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UltraScenery - new territory [Commercial]

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  • Doc AcmeDoc Acme Posts: 1,153

    Very nice.  Gonna make it difficult to buck up & seriously learn World Creator you know.

     

  • butterflyfishbutterflyfish Posts: 1,234

    Wow. That looks a whole lot better than trying to use Terradome.

  • AllenArtAllenArt Posts: 7,168

  • richardandtracyrichardandtracy Posts: 5,617
    That looks really magnificent. I do have a problem though - it involves the word 'Plug-in'. I have discovered that manual downloads are impossible on plug-ins, and with an Android tablet as my internet connection, that's all I can do. DAZ's policy of making DIM/DAZ Central the only download method puts plug-ins out of reach for me. It's a shame, as the backgrounds look as fantastic as every other US component.
  • HowieFarkesHowieFarkes Posts: 606

    richardandtracy said:

    That looks really magnificent. I do have a problem though - it involves the word 'Plug-in'. I have discovered that manual downloads are impossible on plug-ins, and with an Android tablet as my internet connection, that's all I can do. DAZ's policy of making DIM/DAZ Central the only download method puts plug-ins out of reach for me. It's a shame, as the backgrounds look as fantastic as every other US component.

    Due to performance reasons this pretty much has to be a plugin. I tried doing this a couple years ago in the script API and it was taking 20 minutes do the erosion calculations on a 256x256 terrain. With the plugin it does this in under a second. The terrain in the picture is 1024x1024 and takes about 5 seconds to generate (depends on settings though)
  • NathNath Posts: 2,797

    WOW!

    Also, my credit card just ran screaming into a dark corner. I think it knows what will happen...

  • richardandtracyrichardandtracy Posts: 5,617

    HowieFarkes said:

    richardandtracy said:

    That looks really magnificent. I do have a problem though - it involves the word 'Plug-in'. I have discovered that manual downloads are impossible on plug-ins, and with an Android tablet as my internet connection, that's all I can do. DAZ's policy of making DIM/DAZ Central the only download method puts plug-ins out of reach for me. It's a shame, as the backgrounds look as fantastic as every other US component.

    Due to performance reasons this pretty much has to be a plugin. I tried doing this a couple years ago in the script API and it was taking 20 minutes do the erosion calculations on a 256x256 terrain. With the plugin it does this in under a second. The terrain in the picture is 1024x1024 and takes about 5 seconds to generate (depends on settings though)

    That's a shame, but understandable. I do wish DAZ would change its policy & make zip file installation possible for plug-ins. Then it'd mean offline machines could also take advantage of such things.

    Ah well. In the mean time, I'll think of their policy as an armour belt around my wallet protecting from certain depradations.

    Regards,

    Richard

  • ecks201ecks201 Posts: 446

    HowieFarkes said:

    A little sneak peek at what I'm currently working on. A plugin for Daz Studio designed to create terrains suitable for large scenes or as backdrops for UltraScenery scenes. Still quite early in the development process (so don't expect it soon) but I'm happy with how it's going.

     

    Oh what joy! Howie's found a new way to extract money from our wallets cryingwink

    Looks great.

     

  • UthgardUthgard Posts: 861

    HowieFarkes said:

    algovincian said:

    richardandtracy said:

    I find UltraScenery to be the greatest danger to my wallet of everything here. Due to grim determination, I have somewhat under half the modules, but it would be so easy to break down and get them all, despite not being able to afford both them and food at the same time. Come to think of it, my waistline needs reducing, so I may have an opportunity here...

    I've spent a ton on US assets, too. Today I started to come up with a list of all plugins/scripts that I've purchased and may be in danger of not working in DS5. Off the top of my head and only taking a few minutes, the list got long (and expensive) quick.

    Couple of questions:

    1. I assume that purchasing a new version of US will be required, but what about assets that have already been purchased?

    2. Will new US assets going forward only work in the new version of US in DS5, or will they still work in the current version of US in DS 4.15 as well?

    Thanks in advance for any information!

