I wish TG2 could do this:

[Tangled-Universe]

http://vejza.deviantart.com/#/d5mo7zz

This is created in Vue10 using a displaced metablob.
The fractal displacements are baked into polygons, so essentially it's a rendered model.

I'm pretty confident that fractal-wise TG2 can do these type of displacements.
However, as many users here may know, creating vertical basic shapes as a starting point is nearly impossible, if possible at all.

Imagine creating similar relatively small scale assets like these and move them around in your scene where you like.
Images you see when you google for "Zhangjiajie" would be possible in TG2. How totally awesome would that be.

I may have some experience with TG2, but I do not consider myself very creative, so perhaps somebody can figure out a way to get a column shape which you AND can displace nicely (that's a pain in TG2 to displace vertical slopes) AND also can populate.
Especially the latter excludes the use of a modelled base mesh.
In contrary to Vue, TG2 can populate imported models.

So who's up for a challenge?

Cheers,
Martin

[mhaze]

I thought I had file doing something similar using a SSS but on checking I can't get lateral displacement will have to play some more - I'm sure it is posible

[Dune]

I'm sure it's possible, Martin. If I weren't so occupied, I'd take up that challenge 

[mhaze]

I have the basis but I want to work on the displacements.  You can use SSS and either place them individually or using a shader array

[Tangled-Universe]

I'm happy to see at which stage you're at now Mick.
Can you show a small image of it and post the tgd?
I, or others, can work on it in return and then we can see if we can pull it off with combined efforts.

Cheers,
Martin

[mhaze]

Improved version previous one removed

[mhaze]

I'm having big problems with displacement

[Themodman101]

What if I created the base model using Zbrush in which im very fluent. And then put it into TG2. Or rather I give it to one of you guys. Would you be able to do it on a .obj?

[swissAdA]

hi
Maybe something like this?
[attachimg=1]

[Tangled-Universe]

Mick, nice efforts so far. Obviously getting a tall column isn't the big problem, but as you stated displacing them properly is a nightmare.
Your low quality render obfuscates some other problems as well.
However, this is a good starting point, so I saved the file and after a fresh sleep I'll see if I can work a bit on it.

What if I created the base model using Zbrush in which im very fluent. And then put it into TG2. Or rather I give it to one of you guys. Would you be able to do it on a .obj?

That would be cool to see of course. Only problem is that TG2 can't populate imported objects
Also, a very detailed ZBrush mesh would probably take very long to render. Probably a lot longer than a (localized) procedural solution within TG2.
But if you feel up to it than I'm more than interested to see where you can take it!
For instance, you could model it with trees on it, ultimately.

hi
Maybe something like this?
[attachimg=1]

Yessss, getting there slowly

The symmetrical features can be fixed by tweaking the fractals and getting those strata like rock features from the reference should be do-able too.
Can you show us how the setup?

This one also nicely shows the problems TG2 gives when trying this. There are lots of torn/stretched surfaces.
Regardless of how dense you calculate your terrain/normals, you'll never seem to be able to get nice smooth surfaces without stretching and tearing.
There MUST be a way though!

[Jo Kariboo]

Wow! Very nice swissAdA.
I have any idea to create this.

[mhaze]

A lot closer than I was

[Dune]

By the way, Mick, I looked at your file and you don't need to merge the simple shapes, you can stack them. The white (change values below or above 1) can be used to give each more or less impact.

[mhaze]

Cheers Dune, you're right and in fact stacking them solves several problems that arise from the merge node.

Everybody, the last file I put up, goes along way to solving the displacement problems. Getting square noise though is beyond me.

Mick

[swissAdA]

Can you show us how the setup?

yes.
the color and Displacement is a little modification from Wetbanana s clipfile from the File Sharing.