Smoothstep Function!

[kmcall2]

Hi,
Ive been using the smoothstep function quite alot lately and have a reasonably good understanding of what it does, but I am still not a hundred percent sure how it works, especially how the 3 floating numbers that you put in work (smoothstep(#,#,#)). I have read the maya documentation, but its very technical, so please can someone just breakdown smoothstep for me. Thanks.
Loked

[thedunadan]

I think everything is explained in this article in good detail

http://www.cubic.org/~submissive/sourcerer/hermite.htm

[kmcall2]

Thanks, but thats even more technical than the Maya Documentation. I was asking for a simpler explanation.

[gasman00]

Yo Loked...
This is how I will break the smoothStep function down for you:
It's cool and simple, basically you are testing to see if parameter 3 is between the first two parameters (Min and Max values). The function returns a value between 0 and 1, depending where the 3rd# is between the 2MinMax#s.
The graph of the return value is a type of spline curve that eases in from 0 and then eases out to 1. To get an exact picture of the graph that represents the functions return values. Open up a graph editor, plot a 2 keys one at 0 and the other at 1, and flatten them so that the slope of the graph at the keys is 0.
The function returns a smooth interpolation while linstep returns a straight linear interpolation (of a value between 0 and 1, as well).

Let me give you an example:

opacityPP = 1- smoothstep(0, particle1.lifespanPP, particle1.age);

Hope this answered your question.
Peace,

[kmcall2]

Thanks alot,
I understand it now. So I guess its not that complicated. Thanks again.

[rivard]

The Maya help-files are very dry indeed, but you just need to re-read the stuff through a couple of times for it to make sense... Personally when it doesn't make sense I get off the computer, grab a cup of tea, ramdomly yell at one of my flatmates, and then when I come back it all makes much more sense... It's a bit like maths at school, you don't want your crazy maths teacher to ask you that question and not know the answer, so you just read and read until it sticks!
I'm sure this will come until the point it all seems simple.