Hi everybody,
Since everybody's into clouds so much lately I thought I give it a go as well.
Grasses are from Lighting (of course!) and Klas. Flowers are from Xfrog Groundcover library.
Rendered atmosphere and models seperately:
atmo + clouds = detail 0.85 AA 8, GI 2/2 with supersample pre-pass and blur-radius 8. Atmo samples = 80 and sample jitter 0.95.
models = detail 0.9, AA 16, GI 2/2 with supersamples pre-pass and blur-radius 8. Atmo samples also 80 and jitter also 0.95.
Reducing the jitter reduces some possible noise in the atmosphere/clouds, but you should be careful with this setting, decreasing this too much can introduce banding in the sky.
Rendering the models took 12,5 hours in a single instance on a quadcore.
Rendering the clouds took...hhmmmm...don't remember...about the same I think, maybe even less :)
Thanks for stopping by again!
I have something new cooking already...but as usual it will take some time ;D
Martin
Nice work man! I'd be heading for the fallout shelter if I saw something like that on its way.
These clouds are amazing. I think that they would look better with more of a blue tint so the shadows become a deep blue. Here is an example of what I mean http://www.windows.ucar.edu/earth/Atmosphere/clouds/images/cumulus_cloud_di00168_big.jpg (http://www.windows.ucar.edu/earth/Atmosphere/clouds/images/cumulus_cloud_di00168_big.jpg)
Thanks Jeff and dwilson!
@dwilson:
I know that image :) And yes this looks great indeed. The difference between my image and the one you've mentioned is probably only in haze/bluesky densities.
I think if I increase these densities I'll get a similar effect. However I would probably have to re-work the lighting on the clouds.
I'll see if I'll be able to create this effect.
Martin
In that photograph, i think the blue shadows have to do with light refraction from the sky giving the shadows there blue tint. I could be wrong though.
ummm.... this daisy's look really fake :( tu
i am working through the update on the ground cover pack at the mo which has my daisy's which are actually poly's not just alpha'd images ::) god and they sell them for 30 bux on turbo squid they have got a cheek!
i am also adding an extra lawn grass model to the pack (only for those who have bought it already) it should be out in the next 4 days im really sorry for the delay guys it must look really bad ae :-[
I agree with lightning's comments somewhat, the foreground daisies lack detail. Having said that the top of the clouds look superb. Some of the best clouds produced from TG2 so far. :)
Thanks for your comments Lightning and Saurav, you certainly have a point here.
I have already bought your groundcoverpack this week. In the meantime this scene was rendering so that's why I haven't used your poly-based daisy's.
Is there a possibility I can get that update as well?
It seems I have some work to do tomorrow :)
I'll try to post an update asap.
Martin
Sweet!!
Hey, really - lightning, you have made so many cool items here for free that paying was the right thing to do to get this pack. I'm looking forward to the update.
Quote from: lightning on August 08, 2008, 08:16:55 PM
i am also adding an extra lawn grass model to the pack (only for those who have bought it already) it should be out in the next 4 days im really sorry for the delay guys it must look really bad ae :-[
Oh, and @TU - your clouds are doing the same thing as mine - looking like stiff whipped cream or meringue. I have been wrestling with that for four or five weeks. I like your lighting, though. :)
Quote from: calico on August 09, 2008, 06:39:58 AM
Sweet!!
Hey, really - lightning, you have made so many cool items here for free that paying was the right thing to do to get this pack. I'm looking forward to the update.
Quote from: lightning on August 08, 2008, 08:16:55 PM
i am also adding an extra lawn grass model to the pack (only for those who have bought it already) it should be out in the next 4 days im really sorry for the delay guys it must look really bad ae :-[
Oh, and @TU - your clouds are doing the same thing as mine - looking like stiff whipped cream or meringue. I have been wrestling with that for four or five weeks. I like your lighting, though. :)
My clouds and setup have a different approach as yours as far as I have read (all) about it and in my opinion they don't look as stiff whipped cream and/or meringue at all ??? especially the bottom structures are very realistic. Don't know why you keep comparing...
However, getting rid of that stiff whipped cream look you're having troubles with...it's not that very difficult, just a matter of finding the right mix between all the settings ;)
Oh and I forgot something to share with you guys...
The slightly yellowish lighting on the bottom clouds on especially the right were done using a plane-object.
With TP5 you have the ability to disable "visible to camara" which is very useful for creating invisible lighting planes.
Martin
TU - No offense about your clouds, of course. I like it from about halfway down...really cool. But, I have seen a load of storm clouds and thunderheads in the last month, which I've studied. What we're doing is nothing like those in the sky. No way around that. But, I wonder about the lighting and I especially think our textures are off. Different approaches for both of us, but neither are working as far as realistic.
