Rendering Workshop - Studio - still life

dermotcoll

Hi Rich

I dont think so - it is generic soft. Will play about with it and see what I can come up with - as for my liathroidi - they are totally deflated by now. I'm off to me bed to dream of apples and vodka - now theres an idea for a drink!!!!

solo

Nice renders Chris, more apples more fun.

pav_3j

@dermotcoll said:

Hi Rich

I dont think so - it is generic soft. Will play about with it and see what I can come up with - as for my liathroidi - they are totally deflated by now. I'm off to me bed to dream of apples and vodka - now theres an idea for a drink!!!!

sorry to burst your bubble my friend!

http://www.drinksdirect.co.uk/acatalog/Smirnoff_Green_Apple.html

pav

dermotcoll

Pav - thanks for bursting my bubble- it now matches the state of my liathroidi!!!!

Here is the hird attempt with an omni light directed at the dark patch - as you can see it is still there so its not a shadow - anyone any ideas whats causing it?

still life3.jpg

notareal

dermotcoll, could that be a back-face issue. Looks like surface normals of that tabled are a bit messed.

kwistenbiebel

It seems to be something else. The bright bit is the reflection of the studio setup 'bowl' thing, while the dark part is the top of the HDRI,which is dark at the top.
You might want to load a different HDR or maybe make the 'studio bowl' material darker....(Never use a colour lighter than RGB 220,220,220 for any material)
Also, did you put reflection on that place mat material? If yes, lower it down.

(Could also be too much 'geometry smoothing' going on on that place mat --> lower down 'soften edges')

dacad

Solo
What render engine are you using?Vray? you're render looks too much CG for Vray. Is that with a sun source or a heri studio?

tallbridgeguy

Solo could you give me an idea of how long your last "apple study" took to cook? (great image by the way)

One of the most frustrating things about this process, beside the learning curve, is waiting for the end result. I am using KT on an AMD quad and it takes at least an hour, usually more to get a decent image.

Also where do I sign up for the Solo correspondence course in rendering!

thanks!
s

solo

I used Vue for all the renders in this thread, Vue has the tendency to make studio renders look very CG, but then again it's supposed to be a landscape app and not a studio renderer.
The render which was 2000 x 1000 took around 5 minutes to render (biased)

As far as a correspondence course goes, I'd suggest sticking to SCF as there are so many talented folk here using a wide range of software that one will get a better cumulative knowledge than one technique from one person.
However if you are a Vue user then I may be able to help in many situations, especially if you use it for Archvis, there will be some new products coming in the future designed for the industry (I'm heading up a forum on E-on soon that will be focused for AEC professionals)
It's great news as Vue is an awesome app that needed some tailoring in order to appeal to this industry and they have finally noticed the potential and agreed to make a product with us in mind.

solo

IMO the guys at e-on will not mess too much with Vue as it is right now, they may give a few more terrain tools, eco painters, atmosphere advancements and render options, but not change the focus of the tool that leads in it's catagory. What I believe they may do is create an independant tool for architecture, engineering and construction professionals, using integrated tools like grid modeler, new UV tools, micro topography tools, intergation with more CAD apps, etc.
At this point all I know is they are interested in the industry and are doing a lot of research to find what the market really needs, I also believe animation will be a big part of the solution as the industry starts requiring them more and more.

dacad

Hmm, i still couldn't find a good interior (or studio) render in vue. On the other hand there's not much competition in landscape rendering.
I'm curius to see how Vue will handle that scenes in the future, but i really doubt that would be able to touch vray (any one notice that renders now are appearing like mushrooms??lol), and after seeing the article where they show how vue is used in the terminator movie, i don't know if they shoudn't, instead, just concentrate in what they are really good. Better be great at something than one more in the crowd.

To enter this workshops what's the limitations in terms of model editing, lights, and materials? Too much time without rendering just for fun...i'm missing it

tallbridgeguy

THanks for all the great help everyone!

richcat

My late attempt with Irender

stilllife RC 2.png

Al Hart

@richcat said:

My late attempt with Irender

Thank you for the image. (Does late mean "done late at night", or "turned in late"?)

