Messages

16

[Max] I need help! / Noise limit % equivalent in other engines

« on: 2020-09-26, 13:38:20 »

Hey,

We are doing some internal tests for checking the performance of Corona 6 and another 2 engines with the exact same ArchViz interior scene. We will also try to repeat tis kind of exercise with one of our exteriors. We have no big complains about Corona, we think it is very fast and consistent with most of our interiors, but we had too much curiosity about how it compares to another 2 engines, both CPU and GPU.

We have succesfully managed to covert the scene into these 3 engines, it will never be 100% exact, but they look really similar and it is good enough for us. This is not a scientific experiment, so no need to have super precise results. However we have faced some issues when trying to do comparable renders that stop at the aprox. same quality, so we could compare render times. In these 3 engines we have the option to fix a noise threshold that automatically stops the render at a given noise %. The surprise is that when we visually compare the results, Corona render looks much cleaner than the other renderer image. For example, we rendered one of the interiors in Corona at 2k, with a noise limit of 2%, and the coverted scene in Vray CPU, with a noise threshold of 0.02 (I believe this is the same % as in Corona?). VRay CPU render finished faster than Corona, a noticeable difference, something like 30%, but when looking close at them, Corona result has clearly less noise overal, and imho the noise is more even across the image, maybe causing it to be less noticeable to my eye in the worst areas?
Anyone could help me to be able to tweak my settings in both engines so that the time comparison is as fair as possible without eyeballing too much? Like using passes or subdivisions in VRay, or whatever...

Thanks in advance

17

[Max] I need help! / Re: Realistic thatch roof

« on: 2020-09-25, 12:28:06 »

Thanks for the info.
That exact megascans surface textures at 8k is what we tried first when doing our first rough test renders (attached). But the material is not behaving correctly or realistically in my opion, I see it is not catching the light how it should, the reflections are so different, even the lack of translucency. We should see nice falloffs all over the plain surfaces, due to the angle form which we look the grass "stripes"... I´ve tried with some falloff maps in diffuse slot but I cannot make it to work properly.

18

[Max] I need help! / Re: Realistic thatch roof

« on: 2020-09-24, 18:09:56 »

Thanks for the info.
Which one do you think is more simple to use at least, easier to learn for a "hair noob" like me?

19

[Max] I need help! / Re: Realistic thatch roof

« on: 2020-09-24, 17:04:02 »

Thanks Maru for your quick answer.

We have only used MAX H&F in the past, a very few times, for simple rugs, and yes, that was slooow. What other hair solution works well with Corona, so we can make some research?

Thanks!

Julio

20

[Max] I need help! / Realistic thatch roof

« on: 2020-09-24, 16:50:13 »

Hey,
We are working on some renders for a traditional cottage in the Isle of Sylt (Germany). We´d need to create that characteristic thatch roof as similar as possible to reality, and with enough detail/quality to look realistic and consistent from different angles and light conditions. Some of the cameras will probably be close to that roof, but others may be quite far away, so it needs to work well under both circumstances if possible.
First approach we tried was simple: model the basic volume, the external shape of it, add Subdivide and a subtle Noise for a more "organic look", then shade it with scanned Thatch textures with a nice amount of displacement. The result wasn´t that good. We added a falloff map to the diffuse to give it a more "textile" look, but it didn´t worked.

We think there are another way, to try to scatter dry branches with Forest Pack (or equivalent), but looks quite complex to distribute them on such complex surface. And even with that we need to somehow achieve that recent "cutout" look.

Please find attached a couple of examples of real roofs in Sylt.

How do you think you would try to create this roof? More of a shader way? or maybe some kind of fur? Scatter geometry?

Any tips or info, etc. will be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Best
Julio

21

General CG Discussion / Re: [Useful Scripts\Tools]

« on: 2020-05-22, 12:52:59 »

Not free and not expensive but is doing a great job on relinking bitmaps, corona proxies, xrefs is Library Track / Relink by Pixamoon.
One of the great features it has is that you do not have to open the Max file.
https://www.pixamoon.com/shop/4587562584/library-track-relink-.../9337230

I can confirm it too, we use this tool all the time in our offcie, and it is working flawlessly. Not only that you don´t need to open the MAX files you need to relink, but you can also "batch relink" many of them at once, for example, a collection of trees from your library, or somthing like that. It has many options, one of them is similar to the "Relink Bitmaps" script, automatically search for maps inside a given location, but it also has the option to "set path strip", so you can change just the part of the local/network adress you need, for example changing the unit letter, or the IP adress, etc.

And I agree again, imho, it is not expensive for the use we give to it.

22

[Max] I need help! / Re: Add 2D people to a VR stereo 360 pano

« on: 2019-11-07, 12:06:27 »

Cexec: Thank you anyway for your help. The 3D mode in Photoshop trick is something I wasn´t using at all for this and may be of help in many cases.

23

[Max] I need help! / Re: Add 2D people to a VR stereo 360 pano

« on: 2019-11-07, 11:37:13 »

Thank you all very much for your support, you´re very kind, as always.

