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General => Open Discussion => Topic started by: Dune on May 20, 2018, 09:41:45 AM

Title: hard shadows
Post by: Dune on May 20, 2018, 09:41:45 AM
I'm having trouble getting rid of a hard shadow, and I'm getting a bit pissed of. I hope someone can have a look at this face and tell me what's causing it. Afaik everything is alright, and it doesn't make a difference if I set Poseray to 35º normal calculation or smooth normals, the hard edge is still there.
Especially when applying bump, the edge really gets awful.
Title: Re: hard shadows
Post by: Kadri on May 20, 2018, 10:02:48 AM

It looks ok to me. Is there any displacement on the face in the scene? Negative one?
Maybe the other parts are the problem? Nice work by the way. That hair, what do you use?

Exact position of the face and the light would help too.
Title: Re: hard shadows
Post by: Kadri on May 20, 2018, 10:03:59 AM
Render.
Title: Re: hard shadows
Post by: Dune on May 20, 2018, 11:02:59 AM
Strange that your render looks ok. It's this part. I don't know the sun angle from my head.
And yes, there's 0.002 displacement on this. And then it really hits.

Hair is ZB fibremesh. I bit too thick, but I'm trying to get the hang of it. Learning every day. Clothes still need refinement too.
Title: Re: hard shadows
Post by: Kadri on May 20, 2018, 11:07:36 AM
Quote from: Dune on May 20, 2018, 11:02:59 AM
...
Hair is ZB fibremesh. I bit too thick, but I'm trying to get the hang of it....

I like it.
Title: Re: hard shadows
Post by: masonspappy on May 20, 2018, 06:20:29 PM
Don't know how applicable this is to PoseRay, but when I get a problem like that with Blender-created objects it's usually because I didn't set Shading parameter in Blender to "Smooth".
Title: Re: hard shadows
Post by: Dune on May 21, 2018, 01:35:15 AM
That's waht I did:
Quoteit doesn't make a difference if I set Poseray to 35º normal calculation or smooth normals
I'll try again and/or prepare a tgd.
Title: Re: hard shadows
Post by: René on May 21, 2018, 06:08:30 AM
Could it be the occlusion weight in the Image Pass?
Title: Re: hard shadows
Post by: Dune on May 21, 2018, 06:25:46 AM
What do you mean, René? I didn't use any additional maps, other than the colors and a bumpmap, and with a very low value 0.002. But perhaps 2mm is even too much.
I did try something else; taking the bumpmap through pixplant, which took out some of the finest details in the skin, while keeping the hairs white and crisp. And apparently that helps a bit.
Title: Re: hard shadows
Post by: René on May 21, 2018, 06:58:16 AM
I meant the render GI settings. I think it looks ok now, unless you need close-ups.
Title: Re: hard shadows
Post by: Dune on May 21, 2018, 09:08:46 AM
Ah, that's what you mean. Thanks. It's not that, though it sometimes gives nasty stripes. Good reminder anyway.
Title: Re: hard shadows
Post by: j meyer on May 21, 2018, 11:10:38 AM
Tested with your face and a similar 'make human' head and I think it's the
usual jagged shadows issue in conjunction with the also known displ/bump
thing. So more polies will get rid of the jaggies and less displ and/or the
pixplant-cure will mitigate the displ/bump issue.
Title: Re: hard shadows
Post by: Dune on May 22, 2018, 01:50:48 AM
I've tested with a subdivided face too, but then I get just smaller hard edges. I think it's the 'overall whiteness' of the bumpmap that lifts the whole curved are out of its calculation zone, so to speak, and messes with the calculated depths/shadows. I've had this discussion with Matt a few years ago, I remembered yesterday. The Pixplant treatment made the bumpmap more diverse and darker, so I have to keep that in mind. A small offset also helps. Bumping everything is just no good.
Thanks Jochen.
Title: Re: hard shadows
Post by: Hannes on May 22, 2018, 03:13:01 AM
Good to know!
Title: Re: hard shadows
Post by: Dune on May 22, 2018, 08:52:55 AM
I'm pretty satisfied now.
Title: Re: hard shadows
Post by: Hannes on May 22, 2018, 09:29:04 AM
Oh yes, looks pretty good now! Even the folds are fantastic!
Title: Re: hard shadows
Post by: Oshyan on May 22, 2018, 03:43:24 PM
Those are probably your best-looking humans yet. Just the legs look a bit too smooth...

- Oshyan
Title: Re: hard shadows
Post by: Dune on May 23, 2018, 01:46:00 AM
I was just thinking about more (maybe even generic) bumpmaps to give these guys some bumps and bruises allover. It's not too hard to subdivide the whole model one or two times more and add real displacement here and there, but I also want to keep polys as low as possible. Probably the face is the most important to get more character in, as these are 'just' DAZ genesis people with a homemade neanderthalmorph applied.
Funny, I shortened their arms for the first morph, but then the fingers bent in awkward ways. Rigging is still beyond me.
Title: Re: hard shadows
Post by: mhaze on May 23, 2018, 05:14:24 AM
Great figures and textures.
Title: Re: hard shadows
Post by: Kadri on May 23, 2018, 06:24:44 AM

The objects are very fine and for Terragen render these look really great.
I know you don't like it much but i think you should use more postwork on your objects (skins especially).
Especially with your great painting ability you could make this already very good looking work look even better.
Title: Re: hard shadows
Post by: luvsmuzik on May 23, 2018, 08:54:58 AM
These are terrific! Creative human features. Wonderful  representation of clothing. How in the world are you  posing these figures without rigging?
Title: Re: hard shadows
Post by: Dune on May 23, 2018, 10:50:04 AM
I take a Genesis figure and pose in DAZ, then export and do all other stuff in ZB.