Dear Terragen Community,
After some 12 years working with Planetside - and more than 20 years as part of the wonderful community that surrounds it - I have made the difficult decision to move on from my role at Planetside Software. I have been given an opportunity working in a family business in the real estate industry that I can't pass up, and it also feels like time for a change after so long. So my time with Planetside will come to an end at the conclusion of this month, January, 2020. But Terragen and Planetside have become a huge part of my daily life and I will certainly miss that, and all of you!
My journey with Terragen began in the late '90s as merely an enthusiastic user of the software. I had been dabbling in Bryce and Vista Pro before that, but the realism of Terragen is what really hooked me. And as I invested myself more and more in the software, I began to help others, write tutorials, share files, etc., just as many do here today. At some point I got in touch with Matt and he eventually offered to bring me on to the beta test team for an upcoming version of Terragen 0.8x (now called Terragen Classic). We remained in touch and one day he started showing me his new, big project, "TGD", which would become the basis for Terragen 2 and beyond. I began paid work for him not too long after that and my position developed into full-time over the following couple of years.
Through my time here I have learned and grown so much. I have had the opportunity to support and connect with numerous talented artists, people from all over the world, enthusiastic hobbyists and VFX industry professionals alike. I have been ushered into an amazing world behind the scenes of the computer graphics and visual effects industry, with several SIGGRAPH conferences under my belt now (thanks to Matt and Planetside), and multiple visits to VFX studios along the West Coast. I have made friends in this community and the industry as a whole, and am proud to have been some small part of multiple amazing productions, including planetarium shows, films, TV shows, and more.
I am grateful to Matt for the opportunity that led to all of these great things. There have been ups and downs and challenges along the way, like any small (or, indeed, large) business. But I undoubtedly have come away from my time here a better, more rounded person, with memories and experiences I will always cherish.
Computer graphics remains a passion of mine, and realistic landscapes in particular. I plan to take a break from things here while I refocus on my new career direction. But I hope very much to find the time to return in the future as a fellow artist, and I hope even more that the community thrives and grows in the meantime. I wish Matt, Terragen, and all of you the very best!
Sincerely,
Oshyan Greene
Oshyan, it's been a pleasure having your support and solidarity all these years, dealing with not just the exciting stuff but also taking care of the gritty details, both in public and behind the scenes. You've been a voice of reason and have balanced our decisions on an uncountable number of choices we've made over the years, and for that I'm extremely grateful. You have contributed so much to our business, and to Terragen, and I think many people in our community appreciate and admire your breadth of knowledge and thoroughness in helping everyone as best you can. Thank you!
I wish you all the best for the next stage of your journey. May this change bring you all the best that life has to offer, and I also hope it brings you a renewed passsion for computer graphics. I'll look forward to seeing you back here - when you're ready - and hope that you continue to be an important member of our community for many years to come.
Matt
Honestly, I did not expect this Oshyan. While I have concerns about PS operations, I always thought you'd be here and grow with PS.
I do sincerely hope you grow in your new career, and that it's full of great opportunities, friends, and great times.
Best of luck to you, Oshyan, as you dive into this new opportunity (and many more to come, I'm sure). Of course you will be missed here.
We'll miss your calm, reassuring presence, real-world practicality and artistic sensibility. (As another former photographer, you are someone we'd have described as having a "good eye.") And technical expertise, generosity in sharing it and endless patience in explaining it.
Take care, and don't be a stranger. If and when you decide to pop back in, I'm sure you'll find us muddling along as usual.
Thanks guys! Thank you Matt in particular, I appreciate all that being said here. It's been quite a journey! I've always thought Terragen was something special, and it has been really cool to be part of its growth and evolution over more than a decade.
I'm sure I'll see you guys again sooner or later. Maybe when I get a Threadripper of my own. ;)
- Oshyan
Quote from: Oshyan on January 19, 2020, 03:32:34 PMMaybe when I get a Threadripper of my own. (https://www.planetside.co.uk/forums/Smileys/fugue/wink.png)
Ooooohhhh :)
I am really sad to hear this on my side at least as a user of terragen, but i hope you will be happy of course :)
Hey Oshyan, didn't see this coming and really sorry to see you go. Good luck in your new endeavor. You're a good dude!! ;D
Wow, that's great news for you, Oshyan.... but a shock to me, and many others no doubt. You've been a steady rock in the turbulent waters of TG, knowing the ins and outs, and keeping the Oshyan ( :P ) calm. I will certainly miss you, but surely hope you'll popup with render work (maybe in liason with your new real estate career?), and will be able to post some reassuring comments here now and then.
