Sept 2015 New User Contest (WIP-THREAD)

Linwelly

Gun said:

Gun said:

Thanks jimmyC, I ll try what you told me. About Spot render, What is it, I saw it on general tool, but I don't know what to use it for?, and max sample, can tell me about what it uses?

 

Gun, the spot render you can use to test the quality of your settings on a small area without rendering everythind, it is by far faster, so it can save you a lot of time. once you are happy with the settings in the small area rendered its worth taking the time for the full render. Its very useful as well when you want to see if the light settings are as you want to have them.

h_habash

JimmyC_2009 said:

You should really have a look at this tutorial by SickleYield on DA : http://sickleyield.deviantart.com/journal/Tutorial-Getting-Started-With-Iray-519725115

She also recommends (in some instances) setting the Render Converged Ratio to more than the 95% is it set to by deafult, to perhaps 98% which may result in a better image.

Wow, I've been avoiding using skydome if I'm going to use IRay renders otherwise I'll get a black scene , now after seeing this tutorial I can add any skydome to my scenes without worries, Thanks JimmyC for this helpful hint. 

Joe Webb

h_habash said:

JimmyC_2009 said:

You should really have a look at this tutorial by SickleYield on DA : http://sickleyield.deviantart.com/journal/Tutorial-Getting-Started-With-Iray-519725115

She also recommends (in some instances) setting the Render Converged Ratio to more than the 95% is it set to by deafult, to perhaps 98% which may result in a better image.

Wow, I've been avoiding using skydome if I'm going to use IRay renders otherwise I'll get a black scene , now after seeing this tutorial I can add any skydome to my scenes without worries, Thanks JimmyC for this helpful hint. 

Take a look at the video tutorial at 4:37. She puts up a note that says "With what I've learned since, I would advise deleting the skydome and using an HDR instead - Iray does not like fully enclosed geometry and lags when it is used."  I missed that the first time I watch the tutorial but caught it later. I stopped using skydomes and noticed my render time increased dramatically - then again it may have been a simpler scene with fewer lights too.

mmitchell_houston

Kitti: Her arm looks too shortened to me. Perhaps you could tweak the camera settings a bit more (maybe more like 35mm or 50mm)?

I also like the idea of adding explosions to the background. That, or a zombie with his head going "splat."

h_habash

Joe Webb said:

h_habash said:

JimmyC_2009 said:

You should really have a look at this tutorial by SickleYield on DA : http://sickleyield.deviantart.com/journal/Tutorial-Getting-Started-With-Iray-519725115

She also recommends (in some instances) setting the Render Converged Ratio to more than the 95% is it set to by deafult, to perhaps 98% which may result in a better image.

Wow, I've been avoiding using skydome if I'm going to use IRay renders otherwise I'll get a black scene , now after seeing this tutorial I can add any skydome to my scenes without worries, Thanks JimmyC for this helpful hint. 

Take a look at the video tutorial at 4:37. She puts up a note that says "With what I've learned since, I would advise deleting the skydome and using an HDR instead - Iray does not like fully enclosed geometry and lags when it is used."  I missed that the first time I watch the tutorial but caught it later. I stopped using skydomes and noticed my render time increased dramatically - then again it may have been a simpler scene with fewer lights too.

Thats true, I didn't thought about this, once I saw the tutorial I got excited and tried the tricks.... and didn't get the result I want.

TreeDee

I am loving iray rendering... did some camera tutorials recently and that changed everything :)

My first attempt. Candid.

Daz 3d 4.8 iray render no post work.

isidorn

TreeDee said:

I am loving iray rendering... did some camera tutorials recently and that changed everything :)

My first attempt. Candid.

Daz 3d 4.8 iray render no post work.

That's really well done! With the hand closest to the camera out of focus the blur it causes makes it look like motion blur, adding to the pose and hair to give the feeling that she's turning towards the camera. If that's your first, I'm looking forward to see your future renders. :)

 

Ugh. I need to stop slacking and make something for this competition too.

