong and you can see always seams.

How do you achieve this kind of effect?
 
The closest I can get, is this here and as you can see ... well.



The blend is okaish, but you see the seams :/

I hope you can help me - thanks and have a great day!

EDIT: I think I have found a way, but this isnt't very stable I think. By lowering the range of the underlaying root, I have more space to add the values but this doesn't work everytime.

[luc.chamerlat.allegorithmic]

Hi,

I think the Height Blend node will fit your needs (+ you will have a mask output as well).





Hope it helps 

[gestoryscht]

Hi, thanks for the fast answer and this helps ~ in some kind.
I know this node, too - but I have a problem with the outcome.
The bottom root is still in the inside of the upper root and I think in reallife roots won't penetrate eachother like this - or am I wrong?

But I got a idea. I try to combine your method and mine and maybe I can get a better result.

Anyway - thanks!
I'll try it out now.

[Kyle Steward]

Do you have a Substance Source point? You can get the SBS file on there. That will be a great way to learn Daniel's tricks.

[gestoryscht]

Searched for it after your tip and yep, that's exactly the file I was reffering to, but no. I have no points at all. As a student I can't afford the subscription - so this is no option actually.

EDIT: Okay, I have found a way to blend these guys and it is in retrospective, pretty obvious. Actually I want the height of the underlayin root, but not the surface structure. So what we can do is, to blur the underlaying roots, where the intersection is going on. That way we have all of the heigt information and we can stack the roots perfectly.

I think Daniel Thiger used this technique, too. I've read in the past about it and I think I can remember his name in this case.
Here what it looks like now.



Thanks for your help!

[Kyle Steward]

Lookin' solid! I just remembered he had a presentation walking through that specific material as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNwtc-OeGQ0&t=447s