Lithops

[choronr]

There's a slight problem with the flat areas, Bob. It's giving some stretched edges. You might consider changing that (mask the rocky areas by a quite strong not too small smallest sized fractal perhaps).

Thanks for bringing that up Ulco, that is the one area that bothered me. I'll go back and try what you have suggested.

[choronr]

Curious;  what's your sun strength set to?  After visiting the link you posted along with this image I feel like the whole render is underexposed by at least a full stop.

-greg

The sun's strength is at 4.12 (default is 5). Also, camera exposure is at 1. My thoughts were that the contrasts looked better at the lower sun's strength.

[Dune]

With some clever (sinus and such) functions these lithops may be generated procedurally from surface or simple spheres.

[choronr]

With some clever (sinus and such) functions these lithops may be generated procedurally from surface or simple spheres.

You cannot populate a sphere, right?

[Dune]

No, not the internal. Here's a very small (you may have to increase all) external ball with some math inside. Nice to try some combinations and see what happens. Real displacement can't be done, unless without RTO.

[choronr]

No, not the internal. Here's a very small (you may have to increase all) external ball with some math inside. Nice to try some combinations and see what happens. Real displacement can't be done, unless without RTO.

Wow, a nice Monday morning surprise; thank you. I'll get into it soon as I'm starving for a project. Would really like to simulate these little guys.

[choronr]

First results of Sphere population showing preview and render.

[choronr]

Getting closer. Put an image map (spherical) between the Transform input shader and the bubble shader. Still some goofiness.

[Dune]

Thats really getting nowhere. I might model some (but maybe not today), they're not that hard by the look of it. Any preference, Bob? https://www.google.nl/search?q=lithops&client=opera&hs=kHk&channel=suggest&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=ZF5vUpzzFcSN7QbOroGQAQ&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1890&bih=1102&dpr=1#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=rowATw8pCBuo8M%3A%3BA6RWLIR2valtVM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252F3.bp.blogspot.com%252F_G16_ZEc6srM%252FS_t7RobL0GI%252FAAAAAAAABQY%252Fm7PEs0TU4YY%252Fs1600%252Flithops_terricolor_C134_011.JPG%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Foregoncactus.blogspot.com%252F2010%252F05%252Flithops-terricolor-c134.html%3B407%3B323

[choronr]

Oh my gosh, I feel like a kid in a candy store - this is the largest variety of Lithops I have seen. I'm just up from a good night's sleep. Gonna have some coffee now and drool over these varieties - I'll be back.

[choronr]

Thanks Ulco for your help on this and the models. The image of the population here is just a test. The plant deserves more of a close up for the nice detail of its structure and textures. I plan on doing further experimenting with it to create other color varieties of the plant and its flower.

I'll be doing another scene in the future which will be a close up.

[choronr]

Here is a close up of the Lithops plants models.

[yossam]

Cool. 

[mhaze]

This is a really interesting thread - are the Lithops in the last image models or procedural?

[choronr]

This is a really interesting thread - are the Lithops in the last image models or procedural?

Most of the engineering here Mick was by Ulco. The idea started out as procedural and evolved to a model.