Dorian and I are working on a project, and it's always good to get some ideas, so here's a few WIP's (0.5 AA5, 6-12min renders). We're not sure whether to use the TG water (and animate it parting) or do that differently, but I set something up anyway. Might even try a rough animation myself for the proof of principle. Some animations are to be made from these cams (with lots of people of course).
Basis is a local DEM to which alpine displacements are added, because the dem is really low-res, and no good by itself. It needs to look like the Sinai area; dark mountains, bleached sandy beaches.
Distance across the gulf of Aqaba is 16K, so not the average stream crossing.
Any feedback is much appreciated.
I really like them myself !
The first two pictures look very good to me as a parting sea. I think that you can always render waves and sea of different shapes simply by displacing the terrain and applying water shader as a texturing / color. This works only on deep seas though, because it effectively "prevents" any underwater details... because there is no underwater
For distance that may work well indeed, and I sometimes use that method. But you need a flat area at water level, and this is based on a dem with sea bottom information, so I just used a sphere (water shader, no transparency needed), parted it by SSS. Animation test running now.
Ole Chuck Would Be Proud
(https://theiapolis.com/d8/hIJ/iMHB/k9/lOE6/wZJ/charlton-heston-as-moses-in-the-ten-commandments.jpg)
Yes, we need him up front!
Nice start. Probably a project where the Devil God is in the details.
I'm happy with a great start Ulco. That's an interesting way for the water to part that I haven't seen before. We might end up slowing that down, but pretty cool anyway. Doesn't look good by itself for closeups, though it may work as a layer to build on. I know you can always transition between images, but can wet ground be animated dry? On the parting, when it gets halfway down, does it have to be even, or can certain parts still be touching, then slowly separate for variety? I attached a photo from the wadi towards the beach.
That looks very promising. Thumbs up!
Following this for sure
The deepest end of the basin will separate last (unless I smooth/raise the bottom of the sea for travelers' sake), but I can add more variety to the parting. I can also animate wet-dry, no problem.
Ulco / Dorian, while we're at it, may I ask what settings did you use for the wet sand texture? Reflectivity values? I am also doing a sea-related render at the moment and I'd like to compare the settings if you don't mind.
I am always reminded of time lapse weather cams when I see the original film. Your animation is spot on. I can see you drying the sand in my mind right now! Good one!
Wow, I missed the movie. Great!!
I think what you have there is a promising start. If you just added some particle effects on it from another app you'd probably have a great overall look, at least for distant shots.
- Oshyan
That anim is very cool!!!
Another cool project to follow and watch... Great start! :)
Echo the others. Will be fun to watch where you take this.
@N-drju: I just used default reflective settings, but no-RT. I'm thinking of how to part the sea in a different way, lots of ways of course (as with everything in TG). But it depends on what is nicest or most 'logical', so I'll watch some movies first ;)
Check this out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4H5tjx2Zpg (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4H5tjx2Zpg)
Just a regular reflective shader? Hm. And in what order do you arrange the reflective shader with the surface shader so that the textures are visible and "shine"? I'm having a small trouble here, because whitish RS is all I can see on the wet-sand area. ;) Texture is completely covered over.
I have a no color surface shader with maximum and minimum altitudes following the other shaders, with a color adjust and then a reflective as child, very simple and basic. If you look towards the sun, it can be very whitish due to reflection of smooth surfaces, but you can reduce reflectiveness and/or change the amount of specular highlights, things like that.
Landbridge, which is not to be.
So; edited.
Nice !!
It looks very good and more and more convincing!
Love the swell and the water spray from this distance. Beach is coming along nicely too.
That looks impressive.
Nice spray effect and the overall ambience fits the surrounding where all this plays.
In the last image, is that TG clouds as "water splashing"?
I'm keeping my eye one this one. Looks really promising ;)
Yes, V2, rudely done so far. If it's really needed for the film, I can work on it more. Let's say, have it move with the swell, more whispy and thinner perhaps. Takes a lot longer with the cloud, so I'm not experimenting with animation, I'm afraid. Dorian might.
I think it adds a lot to the image, but I would make them whiter.
