Planetside Software Forums

General => Image Sharing => Topic started by: JimB on December 01, 2007, 10:50:26 AM

Title: Cloud "boiling" cheat example
Post by: JimB on December 01, 2007, 10:50:26 AM
Just showing an example of cheated cloud "boiling", following on from this question:
http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=2853.0 (http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=2853.0)

Not the best quality, but should give an idea. See the topic above for how it was done.
Title: Re: Cloud "boiling" cheat example
Post by: dhavalmistry on December 01, 2007, 11:35:12 AM
very very nice....I love the animation....
Title: Re: Cloud "boiling" cheat example
Post by: nvseal on December 01, 2007, 11:42:27 AM
Yeah, that looks pretty sweet.
Title: Re: Cloud "boiling" cheat example
Post by: old_blaggard on December 01, 2007, 01:56:04 PM
That looks quite convincing :).  Nice job.
Title: Re: Cloud "boiling" cheat example
Post by: Seth on December 01, 2007, 02:28:43 PM
very good
Title: Re: Cloud "boiling" cheat example
Post by: Oshyan on December 01, 2007, 07:29:28 PM
Looks good. Similar to a number of such tests I've done before, but regrettably never shared. My long-in-progress St. Helens animation project is actually going to include some cloud animation like this, although with the camera moving as well it may be too subtle to see without really looking for it...

So do you have bigger plans for this? Is it going to be incorporated into a larger animation in TG2, or just used a backdrop, or is it just for experimentation?

- Oshyan
Title: Re: Cloud "boiling" cheat example
Post by: rcallicotte on December 01, 2007, 07:33:44 PM
Wow, Jim, great job.  This is very cool.
Title: Re: Cloud "boiling" cheat example
Post by: gastar on December 02, 2007, 05:42:25 AM
It looks nice...

How long was the rendertime for this and how many cloud sample you are use?

Gastar
Title: Re: Cloud "boiling" cheat example
Post by: JimB on December 02, 2007, 08:27:45 AM
Thanks for the positive comments everyone.

@ Oshyan; it's to have my options open for future jobs that require slight boiling in clouds. I recently bought Ozone for XSI to have internal atmospherics, but I have to say the actual look of the clouds themselves falls very far short of TG2's. However, the boiling in Ozone is very sweet indeed, and I suggest it be looked at by you guys as a kind of 'target'. I'd suggest having it present in your Mt. St. Helens project just for that little 'something extra', but only very subtle. My test is too extreme, but I wanted to see what was going on when the two transforms where mixed.

@ Gastar; as usual render times are high, about 25 minutes per frame at 1024 wide, but the quality is up quite a bit so no surprises at all. The proper frames are much better to look at, but I tried to keep the mpeg conversion low in size for the forum to download.

I anticipate render times being significantly lower (even half is fine) when the optimised version is released.

Considering this is the first attempt I have to say I'm very pleased so far. My main comments (as a client) would be the edges have gone softer compared to a single fractal animation (I'll look into that), and where both transformed fractals don't intersect you can just about spot the Y direction of the transform, up or down. But the overall effect tends to negate that impression, and only the most demanding and critical of clients would demand that be fixed I suspect.

I'll post any more versions I get around to doing.

One important note is you should use Ambient Occlusion, not Final Gathering, to avoid flashing.
Title: Re: Cloud "boiling" cheat example
Post by: crosseout on December 02, 2007, 11:57:28 AM
hey, thats pretty noice, photorealistic. One thing i tought i saw was that some of the clouds were moving in different directions, which if thats the case is not very realistic; but as I said, good job (;
Title: Re: Cloud "boiling" cheat example
Post by: Tangled-Universe on December 02, 2007, 03:34:50 PM
That looks pretty cool, good work! :)
Nice to see an animation posted here.
Title: Re: Cloud "boiling" cheat example
Post by: JimB on December 03, 2007, 01:12:37 PM
Another test, this time increasing the warp of the fractal over time, and translating it in the X as well (no Y translate - all boiling is down to the warp). Very pleased.

