UltraScenery - new territory [Commercial]

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  • Doc AcmeDoc Acme Posts: 1,153
    edited September 2022

    avmorgan said:

    Llola Lane said:

    That is lovely avmorgan ... I am not sure you can CUTOUT OPACITY in USC???  I just learned how to MASK an area... maybe that would help you too? 

    You're rght, the terrain shader does not feature Cutout Opacity, so you would have to add that in using the shader mixer if you wanted it. I get it in theory, but don't know how to actually do it. Yet. Until that day, I can try other things like using dformers to bend the edges under the surface of the USCXT terrain, like so:

      

    In the meantime, I just wanted to say that you might want to check your render settings. USC has one of the better implementations of Sun-Sky. Your water is reflecting a nice billowing sun struck cloud, but what we're seeing in the forest looks super overcast. It looks a bit flat to my "eye".

     

    Post edited by Doc Acme on
  • barbultbarbult Posts: 24,223

    Llola Lane said:

    Oh my... that IS lovely Enchanted April... I think now that my graphics card is updated this is by far my favorite product at Daz!  ;) 

    Here's my latest attempt... (btw... 11minute render!!!)

    "Stagecoach"

    Did you lose some layers in this image? I don't see any grass or ferns or groundcover or anything like that. I only see stones and trees and the terrain texture.

  • avmorgan said:

    Well... I didn't want to just apply the shader from one on the other, because the ecology would still be mismatched. 

     In spite of what I said, I gave it a go only to have the surface I applied the USCXT shader to render all black. I just updated to Studio drivers today, so I doubt that's the culprit. I wonder if the way the USCXT terrain is generated might play a part, but really, I'm just stumped. Annyone else crazy enough to try this get similar results?

  • Doc Acme said:

    avmorgan said:

    Llola Lane said:

    That is lovely avmorgan ... I am not sure you can CUTOUT OPACITY in USC???  I just learned how to MASK an area... maybe that would help you too? 

    You're rght, the terrain shader does not feature Cutout Opacity, so you would have to add that in using the shader mixer if you wanted it. I get it in theory, but don't know how to actually do it. Yet. Until that day, I can try other things like using dformers to bend the edges under the surface of the USCXT terrain, like so:

      

    In the meantime, I just wanted to say that you might want to check your render settings. USC has one of the better implementations of Sun-Sky. Your water is reflecting a nice billowing sun struck cloud, but what we're seeing in the forest looks super overcast. It looks a bit flat to my "eye". 

    I was in experimental mode, so I really didn't give the lighting much thought beyond loading an HDRI. Those overcast skies tend to be a bit low intensity, though. I appreciate the heads up for the next time I tr to use one. 

  • @HowieFarks

    I should have included an image with my earlier question about using an imported mesh for the terrain base. This is a screencap of the terrain I was futzing with, created and surfaced in World Machine. Whatever the answer is about USC or USCXT building on an import like this, I thought you'd like to see the info on an optimized mesh. I don't know how WM produces them, but I'm pretty sure Blender can create similar optimization, and it's probably possible to get similar results using Decimator. If you could adopt it, this could help further reduce the memory footprint of UltraScenery.

    FWIW, just thiught I'd share.

    Screenshot 2022-09-22 212701.png
    1920 x 1080 - 635K
  • avmorgan said:

    avmorgan said:

    Well... I didn't want to just apply the shader from one on the other, because the ecology would still be mismatched. 

     In spite of what I said, I gave it a go only to have the surface I applied the USCXT shader to render all black. I just updated to Studio drivers today, so I doubt that's the culprit. I wonder if the way the USCXT terrain is generated might play a part, but really, I'm just stumped. Annyone else crazy enough to try this get similar results?

    Check out the thread on this page. I ran into a problem with USXT mats being all black.

    UltraSceneryXT - large terrain/landscape generator - Page 20 - Daz 3D Forums 

  • Llola LaneLlola Lane Posts: 9,289

    barbult said:

    Llola Lane said:

    Oh my... that IS lovely Enchanted April... I think now that my graphics card is updated this is by far my favorite product at Daz!  ;) 

    Here's my latest attempt... (btw... 11minute render!!!)

