Cathedral Rock

[choronr]

A stratified fractal terrain (with low areas flattened) depicting somewhere in Sedona. The following elements were used:

•   Marc McGebhart's model 'Bristol Pine' which can be ordered at NWDA. The model file allows one to configure the tree many ways.

•   lightning's 3Bushes models -no longer available. The model's color was changed by using its Lambert shader. Two populations were used.

•   Hananna Rose available at Ashsundar.

•   Dead Bushes from a friend.

•   Walli's Grass model available from NWDA.  The dry grass was achieved by using a different texture/color map.  Both green and dry populations were used.

•   Four surface layers were used along with four sizes of fake stones.

If anyone is interested, the .tgd file can be had at the File sharing segment.

Bob

[FrankB]

Nice one Bob. You are getting really good at lighting

The strata appear maybe a little bit too even. So besides perhaps using a powerfractal as a blendshader to the strata (to let them fade in and out a bit in places), it could look really nice and natural to let the horizonzal strata vary a little bit on altitude.

Mark and copy the following (ctrl+c) and then ctrl+v them into the node network of your scene:

Code Select Expand

<terragen_clip>
<redirect_shader
name = "Redirect shader 01"
gui_use_node_pos = "1"
gui_node_pos = "-1960 300 0"
gui_group = ""
enable = "1"
input_node = ""
gui_use_preview_patch_size = "0"
gui_preview_patch_size = "1000 1000"
X_shader = ""
Y_shader = "Power fractal shader v3 01"
Z_shader = ""
>
</redirect_shader>
<power_fractal_shader_v3
name = "Power fractal shader v3 01"
gui_use_node_pos = "1"
gui_node_pos = "-1880 360 0"
gui_group = ""
enable = "1"
input_node = ""
gui_use_preview_patch_size = "0"
gui_preview_patch_size = "1000 1000"
seed = "64749"
feature_scale = "50"
lead-in_scale = "100"
smallest_scale = "10"
noise_octaves = "5"
apply_high_colour = "1"
high_colour = "1 1 1"
apply_low_colour = "0"
low_colour = "0 0 0"
colour_contrast = "0.5"
colour_offset = "0"
colour_roughness = "5"
clamp_high_colour = "1"
clamp_low_colour = "1"
apply_displacement = "1"
displacement_direction = "1"
displacement_amplitude = "15"
displacement_offset = "0"
displacement_roughness = "0.9375"
displacement_spike_limit = "0.78125"
continue_spike_limit = "0"
adjust_coastline = "0"
coastline_altitude = "0"
coastline_smoothing = "30"
noise_flavour = "0"
noise_variation = "1"
variation_method = "2"
buoyancy_from_variation = "0.25"
clumping_of_variation = "0.25"
noise_stretch_XYZ = "1 1 1"
distort_by_normal = "0"
distortion_by_normal = "5"
lead-in_warp_effect = "0"
lead-in_warp_amount = "0.5"
less_warp_at_feature_scale = "0"
allow_vertical_warp = "0"
blend_by_shader = "0"
blending_shader = ""
fit_blendshader_to_this = "0"
invert_blendshader = "0"
>
</power_fractal_shader_v3>
</terragen_clip>


Then, connect the redirect shader into your network right after where the strata are generated.
I took a guess about the right feature scale in the powerfractal, so you may have to play with these.

Best regards,
Frank

[Henry Blewer]

Nice work Bob. The node clip Frank offered would break up the strata nicely. I may give it a try myself. His canyon render from last month was spectacular.

The only thing I would add is some high cirrus clouds, very, very thin; with very low edge sharpness. I use this to scatter the light around more.

[choronr]

Thank you Frank for this suggestion. I will be trying this later today. I agree with you in that the strata is too uniform and should be more weathered. I'll bet back with another modified render later. Thanks again.

Bob

[choronr]

Nice work Bob. The node clip Frank offered would break up the strata nicely. I may give it a try myself. His canyon render from last month was spectacular.

The only thing I would add is some high cirrus clouds, very, very thin; with very low edge sharpness. I use this to scatter the light around more.

Thanks Henry, I'll be trying Frank's suggestion later today. My cirrus in this scene a 2D and very thin. I thought if they were more pronounced, they would distract from the scene.

Bob

[choronr]

Nice one Bob. You are getting really good at lighting

The strata appear maybe a little bit too even. So besides perhaps using a powerfractal as a blendshader to the strata (to let them fade in and out a bit in places), it could look really nice and natural to let the horizonzal strata vary a little bit on altitude.

