Imaginary Worlds
This lens is about digital landscapes, worlds which exist only in pixels, created with various software. My primary software of choice is MojoWorld, which creates entire planets to be explored. Before MojoWorld existed, I used Bryce, which works like most of the other digital landscape software out there in that it allows you to build a landscape from pieces on a stage set. With this mode, every time you move your virtual camera, you may see the edges of your creation. With MojoWorld, there are no edges!
Contents at a Glance
Digital Landscapes
What on Earth is a digital landscape?
Digital landscape applications are programs to run on your computer in which you create a virtual world, and then take pictures of that world.
Bryce was my first love. With Bryce, you start out with a simple stage set. Create a mountain shape and put it here, create another mountain shape and put it over there. In addition to mountain shapes, you can create simple 3d objects and combine them mathematically to create much more complex models. The problem with Bryce is that when you turn your camera to a place you haven't put anything, the scene is very boring. The current owners and developers of Bryce are at Daz 3d.
MojoWorld is my second love, and I worked at Pandromeda when MojoWorld version 1 was released. MojoWorld is Bryce on steroids. Instead of a stage set, however, MojoWorld offers you an entire planet. This means that if you turn your camera around to look behind you, there's still a landscape there! The landscapes are created with mathematical formulas. All you need to do is fill in the values.
Terragen is the latest upcoming star. For a long time, there was Terragen 0.9, but not too long ago, the Terragen 2.0 technology preview has been made available. It has a full planet mode which in some ways is similar to MojoWorld. I haven't worked a whole lot with Terragen yet, but when I tire of Bryce and MojoWorld, Terragen is where I'll go next. The makers of Terragen are at planetside.co.uk.
Bryce was my first love. With Bryce, you start out with a simple stage set. Create a mountain shape and put it here, create another mountain shape and put it over there. In addition to mountain shapes, you can create simple 3d objects and combine them mathematically to create much more complex models. The problem with Bryce is that when you turn your camera to a place you haven't put anything, the scene is very boring. The current owners and developers of Bryce are at Daz 3d.
MojoWorld is my second love, and I worked at Pandromeda when MojoWorld version 1 was released. MojoWorld is Bryce on steroids. Instead of a stage set, however, MojoWorld offers you an entire planet. This means that if you turn your camera around to look behind you, there's still a landscape there! The landscapes are created with mathematical formulas. All you need to do is fill in the values.
Terragen is the latest upcoming star. For a long time, there was Terragen 0.9, but not too long ago, the Terragen 2.0 technology preview has been made available. It has a full planet mode which in some ways is similar to MojoWorld. I haven't worked a whole lot with Terragen yet, but when I tire of Bryce and MojoWorld, Terragen is where I'll go next. The makers of Terragen are at planetside.co.uk.
Visit My Bryce Gallery
I have had an on-line gallery of my Bryce images since 1994
Some of the works in My Bryce Galleries date back to when I was using Bryce version 1. The main gallery links to 8 different sub-gallery pages. Each sub-gallery then links to 8 different images. There's another 'secret bottle gallery' linked off of a couple of the individual images.There's also a proof-of-concept interactive version of one of the pictures. As of Bryce version 4, the capability to export HTML image maps was added. My Interactive Bridgepaths scene has a couple different buttons to push.
Elemental Hexagons
Several digital artworks complete my oracle deck
I have created my own oracle deck that I call Elemental Hexagons. A big part of what made it possible for me to go from simple hand-written notes on thick paper cut-outs to a professionally printed deck was that I spent the last decade and more working with 3D digital art programs.The Elemental Hexagons deck is an oracle deck based on the Periodic Table of Elements, and the Tarot Major Arcana. Of the 60 cards in the deck, 18 of them make use of my own 3D artwork in creating the final imagery for the element.
For example, the picture here shows a photograph of a statue of Ptah over a landscape created with MojoWorld.
A Bryce Miracle
My special technique creates complex shapes quickly
I created the 'miracle tree' technique which uses two symmetrical lattice objects in a boolean operation to create tree-like shapes. I wrote the Miracle Tree tutorial a few years ago. This image here uses the miracle tree techinque to create the elaborate heart of this house.