It looks like you aimed a light on the glass which highlights the glass. However, for this model, I think you might want to get the viewer to concentrate on the apple. Try adding an additional light to the apple as well. Just as in a photography studio, you may want to add lights to highlight specific items. (Although since everyone else in concentrating on the apple, perhaps you wanted to concentrate on the glass. In that case, you should have put a "richcat" in it Or that shiny skull/helmet you used to use.)

Also, for studio images, it is not necessary to provide single sharp shadows, or even realistic shadows.

Here is a tip from a photography site:

@unknownuser said:

The main light should be at least three feet wide and in a soft box configuration. The reason for this is that a soft box places the surface of the light close to the subject without getting in the way of the camera or photographer. Another reason is that the light is kinder to skin surfaces and tends to wrap around the features without losing the modeling.

By using a very large spot light, the effect of bringing the light from a wide area will soften the shadows.

Al Hart

This weeks workshop worked out great! Especially because of Solo's model, and his advice on studio rendering techniques.

I was planning to do something on water for the next Workshop, but it turns out that Solo has already started a workshop on fountains. Take a look at it, and add your contributions. Render This: Fountain

Solo and I will try to get better coordinated for the next Rendering Workshop. Keep tuned...

richcat

Pete that fountain is just fab.

@al hart said:

Thank you for the image. (Does late mean "done late at night", or "turned in late"?)

Both - it gets too addictive, just change this and that, add more reflection, a bit of bump etc.

@al hart said:

(Although since everyone else in concentrating on the apple, perhaps you wanted to concentrate on the glass. In that case, you should have put a "richcat" in it Or that shiny skull/helmet you used to use.)

Yes I was concentrating on the glass, but not very well, and maybe I should put my old terminator rendered head on it , its just my kids did this Wii image of me, and it makes me seems a lot younger.

I have re lit the scene as suggested and added a very subtle dof to highlight the apple. Now to turn in

stilllife RC 3a.jpg

solo

Richard, that's a great render.

richcat

Thanks Pete

I didn't turn in as I just couldn't resist doing a bit more of a close up a bit similar to kwist and Adams. Remembered to adjust dof, but tried to keep it subtle again. I need to work a bit more on wooden handles, and try adding some dust to the plate,and the apples probably want tweaking ---- but I must get some sleep.

Looking and learning from people like Adam, Al, Kwist and of course yourself and others that keeps me striving for better and better, but it needs to be quick, fun and informative as these have been. I'm still working on the sss dragon, where there have been some really cool renders, mines no where near yet.

Click on image for higher resolution version

Al Hart

@richcat said:

Thanks Pete

I didn't turn in as I just couldn't resist doing a bit more of a close up a bit similar to kwist and Adams. Remembered to adjust dof, but tried to keep it subtle again. I need to work a bit more on wooden handles, and try adding some dust to the plate,and the apples probably want tweaking ---- but I must get some sleep.

Looking and learning from people like Adam, Al, Kwist and of course yourself and others that keeps me striving for better and better, but it needs to be quick, fun and informative as these have been. I'm still working on the sss dragon, where there have been some really cool renders, mines no where near yet.

Both of these two are a lot better.

But when you finally "hit the hay" (I don't know if that is a phrase using in the British Isles) You could let the scene keep rendering all night to see if it looks better with softer shadows (or not). (It feels strange offering advice to one of the best scene massagers in the community. Bit is is always easy to look at someone else's rendering - after hours of tweaking - and make suggestions, then it is to stay up extra hours and work on your own scenes)

Richcat, - and everyone - remember that we want to see your work too - not just the work of the experts. We can all learn more from advice on how to improve a rendering then by merely looking at the best results. (That doesn't mean that you "experts" should stop making submissions - just that the rest of us shouldn't be scared off.) Even near the end of one of these workshops i am pleased to see a newby download one of the engines, and give it a try.

@unknownuser said:

quick, fun and informative

thats why I like these workshops where we all work on rendering a model - to try and learn techniques - and not just see you can add the best geometry - also, I have a chance rendering existing geometry - but would really struggle at creating the geometry myself.

Gaieus

@al hart said:

...and I will try to get better coordinated for the next Rendering Workshop. Keep tuned...