Easy Environments by Flipmode - great stuff

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  • FlipmodeFlipmode Posts: 924
    edited December 1969

    Very cool book cover Aidana! Reminds me of that scifi movie, I suppose by intention.

    The path (is that plural?) on all EE sets are done the same way, textures blending to the textures besides them.
    If you`d want to change a path, in general I`d take the set`s main texture and doctor the path/road onto it but leave the right/left side free.

    In case of what you asked (the footprint texture) it would be more easy to just duplicate the trail on the texture directly, foremost on the displacement map.
    If you don`t get along with Photoshop that well I can do it tomorrow.

    Patience will be required for the next set indeed ;)
    I was/am quite busy with the G-Suit stuff, and when I wanted to do render a new skybox two days ago the software bugged out on me :(

  • WillowRavenWillowRaven Posts: 3,787
    edited December 1969

    Flipmode said:
    Very cool book cover Aidana! Reminds me of that scifi movie, I suppose by intention.

    Thanks. And yes, by intention. :D Although the movie is based on the books, which is actually the base of what I was trying to emulate. I probably should have linked to my blog, where I added some back-story. http://willowraven-illustration.blogspot.com/2014/11/sword-masters-of-mars-cover-art-and_27.html

    Flipmode said:
    The path (is that plural?) on all EE sets are done the same way, textures blending to the textures besides them.
    If you`d want to change a path, in general I`d take the set`s main texture and doctor the path/road onto it but leave the right/left side free.

    Not sure I understand what you are telling me ... lol.

    In case of what you asked (the footprint texture) it would be more easy to just duplicate the trail on the texture directly, foremost on the displacement map.
    If you don`t get along with Photoshop that well I can do it tomorrow.

    I'm pretty good at PS, but wasn't sure what do pull into PS ad edit. And what if I want it in a different spot? Or want more than one set of footprints or animal prints, and in different directions or scale (Dragons have big feet).

    Patience will be required for the next set indeed ;)
    I was/am quite busy with the G-Suit stuff, and when I wanted to do render a new skybox two days ago the software bugged out on me :(

    Ack! Is it fixable?

  • FlipmodeFlipmode Posts: 924
    edited December 1969

    Ah, I just got confused by the Author`s name since it didn`t seem to be the one from the original books.
    I don`t know a lot about that universe, but agreed, the movie was better than expected from the bad critics.

    As for what you need to edit in PS, I usually try to name materials properly.
    If you check the surface tab in Daz Studio (with the EE environment surface selected) you should be able to identify the material by name, like "trail" or "path" or something.
    There you just have to check which channels have a texture asigned, in most cases it`s diffuse, displacement and bump.
    On Eternal Sands you`d be looking for FMES_Sand01Trail.jpg and FMES_Sand01TrailDisp.jpg.
    Small tip: In Daz Studio on a material click "browse" on the texture to open the loading dialog and copy the filepath there. Paste that in the line on a windows folder to quickly get to the right folder. Well, if you use windows that is ;)

    About completely changing the position of the footprints ... not possible unfortunately. On Eternal Sands you can at least make them stop in the middle of the surface since they are split up into two materials.
    I`d wish we had a proper environment (layered) shader, but I don`t know how to do that and haven`t found anyone willing to do it yet. Then again, that would break Poser compatibility anyway :/

    Skyboxes > well, looking for a fix of course, I am sure it is fixable yes, but so far no luck.

  • WillowRavenWillowRaven Posts: 3,787
    edited December 1969

    Thanks, flip.

    Since I use these environments so often, I've been playing with the tones and filters to give each a slightly different look, and so ar, I don't think anyone has noticed, lol. I wonder how easy it would be to used LIE to add tracks elsewhere?

  • FlipmodeFlipmode Posts: 924
    edited December 1969

    Hmhm, I`d have to look at LIE again to give a proper answer. For your purpose it might even work if you would set low tiling values (like 0.1) and could live with low-res footprints.
    What I would need from LIE to step up environments in general is an option to set seperate tiling for the alpha blend texture and the actual texture/material.
    Maybe too complex for LIE. There is a layered image shader which was pretty close, but something didn`t work out when I tried it for environments, too long ago, can`t exactly remember.