    - Greg

    My plan is to update all my scripts (UltraScatter, UltraScatterPro, UltraTrees, UltraScenery(and Accelerator) to DS5 as quickly as I can (but I as yet have no idea what that will involve to that’s the best I can say). All will be “updates” though, so no further purchases required and all existing add-on content should be unaffected.

     

    Thank you, it's a relief to know we will be able to use your indispensable tools in the new version of Studio. If I could make a request, it would be very appreciated if your updates for Studio 5 didn't replace the versions for 4.15, because I think many of us will still use the old version till 5 is up to scratch regarding functionality and plugins.

  • alexhcowleyalexhcowley Posts: 2,383

    Gogger said:

    HowieFarkes said:

    A little sneak peek at what I'm currently working on. A plugin for Daz Studio designed to create terrains suitable for large scenes or as backdrops for UltraScenery scenes. Still quite early in the development process (so don't expect it soon) but I'm happy with how it's going.

     

    ALRIGHT!!! WOOT WOOT!

    Excellent!  That scream of terror you just heard came from my credit card.

    Cheers,

    Alex. 

  • RGcincyRGcincy Posts: 2,834

    That's exciting!

  • barbultbarbult Posts: 24,223

    RGcincy said:

    barbult said:

    I've been playing with creating features, too. I started playing with the Modular Railway Track Set and just using terrain height maps and layer masks. Then I decided it would be a lot easier to have a feature that controlled the land shape and added the track props. Here are some examples with different ecologies and different trains that I have in my library.

    Those all look very good barbult.  Is controlling the land shape for his any different from what you have in your experimental thread?

    @RGcincy which experimental thread example are you referring to? Is it Experiment: Modify Feature Dirt Track 2 to Follow the Terrain? That is the gist of it, except for the RR track, I drew my own feature height maps and road base and surface maps, rather than using maps from existing features. Also, I was doing the opposite of making the track follow the terrain; I was making the terrain completely flat where the track goes and then adding some height to raise the track above the adjacent ground. My technique was to first lay the track on a flat UltraScenery terrain and then make feature maps based on the position of that track. It is too hard to try to fit track pieces to a preexisting path.

  • Oso3DOso3D Posts: 14,999

    HowieFarkes: Will there be forested terrains, or is it mainly snow/rock?

     

  • Mark_e593e0a5Mark_e593e0a5 Posts: 1,592

    Nath said:

    WOW!

    Also, my credit card just ran screaming into a dark corner. I think it knows what will happen...

    Mine as well. I think DAZ needs a store option that add new releases of certain PA's to the shopping cart automatically laugh 

  • RGcincyRGcincy Posts: 2,834

    barbult said:

    @RGcincy which experimental thread example are you referring to? Is it Experiment: Modify Feature Dirt Track 2 to Follow the Terrain? That is the gist of it, except for the RR track, I drew my own feature height maps and road base and surface maps, rather than using maps from existing features. Also, I was doing the opposite of making the track follow the terrain; I was making the terrain completely flat where the track goes and then adding some height to raise the track above the adjacent ground. My technique was to first lay the track on a flat UltraScenery terrain and then make feature maps based on the position of that track. It is too hard to try to fit track pieces to a preexisting path.

    Yes, thanks. I'll have to try these out. You've done such a good job documenting your approach, I appreciate it. 

  • memcneil70memcneil70 Posts: 4,105
    edited July 2021

    I am happy to hear that this is in development, so I have a month to budget for it. 

    While I don't have an issue with downloading on my D|S computers, I wonder if it is possible for a user who wants to isolate their computer from the web to log into another that is connected and download the plug-in's zip to a stick and move it to their D|S system? If everything is clean security wise, wouldn't that work?

    Or if you are on a pad, to upload the file to Google docs/cloud and transfer the file over...?

