Novica & Forum Members Tips & Product Reviews Pt 7
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Aw, thanks. There is a TON of props with it- if you need bamboo, it's got it. Has that stone pagoda-type statue, rocks, quite the variety. The groupings are so well laid out too- great thought was put into hiding groups for particular camera angles.
One that I had to laugh at was Rock Bar- somehow I had it in my mind that it was a musical band setup in a drinking establishment. I didn't really look at the promo! Now bear with me, cause when you go to the link I gave, you're seeing the closeup. Go look at that sucker in the main gallery, and most of it is dark. I thought those were sound speakers and a stage! DUH.
Still rendering Mountain Valley, taking you on a tour via the Nino car. Experimenting with the XYZ dome rotation for the different city streets and will share those settings. LOVE the set- if you want a town that isn't as gritty as Stonemason's, this is the one to look at.
While still in progress, here's some of them. I didn't do any postwork (no midtone, shadows, contrast, nada) so this will approximately be what you get with the settings I'm giving you. With this set, what works in one place will give you shadows in another, so if you want a more "uniform" scene or different time of the day, that's what I was putzing around with. I merely played with the XYZ dome rotation. I'm using Skies of Iradiance, (comes in a bundle too) and it was a sunny one, A,
First image, with the courthouse in the background, the X/Y/Z Dome Orientation was 250 / 230 / 60. If you want dusk or overcast, do the last one to 20. Bingo. In Tone Mapping, get it close to:
Exposure Value15.54 Shutter Speed 626.11 F Stop 8 Film ISO 119.31 (to 135) Burn Highlights was .10 and Crush Blacks .16 Keep these settings or close to them, rotating the dome will do all the other work for you. In the first one, see the buildings in the background to the left? We're going to turn around and go down that street. But first we need gas. The gas station is where YOU are, looking at the car. It's like you are standing by the pump.
The second one with the gas station, change the dome orientation to 250 / 230 / 90 if you want more sun. I kept this setting all the way through number 6. See the blue building in the image? Keep your eye on it for the third image.
Image 3: We're turning around and heading down that street to the end of it, then hanging a right to go down the street where the buildings are in the background of the first image. Love my Nino car, I'm getting great gas mileage lol! Don't know how, apparently I am driving with my foot on the brake as the back lights are ON. At the end of that street, there's not much to the left.
Image 4-6: This is showing you what that street looks like with dome orientation 250 / 230 / 90, while that first street is sunny you'll get shadows and sun on the street we're going down. Later, I'll show you the sunny version and give you the settings. I rather like the variety, especially in number 5. Like a winter's evening when the sun sets fast. The shops look interesting with the shadows. That welcome sign in number 4 is cute, I'll show you that later. You're looking at the back of it. So we're driving down that back street, heading to the right. At the end of the street is another street, with the movie theater. This set is jammed packed! (You can see the theatre in the last render)
For the next group, I'm going to show you the courthouse view as seen from a passenger in the car. In other words, if you were in the car and looked to your right, this next group shows what you'd see with Image 7. I also changed the settings.
Okay, beep beep continuing on. First image, looking to the right as I drive down the back street. I changed the Z dome orientation to 180 (it was 90) Now, bright sunlight! But that will put the stores on the back street in shade, (second image) but put the street in sunlight. Nice to know if you want to focus on the street and DOF the stores. Sharp contrast in light/dark done for you. In the second image, did you notice the Camp Fire Girls on the welcome sign? Lovely detail.
Okay, so how to get more sun on that backstreet? Change your Z dome orientation to 120. (Fourth Image.)
My question is why the movie theater has the same posters over and over and over?
Nice renders, interesting to see a record store, a travel agency and stationery store, 3 things you don't see these days.
So the buildings just wrap around the Courthouse on 3 sides then, with just a road (with nothing on the other side) in the front of the courthouse, is that correct?
@DvoraszeniaStudios YES!
Polish rocked it. All blinds roll up and down in the Oriental Breeze Pool. A must have pavilion!
Wow, thats so cool and unexpected. I was expecting you to say no, because usually a feature like that would be mentioned in the description. I agree, definitely a must have.
