Making plants for terragen from scratch

[Dune]

It's best to resize in advance. Poseray does it as well. I sometimes import an obj, check it's size (landmark), open it in Poseray and resize accordingly, import again in TG. Poseray also does mapping in a crude but often useful way.

[TheBadger]

Thanks much, masonspappy, for the how to!
Thanks Dune for the incite into using poser, I need to look into that one now.

OK, so I managed to get color and texture on my model! A great first step for me.
But I clearly have a lot to learn. My model looks very smooth (no bump), and my image textures are really streched and oversized.

[TheBadger]

Hi,

Is it possible to add a fractal to my models that will make them look wet? There is a thread http://www.planetside.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=226.0 that discusses adding snow to trees. I'm guessing that it is therefor possible to add a wet look to other kinds of models, from within TG2.

If so how?

[Dune]

No problem, you can make really slimy shrooms if you like. I did some experimenting just now......

[masonspappy]

hmmmm... if you could brown the bottom you'd sorta have a dumping.

[Oshyan]

For a "wet" look just add a reflective shader.

- Oshyan

[TheBadger]

Thanks Dune. Pretty fun example. It be even funner if you could get that slime to drip off the object. I think having some of the mushrooms slimy is a good idea!

Thanks Oshyan. The easier the better.

[Dune]

Well, just reflective is enough of course; I elaborated a little. You could make the drippings I suppose by redirecting Y down with a white node (constant color, whatever), blended by the drips fractal.

EDIT: it works, but you need to take the fractal carefully for soft drips

[TheBadger]

HA! Nice one dune. Now solve the global economic problem. I think my last challenge was to simple for you

[Dune]

No problem, TheBadger, I'll throw some blue nodes at it 

[TheBadger]

Hey guys, Thanks for the input on this. I have made a lot of progress in learning how to model using Hexagon2. After looking at sculptris and mudbox, and then some other free modelers. It turns out that Hexagon is a great little program, and its still free! I highly recomend it to everyone. Hey, if I can use it, imagene what someone who knows what they are doing can acomplish

I hope to have an image finished for you guys to crit, soon.

In the meantime, I have this rather broad questions about HDR in modeling for TG2... But first can anyone point me to some reading on using HDRI(s) for modeling, and any relevant threads as HDR relates to TG2 (in put, not out)

Thanks!

[TheBadger]

Last question on this (plus above questions still)

Can I bring a PTEX object into terragen2, or will I be able to in the near future?

[jaf]

I like using Lightwave, since I can build to scale.  I run it through Poseray to check my geometry which is good for catching problems with normals and consolidating the geometry and any images.

Here's my first attempt of a palm tree I can see out my window.

[TheBadger]

Nice lookinf stuff, Jaf.

I have a lot of problems with mapping (unfolding) But I have managed to get some good looking stuff anyway.
I like the idea of PTEX painting a lot! But I don't want to learn it, and make a great model that I wont be able to render.

[rcallicotte]

Very nice, Jaf.

Nice thread.