JimmyC_2009

TreeDee said:

I am loving iray rendering... did some camera tutorials recently and that changed everything :)

My first attempt. Candid.

Daz 3d 4.8 iray render no post work.

A really good example of DoF.   Well done, Iray can be wonderful in the right hands.

 

h_habash

This one took me a lot of changing to the lights and render settings.

JimmyC_2009

h_habash said:

This one took me a lot of changing to the lights and render settings.

Ah, much better.   I am sure you are not finished yet

frank0314

h_habash said:

This one took me a lot of changing to the lights and render settings.

It's looking really good.

KA1

h_habash said:

This one took me a lot of changing to the lights and render settings.

Brilliant!! Make sure you save so you don't lose this one Its looking great!!

TreeDee

JimmyC_2009 said:

A really good example of DoF.   Well done, Iray can be wonderful in the right hands.

Thanks Jimmy and isidorn, until recently I was always a bit hum-ha about my renders... I managed to get the shaders and materials working but never felt I achieved what I was after when rendered. Then I did a lighting tutorial and started getting some really great effects but it wasn't until I started playing with the camera settings this month (especially the Fstop feature) and rendering in iRay, that suddenly I was getting much closer to what I was trying to achieve.... there still sooo much to learn about the multitude of options but I'm hooked :)

I have done a number of tutorials but is there a really indepth guide/bible to iRay for Daz? Like a full on reference guide?

KA1

TreeDee said:

I am loving iray rendering... did some camera tutorials recently and that changed everything :)

My first attempt. Candid.

Daz 3d 4.8 iray render no post work.

I really like this render, the lighting and DOF are really good, is that an effect of the light around the breast area of the dress though? For some reason that part just doesn't look quite right with the quality of the rest of the render!

KA1

I was working on a second entry while finalising my first, stopped the render at about 35% and am really not sure about it, thought I'd put it up for some feedback anyway though...

h_habash

JimmyC_2009 said:

h_habash said:

This one took me a lot of changing to the lights and render settings.

Ah, much better.   I am sure you are not finished yet

Thanks JimmyC Well, I'm not sure yet, anything I need to do ?

h_habash

frank0314 said:

h_habash said:

This one took me a lot of changing to the lights and render settings.

It's looking really good.

Thanks...

h_habash

KA1 said:

h_habash said:

This one took me a lot of changing to the lights and render settings.

 

Brilliant!! Make sure you save so you don't lose this one Its looking great!!

Thanks, yes I'm doing that every time I do major changes. 

h_habash

KA1 said:

I was working on a second entry while finalising my first, stopped the render at about 35% and am really not sure about it, thought I'd put it up for some feedback anyway though...

Looks great, I have Two suggestions maybe you can try it and see how's the scene will look like, first : maybe you need to wear the lady a pant or short (like Lara Croft movies for example) it'll give her adventurer look, second : try to point her left hand to the man.

KA1

h_habash said:

KA1 said:

I was working on a second entry while finalising my first, stopped the render at about 35% and am really not sure about it, thought I'd put it up for some feedback anyway though...

Looks great, I have Two suggestions maybe you can try it and see how's the scene will look like, first : maybe you need to wear the lady a pant or short (like Lara Croft movies for example) it'll give her adventurer look, second : try to point her left hand to the man.

This is what I wasn't sure of, not sure whether its the DOF or just the way the scene is set up, but each of the guns are pointing at a dude that is "hit" by the bullet, the "don" (dude in the hat) is so far unharmed.

h_habash

KA1 said:

h_habash said:

KA1 said:

I was working on a second entry while finalising my first, stopped the render at about 35% and am really not sure about it, thought I'd put it up for some feedback anyway though...

Looks great, I have Two suggestions maybe you can try it and see how's the scene will look like, first : maybe you need to wear the lady a pant or short (like Lara Croft movies for example) it'll give her adventurer look, second : try to point her left hand to the man.

