I tried using the lanscape thing mate...couldnt get it to work?? I used pulldts after installing python script....couldnt get oit to work so I am VERY interested mate..if you have time one day? Being a Surveyor this COULD be something I could use at work as well.

cheer bullet

Just learned vue from geek at play and messing around myself. I found the best way to create a terrain was to pull an image from google maps of the area I was wanting to recreate. I then convert this to a grayscale image and use photoshop to lessen black and white areas such as roads and buildings. I then use this image as an alpha brush in zbrush and project it onto a flat poly plane that has been subdivide a shed load. ( I will give an exact amount at a later date where I will try to go into more detail.) with the image projected onto the plane I use the layer brush on a low setting to raise the area. I can then use ref images to sculpt the look of the area inside zbrush as I now have a good template to work from. Once I am happy I can take the model into Vue and begin setting up materials and eco systems. I also try to keep roads and buildings in my alpha as I can now see faintly where they are on the model. This enables me to put the buildings and roads exactly where they should be inside Maya. This is a rough guide to my workflow on this although I will go into more detail on my other thread when I get the chance.

Below is a project I worked on some time ago. The area is in Norway and it was to promote the company's hydro power technology. Unfortunately I could not render out the full animation in time for them where the camera starts above the clouds and then goes across the landscape before moving underwater showing there technology. I am waiting on work to get a new version of vue in the next few weeks and will then hopefully render the full video as I need to be able to use vue in along with maya 2011. Also the render times on this are not terrible and are around 5 mins a frame at 720p. This is on a high end hp machine though as Vue does require a lot of processor power and ram.

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d.../Processed.jpg

Not sure if my method will work for surveying as it is not 100 percent accurate and is more of a close representation of an area but hope it may be of use to you.

Cheers

That is nice mate...I like it! Nah not so much for accurate stuff...more to represent what the client perceives as his land etc.


Check this out mate....it may interest you. I believe you would be able to ose the PULLSDTS program by putting the heights in by hand and tricking the program.

cheers bullet


http://www.creativecrash.com/tutoria...placement#tabs

BTW mate...I couldnt get the program to run as per the other guys in the thread, I dont know programming so I gave up.

Cheers for breaking that down leon, I hadnt conidered exporting zbrush geometry to vue. Still early days in my study of the program, only rendered two things out so far, one of which is at the end of my matte painting thread. I shall keep an eye out for your yellowstone thread.

Congratulations by the way on the job. I remember way back when you were in the process of looking... A process I shall be starting myself soon. May pm you to get some ideas on where/how to go about it.

Ok been working on a load of character riggs but finally got the modeling of this beast done. Will begin texturing soon.

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...yk/Hmvcopy.png

Cheers Ben, mainly worked freelance for a couple of years but was close to quiting 3d as a career due to clients. Thankfully I finally now have a job and hope that the work I complete over the next 2 years will get me to where I hope to be.

Another model I have been working on. Found a great script that allowed me to put the feathers on in know time. Still need to texture what lies under the feathers.

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...byk/Falcon.jpg

DIG the falcon dude!! wow that is nice...the hummer looks pretty cool now it is an environment of sorts..cant wait for the texture!

cheers bullet

Great work on both! Love it. I can see a bit of sky through the feathers on the left wing though.

i love the hummer greatwork

Cheers guys,

Does anyone know how I can rig a bird wing so all of the feathers collapse in. From what I have found on the net it seems to be a tricky one, and being that I want to create a true representation I will probably need to hire someone to do the rigging for me. Please let me know if any of you have any tips or experience in this field.

I would look into a set driven key, so when the wings fold the feathers rotate, use the joint rotation as teh driver and the feathers as the driven.

Great work so far.

That's awesome. I love all the details. Can't wait to see the texture. Cheers

i think if you want a true representation, you should think about doing some fur/hair system.
I know the rigging on the duck in cadburys spots versus srtipes commercial was pretty tricky. that duck had a fur and hair system i believe. There were a few polygon feathers but not many.

i think the duck was rigged in a couple of different ways to try things out. sorry not sure about rigging things.

Will have an update on the Falcon in a week or so. Decided to get a pro to rig it as I was going round in circles and not really getting anywhere near the results I wanted. Hopefully I will be able to work out the method to do it for future work as he is screen capturing the whole thing. I am currently setting up a black hawk and here is how things are at the mo.

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...labyk/Hawk.jpg