William Falcon Posted December 4, 2012 Share Posted December 4, 2012 Well, it has been something like four or five years since I've posted anything (artwork-related or otherwise) on BZPower. But I just created something very cool and I feel the need to share it with some people who will have an especial appreciation for it. As you probably know, a marvelous fellow called Christian Faber recently started a blog where he shared, among other things, the official grayscale height maps used for the creation of Mata Nui and Metru Nui. Creating a 3d model of Mata Nui is something that I've toyed with, off and on, for eight years...in fact, back in 2004, I made a post of my first attempt, the height-map for which was created using a highly-'shopped modification of the classic Mata Nui map. Anyway, after messing around with the official height-map, and trying to think of ways to create a more photorealistic version of the Mata Nui map, I decided to take a screenshot of the modeled landscape and superimpose real, photographed imagery over it, to create a convincing picture of the island from at least one perspective. Not sure if anyone has attempted this before, but if so, well, here's my interpretation; First, the original render. You are looking north from the tip of Le-Wahi, towards the Mangai Volcano and the Ko-Wahi mountains: And the realistic version: Just for good measure... I added some atmospheric haze (derived from a depth map of the 3d model) to complete the illusion of enormity and distance. This makes some of the more distant mountains slightly tricky to see. Likewise, only if you look very closely can you see the smoke rising from the mouth of the Mangai. The aquamarine details in the ocean come from the Faber Files map. I hope you enjoy 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xccj Posted December 4, 2012 Share Posted December 4, 2012 (edited) Wow, that is really awesome. I especially like how you did the coastlines, what with the cliffs and beaches. For the most part, I think this could easily pass as a real photo of some island! (The snow covered mountains in the back are a little unrealistic, because you wouldn't have that much snow that low on a tropic island, but the climates on Mata Nui were like that to begin with. Edited December 4, 2012 by xccj Quote My BZPower Stories Dark Core--Kulagi's Kanoka--A Shadow's Contrivance--Mystery on Keli-Nui--BZ-Koro: To Bring Back Bionicle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Legendary TNT Posted December 4, 2012 Share Posted December 4, 2012 *jaw drops* Woah... Unbelievable... That is just freakin' amazing! The only problem I could spot was that the Mangai was the highest point when it should be Mt. Ihu. Other then that, fantastic job, bro! Could you please make more? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BULiK Posted December 4, 2012 Share Posted December 4, 2012 Well, my cranium just exploded. This is the best fan art for bionicle that I've seen EVER. Seriously. Is it possible you could make more of these for us? That would be awesome. Quote Visit www.BZPRPG.com to view my project of archiving BZPower's RPGs, and also access the BZPower Roleplaying Wiki BZPRPG Profiles - Ghosts Of Bara Magna Profiles Exo-Force RPG Profiles - Six Kingdoms: Apocalypse (Knichou, Berys, Arnex, The Taku, Exuze) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishers64 Posted December 4, 2012 Share Posted December 4, 2012 Impressive. Most impressive. I want to visit that island. Great job!The blue of the ocean looks a tad off, though. Quote Hero Factory RPG | Bionicle Mafia XXIX: Storyline & Theories Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Falcon Posted December 4, 2012 Author Share Posted December 4, 2012 Thanks for the comments everyone. I will definitely consider doing more of these images, and I've been thinking of where to position the camera for the next one. Maybe Po-Wahi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meta-Mind Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 (edited) Very impressive. I noticed, though, that one mountain peak (directly above Le-Kini) seems unrealistically clear compared to the surrounding area. I would recommend double-checking there to be sure you blurred it properly.Beyond that, great job! The title does indeed fit this piece, it's a nice, photorealistic fan work. EDIT: I just realized this, but the nearest island to us looks unrealistically smooth. It might be better to add some rocky texture to it, similar to the textures you used on the mountains. The southernmost part of the Le-Wahi beach looks a tad smooth as well - perhaps you could try to increase the "bumpiness" of the forest textures there, so to speak? Edited December 5, 2012 by Meta-Mind Quote BZPRPG TIME, where you could have one post talk about dinner, and the next about lunch. Time is beyond relative here.There's no reason not to put lasers in the palms of planet-sized robots. In fact, if I had my own planet-sized robot, palm lasers would be one of my first upgrades.BZPRPG Profiles [outdated] May or may not be back from a multi-year hiatus. We'll see how this works out... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kopekemaster Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 (edited) I was just skimming down and looking at the pictures, and thought that the second picture was a real picture of a real island that Mata Nui was based on. Then I read the description. And read it again. That is amazing. Simply amazing. It seriously looks like a real picture. Well, my cranium just exploded.This is the best fan art for bionicle that I've seen EVER. Seriously. Is it possible you could make more of these for us? That would be awesome. Yes, more pictures would be very welcome indeed. Edited December 5, 2012 by Kopekemaster Quote My Writing Blog (more writing coming soon!) My Bionicle/LEGO Blog (defunct) Hyfudiar on Spotify (noise/drone/experimental music) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Falcon Posted December 5, 2012 Author Share Posted December 5, 2012 (edited) I just realized this, but the nearest island