The Darkness and the Light

Started by Stranded, July 11, 2015, 04:13:10 PM

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Stranded

Thanks Badger, I appreciate it. I'm learning and we all have to start somewhere. The only downside is this ridiculously slow render time on things really tests my patience. Maybe I've been a good boy this year and I'll find a new system under my tree for the holidays!!!!

Antoine

I like this image. Can you tell us what were your render settings ?

Dune

It's best to test the terrain, texturing and object distribution first until that's all fine, then increase samples, detail and enable the atmosferic extras (such as mist and shadows off objects) and soft shadows and so on, do some small test renders with these settings on important and potentially troublesome areas, then go for the final big one.

Stranded

#18
Thank goodness for happy mistakes. I screwed my file up without a sufficient backup and had to effectively start over. I must say that I am happy as heck with the new results..

There are some tweaks to be made but I dig this one better than the last.

Edit: Tweaked with the lighting by adding a no-shadow fill light to show more of the trees. It somewhat takes away from the "dark" but it adds realism as well. You can compare it to the earlier version. I will likely tone down the fill light to a happy medium between the two versions. Oh I also removed all the vegetation other than trees for a faster render time. They'll be back though..

Stranded

Quote from: Dune on July 20, 2015, 01:58:54 AM
It's best to test the terrain, texturing and object distribution first until that's all fine, then increase samples, detail and enable the atmosferic extras (such as mist and shadows off objects) and soft shadows and so on, do some small test renders with these settings on important and potentially troublesome areas, then go for the final big one.

Dune,
Great advice. In fact, I had been doing that at the outset then got impatient with my progress. I am back to doing that though.


Stranded

Quote from: Antoine on July 20, 2015, 01:04:14 AM
I like this image. Can you tell us what were your render settings ?

Antoine, unfortunately, I screwed my scene up pretty bad before I could capture everything. If you like the new scene, let me know and I can post all the settings.

TheBadger

its cool for sure. But depends on what you wanted when you began, if you were successful.

To me, I like it as is as a, sorta, fantasy image or even a kind of illustration. But not as a photo. If you wanted a photo result, then some more work needs to be done on the shadows just to start. But again, if you wanted a made image (rather than a captured image, if that makes sense), then I think its really good.

Nice.
It has been eaten.

Stranded

Thanks, since I am relatively new to Terragen and landscape scene generation as a whole, I just wanted something that I liked. I am not anywhere near photo ready from a composition and skill level yet. Probably not even ready from an equipment perspective either.

Thanks for the words and I agree that it has a "feeling" about it. This version is much closer in line with what I was going for. An old path. I'm not done yet but I don't want to tinker too much.

TheBadger

QuoteI just wanted something that I liked

Thats mostly all I want from my self too. Its hard enough to make ones self happy, trying to make some general idea about realism, as well as who knows how many other people happy, is quite the endeavor ;D
Perhaps thats the real reason people like Vincent van Gogh hurt them selves  :-[
It has been eaten.

Stranded

Very true Badger. At this point in my limited experience I am shooting for myself, the rest will follow ;)

If I didn't know any better I would say Van Gogh hurt himself because he was using my PC to do his masterpieces on and it was taking forever!!!!  :D


Stranded

Still tweaking... this was a 16 1/2 hour render... at this point, this is more of a learning experience project for me. It's done when it's done  :)


Dune

It's a great improvement. But still I think the path is too clean and flat. Some dents can improve it. Puddles even; billows used to displace down by displacement shader and used as a mask for a reflective shader. Or even add a local very much reduced lake or plane with water shader for 'real water'.
And a pop of dense grasses between the herbs!

Cocateho

#27
Hmmm, a bit dark it seems but that may be intentional... but the darkness is believable, which actually can be tricky to achieve at times with very shadowy scenes, so good job! Reminds me a bit of when I was working with Fish&Wildlife in the pine woods in south Georgia, you got the undergrowth pretty right for some areas...

Stranded

Quote from: Dune on July 27, 2015, 01:43:18 AM
It's a great improvement. But still I think the path is too clean and flat. Some dents can improve it. Puddles even; billows used to displace down by displacement shader and used as a mask for a reflective shader. Or even add a local very much reduced lake or plane with water shader for 'real water'.
And a pop of dense grasses between the herbs!

Agree and I've struggled with that confounded path but that's how I learn. Thanks for the suggestions and insight.

Stranded

Quote from: Cocateho on July 27, 2015, 09:13:45 AM
Hmmm, a bit dark it seems but that may be intentional... but the darkness is believable, which actually can be tricky to achieve at times with very shadowy scenes, so good job! Reminds me a bit of when I was working with Fish&Wildlife in the pine woods in south Georgia, you got the undergrowth pretty right for some areas...

Thanks, it's very tricky to get the depth of the shadows right. I need to add some more "nature", stumps, fallen trees, etc. I appreciate the review and comments.