Hard Light Productions Forums

Off-Topic Discussion => Arts & Talents => Topic started by: Bobboau on December 29, 2002, 03:23:29 am

Title: testing a nebula effect
Post by: Bobboau on December 29, 2002, 03:23:29 am
I tried something new for a nebula effect, trying to get a cloud layer effect, as you can see there are faint shadows under most objects, this is suposed to look like the top of a cloud, didn't work out quite the way I was hopeing.
click for a much better quality but much larger (file size) TGA image

(http://freespace.volitionwatch.com/blackwater/cloud.jpg) (http://freespace.volitionwatch.com/blackwater/cloud.tga)
Title: testing a nebula effect
Post by: Knight Templar on December 29, 2002, 03:29:32 am
meh too much shadow.

Tophalf looks alright.. bellow the top of the orion :no:

Now if you were to make it desert scenery..
Title: testing a nebula effect
Post by: Bobboau on December 29, 2002, 03:37:11 am
I need to upp the transparency on the clouds (thus reduceing the shadows, as well as letting you see the other clouds), but it took four hours for it to render so I'm not in any hurry at the moment
Title: testing a nebula effect
Post by: Alikchi on December 29, 2002, 03:41:05 am
Not thick enough. It looks like water.
Title: testing a nebula effect
Post by: Bobboau on December 29, 2002, 03:44:43 am
that's the fog,
there are five hight feilds all with a diferent material and shape that represent cloud layers
Title: testing a nebula effect
Post by: Sheepy on December 29, 2002, 06:44:40 am
btw, the hercs looks sw33t :D
Title: testing a nebula effect
Post by: LtNarol on December 29, 2002, 10:10:02 am
The shadows should be 3d prisms, going from whatever side is casting the shadow to a point some distance away, although fading the shadow as it got further would be better. ;)

I like the angle and the way you pointed the guns on the orion, hercs are beautiful too.
Title: testing a nebula effect
Post by: Black Wolf on December 29, 2002, 10:23:19 am
I agree with KT - it kind of looks like the Orions landed on a desert planet, and sent out scout Hercs. Sorry to say it, but it doesn't look like my idea of a nebula (though in all reality it's probabyl closer than the FS2 style ones).
Title: testing a nebula effect
Post by: mikhael on December 29, 2002, 10:53:17 am
I agree with Narol: shadows should be volumetric inside a dense particulate cloud layer.

You need better Hercs and a better Orion though. ;) (though I must admit the textures/bumps on the Hercs is wonderful).
Title: testing a nebula effect
Post by: Knight Templar on December 29, 2002, 01:50:58 pm
Quote
originally posted by Mikhael

You need better Hercs and a better Orion though. ;)  (though I must admit the textures/bumps on the Hercs is wonderful).


Better?? I actually thought the Hercs were the best part :D
Title: testing a nebula effect
Post by: Bobboau on December 29, 2002, 02:07:43 pm
if only I could do that stuff in TS4.2 :blah:
this was actualy suposed to be more of a gas giant that a nebula but I'm calling it a nebua effect becase it could be used for anything, and it didn't look as violent as a gas giant should
Title: testing a nebula effect
Post by: Nico on December 29, 2002, 03:01:23 pm
Quote
Originally posted by mikhael
I agree with Narol: shadows should be volumetric inside a dense particulate cloud layer.
 

actually, I think there should be no casted shadows, would look better and be more simple to do anyway.
Title: testing a nebula effect
Post by: Riven on December 29, 2002, 03:30:41 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Bobboau
if only I could do that stuff in TS4.2 :blah:


Why sir, you can. Just enable fog on TS and choose a colour, then set the levels to the depth you want. Render. The use PS or PSP and Gilterato or render difference clouds to render some nebs over the top. Use a few layer effects et voila.

(http://freespace.virgin.net/riven.storage/nebfight2.jpg)
Title: testing a nebula effect
Post by: Knight Templar on December 29, 2002, 03:57:58 pm
what fighter is that in the foreground? :D
Title: testing a nebula effect
Post by: mikhael on December 29, 2002, 08:02:37 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Knight Templar


Better?? I actually thought the Hercs were the best part :D


They're just a bit... you know... low poly. ;)
Title: testing a nebula effect
Post by: Anaz on December 29, 2002, 09:43:37 pm
bob...did you do that in TS? Would that be some volumetrics? If so I would like a quick showing of how the hell you get those to work in TS. I've done the 'set forground to volumetric' and played around with all of the settings...and I still can't get it to work...
Title: testing a nebula effect
Post by: Bobboau on December 29, 2002, 09:56:57 pm
no it's not volumetrics it's five hight feilds with an edge transparency and fractal marble shader.
Title: testing a nebula effect
Post by: Black Wolf on December 29, 2002, 09:59:23 pm
Quote
Originally posted by mikhael


They're just a bit... you know... low poly. ;)


:thepimp:



:lol:
Title: testing a nebula effect
Post by: Anaz on December 30, 2002, 12:13:30 am
Quote
Originally posted by Bobboau
no it's not volumetrics it's five hight feilds with an edge transparency and fractal marble shader.


ah...well, I just *kind of* got volumetric lighting to work...so never mind, I suppose....
Title: testing a nebula effect
Post by: Bobboau on December 30, 2002, 12:54:35 am
well how did you manage that?
Title: testing a nebula effect
Post by: Anaz on December 30, 2002, 01:05:31 am
Quote
Originally posted by Bobboau
well how did you manage that?


first of all, you need to enable raytracing (right click on scene render, its in there). Then set the foreground shader to volumetric. Right-click on foreground shader, and the little box for it pops up. If you set the noise amplitude (IIRC) to 0 it looks better than if you have some noise. Play around with the fog densty. I think you need to have at least two volumetric lights in the scene. I got my scene to work with one projecter light and one local light in the same position. It didn't work if there was only one or the other.
Title: testing a nebula effect
Post by: Bobboau on December 30, 2002, 01:36:25 am
don't supose you've found a way to get lens flairs to not show through things
I know there is a way, (I'm rendering a test that has it working) I just don't know why some times it works and some times it doesn't
Title: testing a nebula effect
Post by: Riven on December 30, 2002, 04:10:32 am
Quote
Originally posted by Bobboau
don't supose you've found a way to get lens flairs to not show through things
I know there is a way, (I'm rendering a test that has it working) I just don't know why some times it works and some times it doesn't


On the light click on the option to make it cast shadows. That should sort it.
Title: testing a nebula effect
Post by: Styxx on December 30, 2002, 05:06:59 am
If that's solely done on TS, great job! But yes, the shadows are a bit too solid for a cloud, maybe using an irregular volume instead of a plane and adding to the softness of the shadows will help without having to resort to particles or volumetric shadows.

:)
Title: testing a nebula effect
Post by: Anaz on December 30, 2002, 10:34:57 am
Quote
Originally posted by Riven


On the light click on the option to make it cast shadows. That should sort it.


yeah...lens flares show through everything unless they cast shadows...
Title: testing a nebula effect
Post by: Bobboau on December 30, 2002, 10:44:17 am
I tryed that before and it didn't work..
well it is now...