Looks awesome anyway, so I'll keep watching where this is going :)
Here you go, Dorian, frame 80 and 100 from my test animation. Swell vapour now goes with the swell.
Fanstastic.
interesting.
Please use a proper water generator though.
@Badger: depends on what one wants. Don't forget that space is quite enormous here, the passing 16 kilometers, the 'path' is here maybe more than 1-2K! You won't see any splashing of waves (nor transparency), or waves would have to be a few hundred meters high. I think my waves are now already 50m or so. As a matter of fact, you don't even see the thousands of people in the wadi from this cam.
Some of the old movies had some spectacular waves though (some also awfully exxagerated), a bit over the top, but spectacular nonetheless. What's reality (anyway)? It's up to Dorian and the film company, I'm just stretching what's possible and feeding the forum ;)
We'll be using a couple of other programs as well for water generations for closer ups (or for layering), but Ulco's right. From a distance details won't be visible.
@Ulco: Did you say that in the last image there are people? Really? Can't see anything but beach. Where are they? Post a closer up please :)
Quote from: dorianvan on April 09, 2017, 12:16:45 PM
We'll be using a couple of other programs as well for water generations for closer ups (or for layering), but Ulco's right. From a distance details won't be visible.
@Ulco: Did you say that in the last image there are people? Really? Can't see anything but beach. Where are they? Post a closer up please :)
Ulco said. " As a matter of fact,
you don't even see the thousands of people in the wadi from this cam."
bolding by bobby
that had me looking as well till I re-read Ulco's post heh heh
Amazing!!!! Can't wait to see this animated.
No, actually in this render there aren't, but even those you don't see :o But, right in the center, at the edge of that low 'cliff', halfway the beach, so to say, there's a tiny dot (you have to look for it) just in the sandy part.... that's the canopy of a single palm tree.
The light is very high and hazy here as well, and I didn't post adjust anything in the latter renders. It might be better with more contrast, less haze and a lower sun's angle. Giving long shadows of all those people.
Still no mail possible, so Dorian; thanks, and I'll try some people stuff....
@Dorian: a few thousand people walking....
wow! very cool stuff.
They are like ants.
Yes, well, it's a big terrain; 4.5 kilometers from valley (cam) to beach.
Right, this is good to know though. Question. Those cliffs look like they are stretched up and down, are they supposed to be that way?
We (humans) are so insignificant when viewed from such a distance...really gives one perspective...looking great.
Quote from: dorianvan on April 11, 2017, 09:43:30 AM
Right, this is good to know though. Question. Those cliffs look like they are stretched up and down, are they supposed to be that way?
I wanted to ask this, too.
But all in all cool landscape and really large if you compare with the "ants"!
Looks proper by this image I found online
http://www.covenantkeepers.co.uk/images/nuweiba_labelled.JPG
Cool work :D
@Dorian: That's the fractal noise BigBen put over the dem. I could reduce that (I already did a bit). I didn't use a compute terrain here, so if detail up close is more important than render time, I can use one and have some more lateral displacement, and perhaps smooth that 'erosion' out.
Edit: if you look up close to that valley and wadi in google maps, you see it's a different ballgame; dry riverbed and 'alpine'like edges of the ravine. If you want to go this close that means work on that area in detail (I think even an image map, can't do that very precisely with the painted shader).... a bit of a waste if the director thinks the Suez would be better, though. And the extent of such an image map would depend on exact camera positions...
Ulco,
True.
It will all just depend if it looks good in the end. Just hard to believe that TG is at all the right way, full respect to all those who have bent TG to their own will. But there are apps for it. And TG is not really the one.
TG water looks really great in some situations, in others it is positively silly. I guess I just mean if you find your self having to spend any real time on it, stop, and switch.
Either way, Ill enjoy seeing the results 8)
So will I. I'm sure Dorian will make something wonderful of it. I agree about the water of course, but I'd love to see this setup animated in TG. With some appropriate camera moves, masses walking to the sea, blur and mist, and sound effects, it could be quite convincing. Then 'real' water for close-ups.
Low quality update.