to us looks unrealistically smooth. It might be better to add some rocky texture to it, similar to the textures you used on the mountains. The southernmost part of the Le-Wahi beach looks a tad smooth as well - perhaps you could try to increase the "bumpiness" of the forest textures there, so to speak? The reason behind the smoothness of that particular island comes down to a matter of scale and not being able to decide exactly how big I wanted the island to appear...see, the actual official size of Mata Nui, is, well, really darn big. Initially, I wanted to represent that by making one the islets (which I added rather early in the creation of the image) a rather large-sized island itself. But, as the image progressed, it became clear to me that finding imagery to represent that scale for the whole of the scene was going to be very hard. I suppose I could have used satellite images for the jungle, but somehow I don't really think it would look as nice as aerial photographs of rainforests, which is what I primarily used. To make a long story short, I scaled the island down a bit in most areas, but that little islet remains the same. You are absolutely right though: aesthetically, the islet should be texturally rougher and I plan to add some cliffs and rocks around its edges. Same goes with the jungle: some crags, hills and cliffs are perhaps called for... Edited December 5, 2012 by William Falcon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athmos Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 That is the coolest thing I've seen here in a long while. I am a little shocked at how real it looks! Quote WIP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~garnira returns~ Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Looks great! The atmospheric haze really gives the finalized picture depth, and the details make it believably realistic! If there is anything I think you should work on, I would say the water. Quote "Copy and paste me into your sig! The shadows command you!" ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)#tumaislove,tumaislife Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alto Magna Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Very beautiful work here. I can't find any real faults with it, and I think you rendered it/constructed it fantastically. Quote [flash=250,100]http://www.menol.org/signature.swf?id=zaoTm.swf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenebrae Invictus Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 (edited) Being from Hawaii, I don't think the coast should've been that green - it should've looked a little more sandy at the edges to look more realistic for an island. But, other than that, this is great work, the mountains look very correct and it's cool to see Mata Nui more realistically. Edited December 19, 2012 by Tenebrae Invictus Quote Up, down, turn around, please don't let me hit the ground Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toacorey Posted December 31, 2012 Share Posted December 31, 2012 This is amazing. Will their be more photos of this in the future? I would love to see a picture of one of the villages like this. Quote "New Era, New Assassin"-AC4:Blackflag Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewa Krom Posted December 31, 2012 Share Posted December 31, 2012 That is amazing! Now if only we could actually go there... 1 Quote Keep in mind that if Star Trek fans had, as a group, said, "No point in talking about this anymore, it's never going to come back," it never WOULD have come back. -- Greg Farshtey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToaN Posted December 31, 2012 Share Posted December 31, 2012 (edited) Incredible! May I ask what 3D software you used to render/texture this? Edited December 31, 2012 by Toanicky Quote The BZPower Chat is alive! Join at: http://xat.com/thebzpc I am ToaN, from the N continuum... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ballom Nom Nom Posted December 31, 2012 Share Posted December 31, 2012 (edited) Wow, that is beautiful! You really made the shot of Mata Nui shown in the original render really look like a color photograph. I love the texture of the ocean, the colors of the sky, and how the island vegetation really seems lush and fertile, completely living. Your versions of the Mangai volcano and the distant Ko-Wahi are also breathtakingly realistic.I really can't find anything negative to point out about your picture, as it is so incredibly well done. But I will recommend that if you can find other aerial renders of Mata Nui showing different parts of it, such as Kini Nui or Ta, Po, or Onu-Wahi, your technique might also work to create stunning realistic shots of those areas as well.~B~ Edited December 31, 2012 by Ballom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toa Lhikan Hordika Posted December 31, 2012 Share Posted December 31, 2012 My goodness, that is absolutely amazing. Great job with this, it was certainly a pleasure to look at. - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHTrilogy Posted December 31, 2012 Share Posted December 31, 2012 Stunning! Absolutely breathtaking! I'm especially entranced by all the subtle details like the smoke coming from the Mangai. Quote ~ CHTrilogy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toa of Nerds Posted December 31, 2012 Share Posted December 31, 2012 Absolutely amazing. This brings back all of my old memories from 2001. Great job! -don't touch my pocket protector Quote Three great comedies at one low, low price....NOTHING! Kicking the Bucket (archived)Three late-middle age matoran think of something they want to do before they kick the bucket. Choose Your Own Bionicle Adventure (archived)Navigate your way through a myriad of meaningless choices as you try to not make a fool of yourself in perhaps the only comedy ever written almost entirely in spoiler tags. Useless BZP Junk that you Must Have!!!Get to your phone, whip out your credit card, and prepare to buy some useless BZPower related junk that has no benefit on society except that you want it!