Of course, anyone is welcome to disagree, but it won't change what we see outside when we look at ours and then "His". ;D
Quote from: Tangled-Universe on August 09, 2008, 01:51:25 AM
Thanks for your comments Lightning and Saurav, you certainly have a point here.
I have already bought your groundcoverpack this week. In the meantime this scene was rendering so that's why I haven't used your poly-based daisy's.
Is there a possibility I can get that update as well?
It seems I have some work to do tomorrow :)
I'll try to post an update asap.
Martin
yes i have all the people who have bought the pack logged so i will send a secure link out when i have uploaded the pack
TU
Like this a lot. The brownish under lighting is really nice. Must have a go at this. I don't know if I am seeing something different to everyone else, but I think the dasies look really realistic... ???
Miles
Quote from: mr-miley on August 11, 2008, 06:16:19 AM
TU
Like this a lot. The brownish under lighting is really nice. Must have a go at this. I don't know if I am seeing something different to everyone else, but I think the dasies look really realistic... ???
Miles
Thanks Miley,
I'm going to render a version with Lightnings daisy's so you guys can compare.
I'm currenly at work so I can't show how I set up the lighting plane right now, but if you would like I can post it when I'm back home.
Martin
TU
Ooooo, yes please ;D I'm more than happy to fiddle with these things myself, but a boot up the arse in the right direction always speeds thins along a bit. :D I'll be interested to see the render with lightenings daisies to compare
Miles
I like this alot....very nice cloudwork, and the daisys arent that bad....perhaps the lighting is a bit off on them?...maybe?....look forward to seeing more!
Quote from: inkydigit on August 11, 2008, 09:28:56 AM
I like this alot....very nice cloudwork, and the daisys arent that bad....perhaps the lighting is a bit off on them?...maybe?....look forward to seeing more!
Thanks!
The lighting is kinda difficult, since the clouds casts a shadow on the grasses and daisy's. It is then up to finding a nice mix between the specularity and translucency of the grasses/daisy's as well as the GI settings.
THe darker lighting is "correct" and intentionally, however it could indeed be improved somewhat.
Martin
Well done Martin!
Excellent shapes, but the one thing that disturbs me though is the yellowish and stained look on the clouds. However - if you don't mind - I thought it would be better if it looked more like this (after a little postwork on colors and so):
[attach=#]
The yellowish colors were intentional, however I admit that your postworked version looks better :)
The vegetation has improved and the clouds have a glowing feel (slightly too much maybe) which is quite realistic.
What kind of postwork did you perform?
Thanks for the effort and posting here!
Martin
Quote from: Tangled-Universe on August 12, 2008, 05:18:37 AM
The yellowish colors were intentional, however I admit that your postworked version looks better :)
The vegetation has improved and the clouds have a glowing feel (slightly too much maybe) which is quite realistic.
What kind of postwork did you perform?
Thanks for the effort and posting here!
Martin
I really just lightened it up, reduced the color temeratur and applied a slight glow. Maybe I've overdone the latter slightly.
Took just a minute to do all this.
Cheers,
Frank
I agree that the glow may be just a tad overdone, but the colour temperature change has given it a brighter, less ominous feel. Fits in slightly better with the field of flowers ;D
I must say Frank's post worked version looks much better. My first thought upon seeing the initial image was that it looked great, but was too dark for those kinds of clouds. Dark storm clouds usually look a bit different. But the result after post work is great. I'm sure this and better can be achieved natively in TG2 and I'd love to see that. ;D
- Oshyan
hey martin the update pack is uploading now i will email you the update link once its done ;)
Quote from: RArcher on August 12, 2008, 09:59:12 AM
I agree that the glow may be just a tad overdone, but the colour temperature change has given it a brighter, less ominous feel. Fits in slightly better with the field of flowers ;D
Quote from: Oshyan on August 12, 2008, 11:43:25 PM
I must say Frank's post worked version looks much better. My first thought upon seeing the initial image was that it looked great, but was too dark for those kinds of clouds. Dark storm clouds usually look a bit different. But the result after post work is great. I'm sure this and better can be achieved natively in TG2 and I'd love to see that. ;D
- Oshyan
Yes you're both right. Sometimes I make the mistake to do too much straight from my head instead of using references.
Quote from: lightning on August 13, 2008, 04:00:18 AM
hey martin the update pack is uploading now i will email you the update link once its done ;)
Great! Looking forward to use them ;D
Martin
yep Martin i have sent you the secure link via email enjoy the update!
Thanks!
You all may find this link interesting:
http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=3691.msg48625#msg48625 (http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=3691.msg48625#msg48625)
With sharing this file I hope to encourage everybody to improve these clouds further and to also share the results in the cloud library section to help Calico, the others and as well as myself to create the most beautiful cumulus type of clouds available :)
Look here for what I mean:
http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=4642.0 (http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=4642.0)
Enjoy!
Martin
thanks Martin...I will have a go at this with pleasure