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General => Image Sharing => Topic started by: choronr on April 07, 2010, 10:55:12 PM

Title: The Calm before...
Post by: choronr on April 07, 2010, 10:55:12 PM
A fractal terrain containing many elements of others listed below. The terrain reminds me of areas in eastern Colorado where you'll find flood plains of the clay, sand and silt type of soils. The file contains the following elements:

•   Flatten low areas by Hetzen available at the Planetside forum.
•   1M Cracks by dandelO available at the Planetside forum.
•   Sand and stones by dandelO available at the planetside forum.
•   Hero rock from the fake stones files from NWDA.
•   Two populations of grasses (one colored differently) by Walli available at NWDA.
•   Dried grasses from a friend.
•   Wind wheel by Kranky available at Ashundar.
•   Cloudscape - a variation of one of the files by FrankB available at NWDA.

Note of caution; avoid using Ray traced shadows for the clouds and the atmosphere unless necessary - otherwise, render time is almost forever and a few days.

Bob
Title: Re: The Calm before...
Post by: Oshyan on April 08, 2010, 02:06:14 AM
Great foreground and vegetation Bob. I find the clouds a bit blobby though.

Good advice about the raytrace options. And in a scene like this there would probably have been no visual difference, either (but the render time is still affected).

- Oshyan
Title: Re: The Calm before...
Post by: Dune on April 08, 2010, 02:32:43 AM
I very much like the space, color scheme, and feel of threat here, with these upcoming storms. But I would do two things about this; dump the hero rock and make the clouds less transparent/'luminous'. they seem too 'even' colored. Some more realistic (harder-topped) thunderclouds mixed with a bit hazy, dark clouds would do very well I think.

---Dune
Title: Re: The Calm before...
Post by: choronr on April 08, 2010, 02:35:04 AM
Points well taken guys; you've got me thinking ...maybe another version?
Title: Re: The Calm before...
Post by: domdib on April 08, 2010, 05:06:16 AM
I agree re the rock, and maybe try another of Frank's cloudscapes - a more normal one. But the terrain is great.
Title: Re: The Calm before...
Post by: inkydigit on April 08, 2010, 05:07:48 AM
great pic Bob, agree with Oshyan about the clouds, just out of (european) curiosity(ignorance)...what size (height) are windwheels like this?
Title: Re: The Calm before...
Post by: choronr on April 09, 2010, 06:13:43 PM
Hopefully this revised version has taken advantage of the good suggestions made ...enjoy.

Bob
Title: Re: The Calm before...
Post by: Gannaingh on April 09, 2010, 07:22:58 PM
As always your foreground is superb! The clouds look much more realistic in this version, less oily, and fit the scene better in my opinion. however I think the birds look out of place; the rest of the scene works very well together but the birds almost seem like they are an afterthought.
Title: Re: The Calm before...
Post by: Henry Blewer on April 09, 2010, 08:03:26 PM
I like this just as it is. Great render Bob!
Title: Re: The Calm before...
Post by: Dune on April 10, 2010, 01:50:36 AM
I 2nd Darthvader1. Clouds are very nice this time! Drop the birds and you have a stunner. They look like pelicans to me, but their wings have a quite unrealistic 'bow'. A small group of very distant vultures would be nice. Maybe I'll be making some, some day... they would suit many barren landscapes.
Title: Re: The Calm before...
Post by: domdib on April 10, 2010, 07:00:17 AM
I third darthvader - although maybe if you moved the birds much further into the background they would work better. But the clouds are definitely a big step forward  :)
Title: Re: The Calm before...
Post by: Markal on April 10, 2010, 08:43:24 PM
Agree with Oshyan...the clouds seem a bit strange....otherwise....excellent work!
Title: Re: The Calm before...
Post by: harkas on April 18, 2010, 08:10:57 PM
While I agree that the clouds LOOK better in the new render they had more of a before the storm FEEL in the first one.