Okay, I'm going a bit bonkers here.  I can't find anything really regarding this.

I am wondering, is there a setting for a starfield?  Not an imported backdrop, but something that could be used in animation where the camera is moving around.

I'm thinking something like what 3D Studio Max has: A starfield generator.  Or maybe something with the sky editor?

I know I could just create something like a sphere with a texture on it, but I'm thinking there has to be a better way.  Am I wrong?  I feel like an idiot.

Oh, I have Carrara 7.1 Pro.

Any thoughts or a pointing towards a good tut would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

The plugin way:

http://www.digitalcarversguild.com/plugin.php?ProductId=14

Somewhere, there is a little tute on how to create a background starfield in Photoshop using the grain filter I think.

However, why not try a variety of small, different size, spheres, adding glow?----and surface replicate them to a deep blue? plane which, rendered, becomes you background image?

If some of the  replicated items were lights, you coud give them vary-cross, star light effects also.

Brian

If I needed a moveable starfield, I generate a series of different component layers in Paint Shop Pro, using a combination of hsb noise and the Constellation plug in from Alien Skin (Xenofex II).  Then I make each layer transparent.  Now I go to Carrara and crate a series of simple very thin rectangular boxes.  Usually making them .05" along either the X or Y Axis.  By randomly arranging these, then creating a shader for each one using a different one of the starfield BMP files I generated in PSP.  Now your camera can move through the starfield and the stars will appear to move in relation to the camera and/or any models you use.  Make sure to rotate the rectangular panels randomly along each axis.

Thanks GKDantas that's exactly what I was looking for.

Thanks bwtr for the idea, I might play with that a bit, but I was thinking something pretty dense for deep space scenes with starships or detailed night skies, all in animation, so a photoshop backdrop wouldn't work.

sparrownightmare, I like your idea, it's like old cell animation and would work great for high speed travelling through space like at warp or such.

Great response all, thank you.

Cheers!

A simple tool is Starbits Starfield Generator, an old shareware program. You can creates stars, galaxys, nebula clouds, etc.. Saving in .bmp format and apply at your scene as backdrop.
One working link for download it still work, because was designed for Windows 95/98 and apparently the developer loose the interest for the software:

Starbits Starfield Generator 7.3

I hope you enjoy it. Chhers!

Just to example the idea I suggested.

Good fun?---lots of potentials!

Brian

I ended up picking up the Starbright plugin, because it is exaclty what i was looking for for this specific instance, but I really like your suggestion too bwtr and I can see lots of uses for it.  What I l really like it how you can control individual sizes and flares and such.  Lots of good potential for some great effects with that.

I did something similiar many years back, only instead of space it was underwater and instead of stars it was bubbles (lots of bubble from many things).  That was in Poser, but it did the trick.

You might also check Universe Image Creator.

Bye!!!

Thromarcadia

Remember, also, all those space objects in the Scene Browser which you can combine with and into your imaging. scene.  Also, flare and all those other light effects which you can add/size to say bulb lights in the effects panel

See the all Carrara image attached--very quick and simple demo try..

Also, don't forget to make use of billboards(Splats) to which you can add different density/sizes of star areas to different parts of your scene.

Brian
Some great free Photoshop tutes which are very simple to get you started also.

there are also sevl apps whch generate starfields based on astronomic data.  e.g. stellarium, which allows one to generate starfields as seen from various locations/times on earth (see att img) and celestia, which allows one to generate starfields as seen from various locations/times in earth's galaxy.  used in concert with vidcap software, the latter will generate a movie of the observers' view when travelling thru space or rotating around some point in space.  I dunno if any of the carrara plug-ins include actual star/planet charts.

That's a good point Miss Nancy.  I actually recently read an article where a scientist was talking about how the moivie Titanic was ruined for him because despite the fact that they spent all this time to recreate so many fine details of the ship, they had a random star pattern for the sky above the ship, no recognizeable constellations or anything.

(I also understand that this has been corrected for the DVD release of the film according to the article.)

It is interesting to note that there are people out there that pay attention to this kind of stuff.  I always have that article at the back of my mind. lol.

I'm surprised nobody has figured out a way to use the formula generated background to do it. It seems like there should be a way to do stuff like making a starfield, since that would be useful in comparison to the 3 or 4 color formula thing that particular mode defaults to.

Anyone know what I'm talking about, or is that feature mostly useless to the point of being ignored?