I'm checking. I exited to go check out the blinds for you. Back in a minute and will post here. You have the courthouse, then like in the second render, the gas station across the street. Then if you were standing in the gas station, I went down the road to the left (if you were standing in the station looking forward toward the courthouse. I need to go to the right and see what's that way instead.
EDIT: OMLord, the set's huge. Had we gone to the right of the courthouse, there's more streets! The first one is similar to the "back" street I went down, there is nothing on the back of them. And there are tall buildings acting as backdrops (which also show up better from the air and are in the section that we went through. When we went left from the gas station and to the end of the street (by the bank) and if we would have turned left instead of going right towards the movie theater, there's a big group of "backdrop" buildings there, like industrial warehouse backgrounds.
Doing screenshot. Wow, lots of details. A very practical town. Has a few unlabeled doors/buildings that you could use for anything too. Didn't label the street that we went down, the back street has a theater/playhouse (I think that's what it is. Has a billboard.)
I sure didn't know the set was this huge and had so much variety, or I would have scooped it up before now.
Oh, nevermind, I think I was confused on the layout. I see the record store and gas station is in front.
EDIT: A big aerial screenshot of the whole layout would be awesome, no need to do a time consuming render on my behalf. I think its another must have for me, either way, just because its got a really cool small town vibe which I like.
Wow, you went above and beyond with that aerial/map, thanks so much!
I agree, I never realized there was so much to that town. It just shows how important promo pics are. Its probably the last thing a PA thinks about, after they've worked for months on a project but from a buyers perpective its all we have to go on. Its definitely in my buy list now!
LOL, I had already done the aerial when you posted and was working on the text. I'm rendering the paint store street right now, then done.
How funny that the new releases focus on city buildings and streets!
Headed to get some sleep.
I was just looking at these new releases, holy cow, maybe I spoke too soon, lol. Although I have to say they look closer to Urban Sprawl 2, which I already have.
I'm really loving those town renders! Those are great! What product(s) is that? It looks a lot like the town from Back to the Future, imo.
It's only one product- which is why I am so amazed at the complexity of it- so many streets! It's Mountain Valley. Now I see why it was $34.95 original price. I got it primarily for the courthouse, didn't know I was getting so much town with it. The promos show some of the buildings but somehow the courthouse was what stuck in my mind.
Hey, be sure and note those buildings for today are POSER ONLY. At first, I thought it would be neat to put one set in the background of Mountain Valley, but I don't use Poser.
Yes, I noticed that and I am in a way relieved, as I don't have to contemplate it now. Mountain Valley is still a must buy.
Thanks, Novica! :D I'd added to my wish list (definitely can't get it at full price). Not that it's not worth it - it looks like an amazing set! I just am financially challenged. lol
And yeah, I saw xI mention that the new buildings released today are Poser only. I wanted to cry seeing that as I got all excited when I first saw them.
I thought it looked familiar, good catch, definitely inspired by Back to the Future.
I can't afford full price either. Hopefully, I can get a good deal on it if they have another storewide sale at the end of this PA sale.
The textures from the movie sets could likely be tweaked to render with Iray but I don't have a present need for a low poly environment.
Yeah, I'm excited to see if it will go on sale soon. :) The renders Novica has done with it look great!
Just wanted to give everyone a head up on the Eagle Gaurd Torso and Kilt Set http://www.daz3d.com/eagle-guard-torso-armor-and-kilt-for-genesis-3-female-s-and-male-s - this armour is only half of the set shown in the first promo picture. You have to have the http://www.daz3d.com/eagle-guard-armor-for-genesis-3-female-s-and-genesis-3-male-s if you want the whole outfit. The female armor does NOT cover the breasts. (I always felt that torso included the chest.) The description does say it that some of the photos also show the EagleGuard Armorglove for the complete look but that does not translate into eagle gaurd armor - it translates into arm gaurds which don't involve breast coverage imho. The males, come with armor that covers the chest. The women do not. Having said that its a stunningly beautiful set of armor and even though I am disappointed and irritated (it should really say the other armor is a requirement if you want the boobs covered) I am going to keep it and try and catch the other pieces on sale at some point because I am not paying $21.95 on top of what I paid for this for one full set of armor. I can't afford it. Its definitely worth even the full price, like I said its really beautiful but I can't justify the price with my budget. In the meantime, I am grateful that I am perfectly able to kit bash and I have a ton of shaders so I can work around it. But if you aren't into that beware that this is not in fact a full set. I am attaching a quickie I did last night with the basic top from the barabarian outfit (no shaders straight out of the box) because it really is a stunning piece of work. This is actually 3Delight with Iray textures lol. And it still looks amazing.
