My wife and I do some amateur photography, and have done a good job of
decorating our house with prints. The dining room has been an issue though.
I would love to put a three or four panel image up showing a large solitary
oak tree in winter, summer, fall, and spring. I can imagine it quite well,
but can't seem to find a good subject despite always keeping my eyes open.

I was thinking this weekend, heck, why not make my own reality. I'm getting
the hang of semi photo-realistic renderings with lots of detail in POV. I
may as well put it to good use.

Here are the fruits of my labor so far. I think I've got something that's
pretty close to realism for the focus of my image. I was hoping to get some
criticism it.

It's an xfrog model with texture maps applied. Rendered with a little
radiosity and one light source. One problem I'm having is getting the look
of filtered light through the leaves. I get some unrealistic dark spots
under the canopy. Making the leaves partially transparent doesn't seem to
do much unless I over do it. Then the leaves on the fringe are too
transparent. Any ideas?

Also, I mentioned above the 4 seasons idea. What can I do to differentiate
spring from summer? I'd like 4 distinct images. I was thinking a foggy
picture for spring with some small patches of snow?

Post a reply to this message

Attachments:
Download 'oak_tree_fall.jpg' (319 KB)

Preview of image 'oak_tree_fall.jpg'

"P Brewer" <pbj### [at] wowwaycom> wrote:

>
> It's an xfrog model with texture maps applied. Rendered with a little
> radiosity and one light source. One problem I'm having is getting the look
> of filtered light through the leaves. I get some unrealistic dark spots
> under the canopy. Making the leaves partially transparent doesn't seem to
> do much unless I over do it. Then the leaves on the fringe are too
> transparent. Any ideas?

I like the idea! I've had a similar problem with black spots on leaves - you
might try increasing the max_trace_level.

> Also, I mentioned above the 4 seasons idea. What can I do to differentiate
> spring from summer? I'd like 4 distinct images. I was thinking a foggy
> picture for spring with some small patches of snow?

For spring, you may want to add
- longer shadows
- shorter grass (and lighter in colour)
- leaf buds/smaller leaves

Rob.
www.fitzel.ca/dart

Post a reply to this message

web.453d3f591e377cd9918360b20@news.povray.org...
> under the canopy. Making the leaves partially transparent doesn't seem to
> do much unless I over do it. Then the leaves on the fringe are too
> transparent. Any ideas?
 you can try to put 2 copies of the leaves slightly drifted in position, one
with no transparency and "no-shadow", the other with shadow but "filter all
1" in the image_map statement.

Marc

Post a reply to this message

"P Brewer" <pbj### [at] wowwaycom> schreef in bericht 
news:web.453d3f591e377cd9918360b20@news.povray.org...
>
> Also, I mentioned above the 4 seasons idea. What can I do to differentiate
> spring from summer? I'd like 4 distinct images. I was thinking a foggy
> picture for spring with some small patches of snow?
>

The tint of leaves in spring are very different from those in summer. 
Depending on the type of tree, you may get slightly rusty green to pale 
yellow green in spring, while those same trees show a much darker green 
during summer.

Nice project! I think it will look spectacular on your wall!!

Thomas

Post a reply to this message

"P Brewer" <pbj### [at] wowwaycom> wrote:
> Also, I mentioned above the 4 seasons idea. What can I do to differentiate
> spring from summer? I'd like 4 distinct images. I was thinking a foggy
> picture for spring with some small patches of snow?

Perhaps bright green buds instead of leaves for spring?

-tgq

Post a reply to this message

"P Brewer" <pbj### [at] wowwaycom> wrote:
> My wife and I do some amateur photography, and have done a good job of
> decorating our house with prints. The dining room has been an issue though.
> I would love to put a three or four panel image up showing a large solitary
> oak tree in winter, summer, fall, and spring. I can imagine it quite well,
> but can't seem to find a good subject despite always keeping my eyes open.
>
> I was thinking this weekend, heck, why not make my own reality. I'm getting
> the hang of semi photo-realistic renderings with lots of detail in POV. I
> may as well put it to good use.
>
> Here are the fruits of my labor so far. I think I've got something that's
> pretty close to realism for the focus of my image. I was hoping to get some
> criticism it.
>
> It's an xfrog model with texture maps applied. Rendered with a little
> radiosity and one light source. One problem I'm having is getting the look
> of filtered light through the leaves. I get some unrealistic dark spots
> under the canopy. Making the leaves partially transparent doesn't seem to
> do much unless I over do it. Then the leaves on the fringe are too
> transparent. Any ideas?
>
> Also, I mentioned above the 4 seasons idea. What can I do to differentiate
> spring from summer? I'd like 4 distinct images. I was thinking a foggy
> picture for spring with some small patches of snow?