    Post edited by memcneil70 on
  • barbultbarbult Posts: 24,223

    richardandtracy said:

    That looks really magnificent. I do have a problem though - it involves the word 'Plug-in'. I have discovered that manual downloads are impossible on plug-ins, and with an Android tablet as my internet connection, that's all I can do. DAZ's policy of making DIM/DAZ Central the only download method puts plug-ins out of reach for me. It's a shame, as the backgrounds look as fantastic as every other US component.

    It makes no sense to me that Daz will not let you download and install plugins manually. I have beta tested multiple plugins for multiple PAs. For testing, all were installed manually, simply by putting the dll file in the plugins folder in Windows. There doesn't seem to be any technical reason for disallowing manual installation.

  • Mark_e593e0a5Mark_e593e0a5 Posts: 1,592

    barbult said:

    richardandtracy said:

    That looks really magnificent. I do have a problem though - it involves the word 'Plug-in'. I have discovered that manual downloads are impossible on plug-ins, and with an Android tablet as my internet connection, that's all I can do. DAZ's policy of making DIM/DAZ Central the only download method puts plug-ins out of reach for me. It's a shame, as the backgrounds look as fantastic as every other US component.

    It makes no sense to me that Daz will not let you download and install plugins manually. I have beta tested multiple plugins for multiple PAs. For testing, all were installed manually, simply by putting the dll file in the plugins folder in Windows. There doesn't seem to be any technical reason for disallowing manual installation.

    I fully agree, but quite some things DAZ does does not really make sense, at least to me. A DLL or dylib (mac) sould be self-contained. so ther should be no need to run DIM on it.

  • ecks201ecks201 Posts: 446

    Mark_e593e0a5 said:

    barbult said:

    richardandtracy said:

    That looks really magnificent. I do have a problem though - it involves the word 'Plug-in'. I have discovered that manual downloads are impossible on plug-ins, and with an Android tablet as my internet connection, that's all I can do. DAZ's policy of making DIM/DAZ Central the only download method puts plug-ins out of reach for me. It's a shame, as the backgrounds look as fantastic as every other US component.

    It makes no sense to me that Daz will not let you download and install plugins manually. I have beta tested multiple plugins for multiple PAs. For testing, all were installed manually, simply by putting the dll file in the plugins folder in Windows. There doesn't seem to be any technical reason for disallowing manual installation.

    I fully agree, but quite some things DAZ does does not really make sense, at least to me. A DLL or dylib (mac) sould be self-contained. so ther should be no need to run DIM on it.

    I wonder where you would stand if you purchased the plugin, then got hold of someone else's package file from DIM and then did a manual install with that (if possible)?

  • richardandtracyrichardandtracy Posts: 5,617
    Barbult, I have only tried to buy the accelerator as my first plugin. There is simply no manual download button in the product download page. And surprise, surprise, the Dim download buttons do exactly nothing on Android. Two weeks after finding that out, I am awaiting an intelligent response to my refund request. On Tuesday I got the first response (day 11) which was a question from someone called Gunnar, asking if DAZ Central would download it. On Android. When I had already stated it wouldn't in my refund request. I was so pleased to see Gunnar had bothered to read my whole refund request. I am getting a bit narked about it, to be honest. If this drags on much more, I'm opening a PayPal dispute.
  • HowieFarkesHowieFarkes Posts: 606

    Oso3D said:

    HowieFarkes: Will there be forested terrains, or is it mainly snow/rock?

     

    There will be trees and maybe rocks - but as this is for backgrounds, grass and smaller stuff will be handled by the shader.
  • Oso3DOso3D Posts: 14,999

    Oh totally. I've gone through similar calculations working on background cards. ;) Under a certain size/distance... yeah, shaders. So excited!

     

  • TangoAlphaTangoAlpha Posts: 4,584

    On my Mac, DIM refuses to install anything that is either a plugin, or software, or otherwise wants to be installed somewhere under /Applications (e.g. Photoshop brushes etc). It just errors out, which means I have to install manually. So once DIM has downloaded it, I need to manually unzip and copy the files to their ordained locations. So far I've done this with new versions of DS, plugins, PA tools, Ron's Brushes, etc. and had no problems at all. You do need to know where everything needs to go though, and I appreciate it's not a lot of help if you can't download the file in the first place.

