UltraScenery [Commercial]

AnEye4Art

Jason Galterio said:

Here is my contribution for today:

I am using a custom height map (more on that below), Features: Pond 1, Ecology: Harpwood 3, Water: Ocean Blue.

The house is the Autumn Cottage, which also included the bench and the bench swing. The reeds came from Ecology 1, and scattered using UltraScatterPro.

The skydome is from High Peaks.

Straight render, no post processing.

Attached is an example of the height map and masks. I didn't include the originals because they are 5000x5000 each.

Clockwise from upper left hand corner:
Base height map. I purposefully made this fairly chaotic and warped. I wanted some extremes on the elevation changes because I knew the Pond feature would even it out.
Coastline mask. This was initially planned for use use to populate items along the waters edge. However, the Pond format changed where there water fell. So I used it for the placement of some of the bushes.
Medium and high elevation mask. I wanted the larger trees to be isolated to the rises.
Overall surface mask. For everything else. Very simply put, all the places land would be if I hadn't imposed the Pond format.

I made the masks using Photoshop by using the color select function and varying the tolerance (with the continuous function off). This allowed me to pick specific elevations and either delete them or fill them in with a solid color. Duplicating the original height map as different layers allowed me to switch between the selections to fine tune the affect.Other programs should have very similar functionality.

The height map itself was created using Filter Forge. 

 Looks good but I do not see the effect of your mask on the terrain.

Daventaki

dawnblade said:

Thank you for all the masks, @Daventaki! Regarding the greyscale mask, try making one as a .png to see if you get better results.

Your Welcome!  I will try that don't know why I didn't in the first place guess old habits die hard.  Maybe do a comparison to see if theres any difference.

Jason Galterio

creationz8 said:

Jason Galterio said:

Here is my contribution for today:

I am using a custom height map (more on that below), Features: Pond 1, Ecology: Harpwood 3, Water: Ocean Blue.

The house is the Autumn Cottage, which also included the bench and the bench swing. The reeds came from Ecology 1, and scattered using UltraScatterPro.

The skydome is from High Peaks.

Straight render, no post processing.

Attached is an example of the height map and masks. I didn't include the originals because they are 5000x5000 each.

Clockwise from upper left hand corner:
Base height map. I purposefully made this fairly chaotic and warped. I wanted some extremes on the elevation changes because I knew the Pond feature would even it out.
Coastline mask. This was initially planned for use use to populate items along the waters edge. However, the Pond format changed where there water fell. So I used it for the placement of some of the bushes.
Medium and high elevation mask. I wanted the larger trees to be isolated to the rises.
Overall surface mask. For everything else. Very simply put, all the places land would be if I hadn't imposed the Pond format.

I made the masks using Photoshop by using the color select function and varying the tolerance (with the continuous function off). This allowed me to pick specific elevations and either delete them or fill them in with a solid color. Duplicating the original height map as different layers allowed me to switch between the selections to fine tune the affect.Other programs should have very similar functionality.

The height map itself was created using Filter Forge. 

 Looks good but I do not see the effect of your mask on the terrain.

Here you go...

I unparented the UltraScatter instances from the UltraScene prop. Then re-ran UltraScenery on the prop and kept all the settings the same, except I removed all of the masks.

I think this version would work with different lighting. Maybe a night HDR or storm clouds, Hidden in the trees gives it a more a spooky look.

DoctorJellybean

Jason Galterio said:

Here you go...

I unparented the UltraScatter instances from the UltraScene prop. Then re-ran UltraScenery on the prop and kept all the settings the same, except I removed all of the masks.

I think this version would work with different lighting. Maybe a night HDR or storm clouds, Hidden in the trees gives it a more a spooky look.

Very nice indeed. What's that square in the right corner, the prop?

Jason Galterio

DoctorJellybean said:

Jason Galterio said:

Here you go...

I unparented the UltraScatter instances from the UltraScene prop. Then re-ran UltraScenery on the prop and kept all the settings the same, except I removed all of the masks.

I think this version would work with different lighting. Maybe a night HDR or storm clouds, Hidden in the trees gives it a more a spooky look.

Very nice indeed. What's that square in the right corner, the prop?

The swing set, I believe. It's fairly obscured by the trees and the shadows of the trees.

alexhcowley

My first venture deep into the darkest interior of Howie Farke’s UltraScenery V1.2.0. It’s river 2, oaks 11 with extended forest turned on and a mask I created in Corel Photopaint using Howie’s river 2 height map 2 as a template. The building is preset 3 from Faveral’s modular medieval village set.

