Museum wall

[kaedorg]

I also can add 2 of my i7 if it helps.

[masonspappy]

... and mine as well

[Dune]

You're awesome guys! I mean that, and I have to think if that would work. The files to upload will be quite large. As for a render farm; that is hard as I need 14 renders and each one needs GI cached before I send it up, as the farm can't do the GI cache on one computer, so gets blocky if rendered in different computers or cores or whatever. This happened before, so I have to cache the GI and send that up as well (really big). Not once, but for every 'frame' of 45º, so I have to upload everything 14 times. Then it might be easier to just put on the i7 and leave it mumbling for a week or more. Or accepts your gracious help. Problem (well problem) with that is that you get all my stuff, and I have to figure out if I can do that, or whether an NDA is needed.

Anyway; here's an update on the second half, and some pretty large render crops. Still work (and thinking) to do.....

The reindeer are Michael's, and really good, though I have to conjure up more variation!

[kaedorg]

First I checked NDA on Google (was not sure about what it means). First google result was NEW DRUG APPLICATION....what does it mean Ulco  
Hopefully i saw Non-disclosure agreement.

I will only speak for myself but I think that all other guys think nearly the same.

To this offer was attached a complete confidentiality. I would not even think to keep a copy of your work or use any of your nodes without your permission.

Any problem for me to sign a NDA then

David

[Dune]

Yes, Non-disclosure agreement. Glad you're thinking the way you do.

[Dune]

Some more tests, this time about twice the size (9960x6000px, cropped, detail 0.6, AA 6 default). I don't see much difference in soft shadows or no soft shadows in this area, which I wanted to confirm. The render time difference is enormous, soft shadows @ 0.6 (not 0.8 ) and 4 samples 1.12 hours for this crop, no SS was 37 min. So I think I will render without SS, only do some crops of frontal areas where it does matter, and paste those over in post.
Then I have to check what caused the black lines in the reindeerskin, think it was unpremultiply color (I hope it isn't GISD), and I see some dotted lines around the branches. I also need to decrease bump size in the branches and add some bump in the front shrub branches of the vertical rendercrop. And I will change the ivy leaves (they're very clean and straight).

[Dune]

I'll just go on adding some images, nearing final stages now. The reindeer shot is the largest I will make all renders, it'll be fine at a meter's distance. Only have to change their river passing depth. Now wish it would be possible to transform (rotate) instances in an easy way by mask. I can do it by hand of course, but that's a lot of work. They should bend a little to pass the river in a more straight angle. Maybe a nice feature request...
A little brushwork on the little villages, which will be needed on the whole render series anyway. Can't do it all perfectly in TG in this big a setup.

[Tangled-Universe]

Hi Ulco,

I'm willing to help too, if there's need.
We can meet somewhere in between our places and exchange your data on a USB-HDD?
Or perhaps sending with TNT Express is even cheaper!
As you may know, I live in Rotterdam.

Cheers,
Martin

[Hannes]

Ulco, this is insane! Wish I could help too, but my machine is almost always in use (and far too slow!!!)

[mhaze]

Amazing work, as ever, this just gets better and better.  I have a spare i7 if you need it.

[TheBadger]

Hi Ulco,

was curious about your heard. Do you intend that the final will have them going down the river rather than simply crossing?
I was guessing that you just have one population there, and therefor were consigned to straight(ish) lines. OR do you have some source that explains that the animals to do this in nature?

Regardless, I was also interested if you could use a simple shape with a wiggle in it, to create a path with an arc that the populator must adhere to?

Or are you going to populate all your animals by hand?

[choronr]

Continuously beautiful work! My machine is almost seven years old; otherwise, I would offer it to you to use.

[Kadri]

All of them are good but i like especially the last two images Ulco!

[Dune]

At last I did rotate all individuals in the river by hand, it wasn't that much work after all. I suppose they walk along the river until they find or know a good spot to cross, then do it as straight as possible. That's what will happen now. I did use a warped fractal as a 'trail of reindeer', but you can't bend the instances the same way, only the pop.
Waiting for final approval now....

[Dune]

Some small crops at higher resolution, found out some small issues (liking floating ruin, and too flat moss under reinderhunters tent).