Use Surface Filter as a component

I was wanting to make an FF filter that reproduced an effect I made using PaintShopPro and FF, but realized it is impossible because it required me to add effects after using FF's surface filter's lighting.
So my wish is that I could use the "surface filter" as a component (that has an output to further modify).


I did a search and maybe this (or a very similar) idea was mentioned earlier and I think the problem was that it would mess up 3D normal maps (I think(?) BTW, I don't know much about 3D art yet and only work in 2D). But if you don't create the normals map until the last result, I don't this as a big problem -- other than sometimes a filter using a "surface filter" as a component might look strange if used for a 3D texture. (But I don't think this would be *necessarily* always true -- as already with other components you are adjusting the light/dark parameters for certain effects.)
I think this could be pseudo-resolved by just having a note in the filter description that says, "This filter uses a 'lighting/surface filter' component" -- so 3D artists could realize some of the highlights will be already burned into the effect... (Again, I'm just guessing here that this was the concern...)


Anyway, that's my idea for now. And I suppose, it's not that big of a deal, since I can always further manipulate a "surface filter" using PSP. (It's just that I can't create an all-in-one filter and upload it to the library...)

Actually I was thinking of posting my comment in that thread, but some of it went over my head, so I thought it might be safer to just add a new thread to express my specific wish.
I'm sure I don't understand the problems involved, and I doubt I'm the typical FF user anyway. (So I hope this is just taken as an un-censored brainstorming idea -- with no expectations attached.)

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Kraellin wrote: or have the whole surface thing as a component that plugged into the results component...

That was the original idea. I scrapped it because I wanted to make this 'surface thing' easier to find. Currently it always sits at the top of the filter, and if it were a separate component it would be buried in the component list.

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and if it were a separate component it would be buried in the component list.

hmmm, what if you had it as a separate component, but had it plugged into the results component as a default? that might be a bit annoying to some, but at least it would be prominent.

the thing is, the way it is you cant plug it into just one part of your image and effects. i could easily see using this on just one leg of your component tree but not another, like use it on the foreground but not the background.

and, you can map things into it, but you cant use it to map into other things. i do see your conundrum though. it's such a huge effect module that to place it in the normal components list tends to invalidate its importance. maybe it could just be placed next to or above or below the results component in the editor but not plugged into it? this would give it a fair amount of significance.

ah, ok.