Cheers,

Alex.

barbult

Gogger said:

Man, every time I use UltraScenery, I think it is the best thing EVER, then I use it again and think it is even better than before.  Howie knocked this one out of the park!  

This is today's peaceful rendering with UltraScenery.



 

That's really nice, with the DOF and the foggy distance.
I agree that UltraScenery keeps getting better, even when it was already great. Look how long this commercial thread is (62 pages as of now) and running for 6 months! 99% of it is user raves, not user problems! I think all that is pretty unusual for a Daz product commercial thread. Let's keep it going. We learn a lot from each other here. 

ZippyGuitar

dawnblade said:

Jason Galterio said:

barbult said:

Thank you @barbult for the mask lesson! Yes, I was referring to the new feature. I used it here! Still need to add animals, etc. 

 

My word, that's beautiful. I want to live there. 

Oso3D

Jason Galterio: I prefer the version with the clear area around the house. It TOTALLY looks like places I've walked past.

 

All in all, folks, you are doing amazing renders.

kennrowe_f558b276d6

barbult said:

Gogger said:

Let's keep it going. We learn a lot from each other here. 

I wholeheartedly agree. I would not have gotten anywhere near as much enjoyment from UltraScenery without the helpful tips and presets of barbult  Jason Galterio,Daventaki,Divamakeup,3dOutlaw and the inspiration from so many great renders. Thank you all. 

Jason Galterio

kennrowe_f558b276d6 said:

barbult said:

Gogger said:

Let's keep it going. We learn a lot from each other here. 

I wholeheartedly agree. I would not have gotten anywhere near as much enjoyment from UltraScenery without the helpful tips and presets of barbult  Jason Galterio,Daventaki,Divamakeup,3dOutlaw and the inspiration from so many great renders. Thank you all. 

Always happy to help. Most of my "tips" come from boneheaded mistakes that I make. So my pain is hopefully someone else's gain. :)

Oso3D said:

Jason Galterio: I prefer the version with the clear area around the house. It TOTALLY looks like places I've walked past.

 

All in all, folks, you are doing amazing renders.

Thanks! I originally did the "cluttered" one just to show that the masks did work. However, I liked it in a sort of overgrown way that leant itself to a more dark render. I did promise myself I would retire the scene now. Three renders with the same camera is more than enough.

Daventaki

After further testing it doesn't seem to matter if the edges are soft are not at least not noticable to my eyes.  Same with using jpg vs png as far as I could tell they looked pretty much the same except for the gradients the jpg gradients will sometimes generate folage in the black area the png did not (see attached). Did figure out that when you rerun the script some of the trees do move (not that that is particularly suprising but originally thought they stayed the same if using the same settings and Ultrascene)

This zip includes 18 random masks feel free to use, modify or trash however you want.

dawnblade

Daventaki said:

After further testing it doesn't seem to matter if the edges are soft are not at least not noticable to my eyes.  Same with using jpg vs png as far as I could tell they looked pretty much the same except for the gradients the jpg gradients will sometimes generate folage in the black area the png did not (see attached). Did figure out that when you rerun the script some of the trees do move (not that that is particularly suprising but originally thought they stayed the same if using the same settings and Ultrascene)

This zip includes 18 random masks feel free to use, modify or trash however you want.

Thanks so much for these masks. I also thought that if default settings were used that the landscape wouldn't change from build to build. But if you change any of the seed values then you get more random results.

@GlenWebb: Thank you! 

Daventaki

So for this one I wanted a more controlled gathering of  trees sometime like what you would see in a meadow in front of a country house.  Think I will revisit this later maybe add a 2nd set behind with more trees extending into the horizon a little more.  Maybe more hills and a different HDRI this one is the default.

mcorr

Oh man...  The update is out?

I don’t see it. When was the last update posted?

DoctorJellybean

mcorr said:

Oh man...  The update is out?

I don’t see it. When was the last update posted?

3 Days ago.

mcorr

DoctorJellybean said:

mcorr said:

Oh man...  The update is out?

I don’t see it. When was the last update posted?

3 Days ago.

Uhmmmmm ... I’ve downloaded what’s in my product library, but can’t find any files that show a recent creation date. What updated files, in what folder, shoukd I be looking for to confirm that I am looking at the update? Or in the alternative, what is the new version number? I am also wondering what exactly was updated? Are there new functionalities, or only bug fixes?

DoctorJellybean

mcorr said:

DoctorJellybean said:

mcorr said:

Oh man...  The update is out?

I don’t see it. When was the last update posted?

3 Days ago.

Uhmmmmm ... I’ve downloaded what’s in my product library, but can’t find any files that show a recent creation date. What updated files, in what folder, shoukd I be looking for to confirm that I am looking at the update? Or in the alternative, what is the new version number? I am also wondering what exactly was updated? Are there new functionalities, or only bug fixes?