Mark and copy the following (ctrl+c) and then ctrl+v them into the node network of your scene:

Code Select Expand

<terragen_clip>
<redirect_shader
name = "Redirect shader 01"
gui_use_node_pos = "1"
gui_node_pos = "-1960 300 0"
gui_group = ""
enable = "1"
input_node = ""
gui_use_preview_patch_size = "0"
gui_preview_patch_size = "1000 1000"
X_shader = ""
Y_shader = "Power fractal shader v3 01"
Z_shader = ""
>
</redirect_shader>
<power_fractal_shader_v3
name = "Power fractal shader v3 01"
gui_use_node_pos = "1"
gui_node_pos = "-1880 360 0"
gui_group = ""
enable = "1"
input_node = ""
gui_use_preview_patch_size = "0"
gui_preview_patch_size = "1000 1000"
seed = "64749"
feature_scale = "50"
lead-in_scale = "100"
smallest_scale = "10"
noise_octaves = "5"
apply_high_colour = "1"
high_colour = "1 1 1"
apply_low_colour = "0"
low_colour = "0 0 0"
colour_contrast = "0.5"
colour_offset = "0"
colour_roughness = "5"
clamp_high_colour = "1"
clamp_low_colour = "1"
apply_displacement = "1"
displacement_direction = "1"
displacement_amplitude = "15"
displacement_offset = "0"
displacement_roughness = "0.9375"
displacement_spike_limit = "0.78125"
continue_spike_limit = "0"
adjust_coastline = "0"
coastline_altitude = "0"
coastline_smoothing = "30"
noise_flavour = "0"
noise_variation = "1"
variation_method = "2"
buoyancy_from_variation = "0.25"
clumping_of_variation = "0.25"
noise_stretch_XYZ = "1 1 1"
distort_by_normal = "0"
distortion_by_normal = "5"
lead-in_warp_effect = "0"
lead-in_warp_amount = "0.5"
less_warp_at_feature_scale = "0"
allow_vertical_warp = "0"
blend_by_shader = "0"
blending_shader = ""
fit_blendshader_to_this = "0"
invert_blendshader = "0"
>
</power_fractal_shader_v3>
</terragen_clip>


Then, connect the redirect shader into your network right after where the strata are generated.
I took a guess about the right feature scale in the powerfractal, so you may have to play with these.

Best regards,
Frank

Hi Frank,

Tried your suggestion; and, it worked! Now, all I need to do is reset the camera coordinates for the plants and Marc's tree - this should do it; thank you so much. The lead in scale was left at 100' the minimum scale set at 1. What do yo think?

Bob

[FrankB]

much better, Bob, I like it.

Cheers,
Frank

[CCC]

Nifty. It reminds me of places like this.

http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b296/rockartist/moab%20house/?action=view&current=z121potashponds.jpg

All we need now is to find a way to vary the gaps for the strata for some to be small and others to be very large gaps. Some deeper vertical cuts and some rock debris that are falling off of the steep parts. It could use some more stratafied color i think but it could be just a personal preference.

[Henry Blewer]

That's it!

[choronr]

Thanks to all and your help. Still playing with the Lead in scale since I noted that a few of the dry grasses (on the upper right portion of a segment of the terrain) are floating. Strange since most of the dry grasses are flush on the ground. Feature scale is 100; Lead in scale is 2. I've tried many combinations adjusting the Lead in scale; but, the grasses still float. However, I am pleased with the results using Frank's suggestion and will use this method for future strata applications.. 

[FrankB]

Hi Bob, if you have floating grasses, they don't have anything to do with the fractal you use for distribution.
It's more likely that the populator doesn't have accurate information about the texture coordinates.
The first thing that springs to mind: do your populations "sit" on the last shader before the planet node? If not, please try this.
If they are still floating, you might need to compute the texture coordinates again before you feed the populator with it.

Regards,
Frank

[choronr]

Hi Bob, if you have floating grasses, they don't have anything to do with the fractal you use for distribution.
It's more likely that the populator doesn't have accurate information about the texture coordinates.
The first thing that springs to mind: do your populations "sit" on the last shader before the planet node? If not, please try this.
If they are still floating, you might need to compute the texture coordinates again before you feed the populator with it.

Regards,
Frank

Hi Frank,

Thank you for jumping in again; and, I did have the pop connected to the Compute terrain. Normally, I'll connect to the last shader; but, I didn't think to do it initially and they came up looking ok so I left it alone. One other thing; I thought the camera coordinates changed after I applied your first suggest; but, they didn't change. The only pop that seemed to float was the dry grass - and, they floated only on the right side midway between top and bottom. I'll get back to you after I make this change you suggested ...thank you again.

Bob

[choronr]

Well Frank, that was simple - it worked. Why the hell didn't I think of that? All I did was reconnect the population to the last shader You get focused of some other aspect of the scene and you forget the good basic principals. Hopefully, I'll re-render tonight and post the final tomorrow. Thank you sir.

[FrankB]

you're welcome Bob

[choronr]

Here is the final. Think I got it right this time. Thanks to all.

Bob