Selkirk Mountains

[RArcher]

This is currently still a work in progress of the Selkirk Mountains in the Glacier National Park in Canada.  This started as an experiment using satellite imagery as a mask for tree coverage and has gone on from there.  Here is the satellite view of the image:



The features I have been trying to mimic are the avalanche runs which are pretty much impossible to add just using slope and altitude, so an image mask or the painted shader is the only way to get them right.

Still quite a few things left that I would like to change to this including additional tree variations and some better mountain surfacing.  It may also be just a little too contrasty for my taste.

Any comments or suggestions appreciated.

[darthvader]

You know RArcher, I think of all the people using terragen 2 you may have the best texturing for your trees, they always look so real!

[PorcupineFloyd]

A fine render.

I love the rocky / soil textures and the depth.

[rcallicotte]

Are you planning on an animation?  This looks just about real...in fact, the last image looks very real.

[sjefen]

Wow. The atmosphere is fantastic. Very realistic.
I also love the sense of scale and the tree distribution.

The trees are a little too green for my taste tho.

I'd love to see a camera animation on this one

- Terje

[inkydigit]

excellent work, I especially love the foreground

[Saurav]

This is looking great, the tree line looks fantastic. I think it might benefit from a grass and dirt layers as well leading up to the snow and rocks. I find it a bit too much contrasty but that's just personal taste.

[LaFrance]

awesome. While I agree the trees might be a tad saturated, I think what might help more is more variance in height and color, varying hsv a little overall.  Also, both geoControl and world machine have some really nice erosion. These mountains would look fantastic
with some really detailed erosion, and using the erosion maps for holding out some trees and varying the color/bumpiness of the soil...

[Seth]

really looks great Ryan
I love your mood and light, as usual

[RArcher]

Thanks very much for the suggestions everyone.  No update yet, lots of work to be done to try and get it closer to what the actual area looks like.  Here are a couple reference photos I took while driving through the park a few years ago.  Not in the exact area where I have my camera set for the render (a few passes away from the highway), but reasonably close enough that the features are fairly similar.  Lots to do to get it even close.

LaFrance:  I'm using reasonably detailed dem data coupled with satellite imagery to place the trees, so I don't want to add a lot of additional displacement or erosion, but I am definitely working on the soil and texturing.

More updates to come soon.

[rcallicotte]

These last two look real, but especially the next to the last image.  Why mess with success?  This is marvelous and realistic.  Beautiful, too.

I would like to put my suggestion here - We TG2ers tend to be overly critical about all kinds of stuff in an image and, while I am not saying what anyone should do, maybe lookout for overcompensating.  The human eye is not naturally worried about whether the rock on the hill two miles away has the right texture.

[cyphyr]

@calico:
I think that's because they are but I agree, with Ryans work sometimes it gets difficult to tell the difference lol
richard

[Tangled-Universe]

Great work Ryan! As DarthVader said you're very good at setting up your trees. Especially the lighting, but also denisties and coverage.
The image has much atmosphere, although a tad too dark to my taste in overal. However, very good work!

Martin

These last two look real, but especially the next to the last image.  Why mess with success?  This is marvelous and realistic.  Beautiful, too.

...

No update yet, lots of work to be done to try and get it closer to what the actual area looks like.  Here are a couple reference photos I took while driving through the park a few years ago... 

I think you missed some important info Calico?

[rcallicotte]

Giminy Christmas.   Ooops.  This says something about Ryan's good work and I need to read more thoroughly.

I apologize.

...I think you missed some important info Calico?

[Tangled-Universe]

Haha, no big deal at all I first thought the same too, until I read the post. Unfortunately that brought back my feet on the ground lol