"Bald Eagle" <cre### [at] netscapenet> wrote:
> "Kenneth" <kdw### [at] gmailcom> wrote:
>
> Hi Kenneth,
> Thanks very much for writing out the code to demonstrate those media effects!
> :)

You're welcome. I needed to do this as much for *myself* as for anyone else ;-)
The discussion in the other post raised some issues that I had not thought
about, with effects that I wasn't expecting. I wanted to come up with a way to
'see' those effects relatively quickly, without having to do lots of re-coding
permutations.
>
> I think that if you look over the scene, and think about why someone
> might want to use it, then a few things come to my mind...
>
WOW, you've done some excellent thinking about this, with some ideas I hadn't
thought about; I appreciate your effort. I need to digest them, to see which
ones are feasible (with my coding skills!), and which ones are out of my depth.
>
> First, I'd suggest that the scene be broken up into a grid of smaller
> clouds so that a few different variants could be compared, [to] decrease
> the need (and time) to render 2, 3, or 9 different images.
>
I like that idea. If I go that route, I'll make another complete tester scene
and post it separately. Then the one here can be thought of as a kind of
'first-step' or introduction to media/color interaction effects.
>
> There's nothing inherently in the image that lets the user know exactly
> what settings were used - so maybe a [encoded] caption of some kind
> could be included under each cloud. (perhaps have a long vector, or
> an array, or a macro take that encoded list and
> generate the scene that way, to immediately reproduce it)

I did initially inclue a caption (for one media permutation, anyway) but
eliminated that to make the code example shorter and not-so-complex. But it's a
very good idea. I'll work on that. As far as the vector stuff goes, I'm
definitely out of my depth.
>
> I'd also include a _grayscale_ long-box.
>
The color of the embedded box can actually be switched to gray (it's a
commented-out pigment in the code); but yes, it would be better to have a
'switch' to change between that and the current red-green-blue pigment.
>
> And maybe a light source...
>
There's actually a light already in the scene; but perhaps you mean a spotlight
aimed *at* the media, to see the effects? (Another idea would be to put a light
*inside* the media, shining outwards-- that always looks cool ;-) )
>
> This type of experimental scene unfortunately suffers from its reliance on the
> end user to come up with the values and combinations to be used, and hopefully
> home in on some desired result.
>
Alas, the trouble with making media objects is that there are so MANY
permutations of settings that can be chosen-- color, density amount, the density
PATTERN itself, the combinations of different medias-- that it boils down to
'user preference'-- even for one particular effect. However...
>
> A useful but simple and immediate enhancement - I'd just include some sample
> values in the code to be rendered to show off media effects that you are
> learning are possible.
>
..... that's a good idea. I was actually going to include a few examples (at
least of which on/off settings to use) for some 'standard' media effects, like a
typical sky cloud... but decided to post the test scene as a preliminary to
that. Trouble is, some examples may end up being non-trivial 'test scenes'
themselves! But I'll try to come up with some interesting examples anyway, and
post them here.
>
> I think that after reading Ansel Adams' photography trilogy, where he explains
> the basis of the Zone System, that a truly excellent scene should be a tool
> whereby a user can have some idea of what they want, and iteratively home
> in on it. It should provide a logical, methodical way of reliably
> establishing in no uncertain terms how to get (very close to) what the
> user wants.
>
I guess I need to write a book too ;-)  (Kidding.) The idea is excellent. Sounds
like there needs to be a *collection* of 'media tester scenes', each showing a
particular and separate kind of effect... to help guide the user to an
understanding of how to achieve it. (Unfortunately, media experimentation is a
'long and winding road', by its very nature ;-)  )
>
> Constructing an animation to show the progress of a certain value from one
> extreme to another would be a great addition as well.
>
I did such a thing several days ago-- using scattering media as an example-- and
of course it took awhile to render. I would have posted it... but I included
one-too-many many different value changes during the animation, with the result
being rather confusing :-(  I should have known better: Change only ONE value at
a time.
>
> The problem here is that there are so many variables that can affect how the
> media will look, and the effects it will have on other scene elements.
> lighting, reflection, shadows, self-shadowing... RADIOSITY.
>
Very true!!
>
I hope I've given you some fun and interesting ideas.
>
Definitely so! Thanks.

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