No Extra Output Images

[WAS]

I checked the extra output images, subfolders, set the save folders, and hit "Render All To Disk" and nothing happened. No images are saved. I have save the TIF manually from the render window, and get no render elements.

I was thinking Ulco could just render the reflection areas and get the layer elements of it, and then he can project said images as masks to fake reflection while still be true to where it needs to be.

[Kadri]

That could work too. But not sure if it would be much faster.

Have you tried to render in a folder you created outside those Windows folders.
I don't use those standard windows folders.

[WAS]

Yeah, that's what it's set to. I made a "MuddyGround" folder under my Terragen folder in Pictures. It's usually defaulted to "My Documents" root, which is strange to me. Not even a Terragen folder created to keep things clean.

I even made and saved to the folder through the "Save" button next to the inputs for the path.

[WAS]

That could work too. But not sure if it would be much faster.

I think it would be leagues faster cause my idea would be using a custom image for the reflection. The reflection in this scenario is so simple you could get away with a blue reflection, darker at the right side, and a whiter overlay on the left (for where the sun is in mine). That can easily be done with gradients and masked with the reflection masks. No computation of any reflections, in the final render.

PS tried another render and nothing. Not even any errors. Im going to restart my PC.  Maybe something in the framework died.

[Kadri]

That could work too. But not sure if it would be much faster.

I think it would be leagues faster cause my idea would be using a custom image for the reflection. The reflection in this scenario is so simple you could get away with a blue reflection, darker at the right side, and a whiter overlay on the left (for where the sun is in mine). That can easily be done with gradients and masked with the reflection masks. No computation of any reflections, in the final render.

PS tried another render and nothing. Not even any errors. Im going to restart my PC.  Maybe something in the framework died.

If you fake it yes that would be much faster.

[Dune]

Thanks for all your efforts, I really appreciate it. In the end a solution should be pretty fast and easy, because exporting a piece of ground first, cleaning it, fitting it into the TG terrain again so it blends nicely, is quite some work. And it wouldn't have the small overhangs.
The projection of a generic reflection onto a render element mask is probably easier to do, and a great idea.

No idea why it doesn't work like you described. You have to click the button on the right of the name indeed, and really save it to the folder chosen.

But, as said in the other thread; with a much higher roughness (0.2-0.4) for the mud, rendering in PT is much faster than if using less than 0.1. And mud reflections can be a bit softer, so it's no big deal. I'll come back on this in the other thread.

[WAS]

I think something bugged strangely. Restarting and hitting render to disk resulted in all the subfolders and files checked as expected. I had been doing 2 8k renders over night with cores limited to 6 (from 12) so probably overdoing things.

[Kadri]

Thanks for all your efforts, I really appreciate it. In the end a solution should be pretty fast and easy, because exporting a piece of ground first, cleaning it, fitting it into the TG terrain again so it blends nicely, is quite some work. And it wouldn't have the small overhangs.
The projection of a generic reflection onto a render element mask is probably easier to do, and a great idea.
...

Yes and no.

Render elements are obviously very flexible. You can do many things and changes of the look of the render.
But if you change your camera rotation-position you have to do it all over

"is quite some work" Making and using an obj file is actually very easy.
 A 800x600 or so render (with atmo and shadows disabled) is very fast.
And you don't even have to clean the file if you don't have an intention to make an animation get too close etc.
I did just used the Terragen exported file as it is in my latest tests here.
The worst part is actually only loading a big obj file when you open the scene.
If you use the ground texturing in the last nodes using only those for the obj is nearly 4-5 clicks.
You can freely change your camera rotation-position (to an extend of course).
Especially if you planned before (just render a wider FOV then you use in the camera or from a little back etc.).
If you want to change the ground look you have to export the ground ones again.
But in this case you have to make the same with render elements too (here you could get away with a crop render maybe).

So depends on what you feel is better for you and-or your workflow.

[Dune]

I haven't exported any ground mesh ever, so I have no idea. But it sounds easy indeed. I'll have a go at it, just the foreground. But then in TG it has to be located to blend in with the more distant area, so the ground has to be lowered where the object comes in.

[Kadri]

I haven't exported any ground mesh ever, so I have no idea. But it sounds easy indeed. I'll have a go at it, just the foreground. But then in TG it has to be located to blend in with the more distant area, so the ground has to be lowered where the object comes in.

Ulco the ground directly comes as where it is. You don't have to make any adjustements.
If you want only the foreground part you can make that work too.
But first try an all ground work with the default settings.
You might be surprised.

[Kadri]

Try with a small export first 600x  kinda...

[Dune]

So the exported object has location data within? Interesting.

[Kadri]

Yes. You get what the camera sees the same way back.

But Ulco use whatever you feel is better for yourself of course.
As you know there are many ways and different workflows with good and bad sides.
For me the worst with using big objects is loading times and preview problems...kinda.
When you want to go in another place in the scene it might work or not etc.
And having maybe to make another object. You loose kind of that flexibility.
But redoing is actually not hard as i said.

The best is much faster render times nearly all the time.

Just test and see what works best for you.

[Dune]

Yes, I'm curious anyway to see how exporting an obj works. Have to look up how it should be done, which is what I'm doing now.

[WAS]

I would say exporting an object is harder. It could take longer to export and usually needs doctoring. With projection you just render a SR without saving any OBJ and use the saved images in the same project. Yes you can't look around but similar as you told me from doing objects from perspective and not ortho, you dont have much wiggle room with the OBJ either. I dunno if you started doing an ortho so the detail is object-wide.

For me outputting the obj takes much longer than a reflective SR render with layer elements.