The Traveller Art Thread - Art Only

[Andrew Boulton]

You're right, I was being a bit harsh.

What it does, it does okay. Not great, but okay, and it's free, so I can't really complain. It integrates with Poser, letting you use figures, poses, etc directly, which is nice.

What it doesn't have is any kind of modelling tools, which limits you to using models built by other people.

 

[Scarecrow]

I've just had another scan at it.

It's shader is quite good. It seems to be equivalent to MAX's standard Blinn shader that allows you to set colour, intensity and maps for things like colour, specular, bump, transparency etc etc.
I tried out it's shadows but got some squiffy results. The best results were using software rendering as opposed to OpenGL which surprised me. Also, the shadow softness didn't seem to alter one iota no matter what I did =(
If that's the case then it'll need an awful lot of lights to create soft shadows.

The only thing that I felt was a real oversight in the program is that there is no copy/paste!!! If you want multiple lights you have to create them individually =(

I'll have another look tomorrow.

Crow

 

[Andrew Boulton]

"P.S. You all have some kick ass pics, what program(s) do you use? and why?"

Over the years I've used quite a few. Strata, Truespace, Raydream, and a few others, I couldn't get on with. Maya PLE was too limited. Tried demos of Lightwave and 3ds Max - the former had a nasty UI, the latter was too expensive.

I used Bryce on and off for a while, but it's a bit...idiosyncratic.

Until 2002, POV was my main app, using the Moray modeller. Cheap, easy to use, and gave good results, but it was totally incompatible with the rest of the 3d world.

My current app is Cinema 4D, which I started using only because I got v5 free on a cover disc, but the upgrade to v6 was cheap and then I was hooked (I'm now on 9.5!) It's powerful, renders quickly, and is very intuitive to use.

 

[Andrew Boulton]

"It's shader is quite good."

I never even saw it until you said that! It's well hidden!

 

[Scarecrow]

Yeah, I actually found it once and then couldn't find it again!!! =)
There doesn't appear to be any form of UVW mapping either so you're very limited with regards to applying bitmaps. But then, as we've allready established, it's a renderer, not a modeller.

P.S. You all have some kick ass pics, what program(s) do you use? and why?

I started off using RayDream 4 in about 1996. Around 1999 I got a copy of Studio MAX 1.2 because it was the one that everyone was using to make models for Quake and Quake II. I've never looked back. Fortunately for me, MAX turned out to be one of the best apps alongside Lightwave.
The company I work for has decided now to give up MAX and move on to Maya which I consider to be inferior in many ways, but there we are. Ho-Hum.

Crow

 

[Andrew Boulton]

Autodesk (who make MAX) are about to buy Alias (who make Maya)...

 

[Teletron1]

DAZ Studio has a shader? I agree Daz is limited as you cannot make any content of your own and it is almost impossible to make any kind of shadows with the light sets. But for someone in my condition (dirt poor with 3 kids and a wife to support) its awesome (meaning free). I have found a couple ways to convert other object files (.3d's and the like) using other programs into .obj for use with DAZ. I have a program called Anim8or that can do this. The fact that it uses .obj makes it pretty versitile in the first place as lightwave, poser and Bryce all use them. Renderosity and Vanishing point and countless other websites have tons of free content and Daz makes clothes converters so you can use your content on virtually any character. Oh yeah and did I mention almost every thing is free!
I havent really fiqured out how to use anim8or to convert files but I've heard it can be done. If you guys have any more suggestions for programs that will help me (preferablly free) I will be more than glad to listen. I've been messing around with Adobe photoshop 6 to help with the lighting and shadows but I'm not getting superior results (moderatly better at best). I've come with in inches of purchasing Bryce and Poser and I recently downloaded Blender though I have not played with it yet. I'm not sure if I have what it takes to make models but I sure do like to come up with new renders using premade models. Thanks for all you help guys and for downloading DAZ just to help me.

 

[Scarecrow]

Originally posted by Andrew Boulton:
Autodesk (who make MAX) are about to buy Alias (who make Maya)...

Yeah, this was cheering news in the office. Maybe now Maya will become a proper 3D program for grownups to use =)

Ender, I'm going to try and set up a lighting rig. If I get anything half way decent, I'll zip it up and send it to you.

Crow

 

[Andrew Boulton]

"DAZ Studio has a shader?"

You can only edit existing ones, not create new ones. Load a model. Activate the Surface Selection Tool. Select "Surfaces" from the Windows menu. Select part of the model.

"I'm not sure if I have what it takes to make models"

Like everything else, the more you practice the better you'll get.

 

[Andrew Boulton]

This might interest people: a tutorial on modelling Serenity...

http://www.lwg3d.org/forums/showthread.php?t=27346

It's for Lightwave, but most of it should translate.

 

[TheEngineer]

Hi Render-folks !

Well, Realsoft 3D (current release 5.1) is my tool of choice.
IMHO its quite easy to use, has some interesting features like SDS modelling, GI, caustics or a powerful kind of shading programming language (makes complex texturing quite easy).
It has many functions beyond my beginner scope...
Drawbacks are surely its format import/export weaknesses and the small community.

The is a free version 4.2 available.

Now, that dark winter times have come along again and more time is spent in the inside, we surely will create another rendering stampede.

Regards,

Mert

 

[Teletron1]

Been awhile since anyones posted so just to keep it going....



Please click the image to see it full size. As always feedback is welcome.

 

[TheEngineer]

Hi !

Pretty party, Ender.

Where do these figures come from ?

In order to waste some storage space, heres another prototype:

Actually I am working on some procedural textures to make texturing life a bit more easy (here, a hull "panelizer" and another to create irregular dirt stripes at vertical surfaces...)
So this brick ship was elected to be a victim.

Credits go to Far Trader for his deck plan design and sid6.7 for his brick idea, of course.

Regards,

Mert

 

[Teletron1]

I get all of my content from the Daz website and Renderosity.com. For this pic I used Sanctum arts Havoc, DAZ Corroded City, Michael 3, and Uzilite Ranger.

 

[Fritz_Brown]

Engineer, the texture appears to drop off on the back set of panels. Is that intended?

Ender, nice pic. The figures all look like they're floating, though. Is that due to an absence of shadows? (It looks like they are all floating an inch or two above the floor....)

 

[TheEngineer]

There was indeed a texturing glitch at the front left side of the brick which wasnt intended

 

[Teletron1]

Didn't notice that untill you said it Fritz88, I'll have to fix that. Cool ship Engineer!

Heres another one of mine.



Made this with almost all free stuff available at DAZ and Renerosity. (No postwork).

 

[Andrew Boulton]

The lack of shadows in DAZ Studio renders really spoils them. Try exporting the scenes as .obj and rendering them with something else. Means more work, but it should give a better result.

 

[Scarecrow]

I tried a lighting rig along the lines of the one I described in my tutorial but the results weren't very appealing. The shadowmaps can't be filtered so they leave gridded artifacts on the surface which is a bit wank. I'm wondering what shadow options you get with the full edition...

Crow

 

[Teletron1]

The lack of shadows in DAZ Studio renders really spoils them. Try exporting the scenes as .obj and rendering them with something else. Means more work, but it should give a better result

What would you recommend using Andrew?