Archaeology

[TheBadger]

Im in good company than Hannes! One day I wont just have ideas like you, but I'll make terrains just as pretty too! Maybe. I hope.

I think it looks good, man! I would add more though. A few. And try to soften the edges on some of the sides on some of the digs. The closer shot really helped too. I think its reading a lot better now.

Gonna take it further?

[Hannes]

Yes!

[choronr]

Fabulous terrain here. Maybe the ruins might be a shade of gray?

[Dune]

Getting better and better. I used an image map to produce some crumbling ruin walls once, set to repeat, but blended by some PF. There's on more thing I'd like to draw your attention to; the light spot in the right hand corner below the tents. Probably dust/cloud, but a bit out of place/strange.

[j meyer]

Nice idea and terrain.
Keep going,J.

[efflux]

Cool work. This is what we want to see more of.

[Hannes]

OK, I think this is the final version. I refined the image map for the digging holes (not as easy as I thought) and used a painted shader to draw out the strange dust part Ulco mentioned (thanks Ulco, I was aware of this area, but I was so focused on the ruins that I forgot to care about that).

[masonspappy]

Excellent!

[TheBadger]

Its good hannes. I downloaded the image and tried a few things on it.

A tight shot on the point of focus is quite nice. Looks like movie quality. And without any "tricks" its got a cinematic feel. Adding DOF manually also gives some nice play.

And again, that terrain is a beauty. You should take that camera and get up in that stuff! 

[Hannes]

Thanks a lot!!
@Badger: here is another closeup crop of the original render (postworked but original render size). In this case I would never add DOF, because the camera is so far away that everything would look like toys. If this would be a real camera, DOF wouln't be possible for this shot.
One question to one of your earlier posts in this thread: you were talking about a circle of rocks. What do you mean? I didn't create any circle of rocks
Another question: what does "get up in that stuff" mean? Something naughty?

[Dune]

One of my favorites ALL TIME.

[TheBadger]

Hello Hannes... So many interesting things to talk about here!

First, on the effect of a DOF on the scene... Well yes, you can easily make the scene look like a photo of a REAL model landscape. As aposed to a photo of a real landscape. TILt shift is ideal for this. BUt It does not have to be so!
Here is a website you may find useful. I only spent a moment finding a relevant conversation, but if you search out discussion in cinematography forums I am sure you will find useful info on topic.
http://www.cinematography.com/index.php?showtopic=46445

On the circle of rocks:
[attach=1]
Personally, I think some more of this will help the image even more. I would make a couple of rectangles shapes too, near the camp and to the back right of the ruins. I also think the new dig site is nice! But I still think that the scene could use at least one more. Not quite as deep as the first though. I am just talking about real dig sites. I think your render is near perfect.

I edited the download of your image, I wanted to play with it the way an editor would if he got your frames on a film project. Just as way to experiment.
I spent all of 3 min on it and got some great style results by adding a soft tilt shift and doing some color grading.
I will not post it without your permission. Or you can just try somethings your self. But I really don't know how to describe the effect I got in words. Showing you is more effective.

I strongly encourage you to play with your scene a bit more! Make a Triptych! The wide shot, a close shot, and a very close shot. Present the medium shot first, then the close up, and lastly the wide shot. If the stills get the same treatment It will make an awesome montage.

Lastly, I want to point out the film Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. Actually all 4 movies. In those films you can find some scenes where a tilt lens effect (or something very similar) is used in the way I was talking about at the top of this post. Yes it is stylized, and not exactly "natural". But it looks GREAT. And that is an important consideration. I am for content over esthetics. But I do think esthetics matter... Im not saying your esthetics are bad, NO! I am just writing very broadly now.

Lastly!

Another question: what does "get up in that stuff" mean? Something naughty?   

This really made me laugh out loud! 

I think I am just a weirdO Hannes. I spend too much time with software now. I have even begun to talk dirty to TG2 as if that will convince it to give me what I want   

[Hannes]

...so I still don't know, what "get up in that stuff" means. Please explain that precisely .
...if it's OK to the Planetside staff.
...or the PRISM guys...

Thanks for the link about tilt shift you posted. This is very, very interesting! Nevertheless I'm not quite sure, if this would look good for my image. Anyway Badger, please feel free to post your experiments! I'm curious what they look like. As you said, showing is more effective.

Indy has of course been a great inspiration for my image. Maybe you have an example of how tilt shift was used in these movies?!

OK, I may take a short break, but I might consider improving this image a bit more.

[TheBadger]

Ok Hannes you asked for it  . Now the next time Im too tied to work, but don't want to sleep (Which is most of time). I will compose a post reflecting the erotic nature of terrain generation. And then you will know how to "get up in that stuff". 

Here is another link on our topic that may be of use to you. I don't know if you will be able to view it fully. But at least the preview video should be available
http://www.digitaltutors.com/tutorial/886-Creating-a-3D-Scene-with-a-2D-Image-in-After-Effects

and one more of potential interest to you:
http://www.digitaltutors.com/tutorial/898-Compositing-a-Lunar-Environment-in-After-Effects-and-Maya

Here is the image after just a few min playing to see what happens. I would say that 1 degree of power less at both the top and bottom on the blur would be just about right. I left it just slightly stronger than I wanted to make sure it was visible for conversations sake.

I am not saying what I did is better. Just that it can be effective, that it can work to drive effect.

Also there is a quick color grading for style, just to see.

[attach=1]

I will look for the indiana jones stuff. I don't have the movies at home, so Ill check on line. I may just go rent them since I brought it up, now I would like to watch them. Depends on time.

And just to be sure:
Sorry if my posting is getting annoying or anything. I just have a lot of fun thinking and talking about this stuff. If I am getting irritating just tell me. 

[masonspappy]

@Badger - may I ask how you accomplished the blurring? IS that postwork?