Well I wasn’t having much luck with this theme. Love space but doing art around it is hard ~G~ Mentat’s script really helped, thanks. I was slapping my forehead that I didn’t think of most of it. This is my lame attempt.
Great script Mentat7. Keep them coming!
What a cool challenge this was! Great entries everyone!
Here’s my entry!
First the nebulas were painted using the flat material and the color spray ztool!
Then the stars were made using the spray tool with the colorized glow material!
The exhaust was done using the sweepprofile ztool and the colorized glow material!
The ship was made using a conglomeration of different Ztools and Alphas!
Best regards,
Michael
Edited for typos.
“The Schitz”
<font color="#949494" size=“1”> November 07, 2002 Message edited by: PusGhetty </font>
PusGhetty!
It’s so intricate! How did you do that ship? 
Great challenge and some supremely cool images by all.
Sorry i’m late, the old girl was stuck in space dock with a dodgy hyperdrive, damn those mantarian rebels the blighters!
Never mind we’re up and running now so chocks awaaaaaaaayyy and off we go!
Mik
Here is an alpha I though you all would enjoy. I makes nebula creation a little easier. It is a basic cloud alpha so it isnt limited to space stuff.
Nebula Alpha.psd 512x512
and here is a quick look see…
Hope you enjoy it everyone!
*edit here is a quick image with the above alpha only (save alphas for stars and flares…)
<font color="#949494" size=“1”> November 08, 2002 Message edited by: Mahlikus The Black </font>
thnx Mtb…used that alpha a bit on this and some other stuff…Lonnie’s script opened a few ideas as well…my results without a ship
everyone is doing such a kewl job on this challenge…Joe (DeeVee) inspired me to try my hand at the basic flying saucer. 3d sphere modified with the deformations pallette and with the radius and zadd …
Saucer Migration
<font color="#949494" size=“1”> November 10, 2002 Message edited by: Ron Harris </font>
Beautiful buddy!
Glad you like it!
:qu: :qu: :qu:
QUESTION FOR ANYONE:
How would a semi-transparent, glowing plasma or flame exhaust be created??? The best example shown on this thread so far is shown in Michael Melnik’s (PusGhetty) picture.
I am thinking of creating actual geometry, using the glow material, and attempting to make it semi-transparent, but I don’t think the technique of creating transparent objects in ZBrush will work with the glow material. Anyone tried it yet?
If this technique is feasible, it could be used on flames all sorts, aircraft afterburners, and spacecraft, as well as for lots of sci-fi/fantasy effects.
Thanks,
<font color="#949494" size=“1”> November 08, 2002 Message edited by: Jaycephus </font>
see below
<font color="#949494" size=“1”> November 08, 2002 Message edited by: Mahlikus The Black </font>
This is based on Master Mentats technique so dont give me any credit.
Hopefully your ship is on a different layer then the background. If not then you just have to be a little more careful in the painting.
Export the image (or just the background) as a psd file. Then import it back into ZB as a texture and fill a layer.
Then just use the simple brush with rbg only and an intensity of about 5 to 10.
paint the desired color and shape you want. You can also model the shape you want. Just, when you draw the shape on the canvas (after modeling) only us rbg on and enter gyro mode to rotate the model’s color only into the position you want. Once again with an intensity of about 5 or a # of your desired transparentcy your looking for. After you have the base exhaust colors down, you can use the shading enhancer or highlighter brush to brighten the inner part ot the exhaust. Maybe some smudge and blur for taste…though try to keep within the exhaust for you do not want to blur your backbgound…
Hope this gets you started on your way or at least gets the mental wheels turning.
Rock on!
*edit = Okay I made this Zscript in like 30 seconds so if it seams lame…well it kinda is…but it does illustrate what I mean…
Enjoy! Hope it helps
- The First is modeled with the profile tool and the second is painted. *
<font color="#949494" size=“1”> November 08, 2002 Message edited by: Mahlikus The Black </font>
<font color="#949494" size=“1”> November 08, 2002 Message edited by: Mahlikus The Black </font>
Here is an example of glow material with transparent settings:
Layers:
1 - Stars
2 - Flame Geometry - Glow - ransparent
3 - Second Flame, smaller - Glow - transparent
4 - Chess piece
That’s some great exhaust effect in 30 seconds!
Thanks.
Here is a problem I have with glow that I’ve never seen before:
Any ideas of how to correct this? Thanks,
I think I might know whats wrong though I ma having a hard time trying to figure out what your getting at. here is an attemp to solve some problems I see in the image…I think 
When painting something like this…you want to fill the layer with a base color first…black in this case. If not…the painting acts funny or doesnt even paint at all. Thats one…two is Zadd…because of the depth option of ZB…you will run across problems. When I first started making my space background I had Zadd on so the depth of the paint and modeling changed throughout the doc so when I drew the ship in…parts where showing and other parts where under the background pixols…very weird.
To mend this problem, I used the blur brush with zadd only to smooth out the pixols of the background. With 100 intensity and enough strokes…it will level out the pixols.
Now, if you mean your glow isnt glowing well…sometimes it is the ambient setting in the lights and material.
Other then that, I am not to sure of the problem…sorry if I am not seeing it/helping.
Can you make a zscript? or post a sample zbr file so one can read the problem and have it if front to work with also.
Thanks MTB:
The problem I am referring to is the glow. it is being overridden by the painting in the background.
I think it has to do with Flatten Layers: You must not flatten layers for transparency, but you do need to flatten layers for glow, so there is an incompatibility between the two. I am looking into other techniques to combine the two or achieve the same effect. Thanks,
Building upon MtB’s jet flare explanation here it is with some additional tweaks. In the image below I placed the engine pod and a few base 3d primitives to serve as the foundation for my jet flare. The image was rendered then exported as a .psd file then imported back in and a new layer was filled with this imported texture. I then used the smudge brush with the spray stroke to break up the form of the 3d objects. I painted in additional color with the spray stroke then applied the shading enhancer (again with the spray stroke). A little freehand smudging and touch up and it was done.
smacks forehead
Smudge with spray stoke?!?!
Duh! I have to go play with this now…
Beautiful stuff too Mentat. Just goes to show you that there are too many ways to do things in ZB to count at first glance…thats what makes it so unique and powerful…I love it!
Awesome tips everyone! I still don’t know if I can create glowing, transparent flame, however. I am sure there is a technique, but it probably requires some blending between two different renders of the scene.
S U N . P O W E R E D
HELP :ex:
I need suggestions on placing a border on this as far as color and shape. The layout may need balancing a bit. I want to put a signiature and maybe a title, but I don’t want to put them in the painting.
[GalleryEntry]
<font color="#949494" size=“1”> November 11, 2002 Message edited by: Jaycephus </font>