nomeradona ...

Some IES Render Exploration

2012-12-15T08:37:00.001+07:00

The first image have a bit of post process. The rest are raw render. I have done all the IES lights and I am testing them.

This is a simple tip about IES lights

I want to share some of my two cents when it comes to IES lighting.

1. Unit Matters:

Alot of people asked this. Why I can't make my IES light to appear, then they do all sorts of tweaking. Some they even put multi-miilion intensity values. Unit in VRAY SketchUp matters and VRAY uses with its DOF value in Inches. This is the same with IES lightings. Therefore the first thing that you will do is to put your unit in inches. So go to your model info, before you render, be sure your length unit is in INCHES.

Since inches and centimeters have little variance, you can also put it in Centimeter length unit.

2. IES Generator

You can create your own IES using Karba's IES generator. It's free and you can download HERE.

Below shows a sample IES light I created. 0 parameters signifies the mid of the light effect. the bigger the angle the bigger the distance of the effect from the center. Once satisfied, you can save your IES light to any folder.

Load the IES file under. Notice that I DID NOT even put value with intensity. VRAY will read the value of the file.

Below is the render using the IES light I created using the IES generator.

3. Physical Camera Settings

Control the exposure using your camera. I have a very simple VRAY Physical camera setting. I normally start with F number 1.0, Shutter speed 200, and ISO 400. This is a personal preference. Normally with all the IES file that I used, this work as always. Then I adjust the F number if its too bright, if its dark, I normally adjust my ISO with hundred increments.. I guess I am use too on this.. You can opt not to follow me on this.

Below is another render using the above Camera settings but using different IES file.

Gradient Glass tests

2012-11-18T23:55:00.001+07:00

Gradient Glass tests

Milky effect

Milky but 100% transparent on top

With Green tint 40%-0% opacity

More Thea render

2012-09-08T23:24:00.002+07:00

Thea Render Contest

2012-08-21T19:29:00.003+07:00

I won third prize in this contest. I am glad considering I am still exploring this software..

Original Post HERE

The "Seasons" contest has finished and we are happy to announce the winners. We would like to thank all the artists who participated with their renders - they gave life to this contest. We would also like to thank our sponsors for the prizes they offered to the winners.

It is worth mentioning that the final decision for the winners came by considering the concept, originality of the idea, the technical details (quality of materials and textures) and the overall render quality. Choosing the winners was not easy, since there were a lot of very nice renders. At the end, such decisions are taken based on personal criteria as well.

Finally, we have also decided to give a smaller prize for a 3^rd winner. In addition to these prizes, we will also give a single Thea Render license to two participants of the contest that were not licensed users but contributed with noticeable renders.

Congratulations to the winners and to all participants! You can see below the results.

1^st winner: "Recipe for Seasons" by Rafael Sanchez (aka Rosco)
2^nd winner: "The Unusual Suspects" by Sandro Sorce (aka SandroS)
3^rd winner: "Living in Hanoi" by Adona Nomer (aka nomeradona)

Art Studio

2012-08-10T14:25:00.000+07:00

NPR and PR

2012-07-27T17:03:00.002+07:00

To do NPR or not NPR. PR or not PR that is the question! No question in the end cause I can do both.

Different Ways how to produce large render output

2012-07-23T20:48:00.002+07:00

Because of the memory limitation of SketchUp (32 bit), Vray SketchUp is also affected by it. Whenever we try to produce huge output, say 8000 pixel width, surely we end up choking the memory limit of SketchUp and thus resulting VRAY SU to crash.. Sounds familiar right?

I want to share here at least three different options on how to compensate this limitation.

Option 1: Using the vrimage and EXR output. I have done a tutorial for this one HERE.
Even with this with higher settings I still crash my Vray Su.

Option 2: Using render region. Here is how I do it.

Step 1: Render in low resolution and small output size. Here I used low Image sampler and output first

Step 2: Crank up the Irradiance Map and Light Cache settings. See the render...

