The light is really bad. The clouds are not where/how I wanted. But I had to go to work, so I did a test.
Detail 0.85
AA 5
GI detail 2
GI samples 2
Super sample prepass and GI surface details 10 hrs. 7 mins.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2644/3980171648_243b9b0489_o.jpg
the light was bad ? ...try to add another sunlight looking the direction as the camera...with strength = 1...
NKAID...
I changed the clouds. It's rendering now. The first row of three is done and looks good.
Made some changes. I forgot to increase the cloud/atmosphere settings. I'll make a few more changes and render it again from an undisclosed location yet to be determined.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2448/3987173622_d2302d0879_b.jpg
The new pov and scales of the trees give a nice sense of build-up and depth.
I think what this image, and perhaps the majority of your work so far needs is some extra surfacing.
Try to add a couple of surfacelayers like a slight desaturated dark brown as base with lighter and more saturated shades on top of it.
Each with a little bit more slope restriction than the previous one for example. Then add some sand/dirt-like layers on flatter slopes and then add grass-colors.
Also you could add gritty stones at quite high densities. For example 0.1 scale stones @ density >0.5.
This adds more interest.
Then you can start adding vegetation.
In this image I think the scales of the trees are quite spot on.
However, the grasses are way to big. I'd reduce them by ~5x.
Another suggestion I would like to make when exploring this magnificent piece of software is to try one thing at a time.
Even though I gave you a couple of suggestions I would try to focus on one aspect in particular.
When that's completely satisfactory then continue with the next element.
This will really result in better work, but probably even more important, better understanding.
If you need help with any of the suggestions, then just ask.
Cheers,
Martin
Good advice. The dry grasses were not supposed to have such a high density. I used a power fractal to 'restrict' the area they inhabit to accent the green grasses. The b-box preview was misleading for them. I have started working on a new terrain, which will use many of your suggestions. I have been pulling apart Frank's (NWDA) default to see how he uses scales.
Quote from: njeneb on October 06, 2009, 10:29:41 AM
Good advice. The dry grasses were not supposed to have such a high density. I used a power fractal to 'restrict' the area they inhabit to accent the green grasses. The b-box preview was misleading for them. I have started working on a new terrain, which will use many of your suggestions. I have been pulling apart Frank's (NWDA) default to see how he uses scales.
A real time-saving advice for scales is to only use your eye.
I think I can safely say that I'm just recently able to construct scenes in an accurate world-scale.
It is so much quicker, easier and nicer to work by eye imo.
A problem I have is having to go to work. I can get something ready to test render and think it's good enough for a full render. I then find that something is wacky after 8 hours. I then get stubborn, 'it will only be a few more hours.' Next thing I know a couple days have passed with little to show. My computer is just not up to speed. I saw a quad core from Dell for $500.00. It does not have a lot of bells and whistles, but I just need a faster rendering computer.
Quote from: njeneb on October 06, 2009, 02:47:38 PM
A problem I have is having to go to work. I can get something ready to test render and think it's good enough for a full render. I then find that something is wacky after 8 hours. I then get stubborn, 'it will only be a few more hours.' Next thing I know a couple days have passed with little to show. My computer is just not up to speed. I saw a quad core from Dell for $500.00. It does not have a lot of bells and whistles, but I just need a faster rendering computer.
I see what you mean :)
I have a Q6600, not even the latest generation by far, but I'm still quite happy with it.
I don't know how much you can spend but maybe for ~$800 you might find an i7 system.
Oshyan dug one up for that price some time ago, if I remember correctly.
By the time I save enough money, i7 may be affordable at around $500 :-\
An attempt at Ryan's suggestions, but I used lighter instead of darker shaders.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3496/3992641572_2b0f083fcb_o.jpg
The texturing looks pretty darn good! Too bad about that vertical plane running through the image.
Yea, but I have started on another landscape where that 'vertical plane' is not a feature. ::)
Just ordered two gigabytes of ram. This should help.
I agree with Darth. The texturing is looking very good.
New render is coming along. A couple more days should do it. The sky is nearly finished, looks very wild. I have only seen the surface in quick renders, but I was happy with it. The reason it's taking so long is I set the AA at 7, and GI at 2 and 4, with 1920 x 1080 resolution. This is a lot to ask of a single thread to render. ;)
Another time saver: don't use GI Surface Details. I've done some recent tests and the difference is *barely* discernible in the vast majority of scenes. I don't think this is a good example of a scene which might benefit from it either. And of course it *dramatically* increases render time, like a factor of 2 or more in many cases.
- Oshyan
After 60+ hours on a render, I had T2 hangup. I ran out of swap space. Here is the tgout from the temp directory.
I will try rendering it again when the ram I ordered arrives, with out so much stuff turned on.
Too bad about TG2 hanging up on you, from the look of that low quality render the full view would have been pretty neat looking.
I think the memory should ship today. There are some changes I want to make, and would have; but the render had taken so long to reach the point where they were noticeable I could not bare to stop it. I will give it another try soon.
Here is a WIP. Baawld Mountain. I did not use GI details as Oshyan suggested. Render detail 0.85, supersample prepass, and AA 4. I need more populations and to work the fake stones some more.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2499/4009676514_c590cd7e72_o.png
That one has the sense of scale ... good image you have done here njeneb...
NKAID...
Nice POV... this has loads of potential.
Simon.