UltraScenery - new(er) territory [Commercial]

barbult · November 29

Richard Haseltine said:

barbult said:

Richard Haseltine recognizes a bad idea when he sees one - at least as long as it is someone else's bad idea.

A very important skill - and sometimes a valuable source of ideas.

You always have a clever reply!

richardandtracy · November 29

Thanks for the 'Sunflowers' suggestion Barbult, I'd never thought of using that HDRI with UltraScenery. Having had a canal holiday or two, the snake bridges are memorable, but not that common on the canals I went on, limited to the points when the tow path was forced to swap sides due to geography or pre-existing buildings. I'd like to come up with a way of modelling an aqueduct over a steep valley. One I went over had a tow path and railing on one side of a cast iron trough. On the other side, the trough extended 12-18" above water level, and then there was a 100ft drop.. It was a nightmare for those with vertigo.

Regards, Richard.

alexhcowley · November 29

barbult said:

Here are renders of Snake Bridge 01 without the bridge feature props. In the first render, I just deleted the props. You can see an area where the bridge had been, where the growing grass is missing, because it was masked out to put the bridge there. If that area doesn't catch your eye, even better!

In the second render, I used UltraScatter2 to scatter some grass in that area where grass was missing.

These renders are similar to the render with the bridge, that I posted earlier. That camera view is not the same, because I backed the camera off to get more of the scenery into my scene this time. Richard Haseltine is in the same place, so you can kind of tell where the bridge would have been.

Quite stunning! In the first one, the track on the right looks like a naturally occuring strip of gravel. It doesn't look like a track at all.

Cheers,

Alex.

barbult · November 29

richardandtracy said:

Thanks for the 'Sunflowers' suggestion Barbult, I'd never thought of using that HDRI with UltraScenery. Having had a canal holiday or two, the snake bridges are memorable, but not that common on the canals I went on, limited to the points when the tow path was forced to swap sides due to geography or pre-existing buildings. I'd like to come up with a way of modelling an aqueduct over a steep valley. One I went over had a tow path and railing on one side of a cast iron trough. On the other side, the trough extended 12-18" above water level, and then there was a 100ft drop.. It was a nightmare for those with vertigo.

Regards, Richard.

Oh, that would be terrifying. I wonder if TangoAlpha has seen that one.

barbult · November 29

alexhcowley said:

barbult said:

Here are renders of Snake Bridge 01 without the bridge feature props. In the first render, I just deleted the props. You can see an area where the bridge had been, where the growing grass is missing, because it was masked out to put the bridge there. If that area doesn't catch your eye, even better!

In the second render, I used UltraScatter2 to scatter some grass in that area where grass was missing.

These renders are similar to the render with the bridge, that I posted earlier. That camera view is not the same, because I backed the camera off to get more of the scenery into my scene this time. Richard Haseltine is in the same place, so you can kind of tell where the bridge would have been.

Quite stunning! In the first one, the track on the right looks like a naturally occuring strip of gravel. It doesn't look like a track at all.

Cheers,

Alex.

Actually, don't think that is the track at all. I believe it is the river pebbles beneath where the bridge was standing. But I see what you mean. It does look like a gravel path!

memcneil70 · November 29

richardandtracy said:

Thanks for the 'Sunflowers' suggestion Barbult, I'd never thought of using that HDRI with UltraScenery. Having had a canal holiday or two, the snake bridges are memorable, but not that common on the canals I went on, limited to the points when the tow path was forced to swap sides due to geography or pre-existing buildings. I'd like to come up with a way of modelling an aqueduct over a steep valley. One I went over had a tow path and railing on one side of a cast iron trough. On the other side, the trough extended 12-18" above water level, and then there was a 100ft drop.. It was a nightmare for those with vertigo.

Regards, Richard.

Richard, I am looking at this and not seeing an image. Did something delete it or break the link?

