UltraScatterPro - v1.0.1 released [commercial]

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  • Marshian said:

    Hi Howie!

    I've been reading through the new features and posts here. Can the new version scatter to create a group that looks man or machine made (not random) like these turbine blades?  Maybe this is in the Matrix, Rotation, or Orientation controls?

    Not at the mooment but I do have it in mind to have circular rows for the matrix scatter in a future version.

  • deathbycanondeathbycanon Posts: 1,227

    Sooooo, I was going to buy your current ultrascatter next time your store went on sale..... how's this coming along? I have a bunch of your other stuff in my wishlist so plenty to spend money on today, but just thought I would check in on this project before I check out. :) 

  • All right, I will obviously end up buying this product, even if I haven't yet used its previous incarnation to its full potential, but I was thinking about something that may help me justify the expense: there was this product for 3Delight, Nature's Variance - Shaders And Props, that really helped sell the illusion of great variety in a smattering of props, and I was wondering if there would be a way to introduce color variations in groups of instances to help create a similar effect on fallen leaves or forests (or anything, really), maybe by loading a prop multiple times and automatically adjusting its colors before scattering it in different groups. I mean, the process I just described is, of course, something I can already do manually, but I was wondering if your expert eye could come up with a better way or even a more interesting variation on the theme.

  • Sooooo, I was going to buy your current ultrascatter next time your store went on sale..... how's this coming along? I have a bunch of your other stuff in my wishlist so plenty to spend money on today, but just thought I would check in on this project before I check out. :) 

    UltraScatterPro is still in beta - squishing bugs and writing documentation fills my days. ETA unknown, maybe October - but that's a guess.

  • Uthgard said:

    All right, I will obviously end up buying this product, even if I haven't yet used its previous incarnation to its full potential, but I was thinking about something that may help me justify the expense: there was this product for 3Delight, Nature's Variance - Shaders And Props, that really helped sell the illusion of great variety in a smattering of props, and I was wondering if there would be a way to introduce color variations in groups of instances to help create a similar effect on fallen leaves or forests (or anything, really), maybe by loading a prop multiple times and automatically adjusting its colors before scattering it in different groups. I mean, the process I just described is, of course, something I can already do manually, but I was wondering if your expert eye could come up with a better way or even a more interesting variation on the theme.

    If you make a group of objects, each with a different shader, you can scatter the group and have variations. This functionality already exists in the live version of UltraScatter too. Are you asking if UltraScatter could automate the task of creating the variations in the group before scattering?

  • gitika1gitika1 Posts: 948
    gerster said:

    May I asked you what ground shader you used on the forrest image for the path?

     

    It's a material I made for that scene - it uses some photo references and some painting in photoshop - plus some scatters of leaves.

     

    It made me think of a plush, cozy carpet. cheeky

  • Uthgard said:

    All right, I will obviously end up buying this product, even if I haven't yet used its previous incarnation to its full potential, but I was thinking about something that may help me justify the expense: there was this product for 3Delight, Nature's Variance - Shaders And Props, that really helped sell the illusion of great variety in a smattering of props, and I was wondering if there would be a way to introduce color variations in groups of instances to help create a similar effect on fallen leaves or forests (or anything, really), maybe by loading a prop multiple times and automatically adjusting its colors before scattering it in different groups. I mean, the process I just described is, of course, something I can already do manually, but I was wondering if your expert eye could come up with a better way or even a more interesting variation on the theme.

    If you make a group of objects, each with a different shader, you can scatter the group and have variations. This functionality already exists in the live version of UltraScatter too. Are you asking if UltraScatter could automate the task of creating the variations in the group before scattering?

    Mostly that, yes, though that would still not quite achieve an ideal scenario of procedural variety in the range of colors. I don't quite know how to express what I would like to see, but, for instance, an example would be having an original tree that, when scattered, had a user-defined range of color brightness and hue variation much like the current variations in scale and rotation that the script offers. Basically, being able to scatter a tree, tweak a few parameters and having an instant autumn forest, much like the shaders I linked to were designed for. I know that's completely out of the product's scope, so I started by suggesting the variety of scattered groups that could be automated, but if you (who, unlike me, actually know what you are talking about) could come u with a better way or with an approach that manages to add functionality I wasn't able to anticipate, that would, obviously, be the ideal scenario. As stated, I would still buy the new iteration, as it really is a wonderful product, just thought I would float by the issue in hopes something could come out of it.

    Now that I think of it, nested scattering (scattering a bare tree and then scattering leaves on the branches) would also be great to add randomness and natural variety, but I don't even know how possible that is.

  • I already have numerous ideas about how to use this in future projects. Instancing in volume really opens the door for many more possibilities.