Relay Station
Using symmetrical lattice objects to build interesting forms
This image was the first one that I made after gaining a greater appreciation for using Bryce's symmetrical lattice object. I later wrote a tutorial on using clipart as source material for this type of object.
Inspired by Riven
After I played Riven, I recreated some scenes with Bryce
Bryce can create more than just landscapes. Combining spheres, cubes, cylinders, cones, and other shapes, one can build just about anything.
This image is my re-imagining of the Gate Room puzzle from Riven
This image is my re-imagining of the Gate Room puzzle from Riven
MojoWorld Basics
Sample worlds torn apart
A fellow MojoWorld user wrote these two tutorials, dissecting the default world file which came with MojoWorld 1.0 and MojoWorld 1.1.Rather than discussing any specific world creation techniques, the Sample Worlds Torn Apart tutorial examines the details of how these two different default planets are assembled.
Rills and Rocks
Building realistic MojoWorld planets is very challenging
I'm very proud of this particular planet file, though like most MojoWorld planets, it looks better from some altitudes than others.
Stone Roses
MojoWorld's material displacements abused horribly
After the Bryce Miracle Tree technique, I was looking for something similar to do in MojoWorld. MojoWorld allows for the planet surface to be displaced by the material, and with that, my Stone Roses technique was born.
Suggestive Landscapes
A private gallery of MojoWorld images which are somewhat suggestive
Nothing in my Suggestive MojoWorld Gallery is not safe for work, but all of it uses computer generated landscape imagery to be suggestive of certain pieces of anatomy.The gallery link above goes to a page without any thumbnails. There are some vague text descriptions of each of the linked images. The image to the right is a small section of the last link on the gallery page. It is from a planet called Sine Warriors by Armands.
User support and discussion for digital landscape applications
A lot of important user support and discussion happens in these various forums. I visit these links pretty much daily as a 3d digital landscape artist.
- MojoWorld Forum at the 3D Commune.
- MojoWorld Forum at Renderosity
- Bryce Forum at the 3D Commune.
- Bryce Forum at Renderosity
- Terragen Forum at the 3D Commune.
- Terragen Forum at Renderosity
Amazing Landscapes
Stunning landscapes to inspire your digital creations
The software Bryce was named after Bryce Canyon, a stunning formation located in Utah. Here are some links to a variety of landscapes here on Earth to inspire your fantastic digital worlds.
- Bryce Canyon National Park
- Bryce Canyon was named after Mormon pioneer Ebenezer Bryce, who said of the land, "it's a heck of a place to lose a cow."
- City of Rocks National Reserve
- City of Rocks has a great campground. Each of the campsites in the park is named after a different constellation. They have regular star-viewing events at the group campsite.
- Yosemite National Park
- Ansel Adams, one of the most well-known landscape photographers, did much of his best work at Yosemite.
Books about Digital Landscapes
When just the manual isn't enough
Texturing & Modeling: A Procedural Approach, Third Edition (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Computer Graphics)
One of the authors of this book is Ken Musgrave, upon whose work Bryce originated, and who is the founder of Pandromeda, maker of MojoWorld. This book is geared towards programmers.
Amazon Price: $76.76 (as of 10/12/2008)
Real World Bryce 4 (3rd Edition) (Real World)
This is *the* definitive book on Bryce. Even though it is for version 4, much of its information is directly applicable to version 5. One of my images is printed in this book, yay!
Amazon Price: (as of 10/12/2008)
Real World Bryce 2 (Real World)
If you're looking for an inexpensive option, this earlier work by Susan Kitchens, geared towards Bryce version 2, still contains a great deal of information that will be directly applicable to the latest versions of Bryce.
Amazon Price: (as of 10/12/2008)
3D Graphic Software and Accessories on eBay
Software packages, models, textures, and even training!
Some of the older versions of various 3D graphics software are just as useful as their newest versions.
Models and textures can vastly expand the possibilities of the software you currently have.
Also, training packages can help you learn how to get the most from your 3D software programs.
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