Modo renders

Gaieus · 6 Jan 2008, 21:16

A few people at the Modo dragged out the old Sponza file the other day so started messing with it again for fun.

(hdri.cgtechniques.com)

Running renders while I work on something else chargeable! Thanks to Marko for the original model. I truthfully forget where the Gehry Chairs came from. Maybe the manufacturer. Just juxtaposing old and new for fun. No great purpose other than practice and playing with render settings.

jeff jacobs · 6 Jan 2008, 21:17

This is a series of images of a pavilion we are designing on Lake Michigan. Green roof, grey water, etc. LEED stuff. I tried to match the SketchUp/Modo renders to the actual site.

View toward lake.

View from lake.

View in traning/meeting room.

alan wood · 6 Jan 2008, 21:18

Great work. I'm so glad I signed up. Lots to learn.
Love renders
Thanks for posting
alan

Stu · 6 Jan 2008, 21:18

Jeff,

Really lovely images. Mondo certainly looks the goods. [But then I'm sure you could make something look pretty good using Bryce 2 ]
Those pavilion shots are stunning......and not a dog's head in sight

Stu

RonS · 6 Jan 2008, 21:19

Very nice Jeff. Do you like Mondo the best?

jeff jacobs · 6 Jan 2008, 21:19

@unknownuser said:

Jeff,

Really lovely images. Mondo certainly looks the goods. [But then I'm sure you could make something look pretty good using Bryce 2 ]
Those pavilion shots are stunning......and not a dog's head in sight

Stu

Alan,

Thanks. I'll help whenever I can. Just ask. I may not always know the answer, but I can probably point you in the right direction if I don't.

Stu,

I got rid of the dog heads just for you Stu! It is amazing how long you can look at something and still not really see it. Thanks for that one. I still look at that image and shake my head.

Ron,
I like Maxwell's images better, but Modo is so much easier and quicker to work with that it really can't be beat for 99 percent of our clients. Plus, Modo will soon have animation capabilities which will be REAL nice.

alan wood · 6 Jan 2008, 21:20

Jeff
Thanks for that. I'm working on a 'how to do' type of dvd on making a through and lapped dovetail. Tool preparation, specialist jigs etc etc,all modelled in sketchup, and at some stage I'm looking for an excellent rendering programme. Mojo brings your images to life and I love them. The fact that someone else has commented on the fact that they are easier to work with is also a benifit.

Having said all that, everyone still needs a bit of help on the way and I really appreciate your offer of help if needs arise.

From a sunny and warm Newton Le Willows, England

Thankyou

Alan

robmoors · 6 Jan 2008, 21:20

Hey I recognise those chairs in the last image, Compasso d'Oro Sidechairs right?

Mike Lucey · 6 Jan 2008, 21:21

5 star work there Jeff. You are able to
leverage Modo well.

Mike

jeff jacobs · 6 Jan 2008, 21:21

@robmoors said:

Hey I recognise those chairs in the last image, Compasso d'Oro Sidechairs right?

Yea, I think you're right. They won't be the final chair, I just need something light that looks stackable for this early rendering. They will probably end up being some sort of clunky sled base chair that can stand up to a lot of abuse. We haven't spec'd the exact furniture yet.

Thanks Mayor. I'm trying. I know there is some dispute regarding too much realism (it's like the sheep farmers battling the cattle ranchers ), but my clients demand my images be as realistic as possible. They are spoiled!

Here's another I did today. It was to test a few materials. It's a combination of my work and components from all sorts of sources. I was really focusing on getting the light and floor materials right. Ignore the repeating texture on the stone wall. I'll fix that later!

Switching to the new intel macs really made a big difference in the complexity if the material that i can use. The speed is really unbelievable.

This image also uses a trick that I picked up at from Yazan at the Modo forum. Duplicate your image in another layer in Photoshop and then use the "high pass" filter on it. Then switch it to overlay and adjust the percentage of opacity to the level or look you desire. Really adds a nice high-key sharpness to the image. This is similar to other techniques you have seen before but is a little different look.

Shaun Tennant · 6 Jan 2008, 21:23

Jeff, that really is awesome, and your clients are spoiled - they have you!
Thanks for the high pass tip - I'ma try that out just to see what I end up with... I think that the materials in this one all look amazing by the way - very convincing render.

P: Shaun Tennant

Edson · 6 Jan 2008, 21:23

hi jeff,

pleased to meet you. hats off to you. awesome work.

alan wood · 6 Jan 2008, 21:24

Jeff
Beautiful work. Quality stuff.
Love the tips all essential stuff to pass on to a person new to the craft.
thanks
Alan

cheffey · 6 Jan 2008, 21:24

Excellent work Jeff.
I find it hard to imagine that that work is coming right out of sketchup.
absolutely hands down some of the best arch-viz renders i've seen.
i wish i could hate you for it... but you are too nice of a guy.

robmoors · 6 Jan 2008, 21:25

@Jeff,

It's really nice to see my models come back in scene's by other by people.

On the render itself, it's very well done, Lighting is excelent what I also try every now and then is a small emboss on the highlights and the darks in the image and put them on darken en lighten in photoshop. It creates a subtile difference and a little sharpness in the overall image:

Original Render:

Small Edit:

jeff jacobs · 6 Jan 2008, 21:26

That looks good Rob. I've been trying different tricks in photoshop. This looks like another good one. You do both the highlights and the shadows?

What object in the scene yours? I always try to give credit whwn it's not a formfonts and I know the source.

robmoors · 6 Jan 2008, 21:27

Yes both the highlights and the shadows,

Offcourse with opposite emboss angles on the different layers, put the highlight layer on lighten and the shadows on darken. (soft light works from time to time but you just have to scroll through the blending modes to see what is most fitting).
Ow yes and a sharpen filter also often contributes to the final render.

I use a lot of the techniques I learned when I still was doing a lot of digital art (mostly terraspace http://blaze2x.deviantart.com/gallery/ ). You learn a lot about mattepainting and you sure as hell get familiar with photoshop.

As to the object, it is a FormFonts resource it's my Compasso D'oro Sidechair. But no credit is needed that is what FormFonts is for right .

Edit:
Btw Im sorry for the insanely large screenshots forgot to press the ALT - printscreen button.

And Jeff if you ever find the chance to make a video tutorial or just a tutorial guiding us through your rendering process (From SketchUp to modo to the final render with some post processing, offcourse leaving out the moddeling part ) I would really appreciate it, it would also make a nice contribution to these fora.

jeff jacobs · 6 Jan 2008, 21:28

Rob,
Nice chair.

I'll give the emboss trick a try. I did a simple single layer emboss before I saw your latest response. That gives me a clearer picture of your technique. Very cool.

I could try a video sometime. I'm really pretty new to it. Probably not doing it right.

Here is another view I did yesterday. Starting to add some "stuff" here and there.

robmoors · 6 Jan 2008, 21:29

Hmm the first one had more warmth to it, probably because of the red wall on the left. I kind off miss that in this render.

A video or some screenshot anything really would be more than welcome. I have to finish a pair of decent renders in 2 weeks of a building I am currently designing, and after seeing your renders I would love to do it with modo and a good tutorial .

alan wood · 6 Jan 2008, 21:29

Jeff
This work is just amazing. I would second the last for a tutorial as there is so much stuff a beginner like myself would learn. I dare say those in the highly skilled bracket would as well because these images just jump out at you as so full of quality.
thanks for posting
Alan.