Aurora

[Dune]

One things leads to another... first iteration.

[Gannaingh]

Nice! Did you use to separate cloud layers to get the color gradient in the aurora, or have you discovered some new form of terragen wizardry? Nice work all around!

[Tangled-Universe]

Very creative Ulco, nice work!

Nice! Did you use to separate cloud layers to get the color gradient in the aurora, or have you discovered some new form of terragen wizardry? Nice work all around!

Could be a cloudfractal stretched on the Y-axis or a fractal stretched on the Y-axis which acts as "final density modulator". Perhaps could be even both together.
At least, that's what I think what's going on here.

Cheers,
Martin

[FrankB]

...bet you have gotten there the following way (as in "one thing leads to another).
You've been playing with Matt's light beam technique, and figured if you make the beam narrow enough, but the cloud tall enough, plus add distortion to "bend the beam to and fro", you'll almost have a convincing AB.
Then the comment about the clouds ambient parameter also helped in making the cloud appear "shining" despite low direct light.... how close am I? ;-)

I'm writing this because I was actually doing the same :-D

[Dune]

No, I haven't pursued Matt's lightbeam (but it's a nice thought). I was actually trying to make interstellar nebulae, frustrated from my background huge fractal efforts (too hard), and was trying 'ordinary' soft cloud formations. They reminded me of AB, so I pursued this further. They are indeed stretched Y's (one large PF blended by a smaller one + a color adjust), but only the main input. I didn't use the final density (I might still, for added effect). The ambient comment helped indeed, but when upping it too much you get more grain so I kept it minimal.
With Matt's idea of functions as input, you can achieve interesting effects, I'm sure. Well, you showed it. I did a quicky yesterday (see attached), but I'm not good at functions so it'll be trial and error.

@Darthvader1: Indeed, two layers, only just different.

[Dune]

Thanks to NASA for their astronaut. He's enjoying his interstellar spectacle (but lost his ship).

[Dune]

and another view...

[Oshyan]

Very cool stuff. I love the harsh space lighting and rocky surface, as well as the nebula/aurora/whatever in the sky.

- Oshyan

[FrankB]

very cool thread, indeed!

[choronr]

Only twice have I seen these atmospheric beauties back in Chicago some years ago. Your work here is always so interesting and unique ...good one Ulco.

[microwar]

Grown up with the aurora over my head, and i think the first one is the closest one so far.
Need the green shining light, and more the upside down spectrum analyser shape.

Nb! I live north of the artic circle.

[Dune]

Thanks, microwar. Must be cold up there! What do you mean by the upside down analyzer shape?

[microwar]

Here is one where you can see the effect.
http://vimeo.com/15510638

Some more videos of it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7kqueltv00&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zlk3RmL7NHE&feature=channel
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap101124.html


Even Saturn has the effect
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AmyfuJDMlY&feature=related

Did not find the one that realy shows the effect.
Think bbc did one, not the one with the chick, but a slow paning one that lasted all night.
Only remember it was not on youtube when i saw it first.

Found some images.
http://www-istp.gsfc.nasa.gov/istp/outreach/auroras.html

[Redwolf]

done this a year ago, i have not tried it with the new cloud localisation

[dandelO]

I like the first one a lot, Ulco.
You could probably get a nice bit of colour variation in a single cloud layer by using the various colour settings found in the main cloud node.

Just a nasty example here but I used a single layer for a few of this type of test images;

[attachimg=#]

[attachimg=#]

The first one's cloud ambient colour is blue, the envirolight colour is pink. The second one is just the reverse of that. The main cloud colour is default grey in both. They're not pretty but still, there's plenty of options to use different colours in a single layer. I didn't change the cloud colour or scattering colour at all but still, there'd be more options to do so with those, too, I'd think.