Is there ever going to be documentation for Terragen?

Started by MutantPixel, April 01, 2017, 10:32:11 PM

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Ethrieltd

There's some middleground between a quick start guide and the idiots guide to, and a massive leap to the encyclopedia galactica.

The update to the GI information is the perfect example. If all the missing sections (fake dark power,etc) are updated to a similar degree by Planetside then more detailed information can be added to the wiki by experienced users.

As a sidebar, I've been playing with the "blooms" and damn, if they don't have massive changes from SMALL numbers. The default 0.1 & 0.25's produced a HUGE bloom. I reduced them significantly. It's things like this that need documenting. Why is it so sensitive and is that sensitivity tied in to another setting of which I'm unaware (and might never find out without some background) of lurking in another tab?

I don't think anybody expects a scientific manual (although I wouldn't turn down an explanation of some of those blues...) but some of the settings don't lend themselves to self explanation. Get those dealt with and we're well on the way.

masonspappy

One more example. Go to this page:  http://planetside.co.uk/wiki/index.php?title=Render_Layers_and_Render_Elements
At the bottom of the page is this line which includes a link in red highlight: For more information on compositing Terragen render elements, refer to Compositing Terragen Render Elements.

Clicking on that link brings the user To this page:

There is currently no text in this page. You can search for this page title in other pages, or search the related logs, but you do not have permission to create this page.

(sigh...)


Edmac57

Thank you for bringing this up MutantPixel. I worked with Terragen all the way back to before version 0.9.43! Back then the community produced tons of really great how-to's and amazing tutorials. Once you saw how it worked, it was game on. I enjoy it when a community "gets it" a new program is exciting and everybody gets behind it. When Terragen went "PRO" with the newer versions, 2, 3, 4... They lost me. I have versions 2 and 3. And to this day, I count it all a big waste of time and money. Back in the early days, the we backed Terragen. I think I'll never buy another piece of their software until they back us!

Mid-Knight Acchan

#48
A document, too, is valuable but if there is making an interface a many country language, too, it is very rescued.
If the localization is possible in Mod, I think that I want to be useful for the manufacturing.


The screen is the one to have localized in Japanese a part.
Because it is binary editing, it is fault efficiency :-[
I started 3D landscape with "Bryce" and am currently editing Japanese Wiki as a Terragen user. I am riding the Kawasaki ZEPHYR1100. I am a reader.

eapilot

QuoteWe have also tried working with a number of educational content developers over the years, but only GeekAtPlay actually came through with delivered content.

I saw that GeekatPlay had youtube Terragen4 tutorials published online and gumroad versions available for purchase.  are they the same videos?

DannyG

Quote from: eapilot on June 05, 2017, 10:46:32 AM
QuoteWe have also tried working with a number of educational content developers over the years, but only GeekAtPlay actually came through with delivered content.

I saw that GeekatPlay had youtube Terragen4 tutorials published online and gumroad versions available for purchase.  are they the same videos?

The Version 4 video sets Vladimir has on his page are the same as the ones available on Gumroad.
New World Digital Art
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mundus

Quote from: MutantPixel on April 12, 2017, 11:41:01 AM
Quote from: N-drju on April 11, 2017, 09:02:16 AM
I don't think this is going to happen, with people having lives, y'know! ;D

When your livelihood depends on growing a market segment, having happy and educated customers is one of the number one ways to ensure that future. It used to take me between 3-4 hours a week to make my weekly videos for MODO, but paid back far more than that in customer satisfaction and goodwill. I can say from first hand experience that it is worth the effort.

+1

This. It's one of the key reasons Allegorithmic Substance toolset is leading in their market after a year or two. Their guru Wes Mcdermott and team created some wonderful basic training videos https://www.youtube.com/user/Allegorithmic/playlists, which have now been expanded over time as and when required.

geekatplay

Geekatplay, Gumroad, youtube have same videos.
Purchase versions have bonus files, scenes ...etc.
Not all tutorials released on youtube, new unlocked weekly. If you want all at once, you need to purchase them.
Purchasing them support my work.
You can also send me email if you have related questions, you don't need to purchase anything to do that ;)
I also believe that you find greater talents here on forums, who can also answer your questions.

rosoule

I am a Windows 10 user. Is there a program that has good docs and equal quality?
Recommendations please

archonforest

Quote from: rosoule on February 02, 2018, 11:38:13 AM
I am a Windows 10 user. Is there a program that has good docs and equal quality?
Recommendations please

Vue is pretty capable and I think the price is similar to TG. Quality...hmmm not sure. TG still better I think. At least I like TG renders better.
Blender can produce also very very good quality renders. It is free and you have TONS of docs, videos, courses...etc.
Dell T5500 with Dual Hexa Xeon CPU 3Ghz, 32Gb ram, GTX 1080
Amiga 1200 8Mb ram, 8Gb ssd

freedomfries

As a professional 3D artist, I'd like to chime in and express my hopes that some effort be made towards more robust documentation and learning materials in general. It has been easy to find feedback from the enthusiast community, but still is much harder to find learning resources to get me up to speed and produce professional quality results out of Terragen than with any other software package out there geared for professional post production/3D content creation that I've had to learn.

It's not because of lack of capability from the software, that is for sure. In the end, I'd love to have all the time in the world and learn the intricacies of creating fancy node networks, but I don't. And so while I'd love to use Terragen more often since I did spend money to purchase a full pro license, and a maintenance update (and now I'm due for another one), I end up creating more content in other packages because I know I can get it done. I also know Terragen would be more expedient for certain things, but I just have had a hard time finding great learning resources.  Most of the tutorials are stale, and the documentation tends to suffer from lack of structure.

Anyways, I hope you'll find this feedback constructive.

Oshyan

We are definitely listening, and we're beginning work with a Technical Writer who we hope will be able to bring some much needed updates and, as you say, better structure (and consistency). It will be a process and will take time, but hopefully some results will start to be seen reasonably soon.

- Oshyan

freedomfries

Thanks Oshyan for responding. I've been drawn to Terragen for a long time, partly because I started my journey into 3d from Bryce, and partly because I see the potential it has as a tool. As with the OP, I'm a veteran CG artist and am plenty familiar with working with a community, alongside peers, to make the toolset move forward. I have little to offer to Terragen at this point, besides my feedback, but I hope this will change over time as I learn this tool more.

Even though I've not used it for paid work yet, I own the Pro license as I'm dying for a chance to put it to work, but the ramp up has been harder than with any other tool I've used. I've there's something I can do to help, please let me know.

Oshyan

Thanks for the offer of support. Your interest and feedback is much appreciated. We're rolling out a new "First Scene" document in the wiki in the next couple of days and then we'll be working on revising, updating, and completing other content.

- Oshyan

WAS

Quote from: Oshyan on August 02, 2018, 05:42:08 PM
Thanks for the offer of support. Your interest and feedback is much appreciated. We're rolling out a new "First Scene" document in the wiki in the next couple of days and then we'll be working on revising, updating, and completing other content.

- Oshyan

That will be cool to see. Think most the first scene tutorials and videos out there are pretty old