Bloodrock Revived

[Mouse]

This is a map I started for the October/November Lite Challenge, but which I withdrew over private concerns that the 3D Cornucopia tree models I had rendered in Vue Pioneer, and turned into symbols for my map, might be in breach of either or both the Vue and Cornucopia EULAs.

Having once accidentally breached a different EULA by not stopping to think about what I was doing in that instance, I didn't want to make the same mistake a second time, and cause an embarrassing scene on the Lite Challenge forum.

I have since received direct confirmation from both Vue and Cornucopia that it is fine to use the renders I make in my own maps, and to show them on public forums, as long as the maps are not for sale, which is a very generous arrangement since I am using what amounts to the free version of Vue, and my own 'photographs' of 3D tree models that were originally created by other Vue users - purchased on the Cornucopia webpage. Thank you so much - all of you

So once again, I present to you the 'finished' view of Bloodrock - a town built on a mesa, glimpsed down through the open grate of a drain.

I believe I can do a better job of rendering and post composition with the trees as it stands, but there may be other things that are not quite right about the map as a whole before I really call it finished for the final time

To get the ball rolling - I'm not entirely happy with the rusty metal texture I've used as the grate rim, and I think the map may be generally a little too much on the dark side...

Constructive C&C welcome

[Voolf]

I very much like it. You said trees aren't yours ? Too bad, how about doing them yourself next time ?
I also like the rocky texture here, if i recall correctly you made that one.... you said that in different thread maybe? And someone wanted it.... and you uploaded it.... and that someone thank you for it.... no? Was it a dream?

Darn i dont remember. The map looks awesome (though i am not fan of CC maps, some of you here starting to change my 'liking'). I would add next time a bit shadow to one side of roofs.

[Mouse]

I very much like it. You said trees aren't yours ? Too bad, how about doing them yourself next time ?
I also like the rocky texture here, if i recall correctly you made that one.... you said that in different thread maybe? And someone wanted it.... and you uploaded it.... and that someone thank you for it.... no? Was it a dream?

Darn i dont remember. The map looks awesome (though i am not fan of CC maps, some of you here starting to change my 'liking'). I would add next time a bit shadow to one side of roofs.

Thanks Voolf

The trees are based on rendered pngs (a render is the act of using a virtual camera to take a virtual photograph of a 3D object as it sits in a 3D Vue environment). I say they are based on those initial renders, because a great deal of processing then ensues, in which I remove the background and then carefully combine up to 5 separate renders with my own shading to produce the final tree. It would not be possible to reproduce any of the trees you see in this map directly from Vue without employing the very same post processes that I ended up developing in order to generate a set of full blown trees from a very small plum tree model, so in a sense they both are, and are not, my trees - and both are, and are not, drawn by me... if that makes sense? At any rate, they are far better than anything I could draw by hand without the basic pattern they provide

The comments you remember were part of the original Challenge thread, so you aren't imagining it - don't worry - and the textures I created for this map are still available in my "Textures and other useful bits and bobs" album on my profile, if you would still like to have them

Good catch on the shadows. I seem to have uploaded the wrong version! LOL!

I will sort it out a bit later today and upload another "WIP"

[ChickPea]

It's looking great, Mouse. I love the colour palette, and I especially love what you do with CC3+. You make it entirely your own thing, and that's an achievement.

[Mouse]

Thank you, ChickPea

I love CC3+. It gives me the power to experiment with new ideas quickly enough to not have to waste any of them (since I can't draw for toffee!)

[Mouse]

While I am working on a new rust texture, here is the map with the shadows on the rooftops.

[Falconius]

Oh wow! It's back and looking absolutely fantastic.

[Mouse]

Thanks, Falconius

I continued working on it even though it wasn't in the Challenge any more - just to finish it. In fact I thought I had finished it at one point, but its funny what you suddenly notice about a map when you haven't looked at it for a couple of weeks.

It's not that far off being done, though, so there will only be a couple more WIPs before I put it up in the finished maps section.

[SteffenBrand]

While I think this looks very promising, I think it will be too dark in the end. If this gloomy feel is what you look for, go ahead, but I think you should be careful with it (you also let the light come from the south; there is a reason lighting something from the bottom up seems creepy, because it is not normally what we perceive as humans in nature, making it feel both familiar with a strange undertone).
I also like what you did with the border and I always suggest you catch the colors of the image a bit with it, you should also think about / try to give it more of a frame look instead of flat textured colors - at least in my head as I picture it this can look really beautiful! =)

Jeez, I sound like I completely dislike it - but I don't, I very much like it! I am excited where you go with it! =)

[Mouse]

While I think this looks very promising, I think it will be too dark in the end. If this gloomy feel is what you look for, go ahead, but I think you should be careful with it (you also let the light come from the youth; there is a reason lighting something from the bottum up seems creepy, because it is not normally what we perceive as humans in nature, making it feel both familiar with a strange undertone).
I also like what you did with the border and I always suggest you catch the colors of the image a bit with it, you should also think about / try to give it more of a frame look instead of flat textured colors - at least in my head as I picture it this can look really beautiful! =)

Jeez, I sound like I completely dislike it - but I don't, I very much like it! I am excited where you go with it! =)

Thank you for making such a detailed appraisal, SteffenBrand

I was already considering increasing the lights by about 10% (they are actual lights, without which the map would just be black). Having said that, however, because the order in which the different aspects of the software were created (the lights are relatively recent), the houses don't react to the lights but only to the official 'global sun'. In order to get any kind of shadow on the rooftops that global sun has to be somewhat less than at the apex (its at 80 degrees in this instance). I tried setting it from the north west, but it made the scene look like there was some kind of light source below ground, which I didn't want - so... from the south it shines.

When I first did the drain surround I really liked it. I was quite proud of my brand new rust texture, but I can see now that its more like red alien mud, and might even have certain similarities with some of the poorer 'lava' textures I've seen on the web. That's what I'm working on right now - a more rust-like rust texture. Thanks for suggesting that I draw the colours closer to the rest of the map. I think that's a really good idea. There is actually a depressed lip in that drain surround - it just doesn't look right with such a rubbishy texture all over it! LOL!