My new rock wall, (I'm done)

[FrankB]

next iteration. Still has some issues but getting closer.

This one is really big, 2400 px wide, so had to upload it there: http://nwda.deviantart.com/art/Rock-Wall-152084092

Here's a small crop:

[domdib]

The full size version is awesome. Funnily enough, the one area where it doesn't quite look right is in your crop, with the odd streaking following the contours of the outcrop. Is this a stretched power fractal at work?

[FrankB]

yeah, this is why I picked that crop.

I think it's stretched stones primarily. I'll go figure it out tomorrow, hopefully.

Cheers,
Frank

[GioMez]

I wish I had your skill!
This displacement is really breathtaking!

[rcallicotte]

It's interesting to see how certain ways of doing things come out from the individual artists.  This looks really good, but it looks so different from what TU and Buzzzzz have done.  

Why does it look a little fuzzy?

[FrankB]

Thank you!

@calico:
I think I've just followed a very different approach. From the beginning on I wanted big outcrops become the central element of the rock surface. I've also used a different way of coloring the surface, than I or TU have done before, which goes really well with rock surfaces like this one, and even with the stones that happen to be everywhere.
This one looked fuzzy because the stones are streching color wildly into unpredictable directions. I've fixed this now with an additional compute normal, and rendering now.
Maybe one more tweak after that until I call this new product finished.

Regards,
Frank

[FrankB]

still a few issues in places, but definitely an improvement. Especially the cracks look really good now, to my taste

http://nwda.deviantart.com/art/Rock-Wall-V2-152155425

onto the next iteration....

Frank

[Kadri]

Yes it is really better , Frank.
What was the AA and detail setting for this image Frank ?

Kadri.

[FrankB]

AA5, GI 1/2+ssp and 0.75

... render time 1h:23min

Thanks Kadri

[Kadri]

Thanks , Frank .

Kadri.

[domdib]

Bearing in mind that Frank has a Core i7...puts render time in perspective 

It's looking great now Frank. For me, the one small fly in the ointment is there seems to be a lot of almost circular, very flat stones scattered here and there. If you could vary their shapes/displacements more, I'd say it's baked.

[FrankB]

great observation, because that's the last thing that will be fine-tuned.
For all previous render I just threw stones onto the surface to see how they interact with the scene, but they haven't been fine-tuned in shape and size.
Additionally, some of them seem overly flat, and I will find that little bug as well.

Cheers,
Frank

[EoinArmstrong]

The displacements are perfect!  I think you have it now - would like to see a hi-qual version with slightly more subdued lighting

[FrankB]

I think I've got it now... stones are looking great now.

likely I'll post 1 or 2 final renders later today....

[FrankB]

final render 1. This is a close up.

There's a second version underway, zoomed out further.