  • WillowRavenWillowRaven Posts: 3,787
    edited December 1969

    I wonder how I'd go about, maybe, creating a primitive plane with an effective looking series of tracks that could just be placed where I want them in the scene?

    I'd need a really good package or collection of tracks and paths; everything from human and animal footsteps to various types of vehicles.

  • FlipmodeFlipmode Posts: 924
    edited December 1969

    Sure, but building a full trail from single footsteps in Daz Studio ...gah ;)

  • WillowRavenWillowRaven Posts: 3,787
    edited December 1969

    Flipmode said:
    Sure, but building a full trail from single footsteps in Daz Studio ...gah ;)

    lol ... I know, but when I have the perfect scene with everything but the right tracks for the thoat trudging through the desert, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

    Ugh ... Could you imagine a heard of them?

  • FlipmodeFlipmode Posts: 924
    edited December 1969


    Ugh ... Could you imagine a heard of them?

    Lol, don`t want to ;)
  • ChoholeChohole Posts: 33,604
    edited November 2014

    I wonder how I'd go about, maybe, creating a primitive plane with an effective looking series of tracks that could just be placed where I want them in the scene?

    I'd need a really good package or collection of tracks and paths; everything from human and animal footsteps to various types of vehicles.

    Look for a guy called spacebones at sharecg. He did used to have a set of various tracks, in obj format

    edit and still does have them http://www.sharecg.com/pf/full_uploads.php?pf_user_name=spacebones&division_id=0&s=dd&pn=7

    Post edited by Chohole on
  • WillowRavenWillowRaven Posts: 3,787
    edited December 1969

    chohole said:
    I wonder how I'd go about, maybe, creating a primitive plane with an effective looking series of tracks that could just be placed where I want them in the scene?

    I'd need a really good package or collection of tracks and paths; everything from human and animal footsteps to various types of vehicles.

    Look for a guy called spacebones at sharecg. He did used to have a set of various tracks, in obj format

    edit and still does have them http://www.sharecg.com/pf/full_uploads.php?pf_user_name=spacebones&division_id=0&s=dd&pn=7

    Awesome :D Thanks

    I shall download these into a special folder so I remember they don't load the normal way :D

    See, this is why I prefer the Daz forums. Ya'll are always so helpful :D

  • WillowRavenWillowRaven Posts: 3,787
    edited December 1969

    Not sure if I shared this one when I finished it or not, but I didn't blog about it until now because I didn't have a blurb to accompany it and I usually post here after I blog. So if it's a repeat, please forgive me.

    For this YA cover, I played with EE Road to Hell. http://www.daz3d.com/easy-environments-road-to-hell

    murder-1---cover-webl.jpg
    1333 x 2000 - 450K
  • FlipmodeFlipmode Posts: 924
    edited December 1969

    Thanks for posting it Aidana :)
    I think it`s new, but I am not quite sure, I think I`ve seen a graveyard scene on road to hell before.
    Either way, nice classic mood, reminds of Edgar Allen Poe books.

  • icprncssicprncss Posts: 3,694
    edited December 1969

    Nerd3D sells this product

    http://www.daz3d.com/footsteps-tool

    It works in both Poser and DS.

  • WillowRavenWillowRaven Posts: 3,787
    edited December 1969

    I have that tool, but you have to use the terrain provided, unless there is a trick I'm not aware of.

  • icprncssicprncss Posts: 3,694
    edited December 1969

    I do this in Poser. Load the EE. Load the tool's terrain. Apply the same texture to both terrains. Depending up lighting and other scene factors, I may use the EE texture or I may use another texture. I also use edge blend mats for the tool terrain if needed to hide the transitions between one and the other. About the only thing you need to remember is that to use this tool, you need a fairly flat area. I've found they don't work well uphill.

