WIP Lake at Guano Rocks

[sonshine777]

Here is an image I am working on in an effort to fake transparent water. It takes trhee renders to obtain.

Render one is the caustics layer, it is a low detail 0,3, low AA 3 render of the water plane with a caustic image as the surface shader.

Render two is the below the sufrace layer it too is a low detail, low AA render. I get the surface just as I want it and render the scene with the water plane turned off.

Render three is final render with the other two renders merged in. The water shading takes place in the internal node system for the water plane. I have included a screen shot and the .tgc of the nodes.

I am still working on the water reflection and roughness, and the ground surfacing is still in the process of being finished.

Just thought I would share.

[rcallicotte]

This looks excellent.  Thanks for sharing.

[cyphyr]

What a great way of getting the transparent effect, only crit really isthat I'd probably make the caustics scale smaller.
Keep it up
Richard

[Mahnmut]

Brilliant!
I just asked DandelO where to find this advice of yours he used in his rockpool-
And here you are!
Looking forward to try it!
Also like your rock surface.
Best regards, Thanks,
Jan

[dandelO]

Nice one! You seem to be having the same trouble as me with applying caustics to a previously displaced surface. are you projecting them from a camera or laying them on top as a surface?

My reckoning is that if you apply the caustic imagemap after your last surface shader, projected from a directly overhead secondary camera (-90 y rotation), any overhanging displaced areas of terrain(stones/rocks/etc) will mask the terrain below it to stop it completely wrapping round the whole surface of the stones. Just a thought as restricting where the caustic light falls with distribution is very tricky, nigh on impossible.
Using 'ortho width' on this secondary camera's settings will set how close/spaced the caustic image is applyed so there is no need for tiling if you have a good, high res caustic map.
I've just had a thought... the projection camera might be better facing the same direction as your sunlight is coming from. I don't know, I'm off to try it though, I've already started another water project now where natural looking caustics will be essential...

Great work so far man!

[dandelO]

Sorry, I should have said that I was using a default shader instead of an image map shader. Don't use the colour image function but use the caustics map as the luminosity image.

[sjefen]

Very nice. The foreground is fantastic, but I agree with cyphyr about the caustics.

[dhavalmistry]

maybe a little variation in rock size will increase the potential a lot!

[Lucio]

Good work. I can see strange parallel lines in the water, on the top left. Am I wrong? Seems to be a render artifact.

[sonshine777]

Good work. I can see strange parallel lines in the water, on the top left. Am I wrong? Seems to be a render artifact.

You are right it is an artifact that seems to show up stronger at the higher detail settings .85 and above. It looks fine at around .5 or .6. I am runnig AA at 5 because of the grass in the forground, i'm not sure wether that is the problem or not. Still plodding along.

[Mahnmut]

Hi there.
I´m not sure whether I understood everything .
(as you may have noticed, English is not my native language)

Render one is the caustics layer, it is a low detail 0,3, low AA 3 render of the water plane with a caustic image as the surface shader.

That´s meant to say the caustics image map is projected onto the water plane?
In that case I don´t understand the following:

My reckoning is that if you apply the caustic imagemap after your last surface shader,[...] any overhanging displaced areas of terrain(stones/rocks/etc) will mask the terrain below...

Considering that caustics are spots of light coming from multiple spots on the water surface and being seen on the ground it would make sense to me to project the caustic image onto the subaquatic ground from overhead.
That would also save you one render.
Does that make sense?
Best regards,
Jan
And thanks for all the fish @ DandelO!

[sonshine777]

Hi there.
I´m not sure whether I understood everything .
(as you may have noticed, English is not my native language)

Render one is the caustics layer, it is a low detail 0,3, low AA 3 render of the water plane with a caustic image as the surface shader.

That´s meant to say the caustics image map is projected onto the water plane?
Yes, it is on the water plane. I did this because as dandel0 said it is near impossible to get the caustics to fall correctly on the fake stones.Putting it on the water plane at least gives me even coverage of the bottom.
In that case I don´t understand the following:

My reckoning is that if you apply the caustic imagemap after your last surface shader,[...] any overhanging displaced areas of terrain(stones/rocks/etc) will mask the terrain below...

Considering that caustics are spots of light coming from multiple spots on the water surface and being seen on the ground it would make sense to me to project the caustic image onto the subaquatic ground from overhead.
This works if you have no displacement on the surface below the water level, but add some fake stones or a population and the caustic projection doesn't work. (At least I haven't figured it out yet)
That would also save you one render.
Does that make sense?
Best regards,
Jan
And thanks for all the fish @ DandelO!

[Mahnmut]

Ok.
sorry,
I didn´t put as much work into that problem as you did by far.
I was confused because DandelO and you where talking about slightly different methods then.
And if the displacements (rocks for example) don´t only cast "shadows " from the projection but completely disturb it, then I see the problem.
Thanks for explaining,
good luck further on!
Jan

[sonshine777]

Thanks. I'll keep you posted.

[sonshine777]

Latest image. Re-scaled the caustics image and did a little post work on it to compensate for shadows. Added the catfish and cattails, along with some fir trees on the far shore.