Highlands

[Dune]

Resulting from my experiments with snow crystals, this came out. I tried to blend the snow layer with a color adjust (lowered the gamma) from the fractals in the original terrain, and got this strange (but nice) result. That's the small image. In the second one I intend to change the clouds, they're too harsh, and I would like slightly more light, and brighter crystals.

[Dune]

And the overall image.

[Kadri]

Dune the sparkle on snow in the first image is great.
I think with strange you mean the transparent-cloudy intersecting with the ground.
But other then this this image is remarkably  

Kadri.

[EoinArmstrong]

Looke excellent - I know the snow looks a little 'sudsy', but the effect is still awesome.  It almost looks as if you've managed to fudge sub-surface scattering!

[mhaze]

This really reminds me of the Scottish highlands as the snow begins to melt.

[Tangled-Universe]

Great work here Dune, love the snow
The grey fuzzy zone is hard to control and "inevitable", though you can minimize it by fine-tuning the settings in your surfacelayer.
I can give you some suggestions if you wish.

Martin

[schmeerlap]

That icy sparkle on the snow is spot on for me.

John

[Dune]

Thanks for the offer, Martin. What would you do about it? I set the black and white point at default, but the gamma at 0.2. It needs a very precise adjustment I noticed. Also tried a negative black point, but after so many variables changed I couldn't see the 'trees among the forest' any more.
I rendered another version this morning, and got quite frustrated about tiny specks in the snow. Couldn't get rid of it somehow. Made a fresh pure white surface layer, and even there the ******* things turned up. See this image. BUT! As I am typing this, on my other machine I keep on testing, and found the culprit. It was the clouds! Too low quality. So in a couple of hours I will update this image.

---Dune

[Henry Blewer]

I have actually seen snow bunch up and look very much like this area of 'cloud artifacts'. I think this is spot on, but it could be my monitor. The monitor has really poor contrast.

[Dune]

As a matter of fact I am also trying to get snow clumps here and there, but didn't succeed so far. I do have an idea about getting the snow to pile up against branches or twigs. Have to work on that as well.
Ah, I now see the next render developing, really exciting. It's gonna be nice!

[Tangled-Universe]

Can't wait to see it Ulco!
I'm very interested in how you think you can manage to get the snow pile up against branches etc, since *objects* are not evaluated in generating the surfaces. As far as I know.
As you may have seen I PM'ed you with some suggestions.

Martin

[Dune]

Yeah, thanks for your message, Martin. Answer is on its way...

Here's the Highland image (70% of total size, which took 1.2 hours at 0.5 and 4, GI default) without the cloud artefacts, but with a last stand of pines to be cut down. It's rather nice I think. Perhaps a slight haze... Enjoy.

---Dune

[inkydigit]

excellent work!

[aymenk2003]

I can touch the snow now...
Good render ...could you please make a tutorial on that or ...How to make a real snow with sparkle

[Seth]

very good looking snow !
lovely reflection