Clouds from Space.

Started by samsamysam, January 18, 2007, 11:59:21 AM

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samsamysam

Hello everybody.

I've juste started with Terragen but I already have some special questions because I've to make a small movie wich is a big traveling from space to Earth.

So would like to use Terragen for rendering the clouds.
But there is 2 problems :
the first is that I would like to export the Planet Object from TG2 to Maya, to first animate the Camera in Maya and then import it in TG2.
The second is that cloud like nice when you'e close to them but from space (6000km) it looks noisy wich is not natural at all.
So I would like to know if it's possible to use a Map of cloud (from Naza web site) to sculpt the clouds.
I've already try to replace the 'Density Fractal' wich is connected to the clouds by an 'Image map Shader' but the result is verybad.

so if anyone can help me ... :-\

3DGuy

I think the problem you see is that the scale is too small. Check out the following topic:
http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=144.0

You may find some useful info there.

Will

Hello, Ive attached one of my .tgd s that has some nice cloud cover feel free to explore it :)

Regards,

Will

The world is round... so you have to use spherical projection.

Oshyan

Attaching an Image Map shader to the Density input of your Cloud Shader is exactly what you'd want to do. There are a few things to be aware of. First, for a complete planet, you'd want to make sure you were using Spherical Projection. You will probably also need to adjust the size, making it very large, perhaps equivalent to the planet size (image size is measured in meters like almost everything else in TG2). Second, just using a pure image map shader won't look very good - you'll probably want to use the Image Map as a blend shader for the default Density Fractal that the cloud layer starts with. You'd then increase the coverage/white color bias to get more cloud coverage to fill in your mask, while still providing breakup at the edges that looks more like real clouds. It's likely you'll need to increase scale of the clouds also to avoid a noisy, unrealistic look. Finally make sure the mask you're using is completely grayscale.

- Oshyan

Will

http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=544.0

Here check this out it map help with what Oshyan said.

Regards,

Will
The world is round... so you have to use spherical projection.

Durandir

Instead of making a new "clouds from space" thread, I thought I could ask here...

I am having trouble making the clouds look good from space. The formation and such is ok, but they look... boring.



How can I make those clouds look fluffy and "billowy" (if that is a word). Right now it looks like flat clouds...
I am very much a newbie, and still learning how stuff works... so this would be a lot of help...

Will

increase the depth by a lot or if you have done this, look from a closer perspective.

Regards,

Will
The world is round... so you have to use spherical projection.

Durandir

I have increased it quite a lot, but I didn't think about the fact that I might have to be closer to see it that way... thanks, will try it!

rcallicotte

Not to stop your enthusiasm, since you're having so much fun, but I'm wondering how fluffy clouds would look at that level in real life.  When I was looking at Google's photos of that view the other day, I found that what we can do in TG2 doesn't need much change.  Looks like you're on the right path.  Compare with NASA photos and see what you think.
So this is Disney World.  Can we live here?

Will

well thats what im saying from that distence and angle the clouds still have depth but look flat.


Regards,

Will
The world is round... so you have to use spherical projection.

dhavalmistry

Quote from: Durandir on January 25, 2007, 12:21:25 PM
Instead of making a new "clouds from space" thread, I thought I could ask here...

I am having trouble making the clouds look good from space. The formation and such is ok, but they look... boring.



How can I make those clouds look fluffy and "billowy" (if that is a word). Right now it looks like flat clouds...
I am very much a newbie, and still learning how stuff works... so this would be a lot of help...

Hey Durandir,

The bright white spot on the planet is snow or some kinda reflection?

and about the clouds...check this topic out by myself

http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=593.15

I've inscreased the lead-in size and depth a LOT (about 200000)
"His blood-terragen level is 99.99%...he is definitely drunk on Terragen!"

Fierys

Dhavalmistry, if you like the clouds (Cumulus) on the attached picture and would like to create similar, set the important settings as follows:

Main:
Cloud altitude: 11000
Cloud depth: 5000
Edge sharpness: 6
Cloud density: 0.0002 (it should be very,very low - higher values make clouds very flat. It is the most important parameter to get puffy clouds)
Coverage adjust: 0.1

Lighting:
Sun glow amount: 0
Sun glow power: 0 (if the two values are higher than 0, clouds become gray)

Quality:
Duality: 0.5 (there is no need to set higher value)

Dark Fire

Great picture Fierys - that planet definitely looks earthlike, and that moon definitely looks moonlike!

Will

the station looks neat too.

Regards,

Wil
The world is round... so you have to use spherical projection.

Bluefinger

Well.. I've done clouds, but because it was a night scene, only the clouds near the secondary lightsource showed any detail... but that wasn't really the focus of the pic. They didn't look boring, but then again, if only I could get the image map to work around the secondary lightsource (or explosion! heheh)... to make the clouds look like they were being blown away.

Unfortunately, the file's a bit big, so I'll just link you to my deviantArt page with it http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/47434831/