Beach environments

pixelquack

I'd appreciate beach environments like: plain old beach with vegetation in the background, or one with a promenade and a cafe, hotels in the background (not HDRi but low poly buildings or backdrops).

Then two specific details: sand that a) has options for credible footprints (dForce plane, collidible or whatever is easily doable, then have invisible item props of footprints that you can drag into the scene and deform the sand but set invisible in the render), and b) a waterline where it's actually wet. I think a large decal could help here.

"Secluded Island" is a good base for example but lacks first and foremost footprints, and collisions are not an option as the ground plane does not have the level of subdivisions needed.

lou_harper

If you search for beach or promenade you'll find quite a few products. But Seaside Walkway Vignette seems to fit the best what you describe.

PerttiA

Searching the forums with Google returned quite a number of threads, but check these to start;

https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/comment/3442961/#Comment_3442961
https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/comment/4304956/#Comment_4304956
https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/comment/7051746/#Comment_7051746

 

pixelquack

@lou: seen that, might do with some shaders added, is on WL. Could be larger.

@ParttiA: I'll see what can be compiled into a workflow with reasonable effort. 

chris-2599934

Gonna be tricky to make a beach of any size with enough polys to make footprints in.

I suggest starting with a beach product that you like, use a deformer to put a big dent in the area where you want the footprints to appear, then patch the hole with a plane primitive with enough polys to do the job. Use the same materials on the plane as on the beach, and use rocks or seaweed or whatever else to mask the joint between the patch and the surrounding beach.

pixelquack

Can one have gradient alpha maps so the edges fade out? Materials could be compiled from the parent object. 

Laurita

I still wonder if it couldn't be possible to create decals for footprints or tracks.

pixelquack

The thing with decals is that they don't add geometry - they'll look right from a certain angle but being on the ground such footprints often would reveal they are only "stickers". Hmm..... Footprint billboards with rotation scripts...