But can Matt cope without you? You played an important part, and Matt needs all his time to write codes and descriptions for all the nagging and complaining users ;)
Best of luck, Oshyan! Hope to see you around....
Wow!
This is very unexpected and I am actually quite (selfishly) shocked. You are like a rocky headland that held a calm space in turbulent Terragen waters. You will be missed.
I wish you the very best going forward in your new career. I am sure you will bring the same steady hand and good humour you generously gave here.
All the best and don't be a stranger.
Richard
This was a shock for me as well. It's really sad, but at the same time, I'm happy for you and wish you all the best!
It's gonna be strange around here without you, so I hope you can come back here and share some awesome renders from time to time.
Best regards,
Terje Hannisdal
Hi Oshyan,
I wish you the best.
I remember your answers to my questions and your courtesy and availability for the problems and difficulties of Terragen.
But life often offers us new opportunities, new challenges that we can, sometimes we have to get, when the time is right. This is our life.
Kind regards and best wishes with the hope to see you again in this community, in order to offer us your experience in this complicated field.
Thanks again for your valuable advices.
See you soon.
Claudio
Now that's really unexpected, indeed. Never even thought that would be an option.
Certainly will have to get used to this.
Thanks for all your efforts etc., especially your patience and
good luck for your new life.
Wow, I was just about to go to bed when I read your post, so I have to stay awake for some time...
Thanks a lot for being an important part of this wonderful community and for your work helping to make this piece of software a gem, that has really become a part of my life. This is really sad, although I understand, that sometimes a change has to be made.
I just showed your posting to my wife, and although she doesn't use Terragen or anything similar, she was really touched, since I mentioned your name a lot of times.
Oshyan, I wish you all the best, and I really hope, we'll stay in touch!!!!!!
Wow, thank you so much everyone! I'm tempted to reply to you all individually, but the for the moment I'll just say that I'm grateful I was able to connect with all of you, and that my work made your time in this community easier or more enjoyable. It is bittersweet to see all of your lovely messages here, and I will certainly do my best to come by from time to time.
I am happy to stay in touch with anyone here who is interested. I'm on Twitter, Facebook, and (occasionally) Instagram, either search my name, or it's probably the handle "OGreenius". And my website, where I write occasionally, is easy: http://oshyan.com
- Oshyan
Best wishes! You will be missed.
Congratulations on your new job, Mr. Oshyan, I have been familiar with everyone in the forum for many years. What I want to say is that I do n't work with tg but just hobby, and I use Google Translate to browse on the forum. Although I have n't communicated with you more, I am really familiar with everyone. Thanks to this forum for enthusiastic and smart people and this software. Lost for your departure.
@Oshyan:
Thank you for all your help over the years. Much appreciated. Best wishes and good luck for your future.
May the winds be in favour on your journey...there just HAD to be some kind of Terragen Farewell Card ;)
CHeers, Klaus
;D
;D
Quote from: KlausK on January 21, 2020, 09:32:11 AM@Oshyan:
Thank you for all your help over the years. Much appreciated. Best wishes and good luck for your future.
May the winds be in favour on your journey...there just HAD to be some kind of Terragen Farewell Card ;)
CHeers, Klaus
Oh that's so great. Very sweet of you KlausK! I'm sure Oshyan will print that out.
Hah! Thanks
@KlausK, that's very fun. :)
- Oshyan
Oshyan, all the best on your journey and whatever is coming!
Thank you for helping out many times, being professional and make this place look and feel good.
I'm in a similar situation where maybe/probably I'll be moving on to new territory so while I'm going to miss you I know it's important and necessary to start something new sometimes without looking back. You'll do the right thing!
Sorry to see you go Oshyan, you've been a great contact and yours and Matt's presence on the forums has made me (and everyone else) feel connected to Terragen in a way that's quite unique.
Best of luck in your new career!
Graham
Good luck Oshyan. I have to say I'm sad you're leaving. You've been a fantastic contact and help over the years I've been a part of this community. Hope to see you pop by every now and then.
Good luck on your journey Oshyan and thanks for all the help and support you provided over the years to the community.
