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Thank you! I didn't realize Studio did these without a plugin or other similar. These canvases seem to be analogous to what Carrara calls render passes. Will definitely keep an eye out for your tutorial.
I think that's the best and easiest explanation of canvasses I have seen. Thank you!
For those that missed it, I filled in the first part of using canvases in Photoshop eariler this evening.
I also mentioned special effects.
Let's revisit that PointLight layer. Make a duplicate in case things go wrong, and set it to not be visible. Use the visible layer, and apply a Gaussian Blur of about 1.5 pixels to it.
Now for some more advanced stuff. Light Path Expressions.
Basically, you get to specify exactly which light paths get rendered....the grammar is kind of odd, but basically is defined by three things:
The Camera (or Eye) ("E"), a set of things that the light bounces off of, and one or more light sources ("L").
The standard Beauty canvas is described as E .* L. where the . symbol denotes any object, and the * denotes 0 or more of them.
L 'Chair' E would match all light paths that hit the object named 'Chair' and then the camera.
L 'Chair' .* E matchs all light that goes from a light, hits the chair, may or may not hit something else and then hits the camera. This would capture not only the chair, but any reflections of the chair off the floor or other surface.
L .* 'Chair' .* E would capture all light rays that hit the chair, whether or not they hit something else before (indirect lighting) and whether or not they hit anything else after the chair (reflections, etc)
So, in my example, I set up a light path expression (L 'Destiny' .* E) for all direct light that hit the Genesis 2 figure as well as any object afterwards. Just the figure, not the clothes or the hair.
If I bring that layer in using Linear Dodge (Add), it brightens the figure and its corresponding reflection providing additional contrast.
That said, there's also some significant weirdness to the UI around LPEs. If you try typing the expression into the window, the cursor never advances. New characters that you type show up at the beginning of the line, not the end. Either learn to type backwards, or type the expression in Notepad and use cut and paste to put it into the LPE window (for some reason that works). Be prepared for a lot of trial and error around this.
You do such an amazing job on everything you work onTJ, and so glad you gave such a detailed tutorial on it all!!!
Reference links for canvases:
http://blog.irayrender.com/post/76948894710/compositing-with-light-path-expressions
http://blog.irayrender.com/post/75582593845/get-a-grip-1-separating-objects-using-lpe
http://blog.irayrender.com/post/77365439434/get-a-grip-2-instant-color-change
http://www.migenius.com/doc/realityserver/4.3/resources/general/iray/manual/index.html#/concept/canvas_names_in_render_targets.html
http://www.migenius.com/doc/realityserver/4.3/resources/general/iray/manual/index.html#/concept/light_path_expression_grammar.html
http://esemwy.deviantart.com/art/Tutorial-Relighting-with-Iray-Canvases-566217463
Ah, that's okay. I'm getting used to reading a PS tutorial and then looking up the equivalent for Gimp. I need to figure out if there is an adjustment layer thingie in Gimp and I'll be all set. I've already learned how to do the other steps in there. I loved the tutorial. Great explicit instructions, just how I like them. :)
Glad you liked it!
In terms of adjustment layers, I don't think Gimp has them. At least, it didn't the last time I checked. However, you don't really need to use them. They're basically non-destructive modifiers that can affect either the stack or an individual layer. You can accomplish the same thing (exposure, color balance, etc.) directly on a layer using the existing Image->Adjustments menu, but doing it that way is destructive. You can't go back and remove it. The solution there is to make sure you've got duplicate the layer as a backup before yoiu start messing with it. But you already know to do that.
Yeah, I've learned the hard way to always duplicate layers before I start mucking them up. Most things you can undo in Gimp but not everything. Duplicating a layer is the first step in almost everything.
Where do I find the tab to set up the canvasses? I thought it was under the iray render advanced tab, but its not there and I can't find it anywhere.
Never mind it is there but you have to click on the blank place where its supposed to be. No wonder no one knows about canvasses. Its completely hidden unless you know where to look.