This is what I wasn't sure of, not sure whether its the DOF or just the way the scene is set up, but each of the guns are pointing at a dude that is "hit" by the bullet, the "don" (dude in the hat) is so far unharmed.

Oh, I didn't recognize/see the dudes before commenting, but now I can see them after your explanation, I blame my eyes for that... sorry.

TreeDee

KA1 said:

I really like this render, the lighting and DOF are really good, is that an effect of the light around the breast area of the dress though? For some reason that part just doesn't look quite right with the quality of the rest of the render!

Thanks... the light area over the breast is a design on the t-shirt from the G3 hobby outfit. The iray shaders make a big difference albeit subtle... this is another one I did of the same but I took the iray shaders off the model.

JimmyC_2009

TreeDee said:

JimmyC_2009 said:

A really good example of DoF.   Well done, Iray can be wonderful in the right hands.

Thanks Jimmy and isidorn, until recently I was always a bit hum-ha about my renders... I managed to get the shaders and materials working but never felt I achieved what I was after when rendered. Then I did a lighting tutorial and started getting some really great effects but it wasn't until I started playing with the camera settings this month (especially the Fstop feature) and rendering in iRay, that suddenly I was getting much closer to what I was trying to achieve.... there still sooo much to learn about the multitude of options but I'm hooked :)

I have done a number of tutorials but is there a really indepth guide/bible to iRay for Daz? Like a full on reference guide?

Have you found this page? : http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/software/dazstudio/4/new_features/start

There is also some really good information here too : http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/software/dazstudio/4/referenceguide/interface/panes/render_settings/engine/nvidia_iray/start

 

KA1

TreeDee said:

KA1 said:

I really like this render, the lighting and DOF are really good, is that an effect of the light around the breast area of the dress though? For some reason that part just doesn't look quite right with the quality of the rest of the render!

Thanks... the light area over the breast is a design on the t-shirt from the G3 hobby outfit. The iray shaders make a big difference albeit subtle... this is another one I did of the same but I took the iray shaders off the model.

ahhhh yes, I zoomed in after your post and can see that now, I thought it was a lighting anomolie, apologies!!

TreeDee

JimmyC_2009 said:

Have you found this page? : http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/software/dazstudio/4/new_features/start

There is also some really good information here too : http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/software/dazstudio/4/referenceguide/interface/panes/render_settings/engine/nvidia_iray/start

Thanks, there's some good info here... and some I hadn't seen before. I might try to map it out so it makes more sense when looking at the application.

TreeDee

KA1 said:

ahhhh yes, I zoomed in after your post and can see that now, I thought it was a lighting anomolie, apologies!!

Don't apologise... I've been looking at that since you mentioned it and decided to change the wardrobe to a black dress instead. It improved the whole look so I think I'll go for a patterned dress for my entry as the focus blurs will also stand out against a pattern.

isidorn

KA1 said:

I was working on a second entry while finalising my first, stopped the render at about 35% and am really not sure about it, thought I'd put it up for some feedback anyway though...

Just like habash I did actually not see the two guys being shot before I read your reply to him and had a second, long close look. But now that I've seen them they are obvious. They might be too much out of focus? I also don't know if it's the camera angle/point of view but to me it doesn't look like the weapons are directed to be able to hit anything anywhere near the floor level. I would have expected her arms stretched out more behind her, towards the floor, for that. Lastly, the muzzle flares seems too big/too much.

Looks like a great setup though and I love the look of her skin.

Hmm, and when I think about it. Is she falling down backwards from that balcony? It's gonna hurt when she lands... Maybe instead she could swing backwards over the railing, keeping herself on the railing with her legs. (pretty much the same pose, but placed with her knees over the railing)

Anyways, that's just my thoughts when I look at the picture. Please feel free to ignore me ;)

KA1

isidorn said:

KA1 said:

I was working on a second entry while finalising my first, stopped the render at about 35% and am really not sure about it, thought I'd put it up for some feedback anyway though...