It's hard to imagine how long you have been a part of this, and i hope your new career change will bring you satisfaction for the years to come.
If not, well, we'll probably still be around :)
Bye!
Thanks again everyone! I can't tell you how gratifying it is to see all this support and appreciation. I can't imagine not being a part of things here ever again, so I will likely stop by here and there at least. :)
- Oshyan
Best of luck on this change Oshyan! We know you as a good friend and adviser and I am confident you will do well in your newest endeavor! We will certainly miss you and your input, but I suspect you will somehow manage to include this forum in your priorities. :)
Hi Oshyan,
Thanks for all !
Best for the next !
Benoît
Hello Oshyan,
I just found out from Matt as I'm working on a project.
My English is terrible as you know and I probably have to read everything here 12.45 times to understand it, yes the Bavarians are a little more popular in their language.
Thank you for the support of art and that you always have an open ear for the members.
Wish you good luck and success in your creative life, but also time to relax.
Terragen is and remains a milestone you can both be proud of.
Best Alois
How could I miss this! 4 months!
Oshyan, that are on one side sad news and I'll miss you as the others do too! On the other side I wish you the best and that all your dreams will come true!
Seems as if it was 100 years ago that you took me here on board when I only was on the search for the TG 0.8x software :)
Anyway I am sure you'll visit us here the one or the other time :)
Good luck! And these days more than ever before: Stay healthy!
Hi Alois, and Doc, I am just now reading your replies. Thank you for your kind words, it has indeed been quite a journey. I am glad to have met you both here and I always appreciate and am inspired by your art. I will be interested to see what you both do in the future, so I will check back from time to time. Today, just a very brief return to answer a private message, so do not expect much yet. ;) But I hope you are both well, indeed that everyone here is doing OK with these current global challenges. Take care!
- Oshyan
Hi Oshyan, i can't explain how i missed this thread 4 months, but today i came here just for my own, suspecting that something could have happened, and honestly with some worry due everything what is happening in this difficulties moments. Firstly, i'm happy to see you're fine, and looking for new challenges, at same time my egoist side is sad, not only for all your useful and patient advices, but mostly for your huge contribution to the TG community. i would like to tell you i'm on a similar moment, resolving the course of my life during my next decade so, i perfectly understand decisions like the yours. finally, it was a real pleasure work with you all these years, i wish you the best! and good luck! hope to see you here around soon...
He was super with me every time I needed help he was there to assist. I know I will miss him very much. Much good luck to him in his future endeavors for sure.
Thank you
@Ariel DK and
@Shield Wulf , I still check-in briefly from time to time and it was very nice to see your messages. I also recently had a very nice "blast from the past" email from someone who remembered one of my St. Helens images, so I will never forget I am a part of this community. :)
I am fortunately doing well despite all the challenges in the world, and hoping you are all doing OK too in these hard times. Perhaps one day I'll have a little time to return to Terragen. Until then, render-on!
- Oshyan
Quote from: Oshyan on December 03, 2020, 05:33:02 PMThank you @Ariel DK and @Shield Wulf , I still check-in briefly from time to time and it was very nice to see your messages. I also recently had a very nice "blast from the past" email from someone who remembered one of my St. Helens images, so I will never forget I am a part of this community. :)
I am fortunately doing well despite all the challenges in the world, and hoping you are all doing OK too in these hard times. Perhaps one day I'll have a little time to return to Terragen. Until then, render-on!
- Oshyan
Happy to see you still around! and even more happy to ear that...
see ya :)
Quote from: Oshyan on December 03, 2020, 05:33:02 PMI also recently had a very nice "blast from the past" email from someone who remembered one of my St. Helens images, so I will never forget I am a part of this community.
I was just talking about this scene with a buddy too. Good to see you're still around, and you're more than here in spirit with tons of support topics still helping people I'm sure.
Hope you're doing well regardless of a sour past between us.
I'm glad to hear from you, and that you're doing well. I wish you all the best for the future and I hope, we'll meet again here, even if it's only virtual. :) :) :)
Quote from: Oshyan on December 03, 2020, 05:33:02 PMI am fortunately doing well despite all the challenges in the world, and hoping you are all doing OK too in these hard times. Perhaps one day I'll have a little time to return to Terragen. Until then, render-on!
- Oshyan
I get that, my music has been consuming most of my TG time in addition to it's own slot...not complaining just 'splainin' my low input level here.