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General => Terragen Discussion => Topic started by: Dune on November 26, 2016, 02:57:27 AM

Title: Instant beaches
Post by: Dune on November 26, 2016, 02:57:27 AM
I woke up at 5 this morning and couldn't get back to sleep, so I started visualizing nodes and what I could do to get Easy Beaches. You know, import clip, attach a few links, set water level you need, et voila, your beaches appear at water level, customizable size/distribution, and having a mask for the white sands as well. And they stay (or rather move to other altitudes) when you raise the water level, or reseed the terrain. Now I have to remember what I figured out in my half sleep and get it to work..... 
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: AP on November 26, 2016, 03:32:25 AM
That seems rather promising. Hopefully you can get that to work out well.

Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: mhaze on November 26, 2016, 04:39:36 AM
Hmmm, photo....
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: Hannes on November 26, 2016, 05:47:57 AM
Oh boy, for a second I thought, this is an amazing render!!!!
Good luck, Ulco. that would be amazing.
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: bobbystahr on November 26, 2016, 09:38:05 AM
Scary good, looks photo real...
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: Dune on November 26, 2016, 09:50:41 AM
Just a minute's work, Bobby  ;)

I am getting somewhere, though it isn't as easy as I thought it would be. Perhaps there's a much simpler way, I've got a lot of blue nodes already.
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: bobbystahr on November 26, 2016, 10:13:51 AM
Quote from: Dune on November 26, 2016, 09:50:41 AM
Just a minute's work, Bobby  ;)

I am getting somewhere, though it isn't as easy as I thought it would be. Perhaps there's a much simpler way, I've got a lot of blue nodes already.

Why am I not surprised, heh heh
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: Dune on November 26, 2016, 12:01:50 PM
Not yet working as I want, but this is result 1. I've got a simpler solution now (20 nodes less)  ;)
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: Rumburak on November 26, 2016, 12:55:19 PM
That's looking pretty good already.
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: bobbystahr on November 26, 2016, 03:17:58 PM
Good progress, 20 less nodes is major in screen real estate....
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: Oshyan on November 26, 2016, 03:30:24 PM
Yes, that render is actually quite promising already. Rather mean to lead with a gorgeous photo though. ;)

- Oshyan
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: bobbystahr on November 26, 2016, 05:17:45 PM
Quote from: Oshyan on November 26, 2016, 03:30:24 PM
Yes, that render is actually quite promising already. Rather mean to lead with a gorgeous photo though. ;)

- Oshyan

D'oh, got me
http://www.lareserva.com/home/siete_playas_mas_hermosas
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: AP on November 26, 2016, 07:22:35 PM
Quote from: Dune on November 26, 2016, 12:01:50 PM
Not yet working as I want, but this is result 1. I've got a simpler solution now (20 nodes less)  ;)

That is looking very nice and 20 nodes cut is quite significant.
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: zaxxon on November 26, 2016, 08:27:53 PM
The thing about Dune is that upon first view you really had to wonder if it wasn't another brilliant image. And the actual test render, even at this point, is a beauty!
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: Dune on November 27, 2016, 05:11:40 AM
 :P

It's still harder than I thought. I'm into version 4 now, still less nodes, but raising the water level AND the beaches by one constant is still elusive (off-coast beaches and sandy islands occur). Though I wonder how many of you really raise and lower water levels considerably. Actually, in real world water level is per difinition at zero, isn't it. So I'll continue with a basic level around zero.
I also mean to get the foam okay.

Test. And another test.
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: bobbystahr on November 27, 2016, 09:26:15 AM
Well you're certainly getting further than I've got so far....lookin good.
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: Dune on November 27, 2016, 11:40:56 AM
Got some surf working now, some islands in the inlet (with their foam), and a variable way to increase/decrease the steeps above the lake in an erosive kind of way, sort of. They are independent of the patches of beach. I still have to see what happens if I hit reseed of several variables, if it's really versatile.
Still no compute normal or compute terrain needed  ;)
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: bobbystahr on November 27, 2016, 03:11:12 PM
Quote from: Dune on November 27, 2016, 11:40:56 AM

Still no compute normal or compute terrain needed  ;)

But you'll need one for pops right?
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: Dune on November 28, 2016, 02:05:29 AM
Yes, if you need to rotate with the terrain, otherwise not. I used one here to get some angled trees. But that one won't influence render time.
With a compute terrain to compute the whole terrain, especially after a lot of nodes it may add significantly, so I try not using one, if possible.

