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General => Terragen Discussion => Topic started by: rcallicotte on August 12, 2008, 01:38:46 PM

Title: Real Clouds
Post by: rcallicotte on August 12, 2008, 01:38:46 PM
Check out the gradations and especially the geometry in these exploding clouds (particularly the first two or three).  Anyone think they have figured out a way to get this geometry with this lighting, please speak up.  We need a tutorial from you how to do these kinds of clouds.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2395/2300970387_2d40b18b42_o.jpg
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_xFN0MWk4km8/Rq984qBq--I/AAAAAAAAAAs/9MAwxjvdoKo/Thunderhead.JPG
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/210/524702514_04614eb8e2.jpg?v=0
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_gw3wT0DS-N0/Rl8HUHjMVGI/AAAAAAAAACc/27YrFDp7oIA/ET012.JPG
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1151/1214445867_39d6de4a1f.jpg?v=0
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2151/2077168466_4f6ae12996.jpg?v=0
Title: Re: Real Clouds
Post by: Tangled-Universe on August 13, 2008, 05:48:55 AM
The 2nd and 4th link are broken, can you fix these?

The first picture has indeed impressive formations. There must be a way to do this almost exactly :)

Martin
Title: Re: Real Clouds
Post by: rcallicotte on August 13, 2008, 08:57:17 AM
Martin - Glad you posted.  I can get the second and fourth fine...wonder why you can't.  You need to see the second one, for sure.   :o  It's what I've been seeing around here in the last few weeks and I want to reproduce these.  I've been trying for weeks.   ;D
Title: Re: Real Clouds
Post by: Tangled-Universe on August 13, 2008, 02:13:29 PM
This is the message I get, as well as home as at work:

Not Found
The requested URL /_xFN0MWk4km8/Rq984qBq--I/AAAAAAAAAAs/9MAwxjvdoKo/Thunderhead.JPG was not found on this server.


Title: Re: Real Clouds
Post by: PG on August 13, 2008, 02:25:04 PM
Martin, try copying this http://lh4.google.com/_xFN0MWk4km8/Rq984qBq--I/AAAAAAAAAAs/9MAwxjvdoKo/Thunderhead.JPG

http://lh4.google.com/_gw3wT0DS-N0/Rl8HUHjMVGI/AAAAAAAAACc/27YrFDp7oIA/ET012.JPG
Title: Re: Real Clouds
Post by: Tangled-Universe on August 13, 2008, 02:48:33 PM
Quote from: PG on August 13, 2008, 02:25:04 PM
Martin, try copying this http://lh4.google.com/_xFN0MWk4km8/Rq984qBq--I/AAAAAAAAAAs/9MAwxjvdoKo/Thunderhead.JPG

http://lh4.google.com/_gw3wT0DS-N0/Rl8HUHjMVGI/AAAAAAAAACc/27YrFDp7oIA/ET012.JPG

Somehow that worked, didn't open but I got the option to save them manually, thanks!

Indeed impressive formations. Already knew the first one of these two (the second from the original post).
I'm pretty sure it can be done in TG. Just takes a lot of tweaking and testing.
Luc made a very nice image some time ago with pretty similar structures to these.

Martin
Title: Re: Real Clouds
Post by: PG on August 13, 2008, 03:46:20 PM
Indeed, I don't think they'd necessarily need functions though. Just tweaking of the scales a bit. a low smallest scale would be in order, something around 0.04 with a lead-in scale somewhere between 35k and 50k. In either Perlin Mix 2 or billows. Maybe using the redirect trick that....um.. someone recently posted about. And some noise variation, in particular the bouyancy and clumping of variation. Those last two are probably the most important settings actually.
Title: Re: Real Clouds
Post by: Tangled-Universe on August 13, 2008, 04:06:38 PM
Quote from: PG on August 13, 2008, 03:46:20 PM
Indeed, I don't think they'd necessarily need functions though. Just tweaking of the scales a bit. a low smallest scale would be in order, something around 0.04 with a lead-in scale somewhere between 35k and 50k. In either Perlin Mix 2 or billows. Maybe using the redirect trick that....um.. someone recently posted about. And some noise variation, in particular the bouyancy and clumping of variation. Those last two are probably the most important settings actually.

Mohawk you mean...he posted a redirect-shader technique (though I am not really convinced).

Why do you think you'll need such a low small scale of 0.04?? I think this will only make your cloud very noizy. It will probably also render quit slow because of the high amount of octaves consequently.

Martin
Title: Re: Real Clouds
Post by: PG on August 13, 2008, 04:10:13 PM
possibly. I changed them first and moved straight onto the noise settings before checking the result so a higher small scale would probably work as well. The renders are quite noisy now you mention it. ::) ;D
Title: Re: Real Clouds
Post by: rcallicotte on August 14, 2008, 07:40:56 AM
If you check out what people have said who said what he probably did to his image, you'll find it wasn't all done in TG.

Quote from: Tangled-Universe on August 13, 2008, 02:48:33 PM
Luc made a very nice image some time ago with pretty similar structures to these.

Martin
Title: Re: Real Clouds
Post by: Tangled-Universe on August 15, 2008, 05:56:26 AM
I'd like to encourage everybody to jump into this matter and see if we're together able to make something close to these references...

Therefore, and also because I'm in a good mood lately ;D, I've posted the .tgd of my latest cloud image:

http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=3691.msg48625#msg48625 (http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=3691.msg48625#msg48625)

Enjoy and good luck!

Martin
Title: Re: Real Clouds
Post by: rcallicotte on August 15, 2008, 08:52:25 AM
Thanks Martin.  This is a good idea.  I'll post my work when I can.
Title: Re: Real Clouds
Post by: fmtoffolo on August 19, 2008, 11:39:40 AM
Quote from: calico on August 14, 2008, 07:40:56 AM
If you check out what people have said who said what he probably did to his image, you'll find it wasn't all done in TG.

what?
Title: Re: Real Clouds
Post by: PG on August 19, 2008, 03:03:51 PM
postwork man, postwork. Heavy :o
Title: Re: Real Clouds
Post by: old_blaggard on August 19, 2008, 03:57:37 PM
Really?  I haven't heard anything about this.  I'm sure that he uses some levels/brightness/contrast/etc. in his images, but I've always been under the impression that he's a purist, so to speak.
Title: Re: Real Clouds
Post by: Tangled-Universe on August 19, 2008, 04:08:24 PM
Made some adjustments to my latests clouds...

Still a WIP...

Title: Re: Real Clouds
Post by: PG on August 19, 2008, 04:11:14 PM
I think you've very almost nailed it martin. Only thing is the bottom which doesn't look quite right. I don't know what it is though. maybe a little warping or something.
Title: Re: Real Clouds
Post by: Tangled-Universe on August 19, 2008, 04:13:59 PM
Quote from: PG on August 19, 2008, 04:11:14 PM
I think you've very almost nailed it martin. Only thing is the bottom which doesn't look quite right. I don't know what it is though. maybe a little warping or something.

Yes you're right about that...I'll see what I can do about that.

For your interest: it's a single cloudfractal and is heavily based on the .tgd I posted in the cloudsection a couple of days ago. Adjusted a couple of parameters which gave me some loose blotches of clouds, which I do like a lot, and also which softened the cloud.

I know your understanding of clouds is good so I think you can come up with the same, if not better, results ;)
Title: Re: Real Clouds
Post by: rcallicotte on August 19, 2008, 04:29:57 PM
Great job, Martin.  I see you're making great strides toward the goal we started on the other web forum weeks ago.  It's encouraging to see you stuck with it.