Ignore the fizzing in the shadows, the clouds had a lower quality setting, as well as the atmosphere. I also had to compress it a fair bit to upload here.
Title: Re: Cloud "boiling" cheat example
Post by: rcallicotte on December 03, 2007, 01:16:32 PM
Again, I like it.
Title: Re: Cloud "boiling" cheat example
Post by: crosseout on December 03, 2007, 01:19:10 PM
now that is awesome; very, very real (;
Title: Re: Cloud "boiling" cheat example
Post by: Tangled-Universe on December 03, 2007, 01:21:04 PM
Wow that's really cool!
I'd love to see that @ high res. Would you like to upload it at rapidshare, megaupload or whatever?
Title: Re: Cloud "boiling" cheat example
Post by: JimB on December 03, 2007, 01:26:25 PM
Here's a better version. Click on Full Size to see it properly.

http://s75.photobucket.com/albums/i311/tarbicus/?action=view&current=clouds_warp_test_03.flv
Title: Re: Cloud "boiling" cheat example
Post by: Seth on December 03, 2007, 01:53:09 PM
niiiiiice
Title: Re: Cloud "boiling" cheat example
Post by: old_blaggard on December 03, 2007, 02:37:40 PM
Very nice!  Not only do your clouds have very realistic forms, but the boiling works well, too.  If you want it rendered at higher res... let's just say that I have an animation license and several empty computer labs at my school right now (all the kids are on break ;)).  Give me a yelp if you want me to do a longer and/or higher resolution render for you :).
Title: Re: Cloud "boiling" cheat example
Post by: Tangled-Universe on December 03, 2007, 04:14:59 PM
Quote from: old_blaggard on December 03, 2007, 02:37:40 PM
Very nice!  Not only do your clouds have very realistic forms, but the boiling works well, too.  If you want it rendered at higher res... let's just say that I have an animation license and several empty computer labs at my school right now (all the kids are on break ;)).  Give me a yelp if you want me to do a longer and/or higher resolution render for you :).

@JimB: do it! do it!  ;D  ;) lol
Title: Re: Cloud "boiling" cheat example
Post by: Matt on December 03, 2007, 11:29:03 PM
Hi Jim,

You shouldn't have a problem with flashing GI in the next update :)

Matt
Title: Re: Cloud "boiling" cheat example
Post by: old_blaggard on December 03, 2007, 11:32:13 PM
Good to hear, Matt :).
Title: Re: Cloud "boiling" cheat example
Post by: Sethren on December 04, 2007, 02:50:18 AM
That last video was lovely. Very realistic.   
Title: Re: Cloud "boiling" cheat example
Post by: JimB on December 04, 2007, 06:44:09 AM
Quote from: old_blaggard on December 03, 2007, 02:37:40 PM
Very nice!  Not only do your clouds have very realistic forms, but the boiling works well, too.  If you want it rendered at higher res... let's just say that I have an animation license and several empty computer labs at my school right now (all the kids are on break ;)).  Give me a yelp if you want me to do a longer and/or higher resolution render for you :).
O_B, thanks for the offer, it's really good of you. But I have a new high quality version rendering right now. It'll take a while, but I'm okay with that running on a couple of spare boxes. Much appreciated.

Quote from: Matt on December 03, 2007, 11:29:03 PM
Hi Jim,

You shouldn't have a problem with flashing GI in the next update :)
Ahhhhhhh - nice. Thanks for that  :D
Title: Re: Cloud "boiling" cheat example
Post by: JimB on December 05, 2007, 07:01:12 AM
New higher quality version roughly halfway rendered, to be seen here:

http://s75.photobucket.com/albums/i311/tarbicus/?action=view&current=clouds_warp_test_04.flv (http://s75.photobucket.com/albums/i311/tarbicus/?action=view&current=clouds_warp_test_04.flv)

I just realised when uploaded the resolution is reduced. I'll look for a solution so it can be viewed full size. I love the raytaced shadowing on the clouds, which can be seen best in the centre cloud as the mid-fluff moves forward.
Title: Re: Cloud "boiling" cheat example
Post by: old_blaggard on December 05, 2007, 09:24:45 AM
Oh, man, this looks *really* good - hopefully you'll find a place to post the higher-resolution version :).
Title: Re: Cloud "boiling" cheat example
Post by: Tangled-Universe on December 05, 2007, 12:53:22 PM
This is so cool work, looks stunning!
I also hope you'll find a place to post it high-res (online file-sharer/upload site, like megaupload.com?)
Title: Re: Cloud "boiling" cheat example
Post by: JimB on December 05, 2007, 01:56:02 PM
Thanks for the nod on Megaupload.

