Let's celebrate the latest version of Raylectron

[TaylorBaird]

GateGirl86 used to post great renders, but now it seems like only Okwa, BKilburn, Mike, and Alienizer are active on the forum. However, Support, don't be discouraged. Others will find their way here because AI will feel unnatural to them. Don't give up.

[Support]

AI has made impressive strides in generating art and music, but it's unlikely to replace human ingenuity. Human art is deeply connected to personal experiences and emotions, which AI can't authentically replicate. True innovation often involves breaking conventions and thinking outside the box, something AI struggles with because it relies on existing patterns. Art reflects cultural and social contexts that require a human understanding, making it more than just a product of algorithms.

Creative works also involve moral choices and a sense of authenticity tied to the creator's identity, aspects that AI lacks. Many artistic achievements result from human collaboration, where diverse perspectives and ideas come together in dynamic and unpredictable ways. Moreover, creating art provides personal satisfaction and growth, which is intrinsic to the human experience. While AI can enhance creativity, it won't fully replace the unique qualities of human artistic expression.

That's how I see it, AI don't have a soul, we do.

That makes perfect sense!

[Support]

GateGirl86 used to post great renders, but now it seems like only Okwa, BKilburn, Mike, and Alienizer are active on the forum. However, Support, don't be discouraged. Others will find their way here because AI will feel unnatural to them. Don't give up.

Thank you for your kind words of encouragement

[TaylorBaird]

Thank you for your kind words of encouragement

You are welcome

[Okwa]

@BKilburn Brilliant work. It really looks like something out of "The Martian" with Matt Damon. BTW, be careful what you wish for: "I wish somebody paid me for my work." For a few weeks now, I've been getting "order requests" via DA. "Very serious requests"!

@Mike Many thanks. The new version is simply good enough to kneel on.

Btw, To Gategirl's credit, as the person who brought her to the AI images, I have to say that it has nothing to do with a preference for AI. It's purely practical and time-related reasons. For family reasons, she simply no longer has the time for modeling and rendering. Especially for modeling, which frustrates her a lot. Ask Michael what she was like in her posts a few months ago. Almost depressed because she no longer had the time to tell her stories. And AI is simply an option to continue telling their stories with quickly created images, thus saving time. Even though I would also prefer it if she would post some of her models again.

[Okwa]

@Support @Alienizer @BKilburn @Mike

Spurred on by the successful rendering of this scene, I ironed out two more mistakes:
1. two of the Jaffa ships should actually also have engine jets. Corrected!
2. Somehow projectiles are missing. It's a space battle. Corrected!

Result: 99 light sources compared to 81 before. Has this Raylectron slowed down? 2 min 35 sec rendering time. First image: 35 samples rendered. Second image: 28 samples rendered. Well, I don't think so. At least not much.

[Alienizer]

@Okwa It was already super nice, now it feels like it's heavy, something is about to explode Love it

[Mike]

@Okwa Alienizer beat me at it I was about to say the same thing

[Okwa]

@Alienizer @Support Many Thanks.

Explosion? I think I can still optimize it a bit!

[Okwa]

@Alienizer @Support My attempt to insert something explosive into the image.

[Alienizer]

@Okwa Not exactly what I had in mind tho, I was thinking of a ship exploding Maybe Support can make an "Exploder" plugin that can explode an object into pieces

[Support]

@Okwa My thoughts exactly, exploding ships

@Alienizer hmmmm, I'm going to think about that

[Okwa]

@Alienizer @Support Many thanks.

That would be cool. Creating decent debris really sucks in Sketchup.

[Support]

@Alienizer @Support Many thanks.

That would be cool. Creating decent debris really sucks in Sketchup.

I'm working on that but not sure how to make it work. I can easily make it explode by its groups and components, or, by its triangles. By triangles, it looks bad. By groups/components, looks really sharp as parts are flying out, but you need to make a lot of groups/components, and, for a starship, you'll need to divide the main body into many parts of different shape and size suitable for the "explosion". Not really a good alternative either.

[Okwa]

@Alienizer @Support Many thanks.

That would be cool. Creating decent debris really sucks in Sketchup.

I'm working on that but not sure how to make it work. I can easily make it explode by its groups and components, or, by its triangles. By triangles, it looks bad. By groups/components, looks really sharp as parts are flying out, but you need to make a lot of groups/components, and, for a starship, you'll need to divide the main body into many parts of different shape and size suitable for the "explosion". Not really a good alternative either.

