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General => Image Sharing => Topic started by: AP on March 01, 2016, 03:24:18 AM

Title: Terragen 3.4 beta clouds
Post by: AP on March 01, 2016, 03:24:18 AM
Integrating some ideas for Cumulus cloud tests with various changes in mind.
Title: Re: Terragen 3.4 beta clouds
Post by: Dune on March 01, 2016, 06:26:33 AM
That looks promising.
Title: Re: Terragen 3.4 beta clouds
Post by: AP on March 01, 2016, 06:41:17 AM
I am doing some more lighting adjustments, trying to make it look more real. It looks somewhat milky. Adjusting more bumpiness. I managed to rid the flat cloud tops by figuring it was a contrast issue all this time. The cloud tops look as clouds of this type should look. It took years to figure that problem out.    :P   
Title: Re: Terragen 3.4 beta clouds
Post by: Dune on March 01, 2016, 06:43:40 AM
Interesting. Maybe soften the base a bit more?
Title: Re: Terragen 3.4 beta clouds
Post by: AP on March 01, 2016, 06:46:48 AM
They do look to hard edged. I will post an update later.
Title: Re: Terragen 3.4 beta clouds
Post by: N-drju on March 01, 2016, 07:13:27 AM
Looks like badly de-snowed driveway. ;)
Title: Re: Terragen 3.4 beta clouds
Post by: inkydigit on March 01, 2016, 10:51:56 AM
nice billows!
:)
Title: Re: Terragen 3.4 beta clouds
Post by: AP on March 01, 2016, 04:34:48 PM
More roughness but still not quite there.
Title: Re: Terragen 3.4 beta clouds
Post by: N-drju on March 02, 2016, 03:02:21 AM
Less sharpness perhaps...?
Title: Re: Terragen 3.4 beta clouds
Post by: AP on March 02, 2016, 05:56:11 AM
The sharpness is at 9, not too sharp for dense Cumulus clouds. The cloud convection causing the billowy features always tend to be sharper in density. I am adjusting the roughness a bit less. It is a bit too broken up and the billows are less prominent which is not wanted.
Title: Re: Terragen 3.4 beta clouds
Post by: Dune on March 02, 2016, 07:35:00 AM
Have you used color adjust shaders yet to manipulate contrast and coverage?
Title: Re: Terragen 3.4 beta clouds
Post by: AP on March 02, 2016, 07:36:42 AM
Not yet as everything was adjusted within the Density fractal shader.
Title: Re: Terragen 3.4 beta clouds
Post by: AP on March 02, 2016, 05:59:17 PM
Using a Perlin ridge noise for a more turbulent look.
Title: Re: Terragen 3.4 beta clouds
Post by: Kadri on March 02, 2016, 07:03:42 PM

I like test 2 more. How does it look when the clouds are less dense ?
Title: Re: Terragen 3.4 beta clouds
Post by: AP on March 02, 2016, 07:33:49 PM
Test 2 is a bit too broken up so there needs to be a satisfactory in-between rough and smooth. Density has yet to be tested.
Title: Re: Terragen 3.4 beta clouds
Post by: AP on March 02, 2016, 10:44:20 PM
Closer to a compromise between tight billowy and broken up. The lighting looks better for this one, i think?
Title: Re: Terragen 3.4 beta clouds
Post by: DocCharly65 on March 03, 2016, 02:42:16 AM
The top is already unbelievable good!

I don't really know what is disturbing me about the bottom of the clouds. But just an idea: Is it possible to add a  couds layer with less density but minimal higher coverage some meters lower? I fantasize just a little...
Title: Re: Terragen 3.4 beta clouds
Post by: Dune on March 03, 2016, 02:47:12 AM
Yes, I like the tops as well, the whole clouds actually. Perhaps soften the bottom more? I've done some work on clouds too lately, and found out that you can also use a surface shader with a negative black color (+input) to adjust stuff (at certain heights), and use the child input to alter the feel of the cloud. There are always new ways  ;) I guess blue nodes can do the same (like bias, modula, clamp, whatever, but I'm not really good at those (at all).
Title: Re: Terragen 3.4 beta clouds
Post by: AP on March 03, 2016, 03:05:22 AM
Quote from: DocCharly65 on March 03, 2016, 02:42:16 AM
The top is already unbelievable good!

I don't really know what is disturbing me about the bottom of the clouds. But just an idea: Is it possible to add a  couds layer with less density but minimal higher coverage some meters lower? I fantasize just a little...

Certainly, however the idea was to use as little nodes as possible here. I like a good challenge while still trying to keep it realistic. My current render should have more soft cloud bottoms.
Title: Re: Terragen 3.4 beta clouds
Post by: AP on March 03, 2016, 03:11:02 AM
Quote from: Dune on March 03, 2016, 02:47:12 AM
Yes, I like the tops as well, the whole clouds actually. Perhaps soften the bottom more? I've done some work on clouds too lately, and found out that you can also use a surface shader with a negative black color (+input) to adjust stuff (at certain heights), and use the child input to alter the feel of the cloud. There are always new ways  ;) I guess blue nodes can do the same (like bias, modula, clamp, whatever, but I'm not really good at those (at all).

Funny, i to was thinking what could be done with a Surface layer and the like? One idea is anvil tops for very tall thunderheads. Displace outward near and along the cloud tops somehow. I want to flatten those out when they hit stratosphere.
Title: Re: Terragen 3.4 beta clouds
Post by: AP on March 03, 2016, 04:09:32 AM
Less density and softer bottoms. Added some additional height.
Title: Re: Terragen 3.4 beta clouds
Post by: archonforest on March 03, 2016, 04:34:56 AM
Very nice!
Title: Re: Terragen 3.4 beta clouds
Post by: Kadri on March 03, 2016, 11:44:20 AM
Looks good.
Title: Re: Terragen 3.4 beta clouds
Post by: Dune on March 03, 2016, 11:57:44 AM
If you try to subtract clouds (perhaps with height restraint), you'll see that some sort of opposite is added elsewhere. Has to do with clamping. Somehow the black has negative values that you don't see, but they are there, and when subtracting this will be added  :o Very complicated if you look at a mess of nodes too long and have all sorts of connections. Bias is also interesting, with a fractal as bias'er. You never end playing/working.
Title: Re: Terragen 3.4 beta clouds
Post by: AP on March 03, 2016, 03:11:49 PM
I will have to try those ideas out soon but it sounds rather enticing.
Title: Re: Terragen 3.4 beta clouds
Post by: bobbystahr on March 04, 2016, 12:10:38 PM
Great exploration Chris. You've a very active mind....
Title: Re: Terragen 3.4 beta clouds
Post by: AP on March 04, 2016, 05:55:49 PM
Thank You.

When i get to good enough point, i would like to share the results.
Title: Re: Terragen 3.4 beta clouds
Post by: AP on April 21, 2016, 02:21:50 AM
Now that the contest is over, back to some cloud experiments.