GanzChroma 0196
The NOMAD is a trillion-dollar spaceship that orbits Earth. Taking a decade to complete, its purpose is to eradicate artificial intelligence as a response to the human-AI war triggered by a nuclear strike in Los Angeles. New Asia, home to the AI robots, is the target for NOMAD, which directs all its attacks towards this region.
NOMAD is constantly orbiting the Earth, never staying in the same place, hence the name. NOMAD uses a laser-targeting system that bathes the surface with a shimmering blue light. The laser scans the Earth for any signs of Artificial intelligence. The speed at which the laser moves can go up to several city blocks a second. the laser can cover a length of several hundred meters, roughly the size of a small village. Once the laser detects a hotspot for AI robots, it locks onto the location and NOMAD fires a destructive missile.
Moises talks about the intricate process of creating the NOMAD laser effect from the challenge of "The Creator" by Miodrag Colombo. The effect begins with manipulating the depth channel, shuffling it into the RGBA, and grading the offset to create an illusion of distance. By linking two grades with one as the inverse of the other, the desired effect is achieved, ensuring both depth channels are closely aligned.
The surface laser effect is procedural, simulating the laser hitting the ground or objects. By clamping the effect, realism is maintained, even where occlusion occurs. To avoid a perfect shape, noise patterns are introduced to simulate atmospheric smoke, adding a layer of realism and making the laser appear as if it's cutting through the atmosphere.
Dynamic lighting and reflections are essential for the final look. This involves using stenciling, post-process adjustments, and dynamic lighting to achieve realistic reflections in the water. Inverting masks, blurring, and carefully crafting the lighting enhances the overall effect. The result is a seamless and dynamic NOMAD laser effect, adding a new dimension to the narrative of a relentless AI-hunting spaceship.
Check out Moises Moreno's recreation of the NOMAD Laser-Targeting System on his YouTube Channel - https://lnkd.in/gzQZJ7Dg
Two months ago I submitted my entry for 'The Creator Challenge' from Miodrag Colombo and I got several messages asking for a breakdown of how I did the laser effect. Here's the promised video: https://lnkd.in/gXEP54Ui