On my screen, there are three tabs in the Advanced pane: Hardware, Canvases, and Bridge [BETA]. If you click on the Canvases tab, and then click on the Canvases checkbox, you'll be able to add them.
Latest work in progress.
40' Shipping Container. Modeling mostly complete - Need to clean up a few things. Then on to UV Mapping and Texturing. I bought some more Ron's brushes - time to see what I can do with them!
I found it but if I switch tabs it disappears again. I will have to see if I can find a way to keep it in sight. Mine does not look like yours.
Today's experiment is with UV Mapping and Texturing...
UV Mapping, I'm finding, is most certainly an art.
I also picked up Dreamlight's Texture Master tutorials a while back when it was on sale. Got some good ideas out of that on how to effectively use layers in photoshop for various maps.
Excellent model, TJ. Really enjoying your posts.
RE: uvmapping. Here is a thread that you might find interesting, and we'd appreciate any insights you want to share as you focus on uvmapping. The thread is nominally in the Carrara forum, but the linked uvmapping tutorials and discussions are software agnostic. There are links to uvmapping tutorials done in other programs, including modelers like Silo, but also dedicated uvmapping programs like UVLayout. Naturally, there are few Carrara-specific posts but you can skip over those.
http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/124036/uv-unwrapping/p1
We have another thread that is in the "how would you uvmap this shape?" category, but I don't have the link handy. Might add it in an edit if I come across it.
I'm following along as well because I know at some point I am going to need to know how to UV map. I am also following the thread in the Carrara forums some really useful info there.
That looks really good!
Well, I think I'm done with the shipping container....at least this version of it. I think it's time to take what I've learned from it and try to apply it to the next thing.
Here it is in a work in progress hangar / warehouse / industrial interior I've been working on (which is badly in need of texturing).
And it again in a neutral setting:
What this exercise has shown me is a) the difference in scope between just building a geometry and creating a full-blown model, b) I need to practice my UV mapping and texturing skills, and c) I need to figure out a modeling workflow that fits my style.
I have a couple of ideas that I want to create models of, and I would love to one day get to the point where I can get stuff published, but there's a long way to go before then.
Wow! That turned out really nice! You're just moving right along with the modeling. Me, I got stuck on my hair that I was doing. I hope to get back to it soon. I kind of got sidetracked.
That looks pretty darn good! I don't think that you are as far away from being able to publish as you think you are...
Thank you both!
You're welcome. Enquiring minds, mostly mine, want to know if the doors open yet? That would be really nice if they did. Is the inside modeled?
No, the doors don't open, unfortunately.
One of the things I learned from this exercise was the importance of thinking about things like rigging, UV mapping, etc. before you start throwing vertices around.
For example, If I want the doors to open, then it makes sense to have them be different objects, not a single one. Yeah, I can always separate them, but wouldn't it have been easier to just duplicate it instead of using the mirror modifier?
And for the corner castings, gee, wouldn't it have been simpler to set seams and UV map the object once, before applying the array or mirror modifier?
It got to the point where there were enough mistakes I made in the original workflow that the project couldn't really be fixed. It will be faster to create shipping container 2.0.
Ah, makes sense. You are further ahead in all of that than I am that's for sure. It still looks great as a static prop. And now, you know what to change if you want to make a more complex shipping container that can be rigged. That's good information to know. :) So, does that mean there will be a shipping container 2.0?
Shipping container 02 would be awesome. Great for post apocoplyptic living. 01 would be a great zombie barrier stacked on top of each other as well.
Shipping Container 2.0 (Beta)
Modeled, mapped and rigged. Still need to do textures.
Locking handles and shafts rotate, doors open.
Oh, very cool! Yay!
Excellent! Still holding out for some picnic tables and truckeroo.
Seriously, excellent modeling. Can't wait to see what you come up with next. Especially if it is a food truck.
Actually, was planning to do a well car.
Yes, a well car does make a lot of sense.