    Another option is to use a gray scale of the footprints. DS is better at negative displacement than Poser.

  • WillowRavenWillowRaven Posts: 3,787
    edited December 1969

    edge blend mats? A DS tool I don't know about?

  • icprncssicprncss Posts: 3,694
    edited December 1969

    edge blend mats? A DS tool I don't know about?

    Sorry. I did post that I do it in Poser. I don't know if DS Shadermixer has an edge blend node. Best equivalent outside the material room would be to apply a transmap to edges of tool terrain to "feather" it out and make it blend better.

  • WillowRavenWillowRaven Posts: 3,787
    edited December 1969

    I wonder how well deformers work on the terrain?

  • icprncssicprncss Posts: 3,694
    edited December 1969

    I wonder how well deformers work on the terrain?

    Only one way to find out...

  • WillowRavenWillowRaven Posts: 3,787
    edited December 1969

    Another book cover featuring EE Eternal Sands ...

    blurb:

    The Gilded Empire: A magical empire so ancient it's name has been forgotten to the mist of time. Its citizens believe they are in their golden age, but already the rot is showing underneath the gold veneer.

    The Mage Chronicles: A mage level healer, Mary is unprepared when the Council of Mages wants her to intervene in a border dispute in a distant part of the empire. What does she know of nobility or war? Not one to back down, she must confront the harsh realities of life outside the central core, a legion of unstoppable warriors and the ghosts of her own past.

    Mage-Chron---signed-web.jpg
    2000 x 1417 - 786K
    Mage-Chron-front-cover---web.jpg
    1225 x 2000 - 511K
  • LeanaLeana Posts: 12,738
    edited December 1969

    Another book cover featuring EE Eternal Sands ...
    Pretty nice image, but for some reason it really makes me think of Tatooine and Star Wars ;)
  • WillowRavenWillowRaven Posts: 3,787
    edited December 1969

    I get a lot of comments like that when I use eternal sands, lol.

  • LeanaLeana Posts: 12,738
    edited December 1969

    I get a lot of comments like that when I use eternal sands, lol.
    It's not just the sands, the houses and boy's outfit would definitely fit too.
  • SpottedKittySpottedKitty Posts: 7,232
    edited December 1969

    Leana said:
    Another book cover featuring EE Eternal Sands ...
    Pretty nice image, but for some reason it really makes me think of Tatooine and Star Wars ;)
    Definitely — all it needs is the kid casting That Shadow™ on a handy nearby wall. ;-)

    Just kidding, it's a good picture, and it's reminded me that I have a few desert-type houses from another store that ought to work nicely with Eternal Sands. Now where did I put those installers...

  • WillowRavenWillowRaven Posts: 3,787
    edited December 1969

    Must have done it unconsciously, then. It's been so long since I saw the movies ...

  • FlipmodeFlipmode Posts: 924
    edited December 1969

    Tatooine or not, it`s a lovely image imo. :)

  • ZarconDeeGrissomZarconDeeGrissom Posts: 5,414
    edited December 2014

    "O" that is a cool image with the sands, Now I need to find that one. I have a few stupid questions the promos will probably answer.

    Nice render by the way AidanaWillowRaven.
    (EDIT)
    Having seen this
    http://www.daz3d.com/easy-environments-eternal-sands
    Where did the structures come from?

    Post edited by ZarconDeeGrissom on
  • WillowRavenWillowRaven Posts: 3,787
    edited December 1969

    "O" that is a cool image with the sands, Now I need to find that one. I have a few stupid questions the promos will probably answer.

    Nice render by the way AidanaWillowRaven.
    (EDIT)
    Having seen this
    http://www.daz3d.com/easy-environments-eternal-sands
    Where did the structures come from?

    The buildings are separate. I bought them at renderosity.

  • ZarconDeeGrissomZarconDeeGrissom Posts: 5,414
    edited December 1969

    ah, "Desert Scene Construction Kit", or something like that, ok.

    thanks.

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