Step 3: Saved the Irradiance and Light Cache maps. Then load the save maps in both irradiance and light cache again this time the mode should be "From File". You also increase the Image sampler and lower the color treshold for smoother image.

Save LC map

Save Irradiance Map

Increase Image sampler

Load Maps again

Step 4: Increase the Vray output.. Here I will do 3000 x 1403px. Hit Render. Now wait for the Vray Frame Buffer to appear once it appeared stop the rendering.

Step 5: Use the render region

In this render I selected the 1/4th part of the render image in the frame buffer.

Step 5: Choose the next area: After render choose the next area. Then the next one. You may wish to save every file then compose them in Photoshop. If you are lazy in saving you can finish the rendering using this technique.

Option 3: Use Image Enlarger.

There is a free program that you can download HERE called Smilla Enlarger. For me this is a very good alternative. It's faster and at the same time simpler.

Produce a smaller render output, then enlarge it using this software.

Cheers!

Nomeradona

Things around me series 1_Vial of sand

2012-05-28T23:32:00.001+07:00

I want to model and render some of the things around me.

Here is my first one.. Vial of sand in front of my computer.

Toni Nalbani's Design

2012-05-19T16:25:00.001+07:00

Thank You Toni Nalbani for this Model. Here is my night rendering version.

Exploring glass etch...

2012-05-06T22:51:00.001+07:00

Exploring glass etch material in Vray SketchUp

Second Thea Render

2012-05-02T18:04:00.002+07:00

I think I'm getting the hang of Thea.. This one I used Adaptive AMC rendering engine core.

My first Thea render with my own SketchUp model

2012-05-01T16:53:00.000+07:00

A year ago I tried Thea. I gave up because of long rendering time. Fred Moro told me the latest Chameleon version of Thea. I decide to download the upgrade and tried Thea again. Here is my raw output result so far.

Modeling my Igorot Chair

2012-04-29T21:24:00.001+07:00

Here is a quick workflow on how I modeled this chair.


Step 1: Basically I have this reference image. I traced the image using blocks.

For the hand, I used blocks, and used move tool and round edges tool using the simple chamfer tool.

Here is the one with projected texture

Then I mirror the finished model before using SDS tool with 2 iterations

Here is the finished top part

For the legs I used again a simple rectangular tool, I copied the one edge then subdivided it. then I moved/scaled each subdivision, afterwards I used SDS with 1 iteration.

For the circular part, I modeled it using an octagonal shape, applied round corner with only 1 side.

After chamfering both face, again I used SDS with 2 iterations.

I used sculpt tool to relax and displaced some edges.

Here is the model. For the leg behind, its almost similar with the front legs.

Finished Model

Correcting the bluish tint in Vray Sketchup using white balance

2012-04-29T09:40:00.000+07:00

I want to share my workflow in correcting the bluish tint using the white balance in VFSU

1. Here is my render with VFSU. In this Render I purposely added more bluish background tint..

2. I saved the image and opened it in Photoshop. Using the sample eye dropper tool, I clicked the color. In the Color Picker tool the RGB can be read.

3. In VraySkerchup Camera tool, I entered the RGB values in the White Balance box.

4. Here is the render with corrected white balance.

I increase the exposure in the render. Notice the bluish effect of the sun is lesser.

Frederick Moro Design

2012-04-27T00:03:00.000+07:00

Rendering FY Moro Design...

Click the image for larger resolution.

Ana Adriano's Kitchen

2012-04-04T21:09:00.003+07:00

Ana's Kitchen

Magritte's Room

2012-03-28T23:55:00.002+07:00

Suddenly I have the urge to reproduce in 3d some of the most important artists.. Here is my first series.. Magritte's ROOM

Tutorial: Visualisation Composition Series #1 Rule of Thirds

2012-03-27T18:28:00.002+07:00

I decided to do a composition Visualization Series. Here is the first one called "Rule of Thirds"

In Visualization, image composition is how different visual elements(components, furnitures, objects, walls, plants etc.) are arranged inside of the camera image aspect ratio.

