Chaos Corona Forum

Chaos Corona for 3ds Max => [Max] I need help! => Topic started by: danio1011 on 2018-10-17, 22:50:36

Title: Boosting GI per object
Post by: danio1011 on 2018-10-17, 22:50:36
Hello - I'm working on a desert rendering where, due to the sharp light and dense foliage on some of the acacia trees, I'm ending up with the leaves reading darker than I'd like\expect.  I remember on a Boundary UK post on Instagram that someone asked them if the GI was boosted in their plants on this one rendering and they said, yes, by 250%.  I've looked around a fair bit but haven't found a way to 'boost GI' on a per object basis.  Is this probably done in post or is there an object property I'm missing?

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf3-V-vArAO/?taken-by=the_boundaryuk

Cheers for any pointers.  I could always fake it or tweak the opacity\translucency but just thought I'd ask.
Thanks,
Daniel
Title: Re: Boosting GI per object
Post by: maru on 2018-10-18, 13:51:09
Can you explain what exactly you mean by "boosting GI"? Is it about making the directly visible foliage (like leaves) brighter and more intensive?
Have you tried rendering the CESSENTIAL_Translucency element, and/or CShading_Source Color and CShading_RawComponent set to translucency? They could be probably put on top of your beauty to adjust the foliage.
Another idea would be rendering all foliage as masks and just adding some post adjustments.
Title: Re: Boosting GI per object
Post by: sprayer on 2018-10-18, 18:03:20
i am curious too, maybe they talking about GI vs AA?
Title: Re: Boosting GI per object
Post by: pokoy on 2018-10-18, 18:38:51
In Vray and similar renderers you can specify a factor for GI send and GI receive in Override materials. I guess that's what they're referring to, and probably GI receive factor of the plant materials was increased, which would make the leafs pick up more GI energy and appear brighter. In Corona, you can override GI send only by using a RaySwitchMtl.
I guess it's not really possible to do the same in Corona. You could increase GI on the ground's material but that would also affect rocks, buildings and anything else that receives any GI from the ground. Another thing to try would be to use SSS/fraction on the plants so they sort of 'accumulate' more light.
Title: Re: Boosting GI per object
Post by: romullus on 2018-10-18, 20:01:25
I think it would be better to see why materials doesn't look right in the first place. Maybe they're badly constructed, has incorrect albedo, specularity? Good materials should look right in all lighting conditions. Fakes should be attempted only when there's no other way to achieve desired effect.

As for the boundary, i think that's simple misunderstanding from the OP side. Look at the attachment - i think it's pretty clear what boost they're talking about.
Title: Re: Boosting GI per object
Post by: danio1011 on 2018-10-18, 21:14:35
I think it would be better to see why materials doesn't look right in the first place. Maybe they're badly constructed, has incorrect albedo, specularity? Good materials should look right in all lighting conditions. Fakes should be attempted only when there's no other way to achieve desired effect.

As for the boundary, i think that's simple misunderstanding from the OP side. Look at the attachment - i think it's pretty clear what boost they're talking about.

Hi Romullus - You're probably right about material vs fake.  I guess my thought was it's kind of like a light portal...you're just 'helping' get the look you want by telling Corona where to shoot more rays.  Probably a bad analogy.

I noticed that too about the Clay rendering, but my assumption was that it also carried through to the actual render (also implying to me that it was an object property rather than a material tweak).  I could be wrong, but why would they boost JUST the clay rendering?  Again, could be a wild goose chase on my part.
Title: Re: Boosting GI per object
Post by: romullus on 2018-10-18, 21:22:22
I think that boost was made in post and not in Corona. You can always leave comment on that instagram post, maybe they will explain what they mean by the boost :]
Title: Re: Boosting GI per object
Post by: danio1011 on 2018-10-18, 21:29:57
I think that boost was made in post and not in Corona. You can always leave comment on that instagram post, maybe they will explain what they mean by the boost :]

Hehe, I tried way back in the day but they never answered :)
Title: Re: Boosting GI per object
Post by: maru on 2018-10-19, 15:38:31
Not sure, but in that image it just looks like it's a wire render and brighter objects mean there is a brighter color there (more edges) and darker color is on lower-poly objects. I may be wrong though...