Quote from: Danny on April 05, 2017, 06:49:39 AM
Ole Chuck Would Be Proud
(https://theiapolis.com/d8/hIJ/iMHB/k9/lOE6/wZJ/charlton-heston-as-moses-in-the-ten-commandments.jpg)
done an oil painting of this 30 yrs ago!!!! :O
also I have tried the parting of the seas myself, I got somewhere but wasn't convincing, think ill stick to easter eggs!!!!
Small update on the valley.
Great, Ulco! ... and a bit scaring: It feels like looking back and expecting a wall of water chasing me :)
nice update!!
Ditto to Nils' comment
;D
New update; added some lateral displacement and different shrubs and light. Low-res!
Quote from: Dune on April 21, 2017, 11:23:02 AM
;D
New update; added some lateral displacement and different shrubs and light. Low-res!
That works well
Looking good
Gorgeous, Ulco!!!
I like these rocks much more than the ones before! Good work!
Well, yes and no. In the valley they look okay, but overall, they're not really needed, I think. So I should actually restrict to slope, but that gives problems is my experience. And the laterals take longer to render due to the compute normal. So now I will see if I can localize the compute normal calculation (not needed all over the globe anyway).
The clouds need to be kind of like this is the valley, racing towards you (so animated), but on the opposite side they are not up to par, IMO. Too harsh, I think. But for different shots, they might be changed separately.
Credits to the good old Lightning bushes, btw.
Way to go! The addition of clouds makes it much more biblical. Will there be god rays?
Yeah, gonna really need God Rays in this one heh heh heh
Depends on Dorian. Could be nice, as there's a nice hole in the cloud. Even the 'dust' kicked up in animation could have god rays... I just wish it would render all a bit faster.
Quote from: Dune on April 24, 2017, 02:40:29 AM
I just wish it would render all a bit faster.
You've no idea how often that runs thru my wee brain....
The dark sky give it kind of an ominous look.
Beautiful!
I'd need a shortcut button for "amazing / impressive / outstanding" :)
Perhaps I missed a post and you already told but where and when will there be the final animation to watch?
Dorian is working on testing the cloud (movement) I set up. He will also do the chariots and stuff racing through the valley, and the people doing the crossing. I imagine that's quite a lot of work, so don't hold your breath. It will be spectacular!
Clouds have been changed again, so I am curious too....
Some tests Dorian sent me yesterday.
Well the mood is certainly set, now for the amazing water. I for on am waiting with bated breath.....
for the non Emglish amongst us
Bated here is a contraction of abated through loss of the unstressed first vowel (a process called aphesis); it means "reduced, lessened, lowered in force". So bated breath refers to a state in which you almost stop breathing as a result of some strong emotion, such as terror or awe
Really impressive! Can't wait to see the animation.
Quote from: bobbystahr on April 26, 2017, 09:52:49 AM
I for on am waiting with bated breath.....
Now that I know what that means, I'm waiting with bated breath too! ;)
Quote from: Hannes on April 26, 2017, 10:58:47 AM
Really impressive! Can't wait to see the animation.
Quote from: bobbystahr on April 26, 2017, 09:52:49 AM
I for on am waiting with bated breath.....
Now that I know what that means, I'm waiting with bated breath too! ;)
..and ECHO ;)
An ambitious project ... I wonder what this product will look like when it is mounted and finished. You are the only one here who has the talent and technique to fulfill this project.
Here's a bit of cloud animation. Turned out fast moving, but still natural, and ominous.
Absolutely still naturally - and slightly creepy - that's the intention - right? :)
Quote from: dorianvan on April 27, 2017, 01:12:01 PM
Here's a bit of cloud animation. Turned out fast moving, but still natural, and ominous.
Cool effect. Feels scary.
Quote from: DocCharly65 on April 27, 2017, 01:52:52 PM
Absolutely still naturally - and slightly creepy - that's the intention - right? :)
To be determined, I just wanted to see some options. Definitely works though!
Quote from: Hannes on April 26, 2017, 10:58:47 AM
Really impressive! Can't wait to see the animation.
Quote from: bobbystahr on April 26, 2017, 09:52:49 AM
I for on am waiting with bated breath.....
