Planetside Software Forums

General => Image Sharing => Topic started by: Asterlil on April 20, 2019, 02:48:52 AM

Title: Dojo: Work in progress
Post by: Asterlil on April 20, 2019, 02:48:52 AM
This is my first scene, and the training wheels probably show, but I like how it's coming together. Critique welcome!
Title: Re: Dojo: Work in progress
Post by: Dune on April 20, 2019, 04:17:46 AM
Nice start for a first scene. If I build a scene, I first concentrate on the terrain, and possibly add the most important objects (like you did here), but leave out the sky for the time being. Testing goes faster that way.
I suggest you search for 'fake grass' setups, which will be good for the mid and far grassy areas. Then add some populations of (free) grasses (and flowers) in the front. Lots of free grass to be found, here and on NWDA.
You can also mix fake grass (which actually are one or two tiny (0.005) and elongated (8, or so) fake stones with a mix of greenish colors) with more rocky or sandy soil (clipfiles to be found here too). You can use a merge shader with a fractal as mixer, or use highest raise, or add a distribution shader for additional slope or altitude constraints.
Title: Re: Dojo: Work in progress
Post by: Asterlil on April 20, 2019, 12:44:59 PM
Thank you for your kind comments. Yes, I completely agree about the grass, and that the green surface layer needs some breaking up. It's my plan to introduce a path from the front steps of the dojo... once I learn how. I'm working through the Geekatplay videos, adding to and fixing things in this project as I go.

I think the populator nodes are stupendous. It's amazing how one can add great swatches of woodland at so little cost to the size of the project or to the render time.
Title: Re: Dojo: Work in progress
Post by: Agura Nata on April 20, 2019, 03:27:50 PM
Nice start and happy project work!
Title: Re: Dojo: Work in progress
Post by: Dune on April 21, 2019, 01:57:49 AM
QuoteIt's my plan to introduce a path from the front steps of the dojo... once I learn how
Search for warped path or warped road; you can simply make a path by warping a simple shape, and using that as mask for gravel and as inverted mask for the grass.
Title: Re: Dojo: Work in progress
Post by: bobbystahr on April 21, 2019, 11:44:15 AM
Nice start, a very calm mood. re: fake grass; there's a procedural grass preset in the preset package that is free on the planetside downloads page that I find very useful.It just plugs into either the Colour or the Child of a Surface layer.
Title: Re: Dojo: Work in progress
Post by: Asterlil on April 21, 2019, 01:19:15 PM
So many nodes, so little time...  :D
Title: Re: Dojo: Work in progress
Post by: DocCharly65 on April 22, 2019, 02:59:23 AM
Nice start :)

... I couldn't add anything to Dune's suggestions... give it a try and keep up :)
Title: Re: Dojo: Work in progress
Post by: Asterlil on April 24, 2019, 07:45:49 PM
Still a work in progress. Needs a path, and some more dressing in the foreground. Taking all your advice, including disabling clouds during testing. Please continue to critique! As a sometime art student, I understand and appreciate the value of constructive criticism.

I'm following somewhat the Japanese tradition of diminishing the scale of humans and structures in favor of the landscape. I think I should move that monterrey cypress of to the left so it's more like a third of the way in.

Title: Re: Dojo: Work in progress
Post by: Dune on April 25, 2019, 01:16:02 AM
I don't think that's the most important, I would actually leave it for now. But there's some sort of strange haze over the grass, which I would try to get rid of. It could be translucency in the grass obect. Then decrease that to maybe 0.2 or so. I would also give the ground under the grass a different color than the path, maybe a darker earth/soil, with fake stones (no color) as soil clumps and pebbles/sand. Use the path mask.
Title: Re: Dojo: Work in progress
Post by: bobbystahr on April 25, 2019, 11:37:25 AM
I personally would act on Dune's good advice...he's never failed my images yet...just sayin'
Title: Re: Dojo: Work in progress
Post by: Asterlil on April 25, 2019, 12:10:10 PM
On it. Thanks, guys!