See below where I've submitted the TGC and instructions, if you're interested.
I would go for it, as I never ment out off the normal atmosphere, yet! :) :D ;)
You can count me in....
If you're going to create a ring one rock at a time you'll be quite busy. There's gazillions (technical term ;)) of rocks in a ring.
Well, I take care of the first two ;D ;D ;D
3DGuy, I created a pretty good section of the beginning of the ring, but it's only a small curve. You're right. The number of rocks (actually deformed small planets) is incredible. When I upload the clip file, be prepared when you use it to see it fill up your node window. I'll give some instructions/warnings when I upload it tonight. I've tried to keep it neat and there are ways to affect randomness of size/shape/look that should keep the whole thing looking pretty real.
This could be fun.
Count me in. I'll start on Sunday. Save as .tgc right? ;D
I'll send it tonight under this subject as a TGC file. Right. And some instructions.
Quote from: Angealus on February 20, 2007, 02:14:15 PM
Count me in. I'll start on Sunday. Save as .tgc right? ;D
I'm sure there's a cream for that ........ ;D
Okay. Here it is. ;D
Instructions -
If you only want the asteroid field (beginning of a ring), go into the Node Network and delete out everything in your Terrain and Shader containers. Delete everything in your Object container, except the Background node. Delete the atmosphere, if you wish. Stretch out the Terrain, Shader, and Object containers like the first picture.
Insert the TGC file. Fit everything in - the top row has the Terrain nodes, the second and third rows has the Shaders nodes, and underneath the Base Colours are all of the Object Nodes (planets). You can control the sizes of the asteroids from the Terrain nodes as well as the Shader nodes, but it's easier to change the Terrain nodes to affect the whole structure.
I've included a Render Camera in the TGC file, which will leave your point of view just above the asteroids. To use the camera, connect it to the Renderers and then you can delete the old Render Camera. (see second picture)
Now, to figure out how to increase its size without copying over the top of everything...
Quotenever say I didn't give you anything
Hmm, a headache springs to mind ;D
Uh...yeah.
My hope is someone comes up with a better idea to copy these nodes 50 times by programming or some other magic that I haven't been able to imagine. Copying the nodes means copying the placement and...well, you get the idea. LOL. Headache, huh?
Anyone...anyone...anyone...
I'm a programmer (C#)...is it possible that we can do something with the nodes or the TGC file...Oshyan, Jo?
Quote from: RedSquare on February 20, 2007, 06:46:39 PM
Quotenever say I didn't give you anything
Hmm, a headache springs to mind ;D
Quote from: calico on February 20, 2007, 06:58:55 PM
Uh...yeah.
My hope is someone comes up with a better idea to copy these nodes 50 times by programming or some other magic that I haven't been able to imagine. Copying the nodes means copying the placement and...well, you get the idea. LOL. Headache, huh?
Anyone...anyone...anyone...
I'm a programmer (C#)...is it possible that we can do something with the nodes or the TGC file...Oshyan, Jo?
Quote from: RedSquare on February 20, 2007, 06:46:39 PM
Quotenever say I didn't give you anything
Hmm, a headache springs to mind ;D
What about a population with its distribution node fed through an image map shader with frontal camera projection? Maybe that could get part of it done.
MeltingIce...huh? ???
Which population? Are you saying start over from scratch? :'(
The useful thing about the way I've done it here is the randomness as well as the size. Have you zoomed into see the size of some of these asteroids?
Quote from: calico on February 20, 2007, 07:28:30 PM
MeltingIce...huh? ???
Which population? Are you saying start over from scratch? :'(
The useful thing about the way I've done it here is the randomness as well as the size. Have you zoomed into see the size of some of these asteroids?
Well if you make a population of rocks (or spheres with power fractal displacement), you can randomize each instance of the rock to the point where you won't be able to see patterns or similarities using the "Unique variations" slider. Just another way of doing it that only requires a couple of nodes instead of hundreds lol. The only trick would be getting the placement correct.
Does it matter that these are planets instead of rocks? Seems like the possibilities for greater depth and realism would be more possible with a reduced planet than an enlarged fake stone...or not?
Anyway, there must be a way to take these to another level by programming the TGC or the TGD. It must be possible in a way similar to what you're talking about, but with what I already did.
Nevertheless, if you think you can do this the way you're saying, I'd like to see it. How easy do you think this could happen? Let me see it, if you create it.
What I'm talking about with perspective - http://www.ashundar.com/CPG/displayimage.php?pos=-3853
There *is* a population of planets possible...
But anyway, through the method you're using, a programmatic approach of directly writing to the .tgc or .tgd would be best. Look into your .tgd and you will see it's a human readable XML file. Find the area that defines a planet, or one of your asteroids, figure out which parts you want to randomize or adjust per asteroid (position, size, etc.), then write a simple program to write a new planet definition entry sequentially to a .tgd file for the specified number of iterations and with the specified randomization/adjustment parameters. For example you should be able to easily setup a script to output a series of 100 asteroids of size randomized between 10 and 15 km, and to randomize the Power Fractal function applied to each as well. Something to play with...
- Oshyan
Thanks Oshyan! This makes things much more interesting...as if that were even thought possible. Great!
I'll post what I figure out here.