Planet Surfacing Study

[nvseal]

As a spin off from my procedural clouds test, I've done some testing with surfacing planets. Originally the idea comes from rendering close up shots of the clouds. What I'm trying to do is make better looking planets than the planet shader can provide which produce realistic detail for renders of the entire planet and for renders closer to the planet surface (such as in this shot). While I have not implemented it, I also intend to add displacement to the planet surface. All you see here, however, is surface layers and power fractals.

I am currently rendering the entire planet and will post it when it is done.

[rcallicotte]

Wow.  It's interesting to see you do this.  It seems daunting to me, but maybe that's because I just finished an almost 2 year project and am running into another one.

[Oshyan]

Looks like nice results so far. Would be interesting to see this combined with the "terracell" project, which seemed to already have nice contintent shapes and latitute-based shading going for it...

- Oshyan

[Sethren]

Looks like nice results so far. Would be interesting to see this combined with the "terracell" project, which seemed to already have nice contintent shapes and latitute-based shading going for it...

- Oshyan

Good Idea!       

[nvseal]

It think I downloaded the terracell file once, can't remember where I put it.   Has anyone made a progress with that or is it dead right now? I might have to go get it and expirement with it a little.

Here is the second render I mentioned.

[Oshyan]

Your overall colors and especially the water look (faked transparency) look nicer than Teracell, but that project had much better continent shapes, which I know the author spent much time perfecting. The project isn't going anywhere right now, but it's an open project so I don't see any good reason not to add your work to it and continue.

- Oshyan

[nvseal]

I'm looking at the terracell file now -- so many nodes!  I'm going to import my colors and see what happens but this may take some time to intergrate.

[ProjectX]

surfacing sexytime award!

Great work.

[rcallicotte]

I'm hoping for more time to do similar things, but if you can let us know what you learn maybe we can put together a worthy PDF with explanations and maybe instructions.  I have InDesign and could throw something generic together with any information.  Let me know what you think.  I would, in effect, be the publisher.     But, otherwise, my machine is tied up in another long render.  Not 1/4th through and at 57 hours.   

I'm looking at the terracell file now -- so many nodes!  I'm going to import my colors and see what happens but this may take some time to intergrate.

[nvseal]

Well, this is what a quick integration looks like. Being that my surfacing was not designed for the terracell project, I'm not surprised that the result doesn't look too fantastic. Also, I don't think it would be a good idea to mix my surfacing with terracell because it doesn't fit in with the project's original goal (that is to render realistically from the surface and space where as my work is meant to "fake" a planet surface from space only, not to mention my node network doesn't fit well with the needs of the terracell prject). Furthermore, it is too early, I think, to start surfacing. As you can see, there are still some major issues to work out with the terrain itself (i.e. the mountains poking out of the ocean). That's what I've concluded anyway. 

[Will]

Really intresting stuff here man, keep it up! I agree with Oshyan great water.

Regards,

WIll

[nvseal]

Here is a nice render (I think) that I thought I would through out there.

[rcallicotte]

Yeah.  This is good.

[nvseal]

I've begun work on my own version of the terracell project based on what I've learned from Rob's tgd. I am pleased with the small results that I am seeing so far but there really is a HUGE amount of information that must be taken into account so it is pretty slow going. I will also say that it is not until you attempt a project like this that you can truly understand how great a program Terragen is! 
Anyway, here is a very small taste.

[vissroid]

Im really liking how your version is coming out.

I hope you keep at it. would like to see this go a long ways.

(dont mind if you think this was a cheap comment...it was one way of keeping an eye on the thread)