I must say mate I rarely do any renders without using multilight, even if it is for a sun only exterior, I still place even one panel outside the scene so I can utilise low environment lighting and slower shutter speeds to soften the shadows.

Mateo

What a stunning use of multilight, I would suggest your client would have been VERY impressed - I know if I were seeing it for the first time I would!

BTW mate is the bump reversed on the back wall, looks just a bit strange?

Great work mate, seriously!

@tomsdesk said:

Hey, Richard...the short answer :`) the long answer is longer than downloading one and playing with it (': http://www.sketchucation.com/forums/scf/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=16790#p132954

Hmmm? thanks for the linked explanation! Still not quite sure - I tried to find anything of a download to check it out though all led to a dead end!

Hye that guy next to the building is shady!! Is that where the girl lives? Women hate being stalked, well I don't know that for sure but assume so as they always call the police on me!

Hey Tom I have to ask (one would think I know by now after all these years) what do you mean 2.5D ????

Pete

Seriously your modelling skills are only matched by your generosity!

Thanks mate these are just brilliant!!! Thank you!

Like Eric said I'm not sure why you have cast the building in shadow! For me the grass looks a bit felty, needs some bump and desaturate. Great start though!

Yeah mate now that has made it jump out, more so the dirty up of the adjacent wall. and the subtle flouro effect behind the lower sign! Well done mate!!!!

Mate

I agree with Toms first crop of the image, the extent of foreground is distracting. The post worked image really adds a lot in my opinion! Though I think you have dirted up the front of the building on the left a little too much.

For me the carpark pavement in the post image looks great now, though as mentioned the lines may have been a little less white.

For me the real biggy is the lack of any light from the windows which would be present in a late afternoon shot.

The dark line to the image as Tom mentions created by the shadow cast from the line of trees I feel could be broken by not maintaining such a harsh line to the layout of the trees.

Now all in all considering the size of this project and the extent of the parking / mapping there this is superbe work mate, you should be really proud!!

Just testing again with the same model to work out a defined workflow - this time using a depth image (black fog, front/back faces white) to mask the lens blur.

This seems to give better and more predictable results.

I followed a slightly different work flow with this one;

SU export: monotone mode light faces are reversed normals (could be done with just face colours though)

1. Fog, shadows left, line on (light front face, dark back face)
2. Fog, shadows left, line off (light front face, dark back face)
3. Fog, shadows right, line on (light front face, dark back face)
4. Fog, shadows right, line off (light front face, dark back face)
5. Fog, shadows off, line off (white front face, white back face) depth map

PS edit:

A. Normal blend 1 and 2 to get preferred line weight, merge layers
B. Normal blend 3 and 4 to get preferred line weight, merge layers
C. Black fill background layer
D. Apply layer mask to A / B layers using depth map
E. Apply lens blur (with noise) to A / B using mask as source
F. Apply filter > Artistic > film grain to A / B layers
G. Normal blend Layer A / B to get preferred shadow cast
H. Copy merged > paste new layer
I. Apply Filter > render > lighting effects, create lights from direction of light sources and adjust to suit
J. Apply Filter > distort > lens correction - use negative correction to add distortion, lighten vignetting to light extremes from light source,
K. Use shadows and highlights edit to fix shadow depth etc.
L. Adjust levels.

This image uses three lights in PhotoShop all added in same action

1. Bottom left toward center
2. Bottom right toward center
3. Top left toward back center

Still amazed this can be done with SU.

Close Up

Remember mate you can do this just like Multilight post rendering!

I think Pete is on the money there with Vue when it comes to landscapes given that seems what it is aimed at. I think for most other renderers the lack of good plant materials for SU will disappoint you as they really will highlight it as opposed to direct SU export.

You could always try playing with some SU options to fake it!
http://www.sketchucation.com/forums/scf/viewtopic.php?f=81&t=16807

@marked001 said:

richard..i think i know what you mean, but can you please explain further? thanks!

Oops sorry Defraction not diffusion!

Add a glare map, maybe a star one, then add some level of defraction that the light would get through moist night air (I think thats what causes it - I'm no scientist) though the effect can be seen in most night shots. Upping the brightness of the lights with this effect may also add some realism.

Looks good mate though for some reason it's not getting the realism I would have imagined, just not sure why?

Maybe a bit of glare and diffusion might help with that!

@kwistenbiebel said:

@richard said:

Just wondering if anyone has had a go at this yet with any results?

Yes, I am starting to use the method at work. Not quite at the same level as you yet, but it is refreshing to use the D method.
Can't put the office images here though.

Darn! Would love to see someones attempts!

Yeah I'm keen - naughty though for just tempting us! hehe!

Just wondering if anyone has had a go at this yet with any results?

I'm surprised by most of your posts tom that you choose to make the building almost always second place to the trees, I know most artist try to highlight the architecture with trees as a second place.

I think it does mate though possibly too harsh a contrast considering the shadows on the rest of the model.

@marked001 said:

I'm definitely interested in these..

Me too - I wish form font's had differing options other than subscription!

Ramy these really are amazing renders! Would never have thought they were done with Mentalray!

My only suggestion and looking at the indoor pool at home here - where you have any light coming into the enclosure one would normally see some caustics at least at the bottom and sides of the pool. These can easily be added to the pool textures to do a great job at faking the effect!