Rock Fracture

So, I wanted to make a more realistic looking rock filter. Here are some tests so far.

Test 3
Even More shearing, more multi-colored rocks.

This is a new version where I'm trying to incorporate Lichen on the top surface of the rock. This turns out to be difficult. I'm trying to process the height to be similar to the Green channel of a normal map, to create the alpha for the lichen. (Lichen is the ochre stuff, not the pale green stuff... which is just rock texture.) This uses the diffraction channel, and it's not quite there yet. Very CPU intensive...

Actually it just crashed FF and I lost the filter. (WTF!?)

OK, reconstructed the one which crashed and was lost. Still having problems making the lichen appear on the upper slope of the rocks the way I want. But, the lichen at least looks somewhat natural. Oddly, the rocks tile but the lichen does not.

I found rocks to be tough in ff, it's hard to get away from that really "default" looking pattern where the blocks look like they're chiseled perfectly to fit together. Feel free to poke around my attempt, I did it a while ago so I'm not sure how valuable it might be. I'll keep an eye on this one though because your colors and shading look fanstastic. Lichen is a good touch too.

Edit: On second look, mine is terrible compared to yours. Heh, suppose I have fonder memories of my work then they are in reality.

wow they look ace! Hope you manage to redo them! I have started saving back ups when I open new filters now, cause it's annoying when you loose them that way
And a pain trying to remember all the steps you took to make the filter in the first place.

also, if you need some help with the lichen... it's probably not as good as your rock, but the lichen is fairly decent in this.

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Kraellin wrote: also, if you need some help with the lichen... it's probably not as good as your rock, but the lichen is fairly decent in this.

Oh, hey that's pretty good lichen. How did you do that?

Thanks for the noise lab link. How did you do this one?
http://www.filterforge.com/upload/for...bris_A.jpg


Is it perlin linked to the noise and / or scale component?

This one is pretty good texture-wise:
http://www.filterforge.com/upload/for...ornout.jpg

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CorvusCroax wrote: I guess it's a chance to demonstrate how well I actually understood it the first time.

Depends, isn't always down to how well you understood it, sometimes it's down to how awake you are, and was you just messing around to see what you can get? Cause some of mine I start with an idea then end up doing something totally different.

Corvus, I can already tell that you are going to have an editor's pick some day

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CorvusCroax wrote: How did you do this one?

That's a secret of the trade. Well ok, it's just some simple profile curve mapping, really!

Note how the moss/lichen 'drapes' around the rock shape

And it can also be raised and lowered

Slightly different look:

Those lichenized samples look good, Croax!

Be sure to polish the filter thoroughly, so that...

- controls are stable at high randomization
- the 'Size, pixels' slider works correctly
- the normal map is meaningful
- seamless tiling works correctly even on non-square images
- rendering is fast as possible (check noise roughness/detail)

Then you might have your Editor's Pick...

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Crapadilla wrote: Those lichenized samples look good, Croax!

Thanks!

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Crapadilla wrote: - controls are stable at high randomization - the 'Size, pixels' slider works correctly - the normal map is meaningful - seamless tiling works correctly even on non-square images - rendering is fast as possible (check noise roughness/detail)

Ah, those are all VERY good tips.

I definitely need to work on item 1. The scale variable needs to be considerably hemmed in.

Also definitely need to work on item 5: something I did with the lichen makes it wrenchingly slow.
Would you like to look at it 'dilla, and see if there is anything obviously I'm doing mess up the speed?

I think I need to also futz around a bit with the noise, to make it more 'rocky'. Maybe optional curve to soften the edges to a more weathered look, maybe.

preset2

preset4

preset6

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CorvusCroax wrote: Would you like to look at it 'dilla, and see if there is anything obviously I'm doing mess up the speed?

You could submit the filter and find out...

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Crapadilla wrote: You could submit the filter and find out..

It's submitted. If you download it, 'dilla, let me know if you have any tips to improve it. (particularly stacking of noise or the lichen 'shading')

It can take a pretty high degree of randomization.

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ThreeDee wrote: Croax, those rocks look AWESOME. I have a distinct feeling my next model will be textured exclusively with rock surfaces...

Thanks ThreeDee! If you do something cool with it, please post it. You can get a LOT of variation with this filter, once you get a hangle on the controls.

I'm tempted to also post the original version of the filter (post 1, 2). It has a distinct 'rocky look' to it. The later versions are good, but something is still missing, IMHO. I'll probably revisit the noise some more later.

After doing this, I think the key to more realistic rocks is perlin noise at a high roughness, and to not make the rocks shiny. Did some experiments w/ making the 'Lichen' slightly reflective; it looked interesting, but very slimy!

Here are some source / reference images.

ref image 3