    "Stagecoach"

    Did you lose some layers in this image? I don't see any grass or ferns or groundcover or anything like that. I only see stones and trees and the terrain texture.

    hummmm... I thought they were too small to see... but now that you mention it... I should see grasses... etc... I checked and everything is ON... but... I couldn't see any of the small stuff when I took the land away... Then I remembered someone saying their stuff got bunched in a corner... and yep... that's where they all are.  Not sure what I did... but I'm thinking maybe I had the rendering from viewpoint instead of camera checked?  I'm trying to figure it out now... but I can't remember all my ground settings so the new one may be a little different.  I'll post it when I figure it out ;)

  • barbultbarbult Posts: 24,223

    Llola Lane said:

    barbult said:

    Llola Lane said:

    Oh my... that IS lovely Enchanted April... I think now that my graphics card is updated this is by far my favorite product at Daz!  ;) 

    Here's my latest attempt... (btw... 11minute render!!!)

    "Stagecoach"

    Did you lose some layers in this image? I don't see any grass or ferns or groundcover or anything like that. I only see stones and trees and the terrain texture.

    hummmm... I thought they were too small to see... but now that you mention it... I should see grasses... etc... I checked and everything is ON... but... I couldn't see any of the small stuff when I took the land away... Then I remembered someone saying their stuff got bunched in a corner... and yep... that's where they all are.  Not sure what I did... but I'm thinking maybe I had the rendering from viewpoint instead of camera checked?  I'm trying to figure it out now... but I can't remember all my ground settings so the new one may be a little different.  I'll post it when I figure it out ;)

    Don't ever move the UltraScenery after building and then rebuild. That will mess up the placementof the plants.

  • TugpsxTugpsx Posts: 738

    Enchanted April said:

    I just want to show my first finished attempt with US and I have to say, I'm so in love with that tool.

    Dreams become true and I'm so thankful for all the tips and tricks I've got here in the forum. But still a lot to learn... ;)

    Very nice composition and image. she has not noticed the swine princeses and princeses. For the real POP I would suggest you try opening with Windows Photo editor and apply the Artic filter to get movie nights (Blue nights). Rendering night scenes can be difficult, so in the movies they use a blue color grading and we have come to accept it as night. With the Artic grading applied you scene it brings out the detail you worked so hard to apply. You could also use mcjLUTS to add other color grading for more effects.

    Thanks for sharing your artwork.

  • Llola LaneLlola Lane Posts: 9,289

    barbult said:

    Llola Lane said:

    barbult said:

    Llola Lane said:

    Oh my... that IS lovely Enchanted April... I think now that my graphics card is updated this is by far my favorite product at Daz!  ;) 

    Here's my latest attempt... (btw... 11minute render!!!)

    "Stagecoach"

    Did you lose some layers in this image? I don't see any grass or ferns or groundcover or anything like that. I only see stones and trees and the terrain texture.

    hummmm... I thought they were too small to see... but now that you mention it... I should see grasses... etc... I checked and everything is ON... but... I couldn't see any of the small stuff when I took the land away... Then I remembered someone saying their stuff got bunched in a corner... and yep... that's where they all are.  Not sure what I did... but I'm thinking maybe I had the rendering from viewpoint instead of camera checked?  I'm trying to figure it out now... but I can't remember all my ground settings so the new one may be a little different.  I'll post it when I figure it out ;)

    Don't ever move the UltraScenery after building and then rebuild. That will mess up the placementof the plants.

    I didn't... I figured it out.. It was the camera thingy... I'm posting the new one now :)

  • Llola LaneLlola Lane Posts: 9,289
    edited September 2022

    ok.. THIS.. is how my scene should look... I think I have the camera command figured out... The instructions aren't clear what to do... I gotta work on the order... HOW does one know where to place the camera BEFORE US is even loaded???  I need to experiment some more.  Anyway... here's my new stagecoach riding down a skinny path... ENJOY!

     

    ULTRASCENERY stagecoach 13minute render DONE BEST SIGN framed.jpg
    1371 x 796 - 264K
    Post edited by Llola Lane on
  • ArtiniArtini Posts: 9,436

    Enchanted April said:

    I just want to show my first finished attempt with US and I have to say, I'm so in love with that tool.

    Dreams become true and I'm so thankful for all the tips and tricks I've got here in the forum. But still a lot to learn... ;)

    Great composition and nice looking render.

     

  • ArtiniArtini Posts: 9,436

    Llola Lane said:

    ok.. THIS.. is how my scene should look... I think I have the camera command figured out... The instructions aren't clear what to do... I gotta work on the order... HOW does one know where to place the camera BEFORE US is even loaded???  I need to experiment some more.  Anyway... here's my new stagecoach riding down a skinny path... ENJOY!

     

    That looks nice.

    I think, on your computer, you do not need to use "restrict to the camera" option at all.

    It was meant for the not so powerfull computers, in first place.

     

  • paulawp (marahzen) said:

    avmorgan said:

    avmorgan said:

    Well... I didn't want to just apply the shader from one on the other, because the ecology would still be mismatched. 

