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Pathway to Righteousness
About Truespace Archives
These pages are a copy of the official truespace forums prior to their removal somewhere around 2011.
They are retained here for archive purposes only.
Pathway to Righteousness // Work in Progress
Post by tahnoak // Dec 31, 2008, 8:41am
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tahnoak
Total Posts: 487
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Finis...thanks for taking the time to analyze the scene.
For me, the sun often represents an end goal, but for this scene it is not THE goal. Essentially what the sun symbolizes is rebirth/renewal. The fences represent the boundaries (both real and imagined) which hinder us from doing various things in our lives. The area beyond the fences and to the mountains symbolizes opportunity. By stepping beyond the fences and as Tom Petty sang "Into the great wide open" we MAY be on the pathway to righteousness. We may not be but the fences which bound us are no longer there and the decisions are ours to make.
One of the things that I love about doing this is it does not really matter what my take on it is. What is cool is that you can have a different take, and you did, which is perfect. |
Post by kena // Dec 31, 2008, 8:49am
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kena
Total Posts: 2321
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for the shadows... Move your Light source more to the right of the picture and it should swing the shadows left to align with the sun. |
Post by tahnoak // Dec 31, 2008, 8:52am
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tahnoak
Total Posts: 487
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Yep, just did it. Now I am torn about adding a lens flare or not....hmmm, thoughts? |
Post by kena // Dec 31, 2008, 11:53am
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kena
Total Posts: 2321
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Lense Flare is overrated. It's ok if it actually makes a point. But otherwise, it often detracts from the overall picture.
Take a look at a render with and without to decide. If you do a lense flare, you may want to make it so small that most people will not conciously notice it. Up to you though. |
Post by tahnoak // Dec 31, 2008, 11:57am
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tahnoak
Total Posts: 487
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I did it and it does not look right. It detracts from the overall scene. Thanks. |
Post by nigec // Dec 31, 2008, 3:47pm
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nigec
Total Posts: 314
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heres my two pence worth
how about using small pieces of terrain at the base of each fence post, so they look, well for a better word grounded, something like:
(wow what an awful quality pic!) |
Post by tahnoak // Dec 31, 2008, 5:07pm
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tahnoak
Total Posts: 487
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Great idea Nigec. I have been looking at the posts and could not put my finger on what bothered me about them, but you nailed it. Thanks. I will put that in the top 5 things to fix on it :D |
Post by nigec // Dec 31, 2008, 10:24pm
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nigec
Total Posts: 314
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that idea did come at silly oclock in the morning lol
You can also do it with grass, but it will make render times longer, its hard to get the size right to suit the otherise textured terrian and you've got to make sure blades aren't coming through the posts, that looks really odd! |
Post by tahnoak // Jan 2, 2009, 11:02am
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tahnoak
Total Posts: 487
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Updated screenie. I added some terrain to the base of most of the posts to give it a more realistic look of being implanted in the ground. I also added a dim area light in the foreground to reveal a little bit of the detail on the fence that is hidden in shadows. If you were standing there you would see something (unless your eyes were closed :D )
Now I need to work on the old tractor. I have been dreading this part but I'll never learn if I don't do it. |
Post by kena // Jan 2, 2009, 11:26am
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kena
Total Posts: 2321
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try the Truespace and Vue Tutorial by Stephen (http://www.caligari.com/products/trueSpace/ts5/Courses/trueSpaceVue.asp?Cate=Training&Subcate=Fundamental) for basics on building a machine. Also My Tires WIP (http://forums1.caligari.com/truespace/showthread.php?t=5099) was inspired by it and shows a nifty way to make Tire treads. |
Post by tahnoak // Jan 2, 2009, 11:35am
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tahnoak
Total Posts: 487
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try the Truespace and Vue Tutorial by Stephen (http://www.caligari.com/products/trueSpace/ts5/Courses/trueSpaceVue.asp?Cate=Training&Subcate=Fundamental) for basics on building a machine. Also My Tires WIP (http://forums1.caligari.com/truespace/showthread.php?t=5099) was inspired by it and shows a nifty way to make Tire treads.
Thanks fo the suggestions. Yep, I have been working through your tires WIP for a part of the day and am getting there. I think I may only show a part of the tractor (cop out, I know) :D |
Post by Breech Block // Jan 2, 2009, 4:25pm
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Breech Block
Total Posts: 844
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Another great scene Tahnoak. The only thing that really leaps out as being amiss to me is the clear division of light quality between your foreground model and your backplate image. You either need to darken one or lighten the other. Or a bit of both. If you look carefully at the position of the sun in your background plate and the fact it has almost disappeared over the horizon, how is your foreground being bathed in light. And in one that seems of a higher temperture. I also think the shadows would be longer. How have you calculated the angle of your lights to cast the shadows? If you haven't done so already, try this. Go to your camera view and render your image to screen. Then and a cube primitive where the sun appears. Position the cube way, way, back. re render to screen and make double sure the cube is still aligned to where the sun is appearing. Then place an infinite light at ground level in the centre of your scene. Next, use the look at tool to make the light point at the cube. Check out the angle of the light in the object info panel and then subtract/add 180 degrees. HTH. |
Post by tahnoak // Jan 2, 2009, 6:18pm
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tahnoak
Total Posts: 487
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Breech. I know what you mean about the lighting. It has been gnawing at me all day. It almost looks like a soundstage for a television show or a movie set. So yeah, I think I need to fade the lighting off into the distance somehow to make it blend a bit better than it does. It is supposed to be a sunrise but I know what you mean about it being almost too bright.
