Nuclear Fire WIP

[MacGyver]

Hello guys,

I have a work in progress here and would be really glad to hear your opinions and propositions. I also want to ask if someone knows how to get lightrays in this scene, I want to try out how it looks...
The first image has something like this, although it's very subtle and you have to look at both images very closely to actually see the difference. First one with the "rays" is without raytraced shadows enabled, second one missing the "rays" is with raytraced shadows and GI Surface Details. Does anyone know if GI Surface Details has any influence on clouds? Why have the "rays" gone missing?

[moodflow]

This looks fantastic!!!   

[rcallicotte]

No sh!t!!!  Incredible looking. If this is without postwork, consider saving these settings in case your further work doesn't improve this.  I'd say I agree with moodflow - FANTASTIC.

[old_blaggard]

Great work so far!  I can't give you any further advice about the rays, but I know for a fact that GI Surface details does nothing to the clouds.

[MacGyver]

Wow, I am really overwhelmed by your positive reviews! Thanks a lot mates

@calico: The image is without postwork. For the final version I thought about Photoshop's radial blur filter... perhaps We'll see I guess.
@old_blaggard: Thank you for the advice, this info really helps. Then the changes are supposedly from the "ray traced shadows" option.

Anyway, this is just a low quality preview, I'll keep you posted about the progress.

[AndyWelder]

I think the trick to get rays is putting small objects in the cloud; they will cast shadow beams and thus you also get beams of light.
How you get objects in the cloud? Use an invisible planet(by disabling the surface shader) and attach a fake stones shader to it's surface shader

I did it with these exploding planets.

[inkydigit]

super idea and excecution....keep em comin!

[MacGyver]

I've tinkered around with the options a little bit and think that everything that I change just messes it up... so if anybody is interested in a higher res version, I would be glad to leave you the files... so you can render it any size you want and perhaps tweak it if you feel so. Anybody?

[AndyWelder]

I'd like to tinker around  some more.

andywelder@renderosity.com

[bobbystahr]

coming in late but why not post it to the share files section under clouds.. ...

[jo]

Hi,

I think the "rays" in the first one are actually something to with the rendering of the clouds themselves, rather than actual rays of light as such. When you turn the other settings on they give a more "correct" rendering and that removes the "rays". "I think"...

Regards,

Jo

[MacGyver]

Hi,

I think the "rays" in the first one are actually something to with the rendering of the clouds themselves, rather than actual rays of light as such. When you turn the other settings on they give a more "correct" rendering and that removes the "rays". "I think"...

Regards,

Jo

You're right, this was exactly the case!

[chefc]

coming in late but why not post it to the share files section under clouds.. ...

I'll second that request 

[MacGyver]

Well, the clouds are actually already available under the cloud section. I took them either from calico or Tangled-Universe I guess. If you still want the project file with the settings I'll post it here (if I can find it).