Mary

memcneil70 · November 29

I am not positive but I think Tango Alpha mentioned this in his https://www.daz3d.com/cruising-canals-in-3d--modelling-narrowboats-and-water-scenes which I watched a few months ago. I found his discription of the engineering behind this fascinating and looking at that bridge now in 3d is incredible.

daveso · November 29

@barbult -- you have sold me on this product Are there different rivers?

richardandtracy · November 29

@memcneil70 & @daveso: My apologies, image of aqueduct below:

Regards,

Richard.

daveso · November 29

richardandtracy said:

@memcneil70 & @daveso: My apologies, image of aqueduct below:

Regards,

Richard.

wow..that is quite the sight. I just looked up on Google Maps and found one called Edstone Aqueduct. Amazing.

MelanieL · November 29

richardandtracy said:

@memcneil70 & @daveso: My apologies, image of aqueduct below:

Regards,

Richard.

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct I presume?

richardandtracy · November 29

Yep, that's the one. As an 11yo, which is when I went over it, it was totally un-nerving. The hand rail doesn't feel secure - too many gaps between the uprights- and being in the boat puts you that much closer to the open side. It feels unsafe even when sitting in the hull & only head looking out. Regards, Richard.

MelanieL · November 29

richardandtracy said:

Yep, that's the one. As an 11yo, which is when I went over it, it was totally un-nerving. The hand rail doesn't feel secure - too many gaps between the uprights- and being in the boat puts you that much closer to the open side. It feels unsafe even when sitting in the hull & only head looking out. Regards, Richard.

I've never been on it - far too scary for me, I'm a wuss! My husband has walked across and back, but he was fearless when younger (he has got a bit more cautious in his older years).

He crossed the Carrick-a-Rede bridge in Northern Ireland a few years ago multiple times without holding on at all - he was "showing off" for the video I was filming, while I couldn't bear to get close to it! (The video on zoom was close enough for me.) I get (mild) vertigo at the top of a flight of stairs and even avoid using a downward escalator because the void before me is too scary. And don't get me started on glass lifts....

DoctorJellybean · November 29

MelanieL said:

richardandtracy said:

Yep, that's the one. As an 11yo, which is when I went over it, it was totally un-nerving. The hand rail doesn't feel secure - too many gaps between the uprights- and being in the boat puts you that much closer to the open side. It feels unsafe even when sitting in the hull & only head looking out. Regards, Richard.

I've never been on it - far too scary for me, I'm a wuss! My husband has walked across and back, but he was fearless when younger (he has got a bit more cautious in his older years).

He crossed the Carrick-a-Rede bridge in Northern Ireland a few years ago multiple times without holding on at all - he was "showing off" for the video I was filming, while I couldn't bear to get close to it! (The video on zoom was close enough for me.) I get (mild) vertigo at the top of a flight of stairs and even avoid using a downward escalator because the void before me is too scary. And don't get me started on glass lifts....

A glass lift I don't mind if it is only one or two floors. More then that, I head for the stairs.

richardandtracy · November 29

Toronto CN tower glass lifts are fun... On the outside of the tower, and you go up, what, 130 floors to the first stop (I forget the actual number). However, I think the canal is worse - you're in the open. Regards, Richard

barbult · November 30

daveso said:

@barbult -- you have sold me on this product Are there different rivers?

Sorry for the slow reply. The website isn't emailing me about forum updates reliably. I get some, but not all.

Anyway, I've only used a couple of the bridge terrain presets without bridges so far. I did Snake Bridge 01, which I showed above and I am doing Snake Bridge 20 now. They are different. Shake Bridge 20 has some sharp vertical cliffs at the water's edge, where the bridge used to be. TangoAlpha warned me that these terrain presets were not designed for use without the bridges, so the land is adjusted to prevent interference with the bridge. You know I always try things that were not intended. In this case, I have been pretty pleased with what I got so far. It sparks imagination to see what can be done with it.

In the case of Snake Bridge 20 with the steep cliffs, if I were not doing it to demonstrate what it is like, I would try to change the texture maps so that the path texture didn't run vertically down to the water. I would prefer the rock texture there. OI course, when you use the product as intended, the bridge is there and that is not an issue at all. Anyway, the path at the top of the cliff is wide enough for a vehicle, but not wide enough for two side by side. The river is wide enough for two of the canal boats to easily travel side by side. It might be a tight fit under the bridge, though. The character in the scene here is a G9. I added the road barricades on the cliff edge. I changed the water preset to glacial stream to better match the water in the HDRI I used.

