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General => Image Sharing => Topic started by: zaxxon on February 04, 2014, 10:51:30 AM

Title: Towards the Summit
Post by: zaxxon on February 04, 2014, 10:51:30 AM
Terrain a combination of World Machine and Terragen. Custom trees via Speedtree and Manzanita variants via Speedtree as well. My take on California's higher elevations.
Title: Re: Towards the Summit
Post by: TheBadger on February 04, 2014, 11:14:00 AM
Things look real nice here. My only crit really, it that there should be more fine color information in the rocks. The plants look very nice I think. Shape of the terrain is good too
Title: Re: Towards the Summit
Post by: aymenk2003 on February 04, 2014, 01:12:24 PM
As theBadger Said...more fine color information in the rocks would be better...
there are nice rock shaders in the library
N.KAID
Title: Re: Towards the Summit
Post by: choronr on February 04, 2014, 01:17:55 PM
Very good. Your plant distribution and light is excellent.
Title: Re: Towards the Summit
Post by: zaxxon on February 04, 2014, 02:14:14 PM

This scene is deliberately reminiscent of the section of Northeastern Yosemite around Mt. Ritter and Mt. Banner, 14,000 feet plus elevations. The granitic rock that makes up much of California's Sierra Nevada is actually called "plutonic" rock and is the result of magma that has solidified beneath the surface and where it is exposed thru weathering or tectonic upthrust tends to a light gray color with minimal color variations. While volcanic activity adds additional material to the coloration, succeeding glaciation can eliminate much of the varying shades of color. That said, I agree that more variation should be present, here's where my skills with World Machine need to be honed; to be able to create realistic variations within the granite structure and show them via 'flow-maps' imported into TG. 

The White Bark Pines grow to an elevation of 12.000 feet and where exposed  are sculpted into starkly beautiful forms. As always I appreciate any and all comments, thank you.
Title: Re: Towards the Summit
Post by: TheBadger on February 04, 2014, 03:59:30 PM
Maybe the color is not in the stone but on it? I cant tell from the images I see on-line, but maybe the color also comes from exposure like you talked about?. But here is an example of what I meant to convey:
[attach=1]

ITs real hard to get those rectangular shapes too, for some reason. There is a post from Mogn in TG discussion. He posted a clip file built entirely of blue bodes that maybe of use to you here, Zaxxon?
http://www.planetside.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic,17450.75.html pg.6 at least the following discussion in that thread may help you do more.

Anyway, like I said, I like your images. Just talking out load is all.
Title: Re: Towards the Summit
Post by: zaxxon on February 04, 2014, 04:37:57 PM
Hey TheBadger (what does that mean anyway?), I'm with you, thanks for the interest. Yeah, your Yosemite shot shows the colorings well. Everything digital is only an approximation of the real for sure. I probably can create some 'streakings' easily enough of an appropriate color, and may do so for the sake of the conversation  :), still I'm 'psyching' myself into some WM work and would like to test the water so to speak. Here's a shot of Mt. Ritter , imagine yourself well up the approach looking at those massive granite flanks! Wonderful stuff. Definately my favorite subject matter. I have been to the top BTW (mild bragging here...).
Title: Re: Towards the Summit
Post by: otakar on February 04, 2014, 06:29:20 PM
Match the rock (quality) with your excellent plants and you have a killer scene.
Title: Re: Towards the Summit
Post by: TheBadger on February 04, 2014, 06:35:52 PM
 ooooh, nice shot! Where is that mount? I guess I could just google.

I have never climbed a proper mountain before. I used to hike and climb every week, just never on an object so large that it has its own weather.
Driven to the top of one once though ;D

What does "theBadger" mean, you mean? IT means that when I singed up to be a member here someone already took "Badger". And frankly, I think Oshyan should give me that name since whoever took it never comes here. And also, I want it! And also I would like to drop "the" since its a little weird ;D But the more interesting question is what is a "zaxxon"? :)

There should be a thread where everyone has to explain what the heck our screen names mean, because there are a lot of handles here that invoke curiosity, thats for sure.
What is a otakar, a choronr, a aymenk? Could be some fun stories behind all of this.
Title: Re: Towards the Summit
Post by: choronr on February 04, 2014, 08:08:39 PM
Michael, choronr: a combination of my last and first names - Choronzuk and Robert. Choronzuk is a Ukranian/Russian name and phonetically pronounced 'Hor-on-chuk' (don't forget to roll the R in Hor). In Russian, it means Lieutenant. When my grandparents arrived at Ellis Island, they somehow came up with English spelling.
Title: Re: Towards the Summit
Post by: pclavett on February 09, 2014, 07:14:44 AM
Excellent composition and love the view point ! The foreground is perfect ! Great Work !
Paul
Title: Re: Towards the Summit - New Render
Post by: zaxxon on February 10, 2014, 12:14:36 PM
Thanks to a few friendly nudges, here's an image that has a bit more color detail, as well as some slight displacement changes. Rendered at .8 detail, 10 AA, Catmul-Rom renderer.
Title: Re: Towards the Summit
Post by: kaedorg on February 10, 2014, 12:19:59 PM
Excellent. I love the colours
Title: Re: Towards the Summit
Post by: choronr on February 10, 2014, 01:21:54 PM
Your vegetative coverage on those slopes is the best I have seen.
Title: Re: Towards the Summit
Post by: mhaze on February 10, 2014, 02:01:24 PM
Very, very nice.
Title: Re: Towards the Summit
Post by: zaxxon on February 11, 2014, 08:13:30 PM
Thanks again for the kind words.  Choronr: there are 3 small populations of trees, some misc bare trees, and two populations of manzanita - one with flowering leaves and the other dried and leafless. I have had some interesting times with the new instance populator, It's really a welcome and powerful addition to TG, still, there are a few quirks that caused a couple of WTF moments. I'm posting a new render of the manzanita with a closer view. Once again thanks for the comments.
Title: Re: Towards the Summit
Post by: choronr on February 11, 2014, 10:09:26 PM
I have some Manzanita models that were created by a generous fellow a few years back. Haven't heard from him in awhile. Will have to have another look at those models. That plant has a beautiful red trunk and branches. The older plants are very beautiful.