The Lithops are coming...

[choronr]

Another go at the Lithops, this time with the help of Dune (thank you Ulco) for his three models of this plant.  If you saw my earlier image titled 'Lithops' using fake stones to simulate them, the stones resembled Lithops at a distance - but not close up.

This amazing plant from southern Africa lives from 25 to 50 years never growing more than two leaves and one root that resembles a small white carrot. The plant replaces its leaves annually. It will achieve a maximum size of approximately 2.5cm in height by about 4.2cm in height or smaller - this of course depends on the variety. And, speaking of varieties, have a look at this: https://www.google.nl/search?q=lithops&client=opera&hs=kHk&channel=suggest&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=ZF5vUpzzFcSN7QbOroGQAQ&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1890&bih=1102&dpr=1#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=rowATw8pCBuo8M%3A%3BA6RWLIR2valtVM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252F3.bp.blogspot.com%252F_G16_ZEc6srM%252FS_t7RobL0GI%252FAAAAAAAABQY%252Fm7PEs0TU4YY%252Fs1600%252Flithops_terricolor_C134_011.JPG%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Foregoncactus.blogspot.com%252F2010%252F05%252Flithops-terricolor-c134.html%3B407%3B323

If you are thinking of creating an arid desert-like scene, these plants make a nice addition of vegetation.
And, If you're ever thinking of supplementing your hobby, the Lithops requires little water, very little or no fertilizer, plenty of sunlight and temperatures that never get much lower than about 40 degrees F. I'll be putting together another close up image of these little guys so you can see the details.

Enjoy

[Dune]

A really nice scene, Bob. The lithops also came out well. The only problem I now see with the cluster is that some specimen are floating. With less rugged ground and rotation to ground applied (use an extra compute normal with a small patch size (0.5m or so) at the end of the chain), you might partially solve it. And/or slightly sink them into ground (object based).

Best would be if we had... can't find the words... ah, collision detection, and use single objects. Later maybe.

[Oshyan]

I've always loved these plants. The Berkeley Botanical Gardens has a wonderful collection of them near me. They look a bit large and kind of stand out too much in the image, maybe because they seem too clean? Or solid? (i.e. more translucency) Not sure, but it's a promising image...

- Oshyan

[choronr]

A really nice scene, Bob. The lithops also came out well. The only problem I now see with the cluster is that some specimen are floating. With less rugged ground and rotation to ground applied (use an extra compute normal with a small patch size (0.5m or so) at the end of the chain), you might partially solve it. And/or slightly sink them into ground (object based).

Best would be if we had... can't find the words... ah, collision detection, and use single objects. Later maybe.

Thanks Ulco, I will work with this a bit more. Never heard of 'rotation to ground applied'; what is that? Also, maybe my scale (largest and smallest) needs to be closer together. Another thing - with the camera close to the ground, we're seeing them almost 'edge-on' whereas, most photos we're looking down on them. My next image will display them in this attitude.

[choronr]

I've always loved these plants. The Berkeley Botanical Gardens has a wonderful collection of them near me. They look a bit large and kind of stand out too much in the image, maybe because they seem too clean? Or solid? (i.e. more translucency) Not sure, but it's a promising image...

Thank you Oshyan, I will be trying some things to improve upon the the objects as mentioned. I think that a lower sun would help. At the nurseries, we always see them surrounded by gravel - in this image, there is a lot of clear space between them.

[Dune]

I mean the rotation of the population, 'lean to terrain normal'.

[choronr]

I mean the rotation of the population, 'lean to terrain normal'.

Thanks Ulco, will set it up that way. I've already made the min/max sizes of the pops of all three models the same; and, this seems to be an improvement. Also, connected them to a Compute normal at the end of the shader chain.
Also, I'm thinking that if the soil base were the approximate same color as the Lithops, they might even look better.

[choronr]

Implemented all the suggested changes including increasing the pop of the clustered Lithops.

[yossam]

I like............a change for the better. 

[choronr]

I like............a change for the better. 

Thanks Rich. This is just a crop of the original. Will re-render the whole thing later.