Snake Bridge 01 terrain preset is 128 M and Snake Bridge 20 is 64 M, so that is another difference.

So, all I can tell you so far is that there are at least two rivers that look different, because I've only looked at two in detail so far.

barbult · November 30

For reference, and comparison with the shape of Sb 20 river, here is SB 01 river.The bridge is hidden in the screenshot to show the shape of the whole river.

daveso · November 30

barbult said:

daveso said:

@barbult -- you have sold me on this product Are there different rivers?

Sorry for the slow reply. The website isn't emailing me about forum updates reliably. I get some, but not all.

Anyway, I've only used a couple of the bridge terrain presets without bridges so far. I did Snake Bridge 01, which I showed above and I am doing Snake Bridge 20 now. They are different. Shake Bridge 20 has some sharp vertical cliffs at the water's edge, where the bridge used to be. TangoAlpha warned me that these terrain presets were not designed for use without the bridges, so the land is adjusted to prevent interference with the bridge. You know I always try things that were not intended. In this case, I have been pretty pleased with what I got so far. It sparks imagination to see what can be done with it.

In the case of Snake Bridge 20 with the steep cliffs, if I were not doing it to demonstrate what it is like, I would try to change the texture maps so that the path texture didn't run vertically down to the water. I would prefer the rock texture there. OI course, when you use the product as intended, the bridge is there and that is not an issue at all. Anyway, the path at the top of the cliff is wide enough for a vehicle, but not wide enough for two side by side. The river is wide enough for two of the canal boats to easily travel side by side. It might be a tight fit under the bridge, though. The character in the scene here is a G9. I added the road barricades on the cliff edge. I changed the water preset to glacial stream to better match the water in the HDRI I used.

Snake Bridge 01 terrain preset is 128 M and Snake Bridge 20 is 64 M, so that is another difference.

So, all I can tell you so far is that there are at least two rivers that look different, because I've only looked at two in detail so far.

i like the cliffs acually. I am usually plug and play pretty much, choose the terrain, ecology, etc and let er render, but is there a way to manipulate the terrain, raise/lower it, add some mesh to maybe where the path ends to allow it to continue along the river? I don;t remember now, but do the code66 mask products and the other tools work in USC2? I thought I read where they don;t work, but they would give additional options for sure.

barbult · November 30

daveso said:

barbult said:

daveso said:

@barbult -- you have sold me on this product Are there different rivers?

Sorry for the slow reply. The website isn't emailing me about forum updates reliably. I get some, but not all.

Anyway, I've only used a couple of the bridge terrain presets without bridges so far. I did Snake Bridge 01, which I showed above and I am doing Snake Bridge 20 now. They are different. Shake Bridge 20 has some sharp vertical cliffs at the water's edge, where the bridge used to be. TangoAlpha warned me that these terrain presets were not designed for use without the bridges, so the land is adjusted to prevent interference with the bridge. You know I always try things that were not intended. In this case, I have been pretty pleased with what I got so far. It sparks imagination to see what can be done with it.

In the case of Snake Bridge 20 with the steep cliffs, if I were not doing it to demonstrate what it is like, I would try to change the texture maps so that the path texture didn't run vertically down to the water. I would prefer the rock texture there. OI course, when you use the product as intended, the bridge is there and that is not an issue at all. Anyway, the path at the top of the cliff is wide enough for a vehicle, but not wide enough for two side by side. The river is wide enough for two of the canal boats to easily travel side by side. It might be a tight fit under the bridge, though. The character in the scene here is a G9. I added the road barricades on the cliff edge. I changed the water preset to glacial stream to better match the water in the HDRI I used.

Snake Bridge 01 terrain preset is 128 M and Snake Bridge 20 is 64 M, so that is another difference.