Just like habash I did actually not see the two guys being shot before I read your reply to him and had a second, long close look. But now that I've seen them they are obvious. They might be too much out of focus? I also don't know if it's the camera angle/point of view but to me it doesn't look like the weapons are directed to be able to hit anything anywhere near the floor level. I would have expected her arms stretched out more behind her, towards the floor, for that. Lastly, the muzzle flares seems too big/too much.

Looks like a great setup though and I love the look of her skin.

Hmm, and when I think about it. Is she falling down backwards from that balcony? It's gonna hurt when she lands... Maybe instead she could swing backwards over the railing, keeping herself on the railing with her legs. (pretty much the same pose, but placed with her knees over the railing)

Anyways, that's just my thoughts when I look at the picture. Please feel free to ignore me ;)

This is all good feedback and all in line with why the scene doesn't feel "right" - The idea with her fall is she is back flipping and would land in the classic "one knee" pose (like baby-doll does a few times in "Sucker Punch" or many other dramtic "landing" poses from movies!) but somehow the composition doesn't have enough for the viewer to be able to piece it all together to the vision I have in mind, I still like the idea I have here but I need a LOT of work on it including potentially a complete change of camera angle to clarify the story, I have some ideas but for now I am putting this one in the WIP folder to work on another idea I have. Many thanks to both you ( @isidorn ) and @ h_habash for the feedback :)

Joe Webb

Finally was able to get this one together. A major stumbling point was the chess set. I didn't get one from the Daz store (I reached my budget grabbing sale stuff ) and the free one I got here, nice as it is, just slowed my system to a near halt. Otherwise the lighting is simple - two light mesh panels, the main one behind and below the man. Getting the HDRI dome to place and light properly is tough, I'm need to figure out how/if the Sun Dial works with it, but I think its the dome lighting the pillars. That was just luck. 

Someone had mentioned a ball handle to help with the focus placement but I'm not seeing that tool or where to turn it on. I'm still using a second camera and adjusting while looking through that.

I tried putting some ball/lights in the background for a bokeh effect but they looked awful. I guess post is the best way to put those in.

Joe Webb

KA1 said:

isidorn said:

KA1 said:

I was working on a second entry while finalising my first, stopped the render at about 35% and am really not sure about it, thought I'd put it up for some feedback anyway though...

Just like habash I did actually not see the two guys being shot before I read your reply to him and had a second, long close look. But now that I've seen them they are obvious. They might be too much out of focus? I also don't know if it's the camera angle/point of view but to me it doesn't look like the weapons are directed to be able to hit anything anywhere near the floor level. I would have expected her arms stretched out more behind her, towards the floor, for that. Lastly, the muzzle flares seems too big/too much.

Looks like a great setup though and I love the look of her skin.

Hmm, and when I think about it. Is she falling down backwards from that balcony? It's gonna hurt when she lands... Maybe instead she could swing backwards over the railing, keeping herself on the railing with her legs. (pretty much the same pose, but placed with her knees over the railing)

Anyways, that's just my thoughts when I look at the picture. Please feel free to ignore me ;)

This is all good feedback and all in line with why the scene doesn't feel "right" - The idea with her fall is she is back flipping and would land in the classic "one knee" pose (like baby-doll does a few times in "Sucker Punch" or many other dramtic "landing" poses from movies!) but somehow the composition doesn't have enough for the viewer to be able to piece it all together to the vision I have in mind, I still like the idea I have here but I need a LOT of work on it including potentially a complete change of camera angle to clarify the story, I have some ideas but for now I am putting this one in the WIP folder to work on another idea I have. Many thanks to both you ( @isidorn ) and @ h_habash for the feedback :)

I think if you change the lighting you'll get clearer focus. Put a light on the protagonist's face so her character isn't in shadow (unless thats what you're going for). Put spots or some sort of light on the goblins to bring them from the background, which is going to all blur together since its out of focus. Just my free advice, which is worth every penny :)