OK - its my own fault. I'm strictly a 2 D artist.
But I used to fiddle around with Terragen Classic and make lovely landscapes, in about 30 seconds flat.
Unfortunately -- I showed off a little TOO MUCH and when a project came up to create an ANIMATED COASTAL SCENE for a film we're working on --- I THOUGHT TERRAGEN WOULD BE THE PERFECT ANSWER!!
My boss went and bought me the FULL VERSION with ANIMATION of TERRAGEN 2.
Fully expecting me to come up with the goods in... well, about 30 seconds flat.
And... well...
I have been sitting here, for the last 48 hours, NON - STOP, not even a TOILET BREAK -- trying to get my head around it!
What are all those nodes things!! AND... why can't I just sculpt a scene like I want it... ??
Phew. Its a NIGHTMARE!!
I'm DESPERATE!
I'm willing to share my project fee (which isn't THAT generous, but its something!) with anyone who could help me AT LEAST GET STARTED with some sort of scene resembling what I need....
And then at least I can go from there!
what do you need precisely? I'm sure we may be able to help collectively.
So waht kind of scene do you need?
Hi xtgirl :)
Its definitely do-able.
Please post some links to images that show the kind of scene that you need to create, that will help greatly. Also if you have experience with Terragen classic you could sculpt your terrain in there and export that as a .ter file that could then be loaded into Terragen 2.
:)
Richard
There's a great group of people here. Let us know and see what is needed.
Most of the members here are like the Borg, the Collective. I'm certain we can all pull together and get you up to speed.
Resistance is Futile.
You could PM some of the members to walk you through areas you don't understand. I know that would be OK with me.
Also, my confidence level is pretty high that you can keep your money.
This is a great group of folks.
I second that. I think no one here would take money for providing help and assistance.
Quote from: Hannes on May 09, 2010, 11:04:30 AM
I second that. I think no one here would take money for providing help and assistance.
Exactly. It's a very helpful place here ranging from hobbyists to professional users. Post some project details/examples and I'm sure someone will be more than glad to help. :)
I'd definitely encourage you to get stuck in and play around with the software, it's very powerful, perhaps get some basic concept guidelines laid out and post them to this thread, we'd all pipe in with our own ideas and advices on how to create and achieve the specific results you're looking for.
Terragen 2 is worlds apart from the Terragen you're used to working with, in almost every area, if you're unsure about even laying down the basics, just ask, I'm sure you'll get help in the form of advice/example files/optimization techniques etc.
Welcome to Planetside forums. :)
Quote from: Hannes on May 09, 2010, 11:04:30 AM
I second that. I think no one here would take money for providing help and assistance.
I wouldn't accept money either. These guys are mad at me enough as it is. :D
Not at all, Pablo. Make yourself at home. What's life without a little ruckuss every now and again? ;)
I see you have made some good progress with your Earth planet, if people were really mad, you'd have never gotten any help! :D
I found out recently how to use the painted shader, and much like Terragen Classic, you can paint the view you want. I too have yet to figure out the "nodes" except to crash T2 consistently. For an example of what it can do -
1) Create a power fractal in the terrain tab. (Add terrain, select Power Fractal)
2) Now you have a landscape tool, let's assign a paint brush to it. Select the new terrain - it is listed as Fractal terrain 01.
3) You can now see a bunch of settings, the one in particular is at the bottom - a check box that says
"Blend by shader" - click it to turn it on.
4) Look for the small button with a plus sign and a small arrow on it for the "Blend by shader" textbox.
5) Click the small arrow - from the menu list select "Create new shader", "Color Shader", and finally "Painted Shader"
You now have a paint brush, so how to use it. Scale down the node window - by using the middle divider that appears between the preview window and the node window so that the preview window is as large as you can make it - this becomes your canvas.
Above the preview window there are some buttons - "Pause", "Reset" etc. Slide your mouse pointer over each to see what they are, the one we want is the "Start or stop Painted Shader..."
Click the button, and select "Painted Shader 01" - your new paintbrush.
Slide your mouse over the preview window and you will see that a circle appears - where ever you click or click and drag and "paint white color" is where your terrain will appear. So you can literally paint your landscape.
This is just a quicky to get you playing, settnigs for the "Painted shader" is on it's property window which you get to now by clicking that plus sign button again and this time select "Go To Painted Shader 01", you can control the color you are painting with (not a real color applied - just a visual guide). If I have more than one painter - I assign different colors to them to see them clearly on the preview window. You can also set the size of the brush which is in meters.
Have fun, and as everyone as said already keep asking questions - the more specific the better answers we can provide.
Welcome to the forum!
JR
Forgot to mention the best part. You can use the painted shader technique on lots of different things in T2. Population of trees - attach a painted shader to the blend by shader and paint where you want trees to appear.
Surface layers as well can be painted with great accuracy with this technique. I found it originally here:
http://www.mrlamppost.com/tg2/guides/paintsky.htm
MrLampPost is a regular here and very talented. I've used his tutorials to learn quite a bit.
Enjoy!
