Hannes' desperate WIP thread. Finally done! (page 4)

[Hannes]

A few hours ago, I had not the slightest idea on how to start. And even less ideas on how to create a road.
So I looked through the threads and found FrankB's "curved road_0002.tgd"-file:
http://www.planetside.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic,15732.0.html
It gave me at least an idea of how to create something that may look like a road. Basically it draws a nice white line into the terrain.
Before I continue: would it be OK to you, Frank and the other "deciders", to start with this file, then developing some things out of that by myself?
So, by creating a horrible node-mess (copying and duplicating some functions I'm still struggling to understand), I managed to get so far. Still no idea where this leads to...

[Hannes]

I'm speechless. Once again I have to thank you for your file, Frank. Those five or six nodes that just warp a simple shape shader brought me "on the road". I never created anything similar to a road in TG before, and I never had a look at some premade files like the NWDA road and tarmac pack. Now with your file I was even able to let the PF I used for the colouring of the road surface follow the curvature of the road. Still nothing too fancy, but I have a road!

[FrankB]

That'a great Hannes, keep it coming! You are absolutely welcome to use the setup I posted as a basis for your contest entry - that's why I posted it in the first place!
And isn't it fantastic to be able to make roads? There are so many possibilities for beautiful scenes, that include roads. I'm sure yours will look great!

Cheers
Frank

[Hannes]

I fed another PF into the warp pattern's input to make the border of the road surface a little more irregular and made the road's overall displacement positive (I had a negative displacement to make the road look like carved into the terrain, but reference photos showed me, that it's the other way round).

[Hannes]

added some gravel to the side of the road, some basic overall texturing and a subtle reflective shader to the road surface to make it a bit shiny when the sun is low.

[FrankB]

very nice 

[Dune]

Yep, I like it so far. Interesting to see what you'll do to it in due time.....

[Hannes]

Starting to build some stuff for the scene...

[FrankB]

Ah great! Perhaps something you could put in the NWDA Community Store - at least after the contest?

Cheers,
Frank

[Hannes]

Yes, why not?

[Hannes]

Something for the details.

[Dune]

This is promising.

[cyphyr]

Keep it commin'. You'll need a LOT of trash!
Richard

[TheBadger]

I remember an interview I saw of R. Crumb. He used to have a collection of photos for reference for his drawings and comics. He had thousands of them; telephone poles, hydrants, street lights so on so forth.

I have been collecting 3D plants as much as I can, but this thread just hit me in the head like a brick... Have no idea why it never occurred to me to have things like Hannes just posted. Will have to work on that now too!

Looks like you made it past the "what to do" hump, Hannes. Looking good.

[Hannes]

Thanks guys!
Actual state in low resolution. There'll be definitely something in the scene the guy is staring at. Probably something not from this world...
I'll add some more stuff like some scenery to the left (maybe fences, plants etc.) and a little more garbage.