     In spite of what I said, I gave it a go only to have the surface I applied the USCXT shader to render all black. I just updated to Studio drivers today, so I doubt that's the culprit. I wonder if the way the USCXT terrain is generated might play a part, but really, I'm just stumped. Annyone else crazy enough to try this get similar results?

    Check out the thread on this page. I ran into a problem with USXT mats being all black.

    UltraSceneryXT - large terrain/landscape generator - Page 20 - Daz 3D Forums 

    Thanks for the tip and the link. I followed the thread back to the download and installed. Turns out I didn't have anything like it installed on this computer (ack, now a year old!). I'll do some testing tomorrow to see if the shader presets work, and the USXT shader still gives me flat black surfaces. Odd that it did that on a primitive, but not on any of the XT terrains I tried out before this. 

  • Llola LaneLlola Lane Posts: 9,289

    Artini said:

    Llola Lane said:

    ok.. THIS.. is how my scene should look... I think I have the camera command figured out... The instructions aren't clear what to do... I gotta work on the order... HOW does one know where to place the camera BEFORE US is even loaded???  I need to experiment some more.  Anyway... here's my new stagecoach riding down a skinny path... ENJOY!

     

    That looks nice.

    I think, on your computer, you do not need to use "restrict to the camera" option at all.

    It was meant for the not so powerfull computers, in first place.

    Thank you Artini... I was having trouble rendering a page or so posts back and Barb suggested it... so I tried to use the "restrict to the camera" option.  Then... we figured out I just needed to update my Graphics card... Now it's rendering much faster so I thought I'd give the camera another try to render even faster... lol.  I'd still like to know how to use it though.  I hate not implimenting something that is included.  ;)

  • DaventakiDaventaki Posts: 1,624

    Llola Lane said:

    Thank you Artini... I was having trouble rendering a page or so posts back and Barb suggested it... so I tried to use the "restrict to the camera" option.  Then... we figured out I just needed to update my Graphics card... Now it's rendering much faster so I thought I'd give the camera another try to render even faster... lol.  I'd still like to know how to use it though.  I hate not implimenting something that is included.  ;)

    If you select the main US and rerun the script you can edit settings.  So what I do is generate, set up the camera where I want it then select US and rerun the script and checking to use the camera.

  • barbultbarbult Posts: 24,223

    Daventaki's description is the general way to choose where to put your camera if you wan to restrict to camera. Another way is to save camera presets that work well for a given USC feature with the default terrain settings. For example, if you create cameras on the water or path, those cameras will usually not be blocked by vegetation. Then you can use those camera presets over and over with different ecologies and restrict the build to the camera preset you choose to use. Way back about a thousand pages LOL, I created some camera presets and shared them in the forum. I've created a bunch more for other features, but have never packaged them up for sharing. I've been busy with other things.

  • avmorgan said:

    paulawp (marahzen) said:

    avmorgan said:

    avmorgan said:

    Well... I didn't want to just apply the shader from one on the other, because the ecology would still be mismatched. 

     In spite of what I said, I gave it a go only to have the surface I applied the USCXT shader to render all black. I just updated to Studio drivers today, so I doubt that's the culprit. I wonder if the way the USCXT terrain is generated might play a part, but really, I'm just stumped. Annyone else crazy enough to try this get similar results?

    Check out the thread on this page. I ran into a problem with USXT mats being all black.

    UltraSceneryXT - large terrain/landscape generator - Page 20 - Daz 3D Forums 

    Thanks for the tip and the link. I followed the thread back to the download and installed. Turns out I didn't have anything like it installed on this computer (ack, now a year old!). I'll do some testing tomorrow to see if the shader presets work, and the USXT shader still gives me flat black surfaces. Odd that it did that on a primitive, but not on any of the XT terrains I tried out before this. 

    Well, after the vMaterials 2 update I'm still getting a black surface render. I'll poke at it a bit more, but I doubt I'll be able to fix this by trial and error.

  • paulawp (marahzen)paulawp (marahzen) Posts: 1,353
    edited September 2022

    All right, you all inspired me to do a new horse and cart image. The cart and harness is from Rendo - I don't think I've ever actually used it before. This is one of my typical USC/USXT constructions.

    HorseAnd Cart.jpg
    1300 x 1000 - 1M
    Post edited by paulawp (marahzen) on
  • Llola LaneLlola Lane Posts: 9,289

    paulawp (marahzen) said:

    All right, you all inspired me to do a new horse and cart image. The cart and harness is from Rendo - I don't think I've ever actually used it before. This is one of my typical USC/USXT constructions.