JR
... didn't seem to be *that* urgent in the end.
ain't it the truth.
I'm sure she's just off applying all the good advice! :)
- Oshyan
Maybe she read the other threads and downloaded some of the shared files. The shader files would be enough to make her look good for some time.
Or was sent to the hospital after 48+ hours without a bathroom break... ;D
Most likely her deadline expired and she had to go ahead with Plan B (e.g. something quick and dirty with Photoshop).
Quote from: PabloMack on May 11, 2010, 12:26:18 PM
Most likely her deadline has expired and she is now busy with Plan B (e.g. something quick and dirty with Photoshop).
Yup. Hopefully she will return and learn TG2 a little on the side so next project it would be perfect for, she'll be ready.
Hi guys...
Thank you soooooo much for the HUGE help ---
I am soo sorry for not getting back to you all before now! I have cleared off all my 2D projects for the movie -- the goal posts have changed several times -- but I now have a clear deck for the Terragen SCARE MYSELF BEZERK PROJECT and have exactly 2 weeks to get a shot locked down and final!
I am going to start and read through all your replies methodically and see how I go...
THANK YOU and please don't go away.... !! ;) ;)
I will keep you all posted!
You'll get the best feedback if you can show us as near as possible what your trying to achieve. Make up a story board from google image searches or something like that.
Looking forward to see what you come up with :)
Richard
Yep, most people here like challenges. ;)
Show us what to to and i'm sure you get the help you need.
OKEYDOKEY!
Here's the first shot I need some hand holding on:
(I have created a very rough cutout of the green screen shot, to illustrate how my scene will fit into the comp)
(http://xtgirls.co.uk/images/Lantern_03.jpg)
The background is a basic Terragen Classic scene - file attached.
I need to:
1. Animate the water / waves for around 7 seconds
2. Create some cloud movement, to keep things looking realistic.
Incidentally --
I can't put my finger on it -- but there's something wrong with the perspective of the scene?
The guy in the foreground, is standing on a ladder to light the lantern - and its meant to be in an old harbour town, so we are looking beyond him, to the ocean behind.
Do you think maybe, my scene's POV should be different?
More like this, maybe?
(http://xtgirls.co.uk/terragen/Lantern_04.jpg)
I'm not sure about which perspective is better. The second looks a bit better, but don't ask me why :)
Regarding the animations:
You can animate the water and clouds by using a translate node. (create node -> other node -> translate, if I'm correct).
Then for animating clouds first assess on which axis you would have to move the clouds.
Then create a translate-node and attach the cloud fractal to the shader-input of the translate node.
The output of the translate node goes into the input of the cloud-node.
Now in the translate-node you set a keyframe at frame 1. You can set keyframes by pressing the "function-thingy"-like symbol which is in front of virtually any parameter in TG2. (why it has this symbol and not something more trivial and easier to describe, don't ask me)
Then go to the final frame of your anim and enter the number of metres in the axis you want to have the clouds moved in. Then create another keyframe.
Now your clouds will move over that amount of metres along the axis in which you entered that value.
Same goes for animating the water. Feed the watershader into a translate-node. You can translate the water-function on the x- and z-axis, but for smooth moving ripples you must always translate in the Y-axis. You can then use the x- and z-axis for side-ward movement to mimic movement in a certain direction, but be careful because it can give odd results.
Jon West (Hetzen) made useful files available here:
http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=7896.0 (http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=7896.0)
Good luck and please let us know how you're going.
Cheers,
Martin
Thanks Martin...
I think I'm a few steps away from animation yet...
I have imported my scene from TG as suggested.
Played with a few settings - added water and now have something... but I still feel a MILLION miles away!!
IT LOOKS COMPLETELY POOOOOHHH!!
(http://xtgirls.co.uk/terragen/pooh-looking-scene.bmp)
Things that I have to change:
1. Its daylight. I need a very dark dusky - preferably moonlit sky.
2. Clouds look like curdled milk
3. Water is too transparent. I need it to be inky black really....
I attach my TG2 file.
I found this video...
It is so (almost) perfect, it makes me want to cry.
The creator says he used Terragen and Terranim... ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgc1VXb8g1c (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgc1VXb8g1c)
Hi,
the video you have posted doesn't look at all like your cutout example scene. Do you want a night sky or a sunset sky?
Regards,
Frank
Quote from: jritchie777 on May 09, 2010, 04:51:09 PM
Forgot to mention the best part. You can use the painted shader technique on lots of different things in T2. Population of trees - attach a painted shader to the blend by shader and paint where you want trees to appear.
Surface layers as well can be painted with great accuracy with this technique. I found it originally here:
http://www.mrlamppost.com/tg2/guides/paintsky.htm
MrLampPost is a regular here and very talented. I've used his tutorials to learn quite a bit.
Enjoy!
JR
Hey JR --
Just wanted to say thanks for this advice -- I tried to play with it -- and it looks like it could work well, once you get the hang of it - however - right now I don't have time for playing... (I have used up all my toilet breaks too!!!!)