So, all I can tell you so far is that there are at least two rivers that look different, because I've only looked at two in detail so far.

i like the cliffs acually. I am usually plug and play pretty much, choose the terrain, ecology, etc and let er render, but is there a way to manipulate the terrain, raise/lower it, add some mesh to maybe where the path ends to allow it to continue along the river? I don;t remember now, but do the code66 mask products and the other tools work in USC2? I thought I read where they don;t work, but they would give additional options for sure.

You can manipulate the terrain in many ways just inside UltraScenery2, by altering max altitude, using the noise maps, adding your own height map, using displacement, etc. The terrain preset height maps control some areas strictly, so they line up with the props and shape the roads, etc.To fully control the height, you can modify those height maps that come with the terrain presets. I use Photoshop to do that. That is a lot trickier, to get exactly what you want.
The old USC1 tools don't work on USC2, but there is a Mask Builder II for UltraScenery2.

Late last night, I played with one of the height maps and the roadbase and roadsurface masks to make the cliff more sloped and keep the road texture from running over the edge of the cliff. I actually like the sharp cliff of the original better than my sloped cliff, I agree with you, the cliffs are a nice change from the normal shoreline, and an unexpected "gift" in this set. I've only explored the two terrain presets in detail. There are 18 more to explore. I think some terrains are the same as others, with only changes to the bridge itself. The bridges themselves are pretty interesting.

memcneil70 · December 1

@barbult, I am fascinated by the varied images you have posted showing your tests. I really need to take some quality time to dig back into USC2 and play with it. Thank you for your work.

Mary

Artini · December 2

Agree. Great show of this new item, @barbult

Thanks for posting your results.

Artini · December 2

Quick test of the preset:
USC2 Snake Bridge 20
with slightly higher hills.
Are there any Biomes included with this set?

barbult · December 2

Artini said:

Quick test of the preset:
USC2 Snake Bridge 20
with slightly higher hills.
Are there any Biomes included with this set?

No, it is a set or Terrain Presets. (Like the old Features sets of USC1).

Artini · December 3

Thanks, @barbult, for the information.

Will try to experiment more with what I have already purchased.

barbult · December 3

Don't forget about Alienator 2 to swap plants.

daveso · December 3

Soeaking of tools to use and enhance Ultrascenery, what do you use? I've purchased a few, Totte's toolkis for USC 1, Ultrascatter, and a few more, but haven't gotten into them, unfortunately. BUT, mainly I would like to see a list of what products can be used to assist, add to, and edit Ultrascenerys. and maybe a comment on how each can be used. I know the possibilities are endless.

daveso · December 3

@HowieFarks One thing I would love to see is the ability to mesh cleanly multiple USC patches, so a road or stream can be extended across several terrains, like what is possible in Bryce.

Artini · December 3

barbult said:

Don't forget about Alienator 2 to swap plants.

Thanks for the remainder. I have to finally start using Alienator 2, but do not know yet how to begin with it.

barbult · December 3

daveso said:

Soeaking of tools to use and enhance Ultrascenery, what do you use? I've purchased a few, Totte's toolkis for USC 1, Ultrascatter, and a few more, but haven't gotten into them, unfortunately. BUT, mainly I would like to see a list of what products can be used to assist, add to, and edit Ultrascenerys. and maybe a comment on how each can be used. I know the possibilities are endless.

There are several tutorials in the store related to UltraScenery 1 and 2 and associated tools. Martin J Frost has released a tutorial for UltraScenery 2. I don't know of a consolidated list of tools for UltraScenery products. The Daz Store would show what is available. Check Totte's store (Code 66) and HowieFarkes store for sure. If something has been released, I own it and use it. There is so much capability built into UltraScenery2, that fewer additional tools are necessary. Mask Builder II and Alienator Pro II are the tools that come to mind. Totte has recenly released Prop Rescaler that can help resize props for use with Alienator tools.

barbult · December 3

Artini said:

barbult said:

Don't forget about Alienator 2 to swap plants.

Thanks for the remainder. I have to finally start using Alienator 2, but do not know yet how to begin with it.

Begin with the manual that comes with it. Totte writes good manuals in a very nice tutorial style.

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