Wow, very nice picture. I love the look of your tree, but I don't know how
to get better-looking leaf transparency. Good luck on that- although it
looks very believable to me right now. Perhaps faking it with a little
ambient (glowing in radiosity) on the leaves? --might look a lot worse
though. Or you could try a no_shadow fill light lighting only the tree
(light_group I think).

As for distinguishing seasons, in my neck of the woods grass is lighter and
greener in the spring, darker and browner in the summer. Also (as someone
said) you may be able to get leaf buds in the spring, and smaller leaves,
maybe some acorns (If it's a good POV-year :) that fall to the ground in
summer. Mostly I think of the lighter green and flowering in the spring, if
there are any other plants in the picture.

(off-topic) I downloaded the source to your image from last IRTC and have
been playing with it- your rust textures are really, really good (and
clever). Amazing work.

I bet that tree-radiosity took a while, eh?

Looking very good, good luck!

-Stefan

Post a reply to this message

On Mon, 23 Oct 2006 19:16:57 -0400 P Brewer wrote:

> My wife and I do some amateur photography, and have done a good job of
> decorating our house with prints. The dining room has been an issue though.
> I would love to put a three or four panel image up showing a large solitary
> oak tree in winter, summer, fall, and spring. I can imagine it quite well,
> but can't seem to find a good subject despite always keeping my eyes open.
> 
> I was thinking this weekend, heck, why not make my own reality. I'm getting
> the hang of semi photo-realistic renderings with lots of detail in POV. I
> may as well put it to good use.
> 
> Here are the fruits of my labor so far. I think I've got something that's
> pretty close to realism for the focus of my image. I was hoping to get some
> criticism it.
> 
None from me. It is really great!

> It's an xfrog model with texture maps applied. Rendered with a little
> radiosity and one light source. One problem I'm having is getting the look
> of filtered light through the leaves. I get some unrealistic dark spots
> under the canopy. Making the leaves partially transparent doesn't seem to
> do much unless I over do it. Then the leaves on the fringe are too
> transparent. Any ideas?
> 
> Also, I mentioned above the 4 seasons idea. What can I do to differentiate
> spring from summer? I'd like 4 distinct images. I was thinking a foggy
> picture for spring with some small patches of snow?

In summer I expect a tree with lots of green leafs. In spring I expect
small leafs with buds. In winter: If therer were leafs I were in Florida.

Post a reply to this message

"P Brewer" <pbj### [at] wowwaycom> wrote:
> Also, I mentioned above the 4 seasons idea. What can I do to differentiate
> spring from summer? I'd like 4 distinct images. I was thinking a foggy
> picture for spring with some small patches of snow?


How about flowers on the tree for the spring picture?

Post a reply to this message

I appreciate everyone's input. I will have some time later this week to try
some things out and I'll post an update of what came out of it.

Once again, thanks!

-Phil

Post a reply to this message

P Brewer nous apporta ses lumieres en ce 23/10/2006 18:16:
>
> Also, I mentioned above the 4 seasons idea. What can I do to differentiate
> spring from summer? I'd like 4 distinct images. I was thinking a foggy
> picture for spring with some small patches of snow?
> 
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
In spring the leaves are a little smaller and a somewhat lighter green.
During the sumer, the leaves grow a darker green, maybe with sume blueish 
shadeing. They are full grown and more opaque.
Longer shadows in spring, shorter ones for sumer.

-- 
Alain
-------------------------------------------------
"The fact that windows is one of the most popular ways to operate a computer 
means that evolution has made a general fuckup and our race is doomed." 
            -- Anon.

Post a reply to this message