Hello everybody.
I've juste started with Terragen but I already have some special questions because I've to make a small movie wich is a big traveling from space to Earth.
So would like to use Terragen for rendering the clouds.
But there is 2 problems :
the first is that I would like to export the Planet Object from TG2 to Maya, to first animate the Camera in Maya and then import it in TG2.
The second is that cloud like nice when you'e close to them but from space (6000km) it looks noisy wich is not natural at all.
So I would like to know if it's possible to use a Map of cloud (from Naza web site) to sculpt the clouds.
I've already try to replace the 'Density Fractal' wich is connected to the clouds by an 'Image map Shader' but the result is verybad.
so if anyone can help me ... :-\
I think the problem you see is that the scale is too small. Check out the following topic:
http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=144.0
You may find some useful info there.
Hello, Ive attached one of my .tgd s that has some nice cloud cover feel free to explore it :)
Regards,
Will
Attaching an Image Map shader to the Density input of your Cloud Shader is exactly what you'd want to do. There are a few things to be aware of. First, for a complete planet, you'd want to make sure you were using Spherical Projection. You will probably also need to adjust the size, making it very large, perhaps equivalent to the planet size (image size is measured in meters like almost everything else in TG2). Second, just using a pure image map shader won't look very good - you'll probably want to use the Image Map as a blend shader for the default Density Fractal that the cloud layer starts with. You'd then increase the coverage/white color bias to get more cloud coverage to fill in your mask, while still providing breakup at the edges that looks more like real clouds. It's likely you'll need to increase scale of the clouds also to avoid a noisy, unrealistic look. Finally make sure the mask you're using is completely grayscale.
- Oshyan
http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=544.0
Here check this out it map help with what Oshyan said.
Regards,
Will
Instead of making a new "clouds from space" thread, I thought I could ask here...
I am having trouble making the clouds look good from space. The formation and such is ok, but they look... boring.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/uidin/5.jpg)
How can I make those clouds look fluffy and "billowy" (if that is a word). Right now it looks like flat clouds...
I am very much a newbie, and still learning how stuff works... so this would be a lot of help...
increase the depth by a lot or if you have done this, look from a closer perspective.
Regards,
Will
I have increased it quite a lot, but I didn't think about the fact that I might have to be closer to see it that way... thanks, will try it!
Not to stop your enthusiasm, since you're having so much fun, but I'm wondering how fluffy clouds would look at that level in real life. When I was looking at Google's photos of that view the other day, I found that what we can do in TG2 doesn't need much change. Looks like you're on the right path. Compare with NASA photos and see what you think.
well thats what im saying from that distence and angle the clouds still have depth but look flat.
Regards,
Will
Quote from: Durandir on January 25, 2007, 12:21:25 PM
Instead of making a new "clouds from space" thread, I thought I could ask here...
I am having trouble making the clouds look good from space. The formation and such is ok, but they look... boring.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/uidin/5.jpg)
How can I make those clouds look fluffy and "billowy" (if that is a word). Right now it looks like flat clouds...
I am very much a newbie, and still learning how stuff works... so this would be a lot of help...
Hey Durandir,
The bright white spot on the planet is snow or some kinda reflection?
and about the clouds...check this topic out by myself
http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=593.15
I've inscreased the lead-in size and depth a LOT (about 200000)
Dhavalmistry, if you like the clouds (Cumulus) on the attached picture and would like to create similar, set the important settings as follows:
Main:
Cloud altitude: 11000
Cloud depth: 5000
Edge sharpness: 6
Cloud density: 0.0002 (it should be very,very low - higher values make clouds very flat. It is the most important parameter to get puffy clouds)
Coverage adjust: 0.1
Lighting:
Sun glow amount: 0
Sun glow power: 0 (if the two values are higher than 0, clouds become gray)
Quality:
Duality: 0.5 (there is no need to set higher value)
Great picture Fierys - that planet definitely looks earthlike, and that moon definitely looks moonlike!
the station looks neat too.
Regards,
Wil
Well.. I've done clouds, but because it was a night scene, only the clouds near the secondary lightsource showed any detail... but that wasn't really the focus of the pic. They didn't look boring, but then again, if only I could get the image map to work around the secondary lightsource (or explosion! heheh)... to make the clouds look like they were being blown away.
Unfortunately, the file's a bit big, so I'll just link you to my deviantArt page with it http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/47434831/ (http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/47434831/)
Nice render Bluefinger
Durandir, it looks like you've got very high density settings, or are possibly using 2D clouds. I would create a new default low-level 3D cloud layer and copy the Main settings from it to your current cloud layer, then remove the new one. The default settings are actually fairly good for clouds from orbit, it's just that the scale needs adjusting, which you seem to have already taken care of.
- Oshyan
Thanks guys! It seems that my problem was the density. I had really high density, since the clouds I have made before and looked on from ground level turned out better then. Now I know that the density should be really low from space.
Seems that my sphere vanished though... it was still there, with the same settings and all, but nowhere to be seen. I haven't worked with objects before, so not sure if this is a known bug...
Anyway, the clouds are better now, as you can see! Could be a lot better, but it's a vast improvement, and all I really did was to give it a bit more depth (I plussed on 500 or so) and I increased the altitude. But the most important thing was changing the density. 'cause it was about 0.05 or so...
Oh, and yeah. The bright white on the planet is the snow created with the Planet Shader. I didn't do anything with the planet really, just added a Fractal terrain with a Planet shader... As I said, I am still a newbie :p
And great renders guys! I especially love yours Bluefinger!
Heres a render I finished yesterday that has some decent clouds, but you may want to increase the feature size in the density fractal: http://www.meltingice.net/usergallery/generators/original.php?imageid=122
You can download the .tgd here: http://www.meltingice.net/userdownload/download.php?file=9
looks pretty cool.. also if you decreased the density of what ever is making the little dots.. they would look more like lights from cities:D.... just a thought!...
also what option changes the size of the blue halo? its one thing i want to change on my planet render:D
thanks
Quote from: MeltingIce on January 29, 2007, 05:02:59 PM
Heres a render I finished yesterday that has some decent clouds, but you may want to increase the feature size in the density fractal: http://www.meltingice.net/usergallery/generators/original.php?imageid=122
You can download the .tgd here: http://www.meltingice.net/userdownload/download.php?file=9
That's just awesome.