Dutch 'polder'

Started by Dune, July 03, 2010, 03:28:22 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

Dune

Thanks for your comments, guys, that is really helpful. For the client this is probably good enough, but as a perfectionist I'd prefer a perfect image. I'm a little concerned about the 'popping' houses. They're too small for the displacement on the roof to work (which would make them less 'perfect', but I guess if I make the walls lighter it helps blending them to the ground. They also need some 'stuff' around them, so they don't sit there by themselves so much. By the way, there is no 'small hut'; the large one is a horse riding/training center of at least 30-40 meters long and 15-20 wide with an enormous roof. The house to the right is quite a mansion.

What greens are you referring to, Walli? Tree greens? I may need to change them, give them an extra set of leaves in a slightly different color, or throw a texture over the population. Can you expand on 'the lack of definition'?

---Dune

Walli

the greens - I marked them on your picture. It´s the light green on the ground. In the background it works I think, but the same color in the foreground looks strange to me. I am not sure - probably its because usually when looking on grass like stuff from above, it gets darker - because you see more from the ground. From lower height with flater view angle you don´t see so much from the ground and so it looks greener. So if the background stuff is light green, then the same material/plants/grass/whatever it is should look darker in the front, because you see more from the ground.

By the way, something similar can happen with a color shift from green to brown - when you have blossoming grass. In that case, when looking from above/steep angle, then it looks mostly green. But when looking in a flat angle you will see more of the blossoms which often are brown - so in that case the distant color would be more brownish.

And of course you also can have a mixture of both effects ;-)

Definition with trees: if you look at your reference picture, you will notice a higher range from bright green to nearly black green in the tree crown. Towards the center of the trees the crown almost gets black. The outer areas tend to be much brighter, especially when sunlight comes from the back, they almost have some sort of halo.
The trees in your rendering are to even, not so much brightness contrast in the crown. And I think there probably could be some varying hues also.

Please let me know if I should send you the marked picture.

As I said, you already did a great job and i am sure that your customer is really happy!

Dune

Thanks, Walli, Your comment is very helpful and opens my eyes for another trick nature can play. You're right of course, and I realize again, that looking carefully is the key. I think a distance shader can do the trick with the 'grass gradient'.
I also have to figure out how to make the crown more definite, perhaps indeed by putting extra leaves more towards the trunk and give them a slightly darker hue. I'll get to it.

---Dune

Walli

the tree definition volume is tricky and often depends on the model itself. On some it works well, on others not so much. Of course you also have to compare to the realworld counter parts as there are species out there that don´t show so much definition too.

One trick that I sometimes use (not sure if it works in TG, but it could) is a spherical, 3D gradient that I mix into the leaf colour. The center of this gradient is put into the crown of the tree and so I am able to "fake" darkness and volume.

Hannes

Very realistic. I agree with you, that the dark parts of the houses don't look quite right. Additionally using the Cubic B-spline filter could be another improvement.

Dune

QuoteAdditionally using the Cubic B-spline filter could be another improvement

I used Mitchel-Netravali, would Cubic be better? I thought Mitchel was better with vegetation? I'll check it out on a crop and compare.

@Walli; I got your mail, thanks. I'll climb into my trees again.

Hannes

Cubic is softer. It doesn't look that unnaturally "CG-crispy". In my opinion it looks better for vegetation as well.

FrankB

woah, this is fantastic, Ulco!

Dune

Thanks, Frank.

Here's a little (tiny) filter test. I don't like the soft one, it's too vague. Mitchel seems to give the most definition in the shadowy areas, so I'll stick to that. I think I've also got the reeds a better color now, as well as more definition in the (altered) poplar trees.

MacGyver

I can't see the difference on my monitor. How annoying! >:(
What was the filter on the lower right big image?
What you wish to kindle in others must burn within yourself. - Augustine

Dune

That would be Mitchel himself. Yeah, I know they are tiny.

Kadri


After a crisp render you can make it softer with post.
But the other way around is only posible to a certain extent .

Nıce image as always , Dune  :)

Dune

Next render, and I'm quite satisfied with the result, thanks to Walli's helpful advice. The trees are better IMO, as is the reed color. The only thing that I'd have to check is the height of the poplar trees. They're really tall bastards, but I made new ones, which appear slightly higher than anticipated.

Walli

best dutch render ever :-)

Henry Blewer

You may have to look at the populars with a house in front of them, or beside them. They are really tall!

Great looking scene!
http://flickr.com/photos/njeneb/
Forget Tuesday; It's just Monday spelled with a T