The version number is 1.2.0, and there are some new features listed a few pages back.

AnEye4Art

Daventaki said:

After further testing it doesn't seem to matter if the edges are soft are not at least not noticable to my eyes.  Same with using jpg vs png as far as I could tell they looked pretty much the same except for the gradients the jpg gradients will sometimes generate folage in the black area the png did not (see attached). Did figure out that when you rerun the script some of the trees do move (not that that is particularly suprising but originally thought they stayed the same if using the same settings and Ultrascene)

This zip includes 18 random masks feel free to use, modify or trash however you want.

You're awesome!! I will test these and hopefully start making my own once ideas come to me. Thanks.

Gogger

Well, it was bound to happen eventually. What with all these forest renders it was only a matter of time before there was a Sasquatch siting.  :)

Oso3D

Daventaki: Really nice country house. And yeah, it desperately needs a good hdri, maybe a tiny amount of haze/matte fog, and more dof.

 

But delightful.

 

mcorr

Oh boy oh boy ... just saw the pages on the thread that mention what has been added in the update (almost done reading all 62 pages) and I am stoked to the max about them ... will install the update and devote thevweekend to this ... thank you Howie!!

mcorr

The masks should be really useful in cutting down resource use, like when you mask out thousands of instances in an area that can’t be seen in the camera’s view of angle (due to being hidden behind trees, being too far away, or whatever).

mcorr

Daventaki said:

After further testing it doesn't seem to matter if the edges are soft are not at least not noticable to my eyes.  Same with using jpg vs png as far as I could tell they looked pretty much the same except for the gradients the jpg gradients will sometimes generate folage in the black area the png did not (see attached). Did figure out that when you rerun the script some of the trees do move (not that that is particularly suprising but originally thought they stayed the same if using the same settings and Ultrascene)

This zip includes 18 random masks feel free to use, modify or trash however you want.

Awesome ... thank you!!

dawnblade

Daventaki said:

So for this one I wanted a more controlled gathering of  trees sometime like what you would see in a meadow in front of a country house.  Think I will revisit this later maybe add a 2nd set behind with more trees extending into the horizon a little more.  Maybe more hills and a different HDRI this one is the default.

Looks great! Which country house is it? Store needs more Iray cottages too. Howie has one but I think it is for Carrara.

Daventaki

dawnblade said:

Daventaki said:

So for this one I wanted a more controlled gathering of  trees sometime like what you would see in a meadow in front of a country house.  Think I will revisit this later maybe add a 2nd set behind with more trees extending into the horizon a little more.  Maybe more hills and a different HDRI this one is the default.

Looks great! Which country house is it? Store needs more Iray cottages too. Howie has one but I think it is for Carrara.

Harwood House it is great, little resource heavy. You can load in separate room props ect.   This image was done in the kitchen and this one is on the front porch.  Hmm I thought I had one of the whole house but I don't see it uploaded.  Makes a great country house for US!

dawnblade

Daventaki said:

dawnblade said:

Daventaki said:

So for this one I wanted a more controlled gathering of  trees sometime like what you would see in a meadow in front of a country house.  Think I will revisit this later maybe add a 2nd set behind with more trees extending into the horizon a little more.  Maybe more hills and a different HDRI this one is the default.

Looks great! Which country house is it? Store needs more Iray cottages too. Howie has one but I think it is for Carrara.

Harwood House it is great, little resource heavy. You can load in separate room props ect.   This image was done in the kitchen and this one is on the front porch.  Hmm I thought I had one of the whole house but I don't see it uploaded.  Makes a great country house for US!

Thanks! It's in the wishlist. Another one could be Collective3d Long Island Mansion.

barbult

I have a house in the woods picture made with masks, too. The gravel driveway and path and the rows of plants by the driveway were added with UltraScatterPro.

Daventaki

Very nice @Barbult!  Haven't thought about doing a drive/pathway with USP.  Like that house too and the hedge rows down the drive!

 

Everyones images are so wonderful and relaxing.

Fae3D

Daventaki said:

After further testing it doesn't seem to matter if the edges are soft are not at least not noticable to my eyes.  Same with using jpg vs png as far as I could tell they looked pretty much the same except for the gradients the jpg gradients will sometimes generate folage in the black area the png did not (see attached). Did figure out that when you rerun the script some of the trees do move (not that that is particularly suprising but originally thought they stayed the same if using the same settings and Ultrascene)

This zip includes 18 random masks feel free to use, modify or trash however you want.

Thank you very much for the masks!  I'm going to try to play around with them tonight.