    -P

  • Does UltraScatter Pro do everything UltraScatter can?

    I am currently working on some scenes where this would be useful, is it worth buying UltraScatter or waiting for UltraScatter Pro (I am not at the point I require the functionailty just yet so the wait would be fine)?

  • Does UltraScatter Pro do everything UltraScatter can?

    I am currently working on some scenes where this would be useful, is it worth buying UltraScatter or waiting for UltraScatter Pro (I am not at the point I require the functionailty just yet so the wait would be fine)?

    Yes UltraScatterPro does everything that UltraScatter does. It is also backwards compatible with UltraScatter and can open or load settings from scatters made with any previous version.

  • rayglendenningrayglendenning Posts: 136
    edited September 2018

    Does UltraScatter Pro do everything UltraScatter can?

    I am currently working on some scenes where this would be useful, is it worth buying UltraScatter or waiting for UltraScatter Pro (I am not at the point I require the functionailty just yet so the wait would be fine)?

    Yes UltraScatterPro does everything that UltraScatter does. It is also backwards compatible with UltraScatter and can open or load settings from scatters made with any previous version.

    So with my time frame best to wait? Would love to givexyou two sales but would feel robbed at this point in time :-(
    Post edited by rayglendenning on
  • PA_ThePhilosopherPA_ThePhilosopher Posts: 1,039
    edited September 2018

    @HowieFarkes,

    Quick question: One of the projects I am working on now is a large city.
    In order to instance buildings/houses in a city, I would need to be able to do three things;

    1. Set the random rotation to 90 degree increments (since buildings typically have square footprints, and therefore can only be rotated in 90 degree increments to look proper)
    2. Scatter buildings on a flat 2D matrix, but not fill the entire matrix (to leave room for other instances/buildings to fill the rest of the matrix).
    3. OR Set a fixed spacing between each instance (so that each building is the same distance from other buildings on the grid/matrix).

    Can this be done in USP?

    Thanks again for your hard work,

    -P

    Post edited by PA_ThePhilosopher on
  • @HowieFarkes,

    Quick question: One of the projects I am working on now is a large city.
    In order to instance buildings/houses in a city, I would need to be able to do three things;

    1. Set the random rotation to 90 degree increments (since buildings typically have square footprints, and therefore can only be rotated in 90 degree increments to look proper)
    2. Scatter buildings on a flat 2D matrix, but not fill the entire matrix (to leave room for other instances/buildings to fill the rest of the matrix).
    3. OR Set a fixed spacing between each instance (so that each building is the same distance from other buildings on the grid/matrix).

    Can this be done in USP?

    Thanks again for your hard work,

    -P

    USP does have constraints settings for rotation so yes - you could randomly rotate on the y-axis with a 90degree increment. Should be able to do the other things too, the inspiration for the matrix scatter was definitely the ability to scatter city blocks on a grid.
     

  • Very welcome, I remember wanting to do blowing leaves with the first iteration.

    In the meantime, blowing leaves can probably be done with dForce and its Wind Node function - make several 1x1 Plane primitives with leaf textures (unless Ultra Scatter can spawn them and they can be dForced?) and set their Dynamics to 0.9 so they don't fold over themselves. Should be able to do "leaf devils" as well as blowing them off of an off-camera elevated pile so they pass in front of the camera. I've used the Wind Node on Porsimo's Morphing Flames with good results, so as long as you can dForce it, you should be able to get blowing leaves.

  • RKane_1RKane_1 Posts: 3,037

    I wonder about doing hair with it ala LAMH or doing fog made up of smaller semi-transparent "particles". Have you tried with these?

  • nicsttnicstt Posts: 11,714

    @HowieFarkes,

    Quick question: One of the projects I am working on now is a large city.
    In order to instance buildings/houses in a city, I would need to be able to do three things;

    1. Set the random rotation to 90 degree increments (since buildings typically have square footprints, and therefore can only be rotated in 90 degree increments to look proper)
    2. Scatter buildings on a flat 2D matrix, but not fill the entire matrix (to leave room for other instances/buildings to fill the rest of the matrix).
    3. OR Set a fixed spacing between each instance (so that each building is the same distance from other buildings on the grid/matrix).

    Can this be done in USP?

    Thanks again for your hard work,

    -P

    Actually, outside of modern cities 90 degree rotation is uncommon. :)

  • smaker1smaker1 Posts: 275

    Hello Howie

    Ultrascatter pro look promising

    Is it possible to have an export of Ultrascatter results in a CSV file ? I don't have the octane bridge but would like to get CSV and then import them in Octane

    Thanks

     

  • MattymanxMattymanx Posts: 6,879

    This looks very useful.  I look forward to using it

     

    Thank you Howie

  • smaker1 said:

    Hello Howie

    Ultrascatter pro look promising

    Is it possible to have an export of Ultrascatter results in a CSV file ? I don't have the octane bridge but would like to get CSV and then import them in Octane

    Thanks

     

    It is possible - but not in the initial release. I'll need to research the format of the csv needed for Octane.

