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General => Image Sharing => Topic started by: RArcher on August 07, 2007, 01:06:08 PM

Title: Farther down the trail *updated with final render*
Post by: RArcher on August 07, 2007, 01:06:08 PM
Continuing the canyon theme, this time with bushes and a more tan coloured canyon wall.

-Ryan Archer


Update with final render: August 22, 2007
Title: Re: Farther down the trail
Post by: old_blaggard on August 07, 2007, 01:23:24 PM
As I said over at Ashundar, I love this one.
Title: Re: Farther down the trail
Post by: Volker Harun on August 07, 2007, 03:03:59 PM
Good Work!
Title: Re: Farther down the trail
Post by: cyphyr on August 07, 2007, 03:23:43 PM
I can hear the Discovery Channel voice over, very convincing. Good work!
Richard
Title: Re: Farther down the trail
Post by: sflynn on August 07, 2007, 03:31:21 PM
Great realism and detail.
Title: Re: Farther down the trail
Post by: rcallicotte on August 07, 2007, 04:05:20 PM
Nice.  It could use a bit of erosion...maybe.  What do you think?
Title: Re: Farther down the trail
Post by: Tangled-Universe on August 07, 2007, 06:51:20 PM
What a nice crisp and clean render  :) Very nice strata and the bushes look good as well.
Great work!

Martin
Title: Re: Farther down the trail
Post by: RArcher on August 07, 2007, 09:28:04 PM
Trying out the wonderful post-processing techniques shown by Volker, I think this render becomes much better.  Thanks Volker for sharing!
Title: Re: Farther down the trail
Post by: rcallicotte on August 07, 2007, 11:14:58 PM
I like this second one better.  It seems "meatier".   :D
Title: Re: Farther down the trail
Post by: NWsenior07 on August 07, 2007, 11:38:11 PM
A very very nice render. Well done.
Title: Re: Farther down the trail
Post by: Volker Harun on August 08, 2007, 03:20:24 AM
The soft light adds some vibrance. Your settings were good, as the image did not get too dark :)
Title: Re: Farther down the trail
Post by: ThinkPink on August 08, 2007, 10:08:53 AM
*gulp* ..... GREAT!!!
How did you get this photo-realistic effect? Special settings in Lighting or atmosphere ????
My renders always look like ... hmmm .... renders ... if you know what I mean  :-\ ... not like a photo and I try and try and try ....
Title: Re: Farther down the trail
Post by: Victor on August 08, 2007, 04:13:17 PM
Very good work. Trees alive....
Where to find these remarkable models of trees? :)
Title: Re: Farther down the trail
Post by: moodflow on August 08, 2007, 04:48:20 PM
Very nice work! 

I think the soft light effect would make this image sing even more.  The colors on the foliage look really sweet, its as if the leaves are translucent.

I would also break up those perfect lines and add some erosion (as stated above), and/or cracks to add even more realism, detail, and interest. 

Definitely image of the week material!
Title: Re: Farther down the trail
Post by: RArcher on August 08, 2007, 05:09:06 PM
Thanks very much for all the kind comments. 

@Victor:  The tree can be found in this thread (the tree is an Olea Europaea): http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=1350.0 (http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=1350.0)  It was very generously posted by mr-miley (thanks!).  All I changed was to add a bit of luminosity and adjust the colour of each tree.
Title: Re: Farther down the trail
Post by: moodflow on August 08, 2007, 05:15:05 PM
That luminosity really makes those leaves look nice!  Do you know what values you've used?
Title: Re: Farther down the trail
Post by: RArcher on August 08, 2007, 05:34:19 PM
Attached are the leaf portions of the Olea trees for the image.  The luminosity is set at 0.1 for this particular scene.  I also added a power fractal to the colour function of the leaf node, but whether that actually had any effect or not I have no idea.
Title: Re: Farther down the trail
Post by: moodflow on August 08, 2007, 06:49:52 PM
Quote from: RArcher on August 08, 2007, 05:34:19 PM
Attached are the leaf portions of the Olea trees for the image.  The luminosity is set at 0.1 for this particular scene.  I also added a power fractal to the colour function of the leaf node, but whether that actually had any effect or not I have no idea.

Thanks for the clip files.  The powerfractals will definitely affect the leaf details, but they have to be scaled down tremendously.  I've been using a scale of 0.1 and smallest scale of 0.01 .
Title: Re: Farther down the trail
Post by: Victor on August 09, 2007, 03:48:10 PM
If to add stones in the foreground it would be even better... ;)
Title: Re: Farther down the trail (updated with final render)
Post by: RArcher on August 16, 2007, 02:58:40 PM
Thanks to everyone for their comments and suggestions. I've tried to put together a final render using some of the ideas given.  I am quite pleased with just about everything.  Thanks for taking a look!