Okay, updated iterations. I might put something together for NWDA, just like the river preset, with masked areas to fill in. But it would need some more EasyLogic and cleaning up  ;)
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: Kadri on November 28, 2016, 04:25:16 AM

Looks good.
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: Hannes on November 28, 2016, 09:42:06 AM
That looks insanely good, Ulco!!!!!
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: DocCharly65 on November 28, 2016, 10:37:24 AM
I found this a minute ago! What a great project - and how far it already has grown!
Great Ulco!
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: Dune on November 28, 2016, 10:46:49 AM
Thanks, guys. The nice thing about this is that the beaches can be made/altered by a mouseclick (reseed) in any procedural terrain, autoleveling the shore line, and the foam hugs to the new shoreline. It can also be all beaches. Adding islands with another click, and chenging water depth and slope by another click. It would be nice to be able to choose locations of the beaches by say angle of the ground, but that's future dreaming  ;) (but should be possible)
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: DocCharly65 on November 28, 2016, 11:02:40 AM
Will be extraordinary good anyway... look at the signs:

[attachimg=1]


Congratulations Ulco  ;) ;)
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: Dune on November 28, 2016, 11:03:58 AM
Ah, yeah, thanks, Nils. Now quickly dispose of that digital 5  ;)
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: DocCharly65 on November 28, 2016, 11:13:54 AM
Isn't that magic?

You say one word and 10.000 of your posts show a different number... I must meditate how this works...  ::)


Something more serious now:
Seems that there will be a big potential in your TGD
Will you implement advices inside the TGD (Text group or something like that) or add a PDF manual or both?
I hope everybody would do but I personally would surely invest some more bugs on NWDA for a good documentation.
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: bobbystahr on November 28, 2016, 11:26:34 AM
Quote from: DocCharly65 on November 28, 2016, 11:13:54 AM
Isn't that magic?

You say one word and 10.000 of your posts show a different number... I must meditate how this works...  ::)


Something more serious now:
Seems that there will be a big potential in your TGD
Will you implement advices inside the TGD (Text group or something like that) or add a PDF manual or both?
I hope everybody would do but I personally would surely invest some more bugs on NWDA for a good documentation.


Based on the River Project I'm guessing Ulco will include a very useful .pdf file in the download...I WILL have to buy this one for sure.
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: otakar on November 28, 2016, 03:37:35 PM
Dude you're a magician. The description sounds almost too good to be true. And certainly from this camera position, the foam looks very realistic!

I can finally play with the river, acquired it along with other goodies I have had my eyes on for a long time on Black Friday :)
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: Dune on November 29, 2016, 01:53:21 AM
Yes, Bobby is right; if I get to finish this, I'll include plenty of words. First need some more proof of principle, don't want any angry faces  :P
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: Matt on November 29, 2016, 06:33:43 PM
Quote from: DocCharly65 on November 28, 2016, 11:13:54 AM
Isn't that magic?

You say one word and 10.000 of your posts show a different number... I must meditate how this works...  ::)

Only when someone reads them :) If a tree falls in a forest when no-one is there to hear it, does it really make a sound?

Matt
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: Dune on November 30, 2016, 02:05:58 AM
You can get nasty warps in your mind, thinking about such things  ;D
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: mhall on November 30, 2016, 09:02:20 AM
Ulco ... the first thing out of my mouth when I saw those updated images was "Holy F-" That looks really nice!

This gets me thinking of Easy Clouds. I wonder if this isn't a setup that perhaps PS should consider purchasing from Ulco so that they can study it and implement it internally, similarly to the Easy Clouds setup  ... but obviously only if it offers benefits such as simplified interface and faster rendering.

Matt - does internalizing nodes like this offer any speed ups over TG having to evaluate the nodes in the node graph? I mean, are there any internal optimizations that TG can take care of when something is more "hardcoded" vs being evaluated a runtime via the node graph?
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: bobbystahr on November 30, 2016, 11:20:58 AM
Quote from: Dune on November 30, 2016, 02:05:58 AM
You can get nasty warps in your mind, thinking about such things  ;D

So THAT is what happened to me
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: Oshyan on November 30, 2016, 07:58:11 PM
Yes, things can be further optimized in "hard coded" nodes vs. when implemented in more general shaders. But that also comes at the cost of reduced flexibility in most cases. I don't think purchasing setups from Ulco or others is on the table, but developing tools to make common effects and terrain features easier to create certainly is.

- Oshyan
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: Dune on December 01, 2016, 10:02:00 AM
I have little time, but did some more tests, and it seems the principle is working nicely. Did some reseeding of terrain and of beach node and new landscapes emerged with nice beaches. Some glitches to overcome yet.... will  post some renders soon.
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: bobbystahr on December 01, 2016, 11:35:57 AM
Quote from: Dune on December 01, 2016, 10:02:00 AM
I have little time, but did some more tests, and it seems the principle is working nicely. Did some reseeding of terrain and of beach node and new landscapes emerged with nice beaches. Some glitches to overcome yet.... will  post some renders soon.