Thanks for the tip on using the cube. I was trying to eyeball it to figure out a way to ensure the lights were lined up with the source (sun). The shadows have always seemed too light to me as well but I was not sure what I could do to fix that without making the light brighter. I will keep messing with that part. It is a challenge for me (along with the old tractor).
The only things holding me back are the fact that I need to spend more time on the MMC and I finally got COD-4 World at War to work on my computer and I have been doing WAY to much of that already. :D |
Post by kena // Jan 2, 2009, 9:08pm
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kena
Total Posts: 2321
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I know what you mean about the lighting. That and textures can take a very long time. |
Post by tahnoak // Jan 4, 2009, 4:26am
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tahnoak
Total Posts: 487
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Updated screenie using Breech's suggestions. Turns out my problem was twofold; first, my infinite light was not in correct alignment with the angle of the sun (great tip Breech) and the second problem is that I had too many extraneous lights in the scene that I had forgotten about. I had to use the scene editor to find all the lights and then remove them.
Now this is more like it, I think anyways :banana: |
Post by Mr. 3d // Jan 4, 2009, 5:26am
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Mr. 3d
Total Posts: 747
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This is very nice looking tahnoak ! I also like your title. for some reason, it kind of reminds me of the movie 'Purgatory". Are you going to have a cross marking a grave at the end of the path (graveyard) ? |
Post by kena // Jan 4, 2009, 5:54am
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kena
Total Posts: 2321
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good work. the shadows match and you can see the puddles as well. Try not to give in too much on the tractor. These might help:
http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup.php?id=7573728
http://www.speedextractorinformation.com/MODELHISTORY.html |
Post by tahnoak // Jan 4, 2009, 5:56am
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tahnoak
Total Posts: 487
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This is very nice looking tahnoak ! I also like your title. for some reason, it kind of reminds me of the movie 'Purgatory". Are you going to have a cross marking a grave at the end of the path (graveyard) ?
You know what, I had not thought of it but I think it would fit nicely. Sometimes when embark upon a path it does not always end the way we would like it to. I think an old worn cross would symbolize that very well. Great idea!!!! |
Post by tahnoak // Jan 4, 2009, 5:57am
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tahnoak
Total Posts: 487
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I have been looking all over for good schematics for tractors. Thanks Kena. |
Post by Breech Block // Jan 4, 2009, 10:34am
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Breech Block
Total Posts: 844
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Updated screenie using Breech's suggestions...my infinite light was not in correct alignment with the angle of the sun (great tip Breech)
No problemo...the results are a great improvement.
However, that said, IMO it still looks, to use your words, like a TV set. I think the problem is the quality of your background plate. You don't specify whether you have placed the image on a plane and are actually rendering in-scene, or whether you are using truespace to insert it into the background. There are pros and cons to both methods. Either way, you will need to adjust the quality of the image. If you can, you need your image to be of a far higher resolution as yours definitely looks out of synch with your image. You also need to adjust the gamma of the image - down by about 20%. The image below, which is a very rough composite, shows what kind of effect that would bring to your final render. HTH. |
Post by tahnoak // Jan 4, 2009, 11:46am
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tahnoak
Total Posts: 487
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Updated, thanks for the feedback Breech. I used GIMP to modify the contrast and darken the shadows. I am using the image as a background image and it is not on a plane. |
Post by kena // Jan 4, 2009, 1:40pm
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kena
Total Posts: 2321
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I have been looking all over for good schematics for tractors. Thanks Kena.
always glad to help! |
Post by Breech Block // Jan 4, 2009, 4:44pm
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Breech Block
Total Posts: 844
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That's a heck of a lot better. It's starting to look really good now, tahnoak. |
Post by tahnoak // Jan 4, 2009, 4:51pm
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tahnoak
Total Posts: 487
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Thanks Breech Block. Just a few minor details to go....the dreaded tractor and still trying to figure out a way to fit an old small and worn cross into the scene. It may not make it in but I would like it to. |
Post by Finis // Jan 5, 2009, 7:07am
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Finis
Total Posts: 386
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Almost photographic. Great mood.
It has look to it that is hard to achieve. The look of everything fitting together. Your pictures usually have this.
When an artist achieves this harmony among the components of a composition it is sometimes spoiled by the details. I like to squint or look just off the edge of a picture. This often reveals if the larger elements are harmonious. Then look back at the details and any that need work to fit will stand out.
I mentioned the fence posts being more like boards than posts. I understand that you might make a sign with boards but I didn't quite understand why the posts are thin. Sounds like you have a plan though so I'll wait and see.
The difference on the ground between the path area and the enclosed areas is barely visible now. |
Post by tahnoak // Jan 5, 2009, 7:22am
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tahnoak
Total Posts: 487
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Thanks Finis...I always try to set some sort of mood with my scenes. I have resigned myself to the fact that while I can't do the kinds of things that a lot of you all can do (detailed models and such) because I get impatient :D I can create a scene with atmosphere that maybe someone who can model something that needs a good scene can use. Some day I will spend more time on my detailed modeling but I am having fun just working on atmosphere and scenes.
Good observation about the fence boards and you are right, I do have a grand plan but ultimately I forgot to change those :D |
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