Waves at night

[rossk]

I've been working on a "waves at night with moon" scene for a bit. I think it needs more work, especially with the fog, but I'm sure there is more to improve. I want it to look as photoreal as possible, but I need to find some reference photos or head out to the lake one of these nights to see how it really looks. Any critiques or comments would be great.

 

I'll try to explain more, especially the problems I'm having with the fog, when I have the time, but I have a busy day ahead so I need to go to sleep.

 

Thanks,

--Ross

[robcat2075]

First thing I notice... the horizon isn't flat. Unless we're looking at the top of a huge wave and not the horizon, the horizon will be flat because it's so far away that the height of any waves on it will be negligible.

 

But the water looks great!

[DanCBradbury]

Dude! that is awesome! did you use a displacement map?

 

the only thing i do notice that's a little off in your pic is that the moon is way to bright, and it's really realy yellow and the light reflecting off the water is not. Other than that, nice pic of a very turbulant ocean. Can I see your wireframe?

 

you should add some white caps and stuff now.

[dborruso]

The scene doesnt have much depth as it is. I agree the horizon should be flat. The wave size should really diminish to create depth. I think maybe the water is a little too black too. Kind of looks like tar. Maybe a little more of a color to the sky that reflects in the water other than just black and gray. I think the moon is kinda too yellow too. I don't ever think I've seen a moon that bright and yellow.

 

It's a great start though. I think the waves look cool.

[ddustin]

First off, it looks really good.

I would also like to know if you used a bump map.

 

The yellow moon immediately brought back memories of youth....

 

There doesn't seem to be much depth in the image.

The waves farther away from the camera would be smaller etc.

The fog kind of looks like looks like mist on the lens.

 

Also, if it's a lake scene (must be a big lake) there may be a disconnect between waves that high (indicating a bunch of wind) and fog. Most times when it's windy, there isn't much fog. I think that's why my brain kicked it out

 

What if the scene were a little bigger, and you had where you could see the other side of the lake, like trees and maybe something farther back?? Just a thought.

 

If it's an ocean scene it could have fog with waves that large, but it would be thicker fog on the ocean.

I don't live on an ocean, so my opinion is a little weak here.

 

Do get discouraged by the critiques, you're doing great!!

 

David

[rossk]

Thanks for the critiques everyone. Yep, I'm using a displacement to create the waves and a bump map to try to give some sparkle or something to the water... I think... I'm actually not sure exactly what that bump map is doing for the image so maybe I'll try rendering one without it too.

 

I've brought down the brightness of the moon now and changed the color of the light to be a little yellowish. I will probably try to extend the wave plane quite a way to try to get a flat horizon. Are there any tricks that would allow me to "create" a flat horizon without actually extending the water plane so far? Like could I possibly use an expression on the scale of the displacement material so that as it goes back in the Z-axis that the X and Y scale will shrink?

 

I think I'll probably lessen the amount of waves some so that I can mess around with fog.

 

Thanks again everyone for the advice,

--Ross

[rossk]

Hey again,

I've been looking into using an expression to decrease amount that the wave material displaces the water plane as the water plane recedes in the z-axis. I can't quite figure it out... any ideas? or better alternatives to create that flat horizon?

 

Thanks again,

--Ross

[KenH]

Take a screenshot of your displacement map (as a colour map above your sea plane). Bring it into photoshop and add a gradient map fading out the waves to the horizon. Save and re-decal it as a displacement map on your sea model.

Probably not the best way though.

[robcat2075]

I've been looking into using an expression to decrease amount that the wave material displaces the water plane as the water plane recedes in the z-axis. I can't quite figure it out... any ideas? or better alternatives to create that flat horizon?

it won't be enough for the waves to reduce their height inthe distance, they would need to scale in all dimensions.

 

One trick I saw in an old 3D book was to make the plane hi density in the foreground and low density farther out. Use hooks to reduce the density of your mesh. the last few patches could be stretched WAY out to the horizon.

[rossk]

Thanks for the suggestions.

Both sound like good ideas and I've been working on implementing both. When I first did the photoshop trick, things looked pretty good, but all of the specular highlighting on the waves disappeared. So I added the displacement material again with a very low displacement percentage which successfully brought back the specularity, but also tiny specks of light appeared all over the waves where they shouldn't be. So I decided to go back to before the photoshopped displacement decal... and my specularity was still gone for some odd reason. I opened up an earlier version of my project before the previous test, then I decided to try reducing the mesh as Robcat suggested. I rendered it a few times, but as I tweaked things and played with the lighting to try to get the specular highlights lined up properly with where the moon would be reflecting, all of a sudden the project freezes everytime that I try rendering it.

 

Thats just the current update as of now. I'm done working on it tonight, but I'm sure I'll make time tommorow to work on it even if I don't have any time

[rossk]

Hey, I've reverted back to an older version of my project before it started freezing. I decided to try to use Robcat's idea about lowering the plane's density as it recedes towards the horizon. Its working quite well for its intending purpose but I'm having problems with the mesh rupturing due to the wave displacement material stretching it too far. The mesh is having this problem most likely (definately) from my shabby splinning techniques... so if someone could give me a hand that would be most excellent.

 

Thanks,

--Ross

 

p.s. is there any way to get rid of the bodies on the smiley faces? the bodies seem to be just taking up space without adding any additional message.

[rossk]

Any ideas anyone?

I'm completely stumped on this... I might just drop this project and focus everything on some other projects I'm doing.

[nf1nk]

If every thing is on a flat plane and it looks like it is perhaps the little curved sections near the back are causing problems, so maybe peak those splines.

My other thoght would be you could maybe roll the back edge down some so it rolls away like the horizon seems to. this way you don't have a hard edge, but instead have a gradient effect.

The second idea seems like it would work better sp I would try it first

[rossk]

Sounds good, I'll try working on that.. right now my render is freezing again... so looks like I should call it a night for now.

 

Thanks again for the help,

--Ross

[ddustin]

Sounds good, I'll try working on that.. right now my render is freezing again... so looks like I should call it a night for now.

 

Thanks again for the help,

--Ross

 

Render freezing!!!!!!

 

I just ran into that same issue. It had to do with having a patch with transparency with edges below (through another surface).

 

It was a tree panel, with transparency, where the transparent part was sticking down through the ground.

 

David

[rossk]

Hmm, thats odd. I haven't been really able to pinpoint the cause of the freeze yet... I'll keep messing around with it some and hopefully resolve the issue...