I think I actually like what you've done with it better than having the other pieces
Forgot to mention on that Nino car- the door does open and close.
yes this top acutally works very well with it and if I retexture to match it will be even better. But it was bit shocking to click on add all and have bare breasts lol.
This post shows Nath's render of Block 18 (poser only) If you have some of the brick shaders for Iray, it may work fine. (or stucco, etc. Thinking Mec4D's shaders.) Edit- don't know why the stupid forum is down one post when you click the link, just scroll up one post. Sometimes it's working, and sometimes not.
Someone else pointed this out, here's a G3 for dirt cheap, some interesting materials. For instance, if you need a child's toy, could use her. Or a cartoonish- bad girl.
Okay, I'm going to try 1,3,5,8 in those blocks and see how they render with that same lightset. I'll apply UberBase> Possibly some shaders. Other people seem to do fine with the sets, but understand I am going to only do basic tweaking and will relay what it looks like. I don't want to get diverted (like I did yesterday with the pavilion and the town) because I have other things that are the priority today. But I'll keep you posted on what I actually try whenever I get to it. There's other people who are going to be more talented than I am at applying shaders but this will at least show you what happens from the get-go. Back soon (and probably Daz Soon.)
Edit: BTW the extra 20% off is not working for the PC+ items with three or more of these in the cart.
Took me forever to find these. They are of course in Poser Formats> then Daz>Figures>Dreamland Models, in case anyone else is looking.
Okay, will be posting here my experience as a "I have no idea what I'm doing with a Poser set" person.
First, find these models. Okay, Poser Formats>Daz>Figures>Dreamland Models.
Second, no textures on them. Poser Formats>Daz>Materials>Dreamland Models.
Third, do not select Surfaces (which was my first instinct but I just did a click to test.) Click the Default option and the entire city loads up. Wow, easy.
Fourth, putting it behind the Mountain Valley town that I showcased yesterday. Note: the windows are NOT selectable. Darn it. Wanted to put Iray glass shaders in them to make them reflect light and seem more real. Can do geometry shaders to create material groups, but will be work.
Check back later. Going to set up the Apocalyptic Lights that I used on the other town yesterday.
I will say, watching the render come in with these buildings behind the courthouse in Mountain Valley, that I WOULD recommend these. That courthouse goes quite well with the Block 1. I think what can be done (if you really want to get glass windows) is to create material zones or create planes and insert them for the windows. You could also create planes for any surfaces you want for close ups. That's my thought anyway (for those of us who don't model, use what's there and get creative.) Will post the render of the "as is, out of the box" behind the courthouse in a few minutes.
First, my computer was bogged down yesterday (must've needed a reboot, too many windows open, who knows) because look at this render time (with max seconds and max seconds cranked way up, in other words the render didn't "have to" finish. Wow. Only 9 minutes!!!!!
And THE ENTIRE MOUNTAIN VALLEY SET WAS LOADED. I'm more in love with this set every time I use it. An entire town in 9 minutes, with low poly models added too!
And here you go. I think for $5.98 it's a keeper. There is a mild DOF applied. I like that the color of the lower building goes so well with the courthouse. And the streets from Mountain Valley go well with the low polys, as the street is gray.
But what do you think?
I like it was easy to use, you load the materials and that's it. This is with the same lightset Skies of iRadiance Sunny Skies, used "A" TIP: Put the dome rotations at 20/180/20 to get the sun shining higher than those high rise low polygon buildings. Use the same exposure value, FStop settings that I gave several posts back.
So maybe its just the "special materials" (snow, puddles, rain options) that don't work for the Movie sets?