Now that I know what that means, I'm waiting with bated breath too! ;)
now if only I could learn to SPELL 1 heh heh heh and the name of my native language...sigh
Next series: people crossing the fields near Giza. First make the environment.... WIP. Town/pyramid by Dorian. Renders really fast (big one: 1.13, with detail 7, AA8 and soft shadows), so that's good for animation.
A big big "like"!
Especially I like the naturally slightly dusty look of the colors.
Props to Dorian on the modeling...best village I've seen in 3D...and having pure white pyramids is cool as that's apparently how they were faced; but didn't they have a small section at the top that was gold? Awesome render time....
Update.
Quote from: Dune on May 15, 2017, 12:02:24 PM
Update.
prospective title: Aw That was my Favorite Tree, heh heh...nicely done Ulco
Quote from: bobbystahr on May 15, 2017, 11:30:28 AM
Props to Dorian on the modeling...best village I've seen in 3D...and having pure white pyramids is cool as that's apparently how they were faced; but didn't they have a small section at the top that was gold? Awesome render time....
That golden top was in my thoughts too.
Wouldn'd that be an awsome detail? Id personally would try Hannes' Gold-tgc :)
That would be awesome indeed. Let's see what Dorian says...
Quote from: bobbystahr on May 15, 2017, 11:30:28 AM
Props to Dorian on the modeling...best village I've seen in 3D...and having pure white pyramids is cool as that's apparently how they were faced; but didn't they have a small section at the top that was gold? Awesome render time....
Thanks, not just my own doing though, team effort. We'll be working on the pyramids to make them blend in and look better. Apparently they were polished white limestone blocks that were super tight. Also, I will be talking to an Egyptologist shortly about the gold on top, thanks for the heads up.
Quote from: dorianvan on May 16, 2017, 10:07:05 AM
Quote from: bobbystahr on May 15, 2017, 11:30:28 AM
Props to Dorian on the modeling...best village I've seen in 3D...and having pure white pyramids is cool as that's apparently how they were faced; but didn't they have a small section at the top that was gold? Awesome render time....
Thanks, not just my own doing though, team effort. We'll be working on the pyramids to make them blend in and look better. Apparently they were polished white limestone blocks that were super tight. Also, I will be talking to an Egyptologist shortly about the gold on top, thanks for the heads up.
no problem...was pleased to see them white but was missing the focus cap....
Focus cap.
Quote from: Dune on May 16, 2017, 11:49:45 AM
Focus cap.
Cool but I think it may have been a bit smaller....
http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/pyramids/story/images/pyramid.jpg
I really don't know, this was just a last moment's addition. It should be done in the obj anyway, not by height.
Quote from: Dune on May 16, 2017, 11:57:23 AM
I really don't know, this was just a last moment's addition. It should be done in the obj anyway, not by height.
Quite true...It's likely a recorded somewhere proportion of the overall height of the pyramid I'd think.
This looks awesome! I can't imagine any other illustration showing the pyramids how they initially were. Unusual, but great! Not sure about the golden top. Was it really that noticeable?
I very like Giza cam 2 low test 9. Beautiful composition with this vegetations!
At this time, about 1450BC, the pyramids would have been over a thousand years old, so I guess we'll have to age them a bit, as in tarnished from the sun. The white limestones they got from the other side of the Nile start tanning up after about ten years, so we'll definitely be adjusting from our brighty whiteys. There were no lines visible unless you were really close because they were super tight. And usually there were granite capstones called pyramidions, but the gold plating is just a theory, and probably wouldn't really be visible from here.
Interesting to know this. Still the bright whites, but that's easy to change.
Interesting information, dorianvan.
The new versions look good, Ulco. Nice to see the wheel tracks :)
There's talk of a more hazy look....
interesting, maybe a tad dense...
Tha day when the pharao preferes to stay in bed... ;D
Looks good!
It must all look devastated, terrible and gloomy (or the people wouldn't leave, I guess).
Like this. Dorian's atmo settings, and some new procedural pyramids, because the others (obj) didn't behave.
Good stuff, you can feel the heat in that hazy atmo...
This is really a cool project so far!
The look you are going for is definitely in this.
Still, I have some minor remarks about a few things I pick up when looking at the pictures, if you don`t mind ::)
And it really makes a difference if these pics are meant as stills or part of a animation. In an animation what I
observe might not be noticable at all.