-Ryan Archer
Title: Re: Farther down the trail *updated with final render*
Post by: old_blaggard on August 16, 2007, 04:30:55 PM
Wow, Ryan, this looks fantastic.  Great job!
Title: Re: Farther down the trail *updated with final render*
Post by: FrankB on August 16, 2007, 05:27:22 PM
awesome, man!

mind talking a bit how you've done it, share a few setting (also on the vegation color and lighting), and what you've done for postwork?

regards,
Frank
Title: Re: Farther down the trail *updated with final render*
Post by: rcallicotte on August 16, 2007, 05:53:55 PM
RArcher, this is beautifully real.  Good job!  Share what you will so we can learn.
Title: Re: Farther down the trail *updated with final render*
Post by: Will on August 16, 2007, 07:42:23 PM
Great job, I still can figure out canyons even after the tutorials looks as if you got it down though.
Title: Re: Farther down the trail *updated with final render*
Post by: efflux on August 17, 2007, 05:50:00 PM
Excellent terrain and view through the canyon. I'm not sure the final version is altogether the best though but some of the techniques in it are cool. Maybe a touch more colour variation in the rocks. Tree leaves look excellent but the tree placement in the distance in the final version looks a bit concocted and a central distraction. Maybe blend techniques from the earlier and final versions more subtly. The sharp light seems to make more sense in this scene. I haven't experimented with the soft light technique but I make the assumption it is possible to make it a little more subtle.
Title: Re: Farther down the trail *updated with final render*
Post by: RArcher on August 17, 2007, 11:25:36 PM
My wife told me almost word for word just what you did Efflux  ;D  And after looking at it objectively, I have to say you are both 100% correct.  I'll be fiddling around a bit more with it next week after letting it stew for a few days.  Once I have everything worked out, I will post the .tgd (even though it seems embarrassingly uncomplicated compared to some of the amazing things posted here) for anyone who's interested.  Thanks again for the critiques.
Title: Re: Farther down the trail *updated with final render*
Post by: sjefen on August 18, 2007, 02:33:16 PM
I like it. Great job with the texturing.
But I think the grass look a little to big when next to the tree.
Title: Re: Farther down the trail *updated with final render*
Post by: efflux on August 18, 2007, 08:50:08 PM
It wouldn't surprise me at all if it's simple. Sometimes you can create things which people think are complicated but are actually very simple effective use of the app. Complicated FG techniques can be very useful but they are ultimately used to create a piece of art. Sometimes you can have a brain wave to just change one parameter on a function which ends up with something totally unique.

One thing I love in this render is the distant view through the gorge. The rock face has beautiful lighting showing the surfaces nicely. Very realistic. Then you have that lower light area. Your eye is immediately drawn through that space. I think the hard light and the general rock and lighting arrangement aids it better in the previous versions. The feel is that this would be a cool place to walk through and explore. In my opinion this is actually totally lost in the last version. The feel of the picture is all important beyond any techniques which you can get lost in.

Another point is that using soft light or soft shadows softens shapes because obviously hard light creates more dramatic shapes which can end up being very much part of the composition of the picture. Although, coming fro the UK, I'm probably biased is favour of strong hard light because usually all we get here is soft dull overcast light. Having said that most of my renders aren't that clear in terms of lighting and atmosphere.
Title: Re: Farther down the trail *updated with final render*
Post by: efflux on August 18, 2007, 09:25:36 PM
By the way the post processing on the second version works well whatever it is. I'd be interested to know what has been done.
Title: Re: Farther down the trail *updated with final render*
Post by: RArcher on August 22, 2007, 11:58:44 AM
Final version for the time being.  Thanks to everyone for their comments and suggestions.

I've uploaded the .tgd and terrain file for anyone interested.  It is not complicated at all, but it got the job done for what I was looking for.  The terrain file was a 10 second creation from tg 0.9. 

http://www.archer-designs.com/temp/farther-down-the-trail.zip (http://www.archer-designs.com/temp/farther-down-the-trail.zip)

Postwork included:

- Levels adjustments
- Volker's soft light technique
- Small amount of extra texturing
- Some sharpening
- A little blur on the foreground grass clumps

-Ryan Archer
Title: Re: Farther down the trail *updated with final render*
Post by: rcallicotte on August 22, 2007, 12:34:57 PM
This is well improved and looks very real.  Of course I liked all of your others before this, but I agree this looks the best so far.  And I only say "so far", if it means you'll ever do anything with it again.  Not that you need to.
Title: Re: Farther down the trail *updated with final render*
Post by: sjefen on August 22, 2007, 04:55:26 PM
Very nice work. I like what you did with the grass to. It gives it a lot more life.
I really hope that Planetside will give us some more options for the grass in the final version. Like curly grass and other cool stuff.
Title: Re: Farther down the trail *updated with final render*
Post by: rcallicotte on August 22, 2007, 07:28:12 PM
Yes!  Grains.

Quote from: sjefen on August 22, 2007, 04:55:26 PM
Very nice work. I like what you did with the grass to. It gives it a lot more life.
I really hope that Planetside will give us some more options for the grass in the final version. Like curly grass and other cool stuff.
Title: Re: Farther down the trail *updated with final render*
Post by: *venom on August 23, 2007, 08:58:08 AM
great image! you got soul  :D