The purpose of composition in visualization is to create a visually compelling image that evokes the interest of the viewer.

In my experience, I have seen both successful and unsuccessful visualizers. If you study the composition of Alex Roman, Jacinto Monmteiro even with our own SV Artists; Gerbe Dumahil and David Brufau, their attention to composition is very obvious. Their camera set-up, together with the use of design elements is, I should say, one of their priorities. They are successful in placing their emphasis and using the elements to support it.

Alex Roman Camera Set up


Jacinto Monterro Set up

David Brufau aka. dBRenders

Gerbe Dumahil Camera composition

In this series, I would like to look at composition and the design elements. I will attempt to explain this subject using SketchUp and VFSU and my knowledge as visual arts teacher.

Well! Without further adieu, let me start with this compositional tool "the Rule of Thirds". The Rule of thirds is one of the most well-known rule in image composition. It is very easy to learn and adapt in visualization and in setting-up the camera and its image aspect ratio.

Often people place their main subject into the middle of the frame, or sometimes visualizer just care to put all the things they have model inside the picture plane and they manipulate the field of view (FOV) of their camera in order to put everything inside the picture plane.

I am introducing this Rule of third not as a mantra, but to introduce that it is useful in composition, knowing there are always exceptions to the rules. Rule of thirds suggests to place the subject off the center. According to rule of thirds the picture frame is mentally divided in to three parts horizontally and vertically as in the below image.

The main subject , say in the photograph below, is then placed in one of the four locations where the lines intersect. These intersections are marked with red dots.

I think the concept is so clear, so now how can we apply this in SketchUp? How can we apply the "rule of thirds". In order to simplify this, I decided to provide you with a little tool and we will use the style functionality of SketchUp to load this simple tool that I created in Photoshop. First I want you to download this simple tool.

Now let us use Style to load this. Save it in your chosen folder. Step 1: Open the Style Window and click watermark.

Step 2: Access the "Nomeradona rule of third" Now browse the location of Nomeradona rule of third that you saved in your folder

Step 3: See the settings on Images below

Step 4: Save as style. You can save it as style or save animation scene, but be sure to include the style.

Now you can use this as composition tool. Some images below showing attempts on how to use it.

Raw render using the last composition.

Modern kitchen render

2012-03-03T23:07:00.002+07:00

Ies light only

2012-03-03T08:16:00.002+07:00

Another test using only IES lights. (4 Ies lights on the four corners

Only one IES (turning off all the other IES lights)

Adding slats...

2012-03-02T17:25:00.000+07:00

Final raw render Baisc Vray tutorial 4

2012-03-01T21:33:00.002+07:00

The BULB metal

2012-02-26T11:22:00.000+07:00

Just the Bulb metal.. notice the varying reflection...

Advanced VFSU tutorials coming soon.

2012-02-25T21:58:00.002+07:00

VFSU Advanced Vray tutorial coming soon!

How to create seamless texture in Photoshop

2012-02-20T20:24:00.000+07:00

Repeating textures could never create realistic render. This obvious tiling is cause by textures that are not seamless. So the question is how to create seamless texture.

Here is how its done in Photoshop

Step 1: Load the texture

Step 2: Go to Filter and click other. Select Offset in the options.

Step 3: Adjust horizontal and vertical offset until you see the noticeable seam.
Notice by doing this. The edges of original texture both vertically and horizontally were shifted.

Step 4: Use Patch tool.

Select the seamed area and drag it to another area.

Step 5: Use Clone stamp tool.

You can also use the clone stamp tool by taking some sample and stamping in on the areas you need to correct.

Thats it!

Below shows the corrected texture. The obvious seam was corrected.

Below shows the effect of the seamless texture

Download the materials I did.

Diffuse map

Bonus. I also did some displacement and bump map.

Displacement/bump map

Specular map.