Getting Started
with WCS 6 Part 5D.
Fields & Forest
105. All we have to do is add
a lodgepole pine Understory and the Pine Burn Ecosystem
is finished. Select Understory Ecosystem Operations and
Create Ecotype.
106. Change the Absolute Height
to Foliage Group, Absolute Density to Foliage
Group, and Density to per Unit Area.
107. On the Groups page,
Add a Foliage Group and name it Lodgepole Pine.
Set the Group Height to 8 meters, Group Minimum
Height to 5 meters, and the Group Density to
200 stems per area.
108. On the Objects page,
Add  3
Foliage Objects.
109. Choose New Image Object
from the Image Object dropdown box.
110. Go to the Components\Image\Foliage\Conifer folder. Multiple select the Lodgepole11,
Lodgepole12, and Lodgepole13 images. The image
extensions may be iff or iff24. The iff24
extension is an older nomenclature used to identify 24-bit color
images and set them apart from 8-bit grayscale images with the
iff8 extension. Either way, WCS will load the IFFs since
it pulls image information from the file itself and doesn't rely
on the extension. Load the remaining lodgepole images.
111. Save the project and render
a preview.
112. Let's save the Pine Burn
Ecosystem as a Component. Sign or Save the Component
 .
113. Load the WCSLastRender.iff
thumbnail from the WCSFrames folder.
114. Add your description in
the Comments section and Save to Disk.
115. Now it's time to render
the Grassland in all its blooming glory. Go to the Grassland
Ecosystem
Editor Material & Foliage page, and Enable the Understory.
116. Save the project and render
a preview.
117. The foreground Grassland
foliage rendered slowly until it got to a certain point, then
took off. The fast rendering field in the distance doesn't look
the same as the foreground. Edit the Understory.
118. Go to the Ecotype
page. Image Object Distance Dissolve is enabled with a
Dissolve Height of 4 pixels. This is a render saving
option to keep WCS from rendering every foliage image as far
as the camera can see, which can take a long time for a field
of grass. As it's set, when rendered Image Objects drop below
4 pixels, Dissolve Color is rendered. Edit the Dissolve
Texture.
119. The texture renders the
Fractal Noise Element with 2 shades of grassy green. The
Grassland Ecosystem was designed for close-up views, so a complex
Dissolve Texture was not needed. Load Complete Texture  .
120. Select the Grassland
Dissolve Color from the Component Gallery.
121. Close out the Texture Editor, save the project, and render a preview.
122. As the foreground Grassland
Image Objects recede, they get a little darker. The Dissolve
Texture is matched to that slightly darker foliage, which in
this view looks too dark. Let's add a Light just for the
Grassland. Go to the Light Task Mode, select the Lights
category, and Add Component of this type.
123. Name it Grassland Fill.
124. On the Position &
Orientation page, Set Position by Time to 11 am.
125. We just want a fill light,
so go to the Color & Shadow page and click the Light
Color & Intensity color well.
126. Reduce the Intensity
to 50.
127. Deselect Cast Shadows
and uncheck Illuminate Volumetric Atmospheres.
128. The Include page
is new to WCS6. We can light just what we want to, so click Include
and select Ecosystem from the Class dropdown box.
129. Add Item, and add
the Grassland.
130. Save the project and render
a preview. Much better.
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