  • RKane_1 said:

    I wonder about doing hair with it ala LAMH or doing fog made up of smaller semi-transparent "particles". Have you tried with these?

    The misty haze in the forest scene in the original post was created with just this method.

  • smaker1smaker1 Posts: 275
    smaker1 said:

    Hello Howie

    Ultrascatter pro look promising

    Is it possible to have an export of Ultrascatter results in a CSV file ? I don't have the octane bridge but would like to get CSV and then import them in Octane

    Thanks

     

    It is possible - but not in the initial release. I'll need to research the format of the csv needed for Octane.

    If you want I can find a CSV file for example.

     

    RKane_1 said:

    I wonder about doing hair with it ala LAMH or doing fog made up of smaller semi-transparent "particles". Have you tried with these?

    The misty haze in the forest scene in the original post was created with just this method.

    Impressive and didn't thought about that! What is the scattered object ? a sphere?

    Now I'm waiting for Ultrascatter pro !

  • RKane_1RKane_1 Posts: 3,037
    RKane_1 said:

    I wonder about doing hair with it ala LAMH or doing fog made up of smaller semi-transparent "particles". Have you tried with these?

    The misty haze in the forest scene in the original post was created with just this method.

    Fantastic. Have you had any lucky with emulating volumes of gasses like white fluffy clouds or billowy smoke?

  • SzarkSzark Posts: 10,634

    That is more of a shader issue RKane rather than instancing objects

  • RKane_1RKane_1 Posts: 3,037
    edited September 2018
    Szark said:

    That is more of a shader issue RKane rather than instancing objects

    Sorry, this is part of a convo from earlier. The main smoke cloud can be a shader, that is fine, but gasses have a hard time being depicted as there is often "nebulous" or "hazy" areas around them that is hard to emulate with the current tech.

    I've speculated a convincing enough "nebulous" or "whispy on the edges" cloud or smoke formation can be created by making a basic form with your shader selecton but scatterring over it's surface "sprite" objects each made up of three intersecting panes joined in the middle with a semi-transparent  grey smoke "splotch" that gains opacity towards the center. This gives the smoke a whispy outer edge.

    Does that make sense?

     

    Post edited by RKane_1 on
  • SzarkSzark Posts: 10,634

    arrr sprites yeah I remember now...I will shut up now. LOL

  • RKane_1RKane_1 Posts: 3,037
    edited September 2018
    Szark said:

    arrr sprites yeah I remember now...I will shut up now. LOL

    Oh no. Please talk! We like discussion! :)

    It would be cool too since scatters can be done inside shapes to try the same process inside a smoke "shape". With three intersecting panes in a sprite at about 2% opacity at max but add several thousand scattered in an area, the opacity fluctuations may look very gas like. :)

     

    Post edited by RKane_1 on
  • RKane_1RKane_1 Posts: 3,037

    Also, since the UltraScatterPro seems to have an option to "point rotation towards camera" you wouldn't need the additional panes cutting down memory need to a third as the pane would always be "facing" the camera. Genius! :)

    I applaud you, Mr Farkes. :)

  • Hurdy3DHurdy3D Posts: 1,038

    Will UltraScatter be able to scatter just on a selected material zone of a prop? If not, would it be feasible to add this feature?

  • gerster said:

    Will UltraScatter be able to scatter just on a selected material zone of a prop? If not, would it be feasible to add this feature?

     

    UltraScatter (and therefore UltraScatterPro) does already have this feature.

  • Hurdy3DHurdy3D Posts: 1,038
    gerster said:

    Will UltraScatter be able to scatter just on a selected material zone of a prop? If not, would it be feasible to add this feature?

     

    UltraScatter (and therefore UltraScatterPro) does already have this feature.

    Yeah nice! I found this feature.

    What I want to achive is to fill the grass areas from Collective3d Neighborhood (https://www.daz3d.com/collective3d-neighborhood-block-1) with scattered grass.

    Is there a way to limit the boundaries of scattered objects to the uv maps? Currently, the scattered objects can go a little bit outside of the uv maps (see screenshot). Which looks a little bit odd of there is grass on the sidewalk ;)

    It would be also nice if the random rotations could be have some "steps". Thinking of a random rotation in 90° or 45° steps. In the case of 90° steps, the scattered objects would be rotated by 0, 90, 180, 270 or 360°.

    Screenshot (41).png
    1920 x 1012 - 932K
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