  • Doc AcmeDoc Acme Posts: 1,153


    Might there be a way of creating Overcast skies with the Sun-Sky render engine? 

    I've had some time to explore the PNW set a bit more and something just didn't seem quite right and then it dawned on me. The renders look great and all, but up here in the Great Gray Northwest, seeing the sun is the exeption to the rule usually.  And this summer has been exceptional I must say.  I can always drop back to HDR but was wondering if this was more a tone-mapping thing instead.

    Thanks.

  • AnEye4ArtAnEye4Art Posts: 766
    edited July 2021
    Looks like world-creator was used for the snowy mountain. If you are indeed using world-creator, can users like myself of world creator be able to import his own custom height map or custom terrain?
    Post edited by AnEye4Art on
  • algovincianalgovincian Posts: 2,609
    edited July 2021

    AnEye4Art said:

    Looks like world-creator was used for the snowy mountain. If you are indeed using world-creator, can users like myself of world creator be able to import his own custom height map or custom terrain?

    I believe the plugin he's developing creates the terrains at runtime. His comment about erosion calculation times on a 256x256 terrain seems to support this.

    - Greg

    Post edited by algovincian on
  • barbultbarbult Posts: 24,223

    Doc Acme said:


    Might there be a way of creating Overcast skies with the Sun-Sky render engine? 

    I've had some time to explore the PNW set a bit more and something just didn't seem quite right and then it dawned on me. The renders look great and all, but up here in the Great Gray Northwest, seeing the sun is the exeption to the rule usually.  And this summer has been exceptional I must say.  I can always drop back to HDR but was wondering if this was more a tone-mapping thing instead.

    Thanks.

    There are all sorts of settings in Sun-Sky Only Render Settings. Which have you tried? I suggest playing with SS Haze and Mat Fog for starters. You won't get clouds, but you can get a gray sky. You can turn off Draw Dome and use an image in the Environment pane as a backdrop to give you the cloudy sky you want.

  • dawnbladedawnblade Posts: 1,723

    Doc Acme said:


    Might there be a way of creating Overcast skies with the Sun-Sky render engine? 

    I've had some time to explore the PNW set a bit more and something just didn't seem quite right and then it dawned on me. The renders look great and all, but up here in the Great Gray Northwest, seeing the sun is the exeption to the rule usually.  And this summer has been exceptional I must say.  I can always drop back to HDR but was wondering if this was more a tone-mapping thing instead.

    Thanks.

     Check out DA Real World Lighting.

  • richardandtracyrichardandtracy Posts: 5,617
    Howie was generous enough to help me with downloading the accelerator - he is a real gentleman. The accelerator is.. well, wow! It's an absolute game changer. It's 50,60 times faster. Absolutely incredible.
  • Doc AcmeDoc Acme Posts: 1,153

    barbult said:

    Doc Acme said:


    Might there be a way of creating Overcast skies with the Sun-Sky render engine? 

    I've had some time to explore the PNW set a bit more and something just didn't seem quite right and then it dawned on me. The renders look great and all, but up here in the Great Gray Northwest, seeing the sun is the exeption to the rule usually.  And this summer has been exceptional I must say.  I can always drop back to HDR but was wondering if this was more a tone-mapping thing instead.

    Thanks.

    There are all sorts of settings in Sun-Sky Only Render Settings. Which have you tried? I suggest playing with SS Haze and Mat Fog for starters. You won't get clouds, but you can get a gray sky. You can turn off Draw Dome and use an image in the Environment pane as a backdrop to give you the cloudy sky you want.

     

    I haven't as yet just wondering if possible with Sun-Sky mostly. Overcast isn't just a uniform diffuse; there are varying degrees of course & often does have a direction. But, you can't mix the conventional lights along with the Sun-Sky of course.  Might have to get creative with luminous panels.

    I'll fiddle around then.  Thanks.

     

This discussion has been closed.