I seem to remember you trying to create an "explosion" tool before. Last year, when I created an animation in which one of my spaceships found a debris field. And I had created the debris more badly than well by hand. We had already talked about whether a tool like that was possible. And you mentioned the same difficulties.

[Support]

I seem to remember you trying to create an "explosion" tool before. Last year, when I created an animation in which one of my spaceships found a debris field. And I had created the debris more badly than well by hand. We had already talked about whether a tool like that was possible. And you mentioned the same difficulties.

oh, that was the Assets, using rocks and confine them into a tight area, then each rock would fly out like an asteroid got fired on. That was an illusion, it had a few hundred rocks put together as a big asteroid, so there were no geometry changes, only positions (away from the center) and rotation/size so each rock doesn't look the same.

[Okwa]

Inspired by a post on DeviantArt showing the options for landing a Ha'tak on a planet, I created this scene based on one of those options. It shows a Ta'sad-Class cruiser of the Jaffa Empire landed on a temple-like landing platform.

All ships of the Jaffa states, especially the Nation and the Empire, are primarily mobile garrisons and bases of the central government. The Imperial Cruisers of the Tar'ad class are of great importance. Particularly in young colonies, as can be seen here, these ships are the seat of Imperial authorities after landing. Especially judicial and tax/customs authorities.

In addition, the weapons of the landed cruisers are the first form of planetary defense for a new colony, or the last line of defense for any kind of Imperial world. Tar'ad cruisers are so important in this regard that the first act in establishing an Imperial colony is the construction of a "Temple in Honor of the Supreme System Lord", as the temple-like landing platform of a Tar'ad-Class cruiser is called in Imperial parlance. These cruisers are so ubiquitous in Imperial space and on Imperial worlds that they are the symbol of Imperial authority, far ahead of the Imperial Ha'tak. Especially for the inhabitants of remote worlds off the usual trade routes, they are virtually the only physical link to Imperial glory.

And thanks to @BKilburn, who gave me the tip to reduce the contrast a little in post-processing. This makes the sky much more realistic.

@Support What an amazing program you have created, Michael.

[Support]

@Okwa Thanks much

I really like this one Chris. It really shows off the amazing size of the temple, it's like looking at the pyramids and thinking, how did they build this? For the grass, maybe use a texture with brown and green patches so it's not so uniform? Beside that, well done Chris

oh, and the birds, are they Ta'sad-Class birds Maybe you forgot to turn them off? it doesn't really fit the theme, does it? It kind of look out of proportions compared to the rest.

[Okwa]

@Okwa Thanks much

I really like this one Chris. It really shows off the amazing size of the temple, it's like looking at the pyramids and thinking, how did they build this? For the grass, maybe use a texture with brown and green patches so it's not so uniform? Beside that, well done Chris

oh, and the birds, are they Ta'sad-Class birds Maybe you forgot to turn them off? it doesn't really fit the theme, does it? It kind of look out of proportions compared to the rest.

Many thanks, Michael. I actually wanted to use the grass assets. But I completely misjudged the size ratios. And yes, I forgot to deactivate the birds. However, three of the "birds" are actually death gliders on patrol.

[Support]

@Okwa Yes, I know, these 3 are obviously not birds

[Okwa]

@Okwa Thanks much

I really like this one Chris. It really shows off the amazing size of the temple, it's like looking at the pyramids and thinking, how did they build this? For the grass, maybe use a texture with brown and green patches so it's not so uniform? Beside that, well done Chris

oh, and the birds, are they Ta'sad-Class birds Maybe you forgot to turn them off? it doesn't really fit the theme, does it? It kind of look out of proportions compared to the rest.

So I have now changed a few details.
BTW, I'm thinking about posting this image again as a separate post with a proper description. Do you think that would be a bit too much of a good thing?

[Support]

So I have now changed a few details.
BTW, I'm thinking about posting this image again as a separate post with a proper description. Do you think that would be a bit too much of a good thing?

Yes, I like this one very much, and yes, make a new thread for this one, well worth it Chris

[Okwa]

Yes, I like this one very much, and yes, make a new thread for this one, well worth it Chris

If you think so. On your own responsibility.

[BKilburn]

The angle looks really good!

[Okwa]

I ""cleaned up"" my PC today, especially the Raylectron files. The names of the files no longer matched the scenes they contained. I found these scenes again and rendered them with the new Raylectron functions. In the first picture I replaced the previously used "textured ground" with water texture by the new ocean. In the second image, I applied the new deformed function to the sandstone texture so that it no longer repeats the pattern of the sandstone texture. Small changes, big effect.