Render Test

[LWTB]

Well i finally got past Zspheres for a bit and moved on to the new render system. Heres my try at soft shadows with an old 1.23 head model. I realize this doesnt really compare to the other awesome soft renders but all i can do is improve. if i try better settings (more rays etc) my machine always freezes up (hehe guess i need "more power".)
i also cant seem to figure out how to make it seem like the model is standing on nothing yet casts a shadow on the ground... o well ill work with what i can.
http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1031366907tve.jpg

[Stonecutter]

You should try rendering this with the Ambient turned down to '0' in the lighting pallette...Since materials have their own Ambient value, if you leave the lighting Ambient value up, you tend to 'wash out' shadows and details...Give it a try! ;)

You can also use color in your light, even pale color to add atmosphere to the renders...A cool grey from the left side of the blue works well...Also upping the shadow intensity a bit, and increasing the shadow length might be worth experimenting with.

Nice work... :tu: :cool: :tu:

[MJ]

Looking great so far!

Also, to achieve the look your after with the ground plane (the one where the only evidence of a ground is the shadow that is casted)

You need to select a plane3d, go into the deformer palette, and select rotate. Rotate the plane on an 80 degree angle (or there abouts), Then simply resize the plane3d, untill it fills the entire document. You may need to pull the plane3d forward a little to stop the top of it falling back into the black void.

Then simply place your model on the ground, position it right so that the feet sink into the plane3d.

MJ

[Kaz]

I recorded a script showing a basic setup for materials and lighting. Perhaps you can gleem something from it.

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1031375278yhn.jpg

The first time it renders, I use a Rays setting of 100 and it took my machine 1:30 min. I then uped the rays to 250 and it took 4:00 min.
render (http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_file-1031375364iam.txt)

I guess I should note: The script was recorded with 1.5 (Premiere), so I amnot sure if you will have problems with it in 1.51...

:b4: Edit :b4: Now I re-run it and it won't even play right for me...You might get something that looks like this:

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1031376844vpx.jpg

[rhom]

I'm going to try your lighting thing out
Kaz-thanks for putting this up.

:b4: edit :b4: maybe

:b3: yup-looks like the 2nd image.

[LWTB]

thanks a lot guys.
heh the ambient was at "o" but i had 2 lights turned on....im so dumb.

well heres a lil better version. i would make the shadows under the head even better but if i increase the intensity and rays then my pc will never render it and just lock up.

so heres an update. i wanna get this right so when i can render future zspheres.

any more help is appreciated.
http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1031436805bcg.jpg

[KenH]

You can adjust the antialiasing to a higher value. :)

[LWTB]

yes yes i know...but it would probably crash my machine. actually lemme go try it :P

edit: tried and no good results. this is because if i increase super sample (not other options) then itll probably take 1 hr to render.
i put it at 2 for a test and it took a long time and it didnt even fix the aliasing. i just had to use blur in photoshope to clean it up a bit. hope it looks better....but i really didnt wanna use anything other than Z

i think i will increase all the settings then go to bed and wake up and it should be rendered ;)


http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1031445809exu.jpg

[Stonecutter]

Try a Ray setting of 10, and I use a Pentium 2 400, And it's never taken more than 50 minutes for a 2500 x 1500 doc size...Adding piles of rays will definitely increase render time. I use Sample size of 3, and Supersample of 2 and it doesn't slow anything appreciably... ;)

[LWTB]

ray setting of 2 or 200?
edit: now it says ray setting of 10

[Stonecutter]

Sorry L, I meant to type 10...
When you tell it to 'trace' 10 rays, it's actually 'following' a ray in a way, through 10 stages, which means that 10 lets you follow a ray for 10 'impacts' in a sense...I have found little difference between 10 and 50 say, and at some point I might do a test at the highest ray trace level, but for most puposes I think setting an exhorbitant ray trace just takes extra time with little payback relative to that time... ;)

Just my opinion...It might change when I do the experiment, but in any event, 10 will give you an idea of whether it's worth adding a higher level of ray tracing...I hope this helps, and sorry about the confused input regarding the number...

[Grub]

LWTB- If you want get rid of jaggies really easily and quickly, one way is to open the zoom palette, then click the 'AA half' button. This option reduces your image by half(not permanently) with much cleaner smoothed edges. You can then export.

[DM]

Nice head modelling. On render and lighting it's all a bit trial and error with me, I have no definite plan. :tu: :tu: :tu:
Dave

[Vikki]

Hey LWTB,

I hope you don't mind I took the liberty of downloading and messing with your renders. :D

http://www2.zbrushcentral.com/zbc_uploads/user_image-1031449261ucd.jpg

The one on the left came from your second render here and the one on the right from the third render. I used my PSP soften brush on the left one and did nothing to the right one.

I've had the anti alias problem and if I know I'm not going to be sizing down an image, I don't use the SuperSample setting in the Render palette at all. The reason is because I still get anti aliasing, it's just blurry, which is fine if I'm sizing down but not if I'm leaving the image the size I created it. :D

Since you mention that adding the extra render options causes your machine some trouble I thought I'd mention what I do.

I don't if Photoshop has a soften brush, and I use PSP for post render work most times. PSP has a brush called "Soften". I use that on all the aliased edges, set to a small size and intensity so as just to affect the aliasing and not blur the rest of the render. In this way, I don't have to worry about resizing down or the jaggies. It doesn't take much time to clean them up as compared to the time you are talking about in rendering.

You can accomplish a similar soften effect in ZBrush with the blur blush set to a low rgb and z intensity.

I'll mention that this is all work around because I'm not as experienced as others here with rendering yet. :D

Everyone's solutions here are terrific, I just thought I'd add another one that I use for anti-alias problems.

[LWTB]

thanks a lot to everyone!

i think im well on my way to better rendering thanks to u all :)