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generating a spongy object
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generating a spongy object // New Users
Post by Gaz0 // Dec 7, 2006, 8:05am
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Gaz0
Total Posts: 47
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Hello all,
I'm still working on illustrating microscopic organisms. And I need to create some spongy cell textures for an environment.
I think that to do it well I need more than just a painted on texture to make it work well. I've tried a few techniques, like object subtracting a hollow sphere to create a ring shape and then duplicating and resizing it to create a reef like thing, but I felt like the geometry would be gigantic after scaling it down and layering it.
I also tried to create a bubbly object by duplicating a sphere using "create spline of object", but that didn't quite look right.
Here are a couple pictures of what I am looking for.
Thanks,
David |
Post by daybe // Dec 7, 2006, 8:16am
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daybe
Total Posts: 562
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Hey Dave,
I did a similar thing last year, here is the link to the image (http://www.caligari.com/gallery/imagesgallery/2005/Mar/image.asp?Cate=GImages&img=1274&email=dfroude@sympatico.ca&name=Dave%20Froude).
I used the plastiforms tool on a cube, perhaps a sphere would have been better, just try and and play with the settings, it worked out pretty well. As for a texture I think darktree shaders has 1, if you need it, it can be found at www.darksim.com
Let me know if you need some help. |
Post by Chester Desmond // Dec 7, 2006, 9:55am
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Chester Desmond
Total Posts: 323
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That's a really cool image Daybe!
gaz0 you could also try a rounded cylinder with a fairly high resoilution and add noise to the vertices. I used MeshForge but you might be able to find an alternative way in the vertex jiggle thread
http://forums1.caligari.com/truespace/showthread.php?t=1630.
combine that with Daybe's darksim suggestion (I used the Xray shader) and it might start you down the road.. |
Post by daybe // Dec 7, 2006, 10:01am
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daybe
Total Posts: 562
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Thanks Chester, Ya that's the one. |
Post by TomG // Dec 7, 2006, 12:05pm
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TomG
Total Posts: 3397
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I think a combination of techniques would work well. Here I am thinking of the green stuff in the right hand image, as it looks spongy.
First, I would make bumps and ripples in the surface using geometry. The deform tool on a plane could be good for that.
For the smaller dimples and holes, I would use a bump map, to give a rough and pitted appearance.
For the shader, one of the electron microscope style ones as mentioned here. There's DarkTree and ShaderLab (http://www.tmgcgart.com/ShaderLab/html/tg_pack_1.htm) and Shader Magic, and each has such a shader. This will not only give the same look as your image, but will exagerrate the bump map too.
That may be enough. The next tricks get more involved :) You could go for a color shader that works with depth - for example, GemsNStones for ShaderLab (http://www.tmgcgart.com/ShaderLab/html/shader_listing_2.htm#GemsNstones) actually renders different layers and opacities, so it's like "seeing into" a 3D structure - and if you move to the side, you see different aspects of the structure. Not that you can tell that in the image on the page there. There is a preset called Tubules (if I remember the name right) that does that sort of thing. The snag is it wouldn't match up to your bump map though, so may not look good (and can be slow to render, it's computationally expensive).
Next you could place copies of the object one under the other, with a tiny separation between each. You could then use a procedural transparency shader that used World co-ordinates rather than UV to generate noise in the transparency. Stacked on top of each other like that would simulate a 3D volume like a sponge, with holes you can see into etc. Again would risk being slow. ShaderLab would be capable of having transparency from World co-ordinates, and I would guess ShaderMagic and Darktree would too.
Mix and match those techniques above, and you should be able to get some good results I think.
HTH!
Tom |
Post by Gaz0 // Dec 7, 2006, 1:02pm
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Gaz0
Total Posts: 47
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Hey Chester,
I installed the mesh forge plug in and added some noise to my object. That worked out great for selling and enhansing the texture I had already applied. I tried to duplicate the great image you posted but I couldn't find the Xray shader. Where is that located?
Daybe,
I checked out the Darksim website, and unstalled their shader plug-in. They look really good. Thanks.
Tom,
Thanks for the tips I'll have to work on your suggestions tomorrow. Today I was having some issues with tS7 shutting down when I used the plastiform tool. When moving the sphere through the object, it would simply crash (it happened 3 times in a row). Also I couldn't scale the deforming sphere as small as I would have wanted to. It would scale down a little from the default size, but then it wouldn't shrink any further... it was odd.
thank you all,
David |
Post by jamesmc // Dec 7, 2006, 2:48pm
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jamesmc
Total Posts: 2566
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Here's a sponge bump map I made. Not sure how it will work with displacement procedures in tS though.
One in greyscale and the other with a slightly green tint. |
Post by Chester Desmond // Dec 7, 2006, 6:36pm
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Chester Desmond
Total Posts: 323
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I tried to duplicate the great image you posted but I couldn't find the Xray shader. Where is that located?
It should be in the 'techno' category in the Simbiont TS folder, or in the material library called Metal + Techno..I got Darktree off one of the paks, but it looks like its the same as the download from Darkling. |
Post by Gaz0 // Dec 14, 2006, 5:06am
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Gaz0
Total Posts: 47
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Hello,
It's been a while, but I'm back with an update of this project. I had tried using the plastiform tool but it was causing crashes. If I could get it to work, then it looked very blocky. Instead, I wound up using metaballs to make the big blobby shape. Then I did some object subtractions of spheres to make pits.
The end result looks very plastic. Very, very Rex the Dinasaur from Toy Story. It's not exactly what I am going for. If anyone has tips, they would be greatly appreciated.
I had the various bacteria shaded with the Xray shader, but when I tried to render the animation, it crashed Ts7. Has anyone else had this problem? Do the Simbiont shaders tend to crash when animated? I had tweaked the shader to increase the opacity to 98, and changed the colors(to match the image I had posted).
thanks,
David |
Post by Gaz0 // Dec 14, 2006, 6:24am
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Gaz0
Total Posts: 47
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Here is a new render from this morning.
I am using the x-ray texture, but it looks very rough around the edges (and this is a still because it crashes when I do a sequence).
Oh, and I made some twiggy little blobs, and dirtied up the image... It's better, but still not right.
-David |
Post by Gaz0 // Dec 15, 2006, 4:50am
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Gaz0
Total Posts: 47
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Hello,
Here is my latest render. It features harsher, more directional lighting. There is also a green blob further in the background. The green texture still isn't right though. is needs to be murkier, spongier, and less plastic. Any tips?
-David |
Post by spacekdet // Dec 18, 2006, 9:48am
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spacekdet
Total Posts: 1360
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Less shine, more diffuse.
If you can get your hands on "U|V Cellular Displacement" shader give that a try.
Now, where's my can of Lysol!? |
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