Cexec:

It's possible and fairly easy on spherical maps to be honest.
Here's an example of our work with people added in post:

Maybe I´m wrong, but you´re talking about adding 2D people onto a MONO 360 pano, right? (following your link I can only see a mono pano, it does not enter a VR mode, right?) We have already done mono panos with 2D people on the past, and it wasn´t a problem, as you comment. The big issue is to have those cutout people in a STEREO 360 pano for Oculus Rift or other VR devices.

24

[Max] I need help! / Re: Add 2D people to a VR stereo 360 pano

« on: 2019-11-07, 10:03:54 »

Thanks for your info.
I haven´t tried the cubemap option yet, just spherical pano, that is the format that my client requests. Is it possible to convert from cubemap to spherical after post? inside PS or with any specific app?

However, placing cutouts in the same place in both eyes, finding a pixel for a feature as you suggest, is what I could try yesterday in an old spherical pano, but the results where not good, even with cutouts placed many meters from camera, they look like "pinching" the floor and the background walls.

It seems that going full 3D with people is what I will finally have to do.

25

[Max] I need help! / Add 2D people to a VR stereo 360 pano

« on: 2019-11-06, 20:33:51 »

Hey,

Due to client´s request, I´m wondering how to deal with the issue of adding cutout people to our VR 360 panos. Is it just technically possible to add 2D cutouts to a Stereo 360 pano? Not in my head, but I was trying to be 100% sure...
I´m trying to do it in PS, just to give it a try, but as expected, it just looks bad in my Oculus Rift VR device, no matter how carefully I place them, trying to follow the perspective and left/right eye "shift". 2D elements in post look wrongly placed, like penetrating the floor and/or other surfaces.

Just wanted to be sure that the only way possible is to go the "3D people" way.

thanks in advance

Julio

26

[Max] I need help! / Re: Workflow guidance for large collection of images (batch rendering process)

« on: 2019-10-31, 22:51:28 »

I just wrote them about this bug! Not just after batch, for me it's any render while it was open but not IR. Please do so as well. I also don't know if it's RC related because that's the only thing I changed and I didn't see it before I think.

Yes, true, the only thing we´ve installed these days is Corona 5 RCs and Railclone 4. And our scene had quite a bunch of RC objects.

Write them here: info @ pulze.io (put it together)

Of course, I will, thanks for your help.

What do you think about the fact it forces new version of Environment? You can't use the same one, it will always create new one with suffix. With 50 setups, I end up with 50 Environments.

Oh man, please don´t ask me about that, it really drives me mad! First time I noticed it I was trying to set up some cameras in Pulze under a rush to render overnight and submit next morning, and it was like "oh my... what the heck??? What is happening? How I ended up with a "HDRiForCam03_Env_Env_Env_Env???" :-D

27

[Max] I need help! / Re: Workflow guidance for large collection of images (batch rendering process)

« on: 2019-10-31, 16:58:39 »

Hey,

We are also using Pulze Scene Manager here for our current projects, to "batch render" our scenes, that usually contains 4-8 cameras, that need completely different mood settings. We really like the workflow with Pulze. We usually automatically manage (per shot): camera to use, layers to hide/show, CoronaSun if needed, Environment (HDRi or CoronaSky) and Render output with Camera name and File version. The post-production needed is set in each Corona Camera. It makes our life much easier, specially when you open a scene that was created by another artist. I only miss an option to add a specific, per Camera, CoronaVolumeMtl in the Global Volume Material slot.

However, I have noticed a strange behavior for the last days in the complex scene we are working right now (since we installed Corona 5 RC2, but not sure if it´s related), pulze suddenly stops working after batch rendering, it remains there, as it was ok, but it doesn´t work at all. I´m not sure how to contact pulze to ask for help, for this and for a strange behavior with Sun+Sky(in 3DsMAX environment) that we are suffering.

Could you please point me to the best way of asking for help about Pulze issues/doubts/suggestions? Or should I just ask it here in this forum in a new threat?
thanks a lot in advance

Julio

28

[Max] Daily Builds / Re: Corona Renderer 4 for 3ds Max - Daily Builds Discussion

« on: 2019-05-11, 15:39:30 »

Not sure if it's related,  but I have also suffered a couple of full system freezes. First time, I had to re-start the PC. It was behaving correctly and then bam, everything unresponsive. The second time, only the windows desktop got frozen, but the apps still running. Both times I was using Corona with the first Daily that came with Caustics, but they weren't active.

29

Gallery / Re: Basketball Gymnasium

« on: 2019-05-06, 11:14:12 »

Well done!

Great clean design. The "new" exterior fits really well imho, gives a nice touch.

I like the mood, well lit, natural filling and interesting composition that makes it a succes.

Congrats from Spain

30

[Max] General Discussion / Re: Corona distance map + corona scatter for recessed lights

« on: 2019-04-19, 16:38:32 »

Great idea you had. I usually place those kinds of elements with Railclone, but I never thought of using the Distance map to cut the hole when you really need them to be really coplanar.

Thanks a lot for sharing.