New and old

Vially

Hello,

So yes, I am an old Poser user, switching to DS, simple reasoning is I got tired of buying products from one source to use in a product from another source... Made sense to me at the time.

A lot of the theory is there and the general layout and posing of characters and etcetera; however, I am never really happy with the "plastic" look that my renders get. So I started exploring with DS4 and now have the beta. My biggest stumbling block is learning all the tricks and "pieces" to the program that are not readily available to the "open the box and start rendering" mentality I appear to have. and I find myself looking more into HOW to do something than actually doing it, which in turnn leadds to a high level of frustration when I finally do get a "close" render, but am just not happy with the final outcome I have. I know, it means more tweaking, more changing of parameters and more test renders more back-tracking and more trying to figure out how to do something that my brain is screaming at me "I just want to do ____, why is it so difficult!"

LoL, I'm sure a few have been there and said that.

Anyway, my latest image I FINALLY figured out enough of the environment dome to get a start on the look I want, I've been from a washed out sepea lloking image to a pure black image, and back again in just a few clicks of parametters, only to find I'm just not happy with the final composition... I think it is not nearly at cluttered as it should be, it is too clean, if that makes sense. Needs more dirt, more element exposure, more 'something'. but I think I got the lighting 96% where I want it.

Couple of questions, which I hope someone knows an answer for.

1. Is there a way to get clouds in the sky when using sun-sky only, or do I have to find some form of a back drop that will not cast a shadow on my scene?
2. Has to do with the dirt, Is there a good leaf litter, or dirt pile up prop around someplace, or even just a texture I can apply to a made prop? (Yes, I even work in Hex to try and get props I want for renders, the sword in this one is my own.)

So comments are welcome, I am after all trying to get the composition on this one better, have an idea where I want to take it, but am open to input.

Thanks for viewing.

V

Vially

So rebuilding scene, Background is still too bare for me, have no idea how to get clouds into the Sky-Sun dome and will have to read up on options.

Starting to replant, but at 30 minutes a render, there are minimum test runs.

Odaa

Vially said:

So rebuilding scene, Background is still too bare for me, have no idea how to get clouds into the Sky-Sun dome and will have to read up on options.

 

For that you need HDRI packs, like this one: https://www.daz3d.com/skies-of-iradiance-sunny-sky-hdris-for-iray.

You might possibly already own some and not know it, check the Light Presets folders under Daz content (not runtime).

Might also be some free, Daz-compatible HDRIs here, to give you something to practice with until you can save up for the paid packs:

https://poserdazfreebies.miraheze.org/wiki/Lights

Sorry, these are all dome and scene solutions, not sun-sky. There are actual cloud props but they tend to be murder on render times.

Vially

Odaa said:

 

Sorry, these are all dome and scene solutions, not sun-sky. There are actual cloud props but they tend to be murder on render times.

Thanks for information, I will take a look, but may just see if I can find some trees and bushes to fill in the space. Already takes 30 minutes to render on the rebuild scene, so what's another "X:yy" right..