Planet Atmosphere in Thea 1/2 SOLVED How to make it falloff?

[Sorceress 21]

So I found a way to make an atmosphere effect in Thea Studio. I used a 2nd sphere for the atmosphere, assigned Thin Glass (Thickness 0.0) to the surface then used Medium to create the haze effect within the spehere giving the planet an atmosphere.

I'm happy with the results except for one thing: Using this method, thus far, doesn't seem to present a way to get the medium (fog) to fade up from the surface. I assume this is because the sphere acts a container and the sunlight coming into the sphere is lighting the upper side of it first.

I tried using "Assymetry" in a negative number which does seem to reverse the direction of the light but there's no attenuation in the haze.

In the newest version of Thea (I'm using the standalone Thea Studio" does the new fog settings allow for the fog height above base material to be adjusted?

Any other ideas would be appreciated. I've almost got this challenge licked. If I could just get the fade out this would be a major win.

Here is what it SHOULD look like to be more realitic:

IN my model, I've been able to get the haze and the "halo" but not falloff with altitude as you see here:

If you open the image and take a close look you see the "halo" band is a uniform density. I'm looking for a way to make it attenuate.

[duanekemp]

Did you finally get your model to render as you wished?

[Sorceress 21]

Did you finally get your model to render as you wished?

Apologies for a very late reply. I've been unable to even think about my art hobby for several months due to work.

To answer your question, no unfortunately. I have exhausted every possible option that I have the skills to use and am now convinced there is nothing in Thea Studio settings wise that can be used to make a proper looking atmosphere around a spherical planet model.

I tried using multiple spheres for the atmosphere, reducing the intensity of the medium a little with each iteration but that approach just isn't holding up at all with close in renders.

There would have to be a way in Thea to invert how the surface of the atmosphere sphere reacts to the light source. I had thought using Asymmetry in a negative value would do this but closer examination reveals that isn't the case at all. What happens is using the medium approach to simulate the haze of an atmosphere creates two problems that seem to be unsolvable in Thea Studio:

One, there's no way that I can see to set a parameter where the thickness of the medium "falls off" in a specified direction. Nothing I see in the UI/Materials Lab allows any control over this. That poses the issue of having the atmosphere 100% consistent within the Sphere which of course isn't how a real atmosphere is structured.

Two, being the light source is from the sun, it illuminates the medium from the top down. If that was invertible some how then the issue of density falloff would be solved.

If there is a way in Thea to set a specified material to not receive light from the sun but to receive it from all other objects then the sun's light reflecting off the surface of the sphere would create a good atmospheric falloff effect even with a consistent medium density.

My conclusion is that Thea Studio lacks the capacity to control lighting or Medium adequately enough to apply any approach to making a realistic looking atmosphere around a planet model. If it can be done somehow then it's beyond my abilities or understanding of the software and it's settings.

[duanekemp]

If there is a way in Thea to set a specified material to not receive light from the sun but to receive it from all other objects then the sun's light reflecting off the surface of the sphere would create a good atmospheric falloff effect even with a consistent medium density.

Have you posted this issue/question in the Thea Forum?

[Sorceress 21]

If there is a way in Thea to set a specified material to not receive light from the sun but to receive it from all other objects then the sun's light reflecting off the surface of the sphere would create a good atmospheric falloff effect even with a consistent medium density.

Have you posted this issue/question in the Thea Forum?

No. I've never gotten any help or support from those folks. I've tried on other issues to no avail. They aren't a very helpful bunch over there, at least they've not been to me.

I mean this is what it is. Thea is system meant for architectural rendering so it just doesn't have the in depth capabilities that more "entertainment industry" oriented platforms have and is priced accordingly.

[duanekemp]

Not completely convinced of that. There are some magical artists that can do some magical things with Thea that might read the forum post and pipe in.

I invite you to a Facebook English only Thea Render group you might get some feedback from. Some really good artists and technically proficient members. https://www.facebook.com/groups/661259790608261

[Sorceress 21]

Not completely convinced of that. There are some magical artists that can do some magical things with Thea that might read the forum post and pipe in.

I invite you to a Facebook English only Thea Render group you might get some feedback from. Some really good artists and technically proficient members. https://www.facebook.com/groups/661259790608261

Appreciate that. However, I don't have a FB account and never will.