@GPyrs:
- In general on my computerscreen(s) objects very often look composited, because they stand out so
sharp against the landscape. But this could be simply my monitor(s) representation.
- The pathway looks a little bit too procedural and repetitive for my taste. Shadows of the palm trees
in parallel to the ground structure makes this more obvious for me. But that is a minor thing.
- The shadow of the pyramid really jumps at me, so to speak.Those triangle shapes really cut through
the background. Even though I am sure it should be physically correct I for one would try to lighten it up a bit.
In this version "Giza hazy_ cam 2 2m low-test-15.jpg" the pyramid looks less prominent in the background.
@GPyrs-cam up 1
- The crop...is that what you wanted or just a glitch? The cut off peak of the pyramid?
- What I wrote about the shadow of pyramids above.
- The camera position here reveals the repetitive use of objects. It looks a bit like "created" chaos,
not really "random". Cattle and bend palm tree, mainly. Any chance you could use more variations of the those?
More variation in the direction of the bend, perhaps. Different states of degredation of the cattle would be a plus,
I think (for the final product).
- The houses should reflect the demise of the village a little bit more. They look pretty perfect in shape to me.
- The field could benefit from an area which has no vegetation left at all. Like the dusty ground of the pathways.
This could be an area where the cattle has been standing together closely and trampled down every last bit of grass.
They stick together closely in times of drought and starvation.
That`s it...other than that very interesting to watch.
cheers, Klaus
Thanks for your feedback, Klaus. The final feel and such is really Dorian's; I just make the terrain, maps and trees, and such.
I agree about the shadow. Easy to light up, either the whole pyramids or just the shadow sides.
The pathways needed to be quite straight to get the procedural (SSS) wagon tracks in without them rolling off, or I would had have to make really huge image maps for the amount of detail.
Sun also needs to be in a certain position, so perpendicular tree shadows are bound to happen.
The cropped off tops are a glitch.
I don't know how many dead cows Dorian wants. He had put one in, I did a whole pop (for 'fun'). Of course, a few more variations would be good, but extra work again for a few seconds of movie. And indeed, this is to be an animation, so a lot of detail will be 'lost in the moment'. Also, lots of people will be traversing the fields and tracks.
Less vegetation on fields has already been done, but more is an idea. Let's see what Dorian says. Same with the houses. A bit of extra bump or even real displacement would perhaps be interesting. I don't know the exact circumstances of the demise of this area, sudden devastation or gradual...
Some good points. Klaus is right about the things he wrote, but I really like everything in the foreground. Sometimes there are artificial looking patterns in reality, so this isn't bothering me.
But I agree about the pyramids. I don't know, if it's just the fact, that we aren't used to the look of more or less newly built ones, or if the edges are too sharp and maybe too perfectly straight.
Otherwise an incredible project!
It starts to look very good. I think the reddish atmosphere conveys a sense of doom. Maybe more dust in the sky because sometimes there is a lot of it in Egypt.
The pyramids look a bit strange at first glance because they are almost the same color as the sky. :)
http://www.touregypt.net/images/touregypt/khamaseen.jpg
https://photos.travelblog.org/Photos/100965/391251/f/3716719-A-Classic-View-of-Giza---Slightly-Obscured-by-a-Sand-Storm-1.jpg
Just read Klaus's comments and generally agree with them. I'm not satisfied with the environment yet. I wanted an orange morning, thick dusty sky, but then I didn't like how it washed out all the objects with orange. I just have to do more testing. I'm making the far road, less of a road and more of a beaten path. Cow or cows will be generally in one place. My houses look older than Ulco's here, he's using a previous non-material'd version I guess. Trees I like. All of the dead locusts on the ground I like.
Here's three latest images.
Looking disastrous, but shouldn't there be some cracking in the buildings if the trees are that distraught?
This was right after the plagues, no earthquakes :)
And Egyptians were probably still living in them. Our Israelite caravans will be just passing through this area.
Quote from: dorianvan on May 29, 2017, 11:28:30 PM
This was right after the plagues, no earthquakes :)
Ah...