...and I really like to use lens flares.
...when needed.
...and when not needed."
OK, I had to use lens flares, because the little white cookie, that TG renders in space scenes doesn't really look like the sun.
Some information:
I used parts of a wonderful space station model created by Keith Hazelet I purchased at the Renderosity store. I also created the "greeble ring" which is actually made of a side part of a model of Darth Vaders ship I found somewhere in the net a few years ago. In 3ds max I bent (is it bent or bended?) ...errr... I made a ring out of it.
I used my own textures for both the station parts and the ring. It's nice to use opacity masks to fake more details, which I did for parts of the ring.
The selfilluminating dots are particles I converted into a mesh, mapped it cylindrically and assigned a simple map with slightly different colors to it.
I used a tgd-file by Nvseal (thanks!!) to create the land/water distribution.
For the clouds I used one layer with tiny little clouds and three layers all with the same density map, but with different coverage, density, height and thickness to create low density smooth clouds at the lowest altitude and more solid higher clouds on top of them.
For the city lights (exaggerated, I know) I used an image map shader with an image I quickly made in PS and used a camera projection with a second camera as a giant slide projector.
These were the simple things.
Now for something really challenging:
dear Planetside staff,
it is really a pain in the butt to place lights and objects. Can you imagine how my butt hurted after I had placed the lights on the station?
Please put "easily placing objects and lights with at least wire frame display" to your "to do list". Please!
OK, hope you like it.
Great image. I agree with you about a wireframe for objects is essential. A better would be to have a solid model in the OpenGL preview. For me the box preview works well for populations. This saves a lot of render time in the preview. But for an individual object I vote for a solid OpenGL render. It would not have to render reflectivity. Color and a approximate specular render would be enough.
thats one of the best outer space renders made with TG2 I have seen so far, very well done!
great image and a really great space model, makes me want to model that stuff more often.
Quote from: Hannes on February 05, 2010, 08:07:53 AM
OK, I had to use lens flares, because the little white cookie, that TG renders in space scenes doesn't really look like the sun.
i like that description of TG2's sun, when i need a lens flare i just use LW3d's lens flare system
A very interesting image and it is obvious that a lot of work has gone into making this.
On a side remark: the entire post was very funny. Thanks for giving me a laugh :)
Cheers,
Frank
You're welcome! ;D
I agree with Frank...awesome space/orbital scene...I feel your pain, and you made me giggle too!
Awesome !!!
Love it!
Super deluxe! (just to avoid repeating "Awesome!" ;)) And thanks for the tips on the clouds.
Nice job! I especially like the reflection on the planet. Makes me think of Nasa photographs from ISS!
Where did you find my ship and what business do you have turning it into a ring?! ;D I like the image, the space station works well with the planet.
Hey dad, I couldn't resist!
Luke
Quote from: darthvader1 on February 05, 2010, 04:03:15 PM
Where did you find my ship and what business do you have turning it into a ring?! ;D I like the image, the space station works well with the planet.
Quote from: Hannes on February 05, 2010, 04:46:17 PM
Hey dad, I couldn't resist!
Luke
Lol. Please share the station.
I like this a lot. I also like lens flares, shine and 3d stroke. There's probably a support group out there somewhere.
This image sparked an interesting debate earlier today. Some were saying that there wasn't enough detail in the textures to make this look 'real'. I was on the counter argument, thinking that one; it doesn't actually exist, so you know it's not real anyway. Two, lighting in space is very harsh, and in fact there was plenty of detail to make this image convincing. I'm positive that with the right camera moves, and the right rotation of the platform, in program context, no one would bat an eye lid. The only thing I would change, purely for imagined practical reasons, i.e. shuttles to and throw, would be the orientation of the second distant platform.
Got to echo what others have said, this is one of the best sci-fi renders I've seen with TG.
As an aside, you can actually set up lighting in an external 3D app like Max, then import into Terragen. But then I'd be tempted to keep 3D geometry in the original app and comp it in later. Rather than depending on it all coming out of TG. Especially if you're not relying on GI interaction with near by scenery, shadows, complicated texturing, or self illuminating maps.
Thanks for your constructive crits!
@Darthvader1:
Sorry again for bending parts of your ship. It's the damned force, you know...
@TheBlackHole:
I'd love to share the station, but I bought it, so I'm not allowed to, but if you're interested:
http://www.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/index.php?ViewProduct=68617
@Hetzen:
Interesting, I didn't think very much about orientating the second station. How would you position and rotate it?
Btw, funny that you wrote about lighting in another app and the "temptation" of rendering the objects completely in the other app. A few years ago I did something similar in 3ds max. I used a background made in TG2 ;D
I also used a lot of opacity maps to fake details. Here it is:
(I have to confess that the vegetation was rendered in Vue :-[)
How many years ago you said you rendered this Mutterschiff? ;D
I also had fun reading your post, reminded me about the blob that goes for a sun in TG as well as placing individual objects ;)
March 6 2008
Nice space scene , Hannes .
Space scenes aren't so easy as it seems .
Kadri.
Great work, Hannes.
Beautiful! (Y)
Hahaha Hannes! You may continue to use my ship so long as you keep making pretty pictures with it :)
Hey Daddy, really not that easy with only one hand! ;D
Awesome renders, I espically like the first one.
Wonderful image! Do I expose my bias by saying that I prefer it to the 2nd one you posted, done in Max/TG2/Vue? ;D
Of course better tools for working with (and displaying) objects is on our "to do" list. The list is, er, long. But it's on there.
- Oshyan
Thank you! Good to hear that it's on the list.