Here's the link to a 1k AVI (4.6Mb) : http://www.megaupload.com/?d=J58927CP (http://www.megaupload.com/?d=J58927CP)
Title: Re: Cloud "boiling" cheat example
Post by: old_blaggard on December 05, 2007, 03:09:12 PM
Great :).
Title: Re: Cloud "boiling" cheat example
Post by: overlordchuck on December 05, 2007, 07:11:55 PM
Wow...beautiful, very very nice.  Looks extremely realistic.
Title: Re: Cloud "boiling" cheat example
Post by: dhavalmistry on December 05, 2007, 10:20:57 PM
you gotta show me how you did this ;)
Title: Re: Cloud "boiling" cheat example
Post by: JimB on December 06, 2007, 12:16:21 PM
Just an X or Z or both translation using the Transform shader, and slightly change the Warp of the cloud fractal over time using keyframes.  It's really straightforward.
Title: Re: Cloud "boiling" cheat example
Post by: rcallicotte on December 07, 2007, 09:16:29 AM
Okay.

If you say so.   ;D

Quote from: JimB on December 06, 2007, 12:16:21 PM
It's really straightforward.
Title: Re: Cloud "boiling" cheat example
Post by: JimB on December 07, 2007, 11:37:57 AM
Quote from: calico on December 07, 2007, 09:16:29 AM
If you say so.   ;D
I do  ;)

New version, full 100 frames AVI, available for download from here: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=L4P5O7M8 (http://www.megaupload.com/?d=L4P5O7M8)
I need to extend the keyframes well beyond 0 and 101 as there's a smidgeon of ease-in and ease-out.
Title: Re: Cloud "boiling" cheat example
Post by: dhavalmistry on December 07, 2007, 11:47:28 AM
very nice work....I love it...

for the easing problem....you  can render extra frames in the beginning and at the end  and you can cut them out in a video editing program....

since we are on video editing subject...how do you compile the video from bunch of jpgs???...and what program do you use??...I am not very good at editing...
Title: Re: Cloud "boiling" cheat example
Post by: Matt on December 07, 2007, 11:54:10 AM
Quote from: dhavalmistry on December 07, 2007, 11:47:28 AM
for the easing problem....you  can render extra frames in the beginning and at the end  and you can cut them out in a video editing program....

Without actually rendering those unused frames, I hope  ;)   In Project Settings you can set the first frame to be a negative number, and then it's easy to set keyframes there even if you only render from 1 onwards.

Matt
Title: Re: Cloud "boiling" cheat example
Post by: JimB on December 07, 2007, 12:01:57 PM
Quote from: Matt on December 07, 2007, 11:54:10 AM
Quote from: dhavalmistry on December 07, 2007, 11:47:28 AM
for the easing problem....you  can render extra frames in the beginning and at the end  and you can cut them out in a video editing program....

Without actually rendering those unused frames, I hope  ;)   In Project Settings you can set the first frame to be a negative number, and then it's easy to set keyframes there even if you only render from 1 onwards.
Which is kind of what I did  (0, 1, 100, 101) and rendered 1-100.  ;)  Next time it'll be (-101, -100, 200, 201) and render 1-100.

Quote from: dhavalmistry on December 07, 2007, 11:47:28 AM
since we are on video editing subject...how do you compile the video from bunch of jpgs???...and what program do you use??...I am not very good at editing...
I used XSI's flipbook app to view the sequence, and exported it from there as an AVI. The original frames were EXR's, so you might notice differences in exposure and gamma between the different versions (I can't help myself, sorry - must fiddle).
Title: Re: Cloud "boiling" cheat example
Post by: Tangled-Universe on December 07, 2007, 12:44:25 PM
It's time for Planetside to add a "animation of the month" section on their site ;)
Title: Re: Cloud "boiling" cheat example
Post by: rcallicotte on December 07, 2007, 08:44:01 PM
You've done a fine job, JimB.
Title: Re: Cloud "boiling" cheat example
Post by: Lucio on December 07, 2007, 09:09:58 PM
Quote from: Tangled-Universe on December 07, 2007, 12:44:25 PM
It's time for Planetside to add a "animation of the month" section on their site ;)

I would wait the multithreaded features to do that.. or we'll finish in an "animation of the year" section ;D

Great work Jim, very convincing animated clouds