Here's an image I've been working on off and on over a few weeks. Its nothing fancy. My goal with this image was to try and get as photo-real as possible by combining some new lighting techniques I've been working on that really make use of TG2's GI.
All rocks, stones, and colors are procedural with no image maps used.
I still notice some issues with the renderer (such as some flat coloring), and since I had to render the image in 2 halves, the GI issue was still an "issue" (which had to be taken care of in photoshop).
Otherwise, only postwork was minor color/contrast/sharpening/blurring.
Stats:
quality = 1.0
res = 1024x768
render time = 14 hours total (4 cores) - rendered in 2 halves once per night since I use my PC in the days - I wish there was a render pause/save option.
GI = 2/2
AA= 5
Many thanks for looking...
Jeffro
:o Wow, outstanding work Moodflow. Extremely realistic result. I'd be interested in hearing some more about your lighting techniques if you are interested in elaborating.
Moodflow.... Outstanding work. Your quest for photorealism has been achieved. Its so nice to see a "real world" render. The rock looks like real rock, boring drab unexciting colours (not meant sarchasticly ;D ), just like most rock in the real world looks like. The lighting is just spot on. I love the way you have managed to get the sky to white out. The best bit for me is the far bank of the river / lake. The colouring, displacement etc is just superb, realy muted but still with enough of the colour coming through. One of the most realistic renders I think I have ever seen.
Go to the top of the class, have a gold star and a cookie ;D
Miles
I like it, it's so realistic ! Very good work !
I think that you can still improve this image; already perfect; by working this time on the setting in light!
Excellent scene-setting work. A cold, desolate place is accurately depicted, reminding one of Bergman's "The Seventh Seal" perhaps.
John
Really nice. I agree with NVSeal. I'd like to know your new lighting techniques. :D
Really nice work man! The lighting looks like it's just a overcast day to me. Very realistic work! Huzzzzzah!
Wonderfull work,Bravo!
very very good render !!!
it's very realistic and i agree with Phylloxera...
do you have the same realism with another light ?
Very realistic. The sky is a bit hazy, but then it might be. :D
exceptional....love the rocks especially!!
Very realistic work, really like it! Only would like to see some bushes here and there, but not necessarily at all. The colors and water look just fine and so do the displacements.
I also would like to know how you did the lighting. Is it the same way (or derived from) as you described here?:
http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=3055.0 (http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=3055.0)
Martin
Many thanks for the comments, all.
I did have foliage on the rocks and background hills, but it really added to the render times, so I left it out for now. I'd really like to dial foliage in better.
@NvSeal and Tangled Universe:
It IS the same technique used in the post: http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=3055.0
I'll render it again with direct sunlight so we can check the differences. I just did a small test render, and it seems to work as well.
@TU - I wonder how this technique would look on your "Brand New Day" image?
very nice render, looks like a photo to me. :o :o :o :o
yea a pause button would be nice
Here is a smaller version with the standard TG2 lighting (same place as the lighting in the other image, but without the spread effects). I did very minor color correction and sharpening in Photoshop.
Quote from: moodflow on August 07, 2008, 05:24:54 PM
Here is a smaller version with the standard TG2 lighting (same place as the lighting in the other image, but without the spread effects). I did very minor color correction and sharpening in Photoshop.
I think the first version looks really better. I wonder how this works with dense clouds.
Quote from: moodflow on August 07, 2008, 03:17:08 PM
@TU - I wonder how this technique would look on your "Brand New Day" image?
Good idea! Perhaps we can work this out?
Martin
Wow, great render. Love the lighting effect, very photo realistic.
Quote from: Tangled-Universe on August 07, 2008, 05:57:46 PM
Quote from: moodflow on August 07, 2008, 05:24:54 PM
Here is a smaller version with the standard TG2 lighting (same place as the lighting in the other image, but without the spread effects). I did very minor color correction and sharpening in Photoshop.
I think the first version looks really better. I wonder how this works with dense clouds.
Quote from: moodflow on August 07, 2008, 03:17:08 PM
@TU - I wonder how this technique would look on your "Brand New Day" image?
Good idea! Perhaps we can work this out?
Martin
Yea I agree... the standard lighting doesn't look as nice.
More work to follow.
totally agree.. the first version's better ! :)
so thats how you get that light in your images i always wondered about that (i missed that thread)
nice one mate love the textures it would be good if you could add a wet layer to the rocks in the water then it would be total realism ;D
Quote from: lightning on August 08, 2008, 04:36:23 AM
so thats how you get that light in your images i always wondered about that (i missed that thread)
nice one mate love the textures it would be good if you could add a wet layer to the rocks in the water then it would be total realism ;D
Hey Pal, we don't do that kinda stuff around here!
Quote from: lightning on August 08, 2008, 04:36:23 AM
so thats how you get that light in your images i always wondered about that (i missed that thread)
nice one mate love the textures it would be good if you could add a wet layer to the rocks in the water then it would be total realism ;D
I agree, this could easily be added and would make it look even more realistic. I'm not sure if I am done with this image or not, as I'm already working on another.
Quote from: seth93 on August 08, 2008, 01:26:05 AM
totally agree.. the first version's better ! :)
The same thing for me !
In french : "Y a pas photo" !
Hey moodflow, thanks for the link. I tried to replace the background with a default shader with luminosity but I'm not getting the same effect. The ground is completely dark no matter what the GI is set at. Could describe exactly how you have it set up?
Quote from: nvseal on August 08, 2008, 01:42:50 PM
Hey moodflow, thanks for the link. I tried to replace the background with a default shader with luminosity but I'm not getting the same effect. The ground is completely dark no matter what the GI is set at. Could describe exactly how you have it set up?
I am getting the same results as nvseal. This is an awesome technique and I can't wait to see how to use it.
Devin
No problem on the link. Here is a tip to avoid that darkness issue: Ensure that some type of power fractal (or image map shader) is plugged into the default shader's luminosity (though you may have done this - see below). Set the luminosity to "2" or so, though it could be set from 1 to 100 depending upon needs. I'm not sure what effect using the default shader exclusively will have as I've noticed color errors when using exclusive for colors in foliage. I can only assume these errors would translate. Lately, I've pretty much quit using the default shader, except for when I need to create luminosity values.
Keep in mind, with this GI technique, the background is what lights up most of the scene. You'll likely need to lower the sun's strength significantly, or even turn it off entirely (depending upon scene).
Darkness problem: I've also had problems with darkness on surfaces using the GI technique in random cases and I am not sure what causes this. I have a few ideas though. In the meantime, I have a clip file with a working version in case I can't get it working in the scene (which as stated, happens at random).
This technique is still a work in progress and I hope to have it perfected soon.
What link? And would you consider letting us see your internal node setup for the Background Shader? That would make it much easier.
Quote from: calico on August 09, 2008, 06:58:19 AM
What link? And would you consider letting us see your internal node setup for the Background Shader? That would make it much easier.
Hey Calico, here it is: http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=3055.0
Looks like a photo. I have to agree with Mr-M it's the drab uninteresting ordinariness that makes this so real. I think you prooved this yourself with the second version. ;D