Another Hero

Saw a few single tree renders around the web and remembered it's been quite some time since my last hero tree render. This is a super simple creation, using a HyperTerrain (thanks to Dax Pandhi's tute on HyperTerrains) with EcoSystem for a base, and a single proc fractal with EcoSystem for the canyon. Only one light source (the sun), and a single Vue high def tree.

Realistic Procedural Terrains

New Tutorial available! Dax Pandhi has a great new Vue tutorial available at QuadSpinner. It focusses specifically on how to create procedural terrains. I used some of his techniques in my last blog post. Dax is a master Vue artist, and I look forward to more of his tutorials-- especially the one on Capturing the Brilliance of Light.

Experimental Lab :: Location 7

Working on unique procedural terrains in Vue 7.5. Continuing with XLabs theme speed renders. Modeled in Vue.

Experimental Labs :: Location 6

Another render with focus on atmosphere and lighting. All modeled in Vue.

Science Center

A quick speed render concentrating on lighting and atmosphere effects. I used an existing model of a Science Center I did for a client awhile back.

Converting from SketchUp 7 to Vue

There have been so many questions lately about how to move a model from the free version of SketchUp 7 into Vue 7 (Infinite, xStream or Complete). Here's a tutorial on what I've found works.

Free OBJ export plugin for SketchUp can be found HERE.

UPDATE: NEW METHOD FOR EXPORTING FROM SU TO VUE

Thanks to Alex Jenyon, a great discovery today.

1. Using the Free version of Google Sketchup (v7 anyway), export your model to Google Earth (.kmz)
2. Change the file extension to .zip
3. Open the zip file, and inside the "models" folder is a .dae file which is the Collada version of your SKP model!
4. Import the Collada model into Vue, and (for some unknown reason), scale it by a factor of 3.937 and it will match the Sketchup dimensions.

Not bad huh?

Thanks Alex!

Quote - "4. Import the Collada model into Vue, and (for some unknown reason), scale it by a factor of 3.937 and it will match the Sketchup dimensions."
Vue's internal unit is 1dm and 3.937 is the conversion factor to inches.

Convection Station

This prospecting platform of the future uses Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) to capture green hydrogen which it transports to the mainland via underwater bubblelines.

What is OTEC? The ocean's surface in the Gulf of Mexico can be eighty degrees in the summer. Three thousand feet below the surface the temperature hovers around forty degrees all year. OTEC is the process of producing electricity from the energy generated as heat transfers from one temperature to the other. Although the temperature difference in one gallon of water would only be worth about 300 hundred BTUs, multiplying that by a functionally unlimited supply would provide a great deal of usable energy.

Another speed render, this is a simple scene, all objects created entirely in Vue. I was playing around with terrains, and created a scaffold like rock shape. I then inserted some GridModeler boxes into it, added the metablob housing area, and added a few metablob vehicles from previous scenes. Finished it off with a couple Metapeeps on deck and a single background terrain masked by a low lying cloud layer. The antenna structures are a simple EcoSystem on top of the main quaters. The spinal cord looking elevator is just a replication of my default house shape used for my freebie: Understanding Fog and Haze over at C3D.

Levels and minor tweaks in Photoshop.

Dave Rocks

Recently, David Burdick posted a recipe for creating great rocks using a simple sphere in Vue. Most Vue users know Dave as the author of the famous SkinVue product, and he now has a new product available at Cornucopia 3D called, Rock My World, which is absolutely a must have for serious Vue artists.

The above image uses Dave's techniques to create a simple rock (just a sphere) in the free version of Pioneer. This simple scene uses a sphere, couple terrains (background), four free plants (included with Pioneer) and a water plane. Rendered in only about 8 minutes on my Core 2 duo laptop.

The Door

This is another image created and rendered entirely within the free version of Vue Pioneer-- which now has interior radiosity settings available.

This whole scene is lit by only one light-- above the door. I used my own GridModeler product to create the cube crate materials. Anyone figure out how the sheet notice on the wall was created?

This scene is a speed render created in one setting and copied directly from an incredible speed painter named Paul Chadeisson. The original image can be seen HERE.

SeaVue Tutorial

From the Lost and now Found bin: This 28 minute tutorial based upon Monsoon's excellent SeaVue package, not to mention another couple of tutes regarding texture mapping. Thanks to Rutra and spedler at Rendo, and Welles Goodrich over at C3D for sending me archived copies. Learn more about these tutes at VueLab.

Engadget Defames and Libels good friend.

Yesterday, the popular gadget blog Engadget defamed and libeled a good Japanese friend of mine. While they think it is all in good fun, they certainly don't understand what 'losing face' in Japan means.

After digging a bit deeper, I uncovered the seedy journalism by Thomas Ricker, Engadget's editor for the article. It appears he received a one word anonymous email with a link. The word was only "Wow!"

So with a faked link to a fake website, and a single word, Mr. Ricker placed a defamatory and slanderous article about both my friend, Dr. Itami, as well as his business partner, Sega. So much for ethics in journalism at Engadget. They didn't bother checking their source (because they couldn't), much less anything else about the slanderous website-- and get this, they even hosted the illegal video. And had the gall to keep showing it long after they were notified it was a fake and illegal. Sheesh. 

It also should be noted, when asked to post a retraction article, they refused, and instead only annotated the existing one. This is important as NOBODY goes BACK and reads posts they've already read. Contrast this with Gizmodo's behavior. While they wrongly did post the original article, they immediately posted a new retraction article so all their viewers would see it-- including the RSS feeders.

I guess Bruce Sterling's prophecies regarding the shady ethics of many businesses and folks inhabiting the internet have come true after all. Engadet, and their editor Thomas Ricker are certainly among them.

Desert Secret Take 2

Some simple changes, the big one being using a displacement procedural for the vehicle. I think I like this one better.

Desert Secret

Had a few minutes and knocked out this speed render-- mostly a composition study. Seems like it could be a good start for a final render. Super simple construction: Back wall is 2 cylinders subtracted and top rail is two more cylinders with GridModeler texture, Ship is a cube and sphere metablob, near spherical wall is 2 spheres subtracted. And two alpha planes, no maps for the foreground and background shadows. Only three materials used: The ground, the walls, the fence.

And of course...MetaPeeps :-)

Temple of the Terrains

Quick speed render. Deconstructivist architecture celebrating a building created with four terrains, four cubes a single cube metablob and a couple MetaPeeps. All textures procedural.