[ Crop Circle Scene File](http://www.renderosity.com/mod/rrfilelock/download.php?fileid=46182&key=9791)

I'm going wayyy back here for a second, and dusted off some ancient files of mines.

A very long time ago I attempted to make crop circles in Bryce using 2D height maps...

Without confusing anyone or attempting to explain "my" method, I'd seriously appreciate any ideas or advice on how to approach making them...

The rendered image shown is my "best" try, but it's just not good enough to use in a "common" image set up (it may look ok for shots from above, but if I wanted to incorpoate figures/characters into a scene, no go), you can also see under the "top" where it appears to just be a "void"...

If you could, check out the included file, it has the scene file of the rendered image and the actual 2D height map used for the circle design. Any help, advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated =)

There are 3 kinds of people in the world. Those that can count, and those that can't..

If a Terrain (2D height map) is made "solid", it can be used as a negative in a boolean group. I would guess this is how I would use it if I wanted to 'impress' the crop circle another mesh that was acting as the crops, without leaving a total void within the actual cricles (as the negative Terrain could be raised or lowered)

Additionally, a negative Terrain grouped with a great number of low-poly grass blade or wheat looking meshes could/would give a very realistic looking crop-circled field.

AS

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"I want to be what I was when I wanted to be what I am now"

Marinating......

I "think" that's what I did =/

Used an infinite slab?!?

There are 3 kinds of people in the world. Those that can count, and those that can't..

Maybe. An Infinite Slab is usually used to make giant banks of (volumetric) clouds.I don't know how that react to booleaning...?

This may be why there is a void. Might try using a rezised cube, that way you can get that 'step downed' area without totally punching it out.

Contact Me | Gallery | Freestuff | IMDB Credits | Personal Site
"I want to be what I was when I wanted to be what I am now"

Attached Link: Pidjy's Crop Circle

MC:

I thought I remembered something like this from this Forum, so I searched and found this link from 2003. Anyone know what happened to Pidjy?

This is not my "second childhood". I'm not finished with the first one yet.

Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.

"I'd like to die peacefully in my sleep like my grandfather....not screaming in terror like the passengers on his bus." - Jack Handy

Quote - MC:

I thought I remembered something like this from this Forum, so I searched and found this link from 2003. Anyone know what happened to Pidjy?

I found this e mail in google if you're really curious

pidjy@hotmail.com

 

Once in a while I look around,
I see a sound
and try to write it down
Sometimes they come out very soft
Tinkling light sound
The Sun comes up again

 

 

 

 

 

I remember he was battling cancer at one time and posted that he thought he wasn't going to make it. Anyhow he seemed to bounce back and was a regular here again for a while but then there's been nothing for a few years now.

Actually just searching back through the forum some of the threads he started are truly amazing. He pioneered some amazing techniques for effects etc. Worth a look if you get time.

http://joevinton.blogspot.com/

Attached Link: Pidjy's Gallery

@orbital:

You said it! Anyone with the time to spend should check out pidjy's gallery (only 50 pics and all of them worth a look) for Bryce inspiration. Pidjy could make Bryce jump through hoops and sit up and beg for more, LOL. He had a mastery of creating height maps in 2d for use in Bryce that can make your eyes bug out.

I recommend that any Brycer do what orbital did and check out pidjy's posts in the Forum, too. You won't be sorry. Be sure your search goes back to 2002 or so.

And he did it all with nothing more advanced than Bryce 5.5.

John

This is not my "second childhood". I'm not finished with the first one yet.

Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.

"I'd like to die peacefully in my sleep like my grandfather....not screaming in terror like the passengers on his bus." - Jack Handy

There's some FANTASTIC renders in that gallery. Great! :-)

Seeing that thread w/ Pidjy really helped, thanks for that. I needed to invert my crop circle height maps, that was the problem...

Much better... The noise and the material applied to the terrain is the magic to the grass effect, pretty slick (not that I pulled it off =P)

There are 3 kinds of people in the world. Those that can count, and those that can't..

However...

Can someone explain why the solid area of my orignal map appears as so?!?

Also, is it just me, or is there a glitch in the editing window, it seems to "mirror" the image...

What is the "proper" way to load/apply a height map?!? I had to crank the "blend" to the left in order to get the image to show properly in the far right square. Is that the "norm"???

Again, many thanks for the responses =)

There are 3 kinds of people in the world. Those that can count, and those that can't..

Copy > paste first square into second square.

Cheers

GG

WHO said Kiwi's can't Fly ?????

And why the mirror effect?!?

Thanks =)

There are 3 kinds of people in the world. Those that can count, and those that can't..

Not sure, at work at the moment, will need to go thru some stuff to find out but I think that the 2nd box adds an alpha channel.

Cheers

GG

WHO said Kiwi's can't Fly ?????

Now for the trick question... Could we use anisotropy to create that distinct kind of look you get from the crop being pushed to the ground in circular patterns?

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VSzoDpeDwJ4/TNYyM1oHyBI/AAAAAAAABXA/Nwe7eurdRQc/s1600/lucy_pringle_crop_circle.jpg

I wish I had some answer to that question, but I got no idea how to do that...

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