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toaman25 Posted December 31, 2012 Share Posted December 31, 2012 That is SO cool! I've never EVER seen an island that could possibly pass off as Mata Nui. Quote Farewell, Bionicle.com You will always be remembered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hakann-The Bully Posted December 31, 2012 Share Posted December 31, 2012 Oh wow this is AMAZING O_O It looks good enough to be advertised as a potential Honeymoon location XD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Power of Fire Posted December 31, 2012 Share Posted December 31, 2012 This is realy cool. Would you consider doing one of Metru-Nui? Quote "Where wisdom and valor fail, all that remains is faith. And it can overcome all." Tahu "Deceit and self-interest will never be virtues the Matoran will honor!"-Vakama "Fear is the state of mind in which we will cause our own failures."-Me " You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villian."- Harvey Dent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TahuForever! Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 *whistles* Wow... That's awesome. When I saw the picture in the news, I thought it was an actual island. When I got to the topic, though, I read the introduction before I saw the pictures. But even then, it "almost" passes for a real island.But in your list of landmarks, didn't you leave out Ta-Koro? Unless I'm mistaken, the little string of volcanoes/mountains just east of the Mangai, which you do have in there, is where it's located. Come to think of it, though, Le-Koro might be in there somewhere, too, although not all of Le-Wahi is visible from this angle. Incredible! May I ask what 3D software you used to render/texture this? I'd like to know that, too. Quote After five long years. . . The Master of Fire is back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space: Ocean of Awe Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 Whoa, that's brilliant! It looks quite realistic (and absolutely gorgeous), just looking at the mist in the distance, the jagged mountains, the green trees and the blue water, even those little rocks jutting from the water...makes me wish I could actually go there (not to mention how awesome it would be to hike up the Mangai Volcano). =) Quote "Baby, in the final analyses, love is power. That's where the power's at." TumblrTwitterWattpad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistergryphon Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 This is amazing! It's extremely realistic. I'm going to make it my wallpaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toa of Mirrors Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 Please release this 3D model. Quote Come see my story-corrected Tahu And Takanuva MoCs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iPenguin Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 Haha. I initially thought that the original render was supposed to be "photo-realistic", and I laughed.Then I saw the actual thing and my mind was blown. 3D art will forever blow me away. You should make show the model in different angles. That would be amazing. Quote Majhost sucks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyichir Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 That is quite impressive! I'd love to see it from other angles (or if possible, in some format that allowed you to rotate it freely). Any ideas what you'll follow this up with? It'd be interesting to see other islands, like Voya Nui. Quote Formerly Lyichir: Rachira of Influence Aanchir's and Meiko's brother Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dapper-Sama Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 WHOA. Simply magnificent. Of course, it would be convinient to see the map from a different angle, maybe from an inland perspective, perhaps? Quote Morally unambiguous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Opallix Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Looks good. I think the scaling is a bit off, but still, it's a pretty unique piece of work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mare Tranquillitatis Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Impressive. I especially love the shading used to create the oceanic part, but the rest remains awesome indeed.Seeing other parts of Mata Nui or, perhaps, of other islands would be great, but, considering how much work must flow into this kind of works, I'm not gonna ask to see some more pictures. Though, it would be fantastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toa Smoke Monster Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Wow, I really like how this looks. Some of the mountains in the background look a little too bright for my liking, but that's only a minor complaint. I would love to see more artwork like this in the future. Quote Everyone is one choice away from being the bad guy in another person's story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mata-Nui Nuva Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 I haven't seen you on-site in forever, so it's good to see you on the board again, especially with something this fantastic. I know absolutely nothing about 3D modeling, but I'd imagine that it was no small feat to make it as realistically as we see it, especially given the comparison of original and final render. I can't think of what CGI wizardry went into it, but the final product is extremely pleasing to the eye. It really makes me feel nostalgic. I suppose that my only criticism is that I don't see much of an existing shoreline, but I suppose that the overhead view of Mata-Nui has green right up to the ocean. Nice to see you around! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Makuta Matata Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 Wow, this is amazing! I think it would have looked more realistic if it had beaches along the coast, but this is still awesome! Nice work! Quote Three on Three - Memoirs of the Dead - Winner!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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