How to match these rocks?

[sboerner]

I had been working with a smooth voronoi mask but (among other things) wasn't able to generate the hard vertical edges that I'd really like for this part of the scene. 

Your use of the displacement map is great, no worries highjacking the thread. Would you mind sharing that scene (without the flora and model if you prefer)? I've never had much luck with displaced cubes. Many problems with edge artifacts (or completely broken edges) and in some cases I've ended up with holes in the micropoly mesh. I know you use stacked cubes for various things, and others here have, too, but when I try that I get visible seams in addition to the other things. I finally gave up but maybe an example file would show me what I'm doing wrong.

Another reason to use vdms is that it should be possible to edit the displacement in a third-party app, for adding potholes, etc., per digitalguru's excellent tutorial, but it seems the sculpt with map function in the current version of Mudbox is broken so I haven't been able to try that.

Not at my main workstation now but if anyone's interested I can post a link to a 32-bit version of the displacement map.

[WAS]

Running the voronoi mask for the shapes through a a child input, and than mask it by the same input only with a colour adjust lowering white point. Then use the raw voronoi with some sort of adjustment if you want as the breakup input. It helps with making the voronoi rocks have more angled edges and chipped away parts. Only issue is being able to step the sides than faded away would be much better. Almost wish we could purposefully band soft zones like lower bit depth.

[Kadri]

I had been working with a smooth voronoi mask but (among other things) wasn't able to generate the hard vertical edges that I'd really like for this part of the scene.

Your use of the displacement map is great, no worries highjacking the thread. Would you mind sharing that scene (without the flora and model if you prefer)? I've never had much luck with displaced cubes. Many problems with edge artifacts (or completely broken edges) and in some cases I've ended up with holes in the micropoly mesh. I know you use stacked cubes for various things, and others here have, too, but when I try that I get visible seams in addition to the other things. I finally gave up but maybe an example file would show me what I'm doing wrong.

Another reason to use vdms is that it should be possible to edit the displacement in a third-party app, for adding potholes, etc., per digitalguru's excellent tutorial, but it seems the sculpt with map function in the current version of Mudbox is broken so I haven't been able to try that.

Not at my main workstation now but if anyone's interested I can post a link to a 32-bit version of the displacement map.

There can be the problems you say depending on the displacement.
But it is on the edge of usability. To me at least.

https://planetside.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic,26357.msg262446.html#msg262446

The render below is from that same scene. I just disabled the bigger cubes.

[WAS]

I had been working with a smooth voronoi mask but (among other things) wasn't able to generate the hard vertical edges that I'd really like for this part of the scene.

Your use of the displacement map is great, no worries highjacking the thread. Would you mind sharing that scene (without the flora and model if you prefer)? I've never had much luck with displaced cubes. Many problems with edge artifacts (or completely broken edges) and in some cases I've ended up with holes in the micropoly mesh. I know you use stacked cubes for various things, and others here have, too, but when I try that I get visible seams in addition to the other things. I finally gave up but maybe an example file would show me what I'm doing wrong.

Another reason to use vdms is that it should be possible to edit the displacement in a third-party app, for adding potholes, etc., per digitalguru's excellent tutorial, but it seems the sculpt with map function in the current version of Mudbox is broken so I haven't been able to try that.

Not at my main workstation now but if anyone's interested I can post a link to a 32-bit version of the displacement map.

There can be the problems you say depending on the displacement.
But it is on the edge of usability. To me at least.

https://planetside.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic,26357.msg262446.html#msg262446

The render below is from that same scene. I just disabled the bigger cubes.

These are really cool, but to me a different type of rock. He wants a more stratified solid metamorphic rock, where what I was doing originally, and you are doing is more shaley with tuns of layers and breakup.

[sboerner]

I don't want to hijack your thread, but I 'stole' your shelving.png and used it to displace cubes (and the streambed).

OK, I can see how this might work. Having better luck with the cube displacements now, not sure why. Perhaps just being shown what can be done helps. I can see where this might work well.

I'm beginning to think that integrating several approaches might work in the final scene, for the stream bed, banks, and isolated rocks . . . mixing regular displacements, cubes and vdms as needed.

There can be the problems you say depending on the displacement.

But it is on the edge of usability. To me at least.

I remember this scene well! Made quite an impression when I first saw it. Thanks for the reminder. I've downloaded the file and will have a look.

Original 32-bit displacement map attached.

[Kadri]

...

These are really cool, but to me a different type of rock. He wants a more stratified solid metamorphic rock, where what I was doing originally, and you are doing is more shaley with tuns of layers and breakup.

That was the reason i didn't posted it before.

[WAS]

I can get great looking tops using the 8bit (which I converted to 32bit and box blurred) and mixing it together translated and scaled and add colour to the original, with some warping and stuff with a hint of voronoi displacement with high bias. But it's the boundaries and rock shapes themselves that's proving annoying.

[Dune]

Here's screendump I forgot to post. And another test, this time with only displacements (by smooth voronoi), no cubes.

[sboerner]

Ulco, the new test you posted is very close to the result I'm after. My river needs to be wider and slightly deeper, not quite so full of rocks. 

Having another go at it. This is turning into a pretty intense seminar . . . I've learned more in the last 72 hours than in the previous year or two.

[Dune]

I sent you a pm....

[David]

Hats off you guys! What I wouldn't give for 10 minutes inside your heads. Well done.

[sboerner]

I sent you a pm....

Received it and responded.