I wait with anticipation...am enduring a just over 9 (I figger,  not done yet) render of Ver. 10 of that bloody stream scene HEH HEH, not as speedy on large renders as I'd hoped. This one will be 1920x1080.
I may yet start again as it went waaaay off course from the first one I posted here.
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: Dune on December 01, 2016, 11:51:32 AM
Okay, here are some renders. All the same file, just some reseeding of terrain (or changing mix 1 to billows or ridges in the terrain PF), and/or reseeding the beach node. And choosing a new POV...
In the earlier renders there are some strange lines in the beaches, but I've got them out.
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: bobbystahr on December 01, 2016, 11:56:09 AM
Whoooeee, most impressive. A lot of variety there and with creative popping and seeding etc. you  could have thousands of different scenes to work with. Well done man....and I just posted my creek in it's old thread.
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: Rumburak on December 01, 2016, 12:22:29 PM
Absolutely stunning!
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: N-drju on December 02, 2016, 01:39:56 AM
You know what they say - life is a beach... But for Ulco this is no problem atoll. :P
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: bobbystahr on December 02, 2016, 01:43:57 AM
Quote from: N-drju on December 02, 2016, 01:39:56 AM
But for Ulco this is no problem atoll. :P

groan
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: masonspappy on December 02, 2016, 04:13:19 AM
Quote from: bobbystahr on December 02, 2016, 01:43:57 AM
Quote from: N-drju on December 02, 2016, 01:39:56 AM
But for Ulco this is no problem atoll. :P
groan

Echo Bobby,  ::)  but these images are beautiful
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: KyL on December 02, 2016, 11:41:26 AM
looks like it's working really well!

good job
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: Rumburak on December 10, 2016, 08:39:43 PM
Any news about this fantastic beach setup?
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: Dune on December 11, 2016, 02:53:48 AM
I haven't had much time lately, but as a matter of fact tried something else yesterday... failed and not very nice, but well, the beaches are still there. There are things to clean up and change, and make comprehensible. I was hoping to get some lateral displacement over the beaches, overhangs, but have to find another way... And I hope not to need increasement of the displacement tolerance.
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: René on December 11, 2016, 08:33:07 AM
They all look good. How you did it is beyond my comprehension.

Those stretched rocks could be the basis for a nice waterfall.
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: Dune on December 12, 2016, 02:30:00 AM
EasyFall  ;) There's an idea.....

Another test with better rocks, rendered in 35mins, due to no compute terrain.
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: Hannes on December 13, 2016, 03:02:39 AM
Really great, Ulco! Beautiful!
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: archonforest on December 13, 2016, 03:07:33 AM
Very cool and monumental. Like it a lot. Great rocks.
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: Dune on December 13, 2016, 07:46:44 AM
It still works  ;)
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: j meyer on December 13, 2016, 12:54:46 PM
Nice beaches and landscapes.
There is one thing I don't like,though, the stripes (sine?) in the surf.
They are too regular to be accepted as natural looking,especially in
created images.
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: Dune on December 14, 2016, 04:52:39 AM
Yes, it's a sinus function, 2 variations mixed, warped a bit, partly by the terrain, but still... Perhaps better to take them out.
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: mhaze on December 16, 2016, 11:18:37 AM
Nice, agree with J Meyer, maybe make the waves further apart?
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: Rumburak on February 15, 2017, 07:44:54 AM
I took another look at these pictures today and I just have to ask again if it is still planned to release this wonderful setup on NWDA? That would be another 'must have' on my list...
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: Dune on February 15, 2017, 11:18:08 AM
I haven't touched the files after these iterations, and commissions aren't rolling in by trainloads, so perhaps I will have another look next week or so.
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: bobbystahr on February 15, 2017, 11:46:54 AM
Quote from: Dune on February 15, 2017, 11:18:08 AM
I haven't touched the files after these iterations, and commissions aren't rolling in by trainloads, so perhaps I will have another look next week or so.

I hear ya Ulco...had 5 music gigs so far in 2017, 3 freebies for poorer than me peeps and token payment on the other two...but my guitar technique improves with the practicing I do in lieu of a gig keeping me in shape...but please continue as these beaches rock...so to say
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: Dune on February 17, 2017, 12:24:06 PM
I had some time today, so here's a first teaser. Basic terrain pf and same after enabling EasyBeach.
Title: Re: Instant beaches
Post by: bobbystahr on February 17, 2017, 06:21:35 PM
Quote from: Dune on February 17, 2017, 12:24:06 PM
I had some time today, so here's a first teaser. Basic terrain pf and same after enabling EasyBeach.

That's ingenious..obvious in a way from the vid...although not transparent enough to reproduce without a lotta thought