     Quite lovely paulawp (marahzen) ... I'd not used my stage coach before either... and it's old!  lol.  I have the USXT on my wishlist... Looks like it may come in handy.  Thanks for sharing :)

  • Llola LaneLlola Lane Posts: 9,289

    Daventaki said:

    Llola Lane said:

    Thank you Artini... I was having trouble rendering a page or so posts back and Barb suggested it... so I tried to use the "restrict to the camera" option.  Then... we figured out I just needed to update my Graphics card... Now it's rendering much faster so I thought I'd give the camera another try to render even faster... lol.  I'd still like to know how to use it though.  I hate not implimenting something that is included.  ;)

    If you select the main US and rerun the script you can edit settings.  So what I do is generate, set up the camera where I want it then select US and rerun the script and checking to use the camera.

    Thank you (and Barb)... Gonna try your tip this weekend.  Not figured out how to RERUN the script???  hummmm

  • Llola LaneLlola Lane Posts: 9,289

    barbult said:

    Daventaki's description is the general way to choose where to put your camera if you wan to restrict to camera. Another way is to save camera presets that work well for a given USC feature with the default terrain settings. For example, if you create cameras on the water or path, those cameras will usually not be blocked by vegetation. Then you can use those camera presets over and over with different ecologies and restrict the build to the camera preset you choose to use. Way back about a thousand pages LOL, I created some camera presets and shared them in the forum. I've created a bunch more for other features, but have never packaged them up for sharing. I've been busy with other things.

    Thanks Barb... I guess I have my reading cut out for me... Or I'll just make my own cameras as you suggest... yes... I usually camera from a waterway or path...  Maybe I will get lucky and find your settings... From what I have seen.. this is Thread 2 of your UltraScenery?  Thread 1 got to 100 pages... so I guess I'll need to check back there too?  ;)  

  • Llola LaneLlola Lane Posts: 9,289

    Llola Lane said:

    Daventaki said:

    Llola Lane said:

    Thank you Artini... I was having trouble rendering a page or so posts back and Barb suggested it... so I tried to use the "restrict to the camera" option.  Then... we figured out I just needed to update my Graphics card... Now it's rendering much faster so I thought I'd give the camera another try to render even faster... lol.  I'd still like to know how to use it though.  I hate not implimenting something that is included.  ;)

    If you select the main US and rerun the script you can edit settings.  So what I do is generate, set up the camera where I want it then select US and rerun the script and checking to use the camera.

    Thank you (and Barb)... Gonna try your tip this weekend.  Not figured out how to RERUN the script???  hummmm

    Never mind.. I think I figured it out... lol... Just hope I can remember tomorrow after I've had a nights sleep (yawnzzzzzzz)  

  • Llola Lane said:

    paulawp (marahzen) said:

    All right, you all inspired me to do a new horse and cart image. The cart and harness is from Rendo - I don't think I've ever actually used it before. This is one of my typical USC/USXT constructions.

     Quite lovely paulawp (marahzen) ... I'd not used my stage coach before either... and it's old!  lol.  I have the USXT on my wishlist... Looks like it may come in handy.  Thanks for sharing :)

    I think a lot of people get and use USXT to be the main player of a scene - and it's beautiful used that way. I'm that weirdo who uses it anywhere and everywhere, including through windows and behind, well, pretty much everything.

  • Llola LaneLlola Lane Posts: 9,289

    paulawp (marahzen) said:

    Llola Lane said:

    paulawp (marahzen) said:

    All right, you all inspired me to do a new horse and cart image. The cart and harness is from Rendo - I don't think I've ever actually used it before. This is one of my typical USC/USXT constructions.

     Quite lovely paulawp (marahzen) ... I'd not used my stage coach before either... and it's old!  lol.  I have the USXT on my wishlist... Looks like it may come in handy.  Thanks for sharing :)

    I think a lot of people get and use USXT to be the main player of a scene - and it's beautiful used that way. I'm that weirdo who uses it anywhere and everywhere, including through windows and behind, well, pretty much everything.

    I usually render a 'scene' then put it on a plane outside the window so it renders quicker... Got in the habit of doing that with my old computer... some habits are hard to break ;) lol

  • barbultbarbult Posts: 24,223

    Llola Lane said:

    Llola Lane said:

    Daventaki said:

    Llola Lane said:

    Thank you Artini... I was having trouble rendering a page or so posts back and Barb suggested it... so I tried to use the "restrict to the camera" option.  Then... we figured out I just needed to update my Graphics card... Now it's rendering much faster so I thought I'd give the camera another try to render even faster... lol.  I'd still like to know how to use it though.  I hate not implimenting something that is included.  ;)

    If you select the main US and rerun the script you can edit settings.  So what I do is generate, set up the camera where I want it then select US and rerun the script and checking to use the camera.

