Attachments:
MainImage.png (4.1 MB)
ScreenGrab.png (1.5 MB)

Attachments:
Day05.png (1.1 MB)
Screenshot 2025-03-06 000329.png (1.8 MB)

Attachments:
untitled2.rop_image1.0001.jpg (1.0 MB)
Screenshot 2025-03-05 at 23.05.45.png (2.0 MB)

Attachments:
day5_environment_hipShot.png (1.1 MB)
mardini05_environment_0001.png (3.4 MB)
mardini05_environment_v002.png (3.4 MB)

Attachments:
ENV_gt_01.png (3.1 MB)
ENV_gt_02.png (1.4 MB)

Day 5: nice sunny grass field to read in

Attachments:
000_treePlanes.png (2.2 MB)
img-2025-03-05-18-23-22.png (523.7 KB)

Attachments:
Envi_Render3.png (1018.3 KB)
Day_05_Obj.png (940.6 KB)

Environment

Attachments:
Environment_nodes.png (3.4 MB)
Environment.png (1.1 MB)

Attachments:
05-unfinished_final.png (445.1 KB)
05-1.png (3.1 MB)
05-2.png (2.5 MB)
05-3.png (2.6 MB)

Attachments:
cactus.11.COP_TRANSFORM.0001.jpg (627.0 KB)
Viewport 1.png (1.0 MB)
Viewport 2.png (1.0 MB)
Viewport 3.png (1.5 MB)
Viewport 4.png (1.6 MB)

Attachments:
Day5_Environement_FinalRender.png (2.0 MB)
sceenViewport_Day5_Environnement.PNG (2.0 MB)

"Light filters through the fractured ceiling of an ancient cavern, illuminating remnants of a dry and dusty biome. Here, the land itself seems shaped by unseen forces—smooth, undulating waves of stone eroded not by water, but by time and movement and intent. Floating silently in the cavernous space, scattered across the shifting surface along a golden path, a series of metallic artifacts drift along in quiet procession, their purpose long forgotten."

The cavern geometry is generated by a sweep using several cross-section variants along a curve which drives all of the geometry. Then, some layered noises in the right places to achieve some visually pleasing shapes, followed by a bit more similar layered noise in the Karma material to rough things up a bit and help with the light bouncing around a VDB volume sourced from the cave walls --- all comes together to create an almost sculpted surface in the final render.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed making it.

see you soon,
-alan/organic

p.s. this was my first time using instanced spot lights in Karma --- 5/5 can recommend, will visit again

Attachments:
2025-mardini-day-05-environment-karma-render.png (7.7 MB)
2025-mardini-day-05-environment-sops-geo-generation.jpg (701.8 KB)

Attachments:
day05.jpg (918.3 KB)
スクリーンショット 2025-03-06 090851.png (579.6 KB)

Empire line goes down.

Attachments:
empire_line_goes_down_beauty_render_3.png (1.1 MB)
Screen.PNG (905.2 KB)
05.hiplc (14.3 MB)

Simple approach with heighfields. Put most of the work into the procedural shader.

Attachments:
05_render.jpg (445.0 KB)
05_sops.jpg (766.9 KB)
05_solaris.jpg (1.1 MB)
05_mtl.jpg (102.6 KB)

Attachments:
forest.jpg (2.0 MB)
sops.png (526.8 KB)
solris.png (1.4 MB)

MARDINI 2025 - Day 5: Environment 🌿☁️

Kicking off this year’s challenge with floating islands and clouds! This is just the beginning—I’ll be building on this idea each week, following specific prompts from Mardini to expand the scene. Looking forward to bringing this world to life step by step!

Attachments:
FI_environment_v002_with_bg.png (2.6 MB)
Screenshot 2025-03-05 194041.png (1.4 MB)

Attachments:
Mediteranean.003.png (1.6 MB)
2025-03-06_03-53-21.png (1.6 MB)
2025-03-06_03-59-58.png (1.0 MB)

Attachments:
Mardini2025_Day5_Environment.jpg (465.9 KB)
2025-03-06 (1).png (719.5 KB)
2025-03-06 (2).png (758.2 KB)
2025-03-06.png (685.1 KB)
2025-03-06 (3).png (900.7 KB)

Day 05 - environment

Didn't have time to render the animation, so image it is

Attachments:
Mardini25-Day05-environment_screencapture.png (3.9 MB)
Mardini25-Day05-environment.png (2.7 MB)