I WANT ONE OF THOSE BRAIN FILE DOWNLOADS... like in the MATRIX!!
Come on Mr Lampost -- let me PLUG IN to your neurons !!! Pleeeeeze. ;D
Quote from: FrankB on May 17, 2010, 02:17:13 PM
Hi,
the video you have posted doesn't look at all like your cutout example scene. Do you want a night sky or a sunset sky?
Regards,
Frank
Hi Frank -
I need night sky...
The video looks great for the water animation - and the perspective of the landscape etc.
Sorry to have confused the issue.
Does this come closer to what you are looking for?
[attachimg=#]
Quote from: FrankB on May 17, 2010, 02:52:12 PM
Does this come closer to what you are looking for?
[attachimg=#]
Yiipppeeee!!
We have moonlight ... and we have ocean... and we have mountains in the distance!!
Can I play with it now?? I'm ready to try!!
I will perhaps have to change the POV a little bit -- mountains are too far away... and... will have to show a little bit more water... and there is a strong beam of moonlight falling on the subject in the front of my footage --- so I might need to add a water reflection of light??
what I did was take this preset http://www.nwdanet.com/buy-packs/7-preset-packs/21-sunset-atmosphere-pack.html
add a lake object
add a 2nd planet (disable it's atmosphere)
add a lightsource the size of the 2nd planet at the same position of that planet and with the aapropriate strength
lowered the sun to -6 or so degrees
regards,
Frank
Quote from: FrankB on May 17, 2010, 03:16:44 PM
what I did was take this preset http://www.nwdanet.com/buy-packs/7-preset-packs/21-sunset-atmosphere-pack.html
add a lake object
add a 2nd planet (disable it's atmosphere)
add a lightsource the size of the 2nd planet at the same position of that planet and with the aapropriate strength
lowered the sun to -6 or so degrees
regards,
Frank
OK -- I'm adding a light source, but its not showing up at all?
I think its cos I don't know how to put it where I want it.
Can you maybe give me the settings you used?
it's simple once you know how: copy the coordinates of your "moon". Paste these coordinates into the lightsource. Make the light source big enough (use the "moon" radius" and strong enough (think 10 to the power of 14 or 15 for starters).
I suggest you also have a look at getting the sunset pack though, to get a quickstart on some nice clouds, and atmosphere settings. Probably the fastest way to spoon feed yourself :D
Regards,
Frank
Thanks FRANK!
I have bought all those presets !
I'm going to start a new thread I think -- starting with where I'm now and more focussed advice needed: only to get you off the hook a little! (I'm sure you'll be exhausted soon by all my questions!)
My image now looks like this -
(http://xtgirls.co.uk/terragen/Lantern-Too-Dark.bmp)
However -- I'm still aiming for this -
(http://xtgirls.co.uk/terragen/Moonlight_03.bmp)
Just one quick note: I think TG2 is ultimately going to give you better results, *but* TG Classic *can* animate the two things you want to animate. Water actually animates automatically, and if your camera is static you should see it just moving without doing anything. Cloud position is one of the parameters you can adjust. Terranim and Campath both make this easy. So here's the thing: I don't want to discourage you from using TG2, it's outstanding and we want to see it used in projects like this. However, since you you seem to already have a scene you like, and will need some time to get up to speed with TG2, you could consider using TG Classic this time around. Just something to think about...
One thing I should say also is there are a lot less TG Classic experts around now to give help on it if you decide to go that route. But it's a lot simpler, so that may not be an issue.
- Oshyan
It may also be possible to 'translate' the shaders used in Terragen 0.9xxx into Terragen 2 shaders. They work similarly on the surface. The difference is that T2 allows more information to be input to the surface layer.
Because of the slow speed of my computer, I tend to use a surface layer with one power fractal. This is for coloring and often more small displacement. Even simple set ups can give very amazing results.
Quote from: Oshyan on May 18, 2010, 01:41:03 AM
Just one quick note: I think TG2 is ultimately going to give you better results, *but* TG Classic *can* animate the two things you want to animate. Water actually animates automatically, and if your camera is static you should see it just moving without doing anything. Cloud position is one of the parameters you can adjust. Terranim and Campath both make this easy. So here's the thing: I don't want to discourage you from using TG2, it's outstanding and we want to see it used in projects like this. However, since you you seem to already have a scene you like, and will need some time to get up to speed with TG2, you could consider using TG Classic this time around. Just something to think about...
One thing I should say also is there are a lot less TG Classic experts around now to give help on it if you decide to go that route. But it's a lot simpler, so that may not be an issue.
- Oshyan
Hmmm.
You don't know how many times I have wanted to RETURN TG2 in exchange for a full copy of TG Classic... but I think I am going to try and hang in there... (Or spend some of my fee buying Classic, so I can use it properly when I need to!)
A few more bottles of red wine... a few more sleepless nights, and I am SURE to be able to produce SOMETHING clever very soon. Just keep watching!
;D ;D
T2 is overwhelming, but ultimately it's the better choice.
It's just going to take time to learn the ins and outs, and the little tricks to make things work.