I'm just curious - what viewing angle are you aiming for in this style? Classic 45° isometric? This blender snapshot is a more frontal view, right? I think my imagination is sufficient to picture a 45° view and it still looks great. So, thumbs up!
This is a pure isometric view already. I think maybe the overall tilt of the trunk might be a bit misleading, but it looks ok mixed in with the other trees.
Trees don't actually appear to be much different to a side view when they are drawn isometric. About the only differences are a general shortening, a rounding of the bottom of the trunk, and a better view into the crown of the tree. This one has an elevated leaf at the front, which might be why it doesn't look all that isometric.
The trees are coming on nicely. This is a zoom test - to see if the trees still look like trees from further out. I've reduced the variation between the individual pines a bit so that the two different kinds of tree are more obvious.
I could do with some general information about how big eucalypts are compared to ordinary deciduous trees, and what kind of shape they are as well - if you have time to help, Quenten *big smile and doe-eyes*
And once the "deciduous dead" trees are ready, you can have all four seasons in one image
It's hard to know where to set boundaries for what trees would be most useful in a mapping package. Something with a long, straight trunk and relatively sparse foliage high up - a form quite a number of mature eucalyptus species trees seem to take - would be helpful certainly, as that would work for a number of other types of tree as well. The baobab with its broad pillar trunk, or a mangrove with its massive complex of exposed roots would be interesting too, if perhaps too specialised?
Wyvern - I am thinking that varicolour ordinary trees should fit the bill for adding spring colours, providing you use a suitable colour palette with lots of pastel colours in it.
Mike - Yes, they are a little on the large side compared to the mountains. I might go just a bit smaller than that.
Jim - thanks, but I definitely fell out of love with the first version the following morning when I had to put my sunglasses on to look at them :P
I am going to redo the first map I ever made, since I need it and the one I have now is beyond saving.
I should be able to just use the new textures and re-plant all the tree symbols, but it'll look way better than this garbage mish-mash I've got to work with.
Things have come along and changed quite a lot over the last few weeks.
[Image_14620]
I'm currently working on volcanic mountains and various different forms of crater. There's one with a sharp-edged hole waiting to have a lake drawn in it, and one with a more gradual fade that reveals the background texture. The volcanoes still need extra work to give them a bit of smoke and fire, but I'm happier with them than I am with the craters.
[Image_14621]
The crater texture seems to be a bit strange, though I think I've got the shape right at last.
[Image_14622]
All generated in Gaea, and rendered from Blender.
[Image_14623]
It takes several different renders from Blender combined in GIMP to get the final result.
[Image_14624]
I'm pretty happy with the forest fills I've made, though. Here is an area of texture edged with tree symbols.
Comments
I'm just curious - what viewing angle are you aiming for in this style? Classic 45° isometric? This blender snapshot is a more frontal view, right? I think my imagination is sufficient to picture a 45° view and it still looks great. So, thumbs up!
This is a pure isometric view already. I think maybe the overall tilt of the trunk might be a bit misleading, but it looks ok mixed in with the other trees.
Trees don't actually appear to be much different to a side view when they are drawn isometric. About the only differences are a general shortening, a rounding of the bottom of the trunk, and a better view into the crown of the tree. This one has an elevated leaf at the front, which might be why it doesn't look all that isometric.
I can tell that this is going to be one of those styles that I use over and over again. You do amazing work!
Sets done so far:
Pine trees
Pine trees snowy
Pine trees dead
Deciduous trees
Palm trees (to be completed)
Remaining tree sets to work on include:
Deciduous dead
Jungle trees
Swamp trees
Scrub trees
And by request:
Eucalypt trees (for those decidedly Australian deserts)
Deciduous autumnal
After all - what's a world without enough different kinds of forest :)
The information online is never as good as information directly from the man on the spot.
Paler pines, brighter deciduous trees, and smaller duller fall trees.
It's hard to know where to set boundaries for what trees would be most useful in a mapping package. Something with a long, straight trunk and relatively sparse foliage high up - a form quite a number of mature eucalyptus species trees seem to take - would be helpful certainly, as that would work for a number of other types of tree as well. The baobab with its broad pillar trunk, or a mangrove with its massive complex of exposed roots would be interesting too, if perhaps too specialised?
Wyvern - I am thinking that varicolour ordinary trees should fit the bill for adding spring colours, providing you use a suitable colour palette with lots of pastel colours in it.
Mike - Yes, they are a little on the large side compared to the mountains. I might go just a bit smaller than that.
Jim - thanks, but I definitely fell out of love with the first version the following morning when I had to put my sunglasses on to look at them :P
I am going to redo the first map I ever made, since I need it and the one I have now is beyond saving.
I should be able to just use the new textures and re-plant all the tree symbols, but it'll look way better than this garbage mish-mash I've got to work with.
It will be a long time coming.
[Image_14620]
I'm currently working on volcanic mountains and various different forms of crater. There's one with a sharp-edged hole waiting to have a lake drawn in it, and one with a more gradual fade that reveals the background texture. The volcanoes still need extra work to give them a bit of smoke and fire, but I'm happier with them than I am with the craters.
[Image_14621]
The crater texture seems to be a bit strange, though I think I've got the shape right at last.
[Image_14622]
All generated in Gaea, and rendered from Blender.
[Image_14623]
It takes several different renders from Blender combined in GIMP to get the final result.
[Image_14624]
I'm pretty happy with the forest fills I've made, though. Here is an area of texture edged with tree symbols.
I'm trying really hard to finish it mid June ready for the July issue, so that's what's been keeping me relatively quite just lately.
A few crater reference images for you.