El Capitan v1

[DannyG]

X-Frogs, Displacements created from clips here as well as presets from v3 pack. many thx to guys here sharing files**Birds from Dune and Hannes

*Please move to image share

[DannyG]

POV 2

[Oshyan]

Nice start. Is the rock area on the left using an image map?

- Oshyan

[DannyG]

Nice start. Is the rock area on the left using an image map?

- Oshyan

Yep Theres one in there

[TheBadger]

Nice view of "half dome" in the background. This image is a pretty good reason for you to try making waterfalls Danny.

Really good start man. Looks good, I recognized it immediately.

[pclavett]

Certainly appears to fit its name ! Excellent work !
Paul

[DannyG]

Same file

[Oshyan]

The displacement on Half Dome is very extreme, so not "realistic" (in terms of what it actually looks like), however the lighting is phenomenal, and I quite like the image in general. The outcrop on the lower-right is great. I think the scales may need to be shown even larger though, it's quite a big area, maybe more haze to the background, or perhaps it's that the clouds have this look to them that suggests they are smaller than they should be. Clouds going out to the horizon, that would be some 30+ miles away I think, so they should perhaps be smaller. Are you using the real-world scale of the DEM here?

- Oshyan

[DannyG]

Yes I am learning the power of the  GI srf details in v3 here, lots of pitting as you mentioned. Settings SPP enabled, GI Detail 4, Quality 4, Srf Details Occlusion 3, Bounce to the ounce 4. I certainly can cutback on that. My test renders with the default GI settings gave me a much smoother srf on the dome. The img elevation data is real world scale. I appreciate the look, I learned more little things on this one as well. Still got a ways to go

[Oshyan]

Yeah, those are quite high values for GISD, hehe. I would be curious to see it at default values. But are you applying additional displacement to the DEM? I must assume so, given how it looks, and if that's true I still think it would be helpful to mask some of that off of at least Half Dome, if not other high, steep-sloped areas. The steeper slopes just tend to be less rough in Yosemite.

- Oshyan

[zaxxon]

A wonderful start to modeling Yosemite Valley, the DEM is really quite accurate. As someone who has spent literally months of my life wandering the extent of this spectacular terrain I'm impressed. However, the 'Walls' of the valley were carved by very powerful glacial forces, with a great deal of 'polishing' followed by weather induced granite 'exfoliation'. Certainly a surface texture that won't come easily. To not be too nit-picky, some smoothing of the broad faces would definitely enhance the realism and show the scale better. This is one worthy of some serious work. Once again, an impressive start to a' monumental' project!

[TheBadger]

I like it just as it is if its not half dome. But since it is, I agree with much of what Oshyan said. I also prefer the vista of the first image. But I like the richer lights and darks of the new image.

Go for a photo quality Danny, if you feel like it.
http://www.vacationideasguide.com/images/yosemite/yosemite-valley-o.jpg

Just need more of what you already have, pretty much. Make a pano!

[Kadri]

I like the last image for the potential i does have Danny!
I would change the sun position-lighting a little and made some changes like Oshyan said.

[Oshyan]

Please for the love of god don't change the sun position. Kadri, what would you prefer?

- Oshyan

[Kadri]

Please for the love of god don't change the sun position. Kadri, what would you prefer?

- Oshyan

I said "a little" Oshyan
I think there is too much area in shadow without much interesting light-shadow interplay.
Bringing more color variation could handle that too probably.
The right lower part could be a little more pronounced and changing the aspect in a wider format would be my first try.
But all of these would be only in little steps.