Razgriz94 Posted November 29, 2016 Hi! This is my third MOC, it's a Pagoda Temple on a little creek. I wanted to build a winter situation, with the temple on a rocky base. I don't know if i do a good job with the rock, I'm not convinced. Also the water, there are some trick to improve it? What do you think? I can improve it? (sorry for bad english) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slegengr Posted November 29, 2016 Your techniques look pretty convincing, but they could use some improvements. I recommend using more slopes and less bricks in the rocks and avoid visible studs. Incorporating some slopes on their sides using SNOT (Studs Not On Top) techniques can be even more realistic. The water is good for a calm lake. I do recommend using only 1x2 tiles in trans-light-blue rather than different sizes, as the outlines blend together better. Right now, the larger tile outlines and underside tubes (visible through transparent bricks) make the appearance more cluttered with unnatural regular shapes and less naturally blended. If you want water that is not calm and smooth, try attaching the tiles at a slight angle to give a small wave appearance. This is easy with physical bricks, as you can attach one end down completely while leaving the other end not fully attached. In LDD and other rendering software, this angling is much harder to achieve. Keeping the tiles flat like you have it gives the beautiful added effect of the reflection on the smooth water, so I think flat tiles is the technique to use here. Your pagoda has a really nice appearance! I like the window panels and the slopes on the tiered roof. I hope this helps. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Razgriz94 Posted November 29, 2016 Just now, Slegengr said: Your techniques look pretty convincing, but they could use some improvements. I recommend using more slopes and less bricks in the rocks and avoid visible studs. Incorporating some slopes on their sides using SNOT (Studs Not On Top) techniques can be even more realistic. The water is good for a calm lake. I do recommend using only 1x2 tiles in trans-light-blue rather than different sizes, as the outlines blend together better. Right now, the larger tile outlines and underside tubes (visible through transparent bricks) make the appearance more cluttered with unnatural regular shapes and less naturally blended. If you want water that is not calm and smooth, try attaching the tiles at a slight angle to give a small wave appearance. This is easy with physical bricks, as you can attach one end down completely while leaving the other end not fully attached. In LDD and other rendering software, this angling is much harder to achieve. Keeping the tiles flat like you have it gives the beautiful added effect of the reflection on the smooth water, so I think flat tiles is the technique to use here. Your pagoda has a really nice appearance! I like the window panels and the slopes on the tiered roof. I hope this helps. Thanks for your advices, they are really helpful to me! :D I try to improve it right now! Is there a trick also for the rocks in the middle of the river? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slegengr Posted November 29, 2016 (edited) @Razgriz94 I would use slopes for the river rocks as well. Make them bigger than small round pebbles, but not too big compared to the main rock. SNOT can also be used for these if a jutting appearance is needed, especially with the 1x4 slope bricks turned on edge. Curving slopes and wedge bricks are also useful in achieving realistic rock faces. You just need to determine whether you want smooth rock or rough rock, as slopes give a rougher appearance and curves give a smoother appearance. Another recommendation I have (since you seem to be using rendering software with "unlimited" number of parts) is to add significantly more water around the edges. This will help in achieving a more realistic "photograph" look to your build. As it is now, the picture seems cut short with the small baseplate size. Making the outline irregular instead of using the outline of a square baseplate also gives a better appearance, though this may just be my personal opinion. The parts needed to do this physically may be cost inhibitive, but software should handle this size of MOC without too much trouble (even with the addition of more water). Continue to use the quote feature in topics as you did or tag the user you are asking the question (type @ then the username) to get a good response to questions. By doing this, the user will get a personal notification that you posted information regarding that user (whether a question or comment regarding the user). This makes it easier for each user to find relevant information on EuroBricks. I totally missed that you did use the quote feature when I originally posted this response. Check out this link for landscaping reference. Edited November 29, 2016 by Slegengr Added Reference Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