    Thank you (and Barb)... Gonna try your tip this weekend.  Not figured out how to RERUN the script???  hummmm

    Never mind.. I think I figured it out... lol... Just hope I can remember tomorrow after I've had a nights sleep (yawnzzzzzzz)  

    In case you forget:

    1. Select UltraScene in the Scene pane
    2. Run UltraSceneCreator script. It will open with all the settings you used to create the selected UltraScene in the first place.
    3. Change anything you want to change on any of the UltraSceneCreator tabs.
    4. Select the Build tab.
    5. The Build Scene button should now say Rebuild Scene instead.
    6. Click the Rebuild Scene button.
  • barbultbarbult Posts: 24,223

    Llola Lane said:

    barbult said:

    Daventaki's description is the general way to choose where to put your camera if you wan to restrict to camera. Another way is to save camera presets that work well for a given USC feature with the default terrain settings. For example, if you create cameras on the water or path, those cameras will usually not be blocked by vegetation. Then you can use those camera presets over and over with different ecologies and restrict the build to the camera preset you choose to use. Way back about a thousand pages LOL, I created some camera presets and shared them in the forum. I've created a bunch more for other features, but have never packaged them up for sharing. I've been busy with other things.

    Thanks Barb... I guess I have my reading cut out for me... Or I'll just make my own cameras as you suggest... yes... I usually camera from a waterway or path...  Maybe I will get lucky and find your settings... From what I have seen.. this is Thread 2 of your UltraScenery?  Thread 1 got to 100 pages... so I guess I'll need to check back there too?  ;)  

    Cameras from June 2020

  • paulawp (marahzen)paulawp (marahzen) Posts: 1,353
    edited September 2022

    Llola Lane said:

    paulawp (marahzen) said:

    Llola Lane said:

    paulawp (marahzen) said:

    All right, you all inspired me to do a new horse and cart image. The cart and harness is from Rendo - I don't think I've ever actually used it before. This is one of my typical USC/USXT constructions.

     Quite lovely paulawp (marahzen) ... I'd not used my stage coach before either... and it's old!  lol.  I have the USXT on my wishlist... Looks like it may come in handy.  Thanks for sharing :)

    I think a lot of people get and use USXT to be the main player of a scene - and it's beautiful used that way. I'm that weirdo who uses it anywhere and everywhere, including through windows and behind, well, pretty much everything.

    I usually render a 'scene' then put it on a plane outside the window so it renders quicker... Got in the habit of doing that with my old computer... some habits are hard to break ;) lol

    This is probably the best of my "US-stuff through the window" renders. This one uses USC/USXT. I've been dabbling with Daz for a little over a year now, and was lucky enough that I could grant myself the luxury of getting my art computer (with a 3060 and 32GB RAM) a few weeks into learning.

    NewOpportunity.jpg
    1300 x 1000 - 1000K
    Post edited by paulawp (marahzen) on
  • Llola LaneLlola Lane Posts: 9,289

    paulawp (marahzen) said:

    Llola Lane said:

    paulawp (marahzen) said:

    Llola Lane said:

    paulawp (marahzen) said:

    All right, you all inspired me to do a new horse and cart image. The cart and harness is from Rendo - I don't think I've ever actually used it before. This is one of my typical USC/USXT constructions.

     Quite lovely paulawp (marahzen) ... I'd not used my stage coach before either... and it's old!  lol.  I have the USXT on my wishlist... Looks like it may come in handy.  Thanks for sharing :)

    I think a lot of people get and use USXT to be the main player of a scene - and it's beautiful used that way. I'm that weirdo who uses it anywhere and everywhere, including through windows and behind, well, pretty much everything.

    I usually render a 'scene' then put it on a plane outside the window so it renders quicker... Got in the habit of doing that with my old computer... some habits are hard to break ;) lol

    This is probably the best of my "US-stuff through the window" renders. This one uses USC/USXT. I've been dabbling with Daz for a little over a year now, and was lucky enough that I could grant myself the luxury of getting my art computer (with a 3060 and 32GB RAM) a few weeks into learning.

    WOW.. you learn fast... I'm STILL learning and it's been almost 10years for me!  Not sure I could get the same effect with my panel... It looks great!  Very similar to a train ride we took in Utah :)

  • Llola LaneLlola Lane Posts: 9,289

    FYI everyone.. I'm yawning... I'll be back later this morning... So if I don't respond... please forgive my sleepiness.  Stay well... POOF!

This discussion has been closed.