photorealistic rendering

[Goldenbreeze]

I am in one of those "in-the-middle" type situations. A client of mine asked me to do the most photorealistic rendering I could.
I thought I did that already. In fact, I now use photoshop and real site photos whenever possible. I also try to match the lighting of the photo as well.
I definitely believe its the lighting and shadowing that will determine the realizm. If anyone has a great photorealistic rendering (raytrace)to share, that was done all in CA, please share.
I want to at least forward to my client a sample of the capability I have with CA, even if its not mine. Also, along with the raytrace, if you have a tip or two that got you there, it would be most appreciated.

Anthony

[dgavin]

Anthony,

Can you post what you already gave to your client to give us an idea of what may be lacking?

[lbuttery]

Anthony:

you could consider out-sourcing the task to someone who specializes in doing high-end rays for chiefers

Lew

[dr0591]

Interior or exterior?

[Goldenbreeze]

Here is the product I gave him about a year ago. It was winter otherwise I would have placed tree shadows in the forground.
The house on the right was an existing one he did. I think I incorporated the new one pretty good. Could have done even better
but the cost would start outweighing the need. I dont think my client would be happy paying more.

[dr0591]

I think you did a great job here. Do you know what his complaint was? About the only suggestions I can make to help this look more realistic would be to use 3D plants instead of 2D, and perhaps get a better match on the sun angle (the shadows on the front of the house on the left aren't consistent with those on the angled house on the right). Did you use bump maps on your roof, driveway, shingle, and stone textures? That might help too.

None of those tweaks should cost you much in terms of additional time spent.

[Goldenbreeze]

Kathleen,

Your renderings are great. Do you use Thea for most? For your exteriors, I like the 451 house. I always think tree shadows are great on the facade to add realism however every time I try it, the various clients dont want it. Its a catch-22.
Thank you for your input. Please look at me website. I would like some more of your opinions.

RenderingPerspectives.com

Anthony

[dgavin]

Anthony,

I think we sometimes get caught up on the process and niche things that, as you said, the customer could care less about.
I like to have sunlight coming into a scene but as mentioned, you have to make sure it does not detract but accentuates.
I guess you just have to learn what appeals to your customer. THey can drive you bonkers! ;o)

[McQueen3D]

I think the shadows could be slightly darker like the house next door but other than that it's a very good rendering.

[dr0591]

Your renderings are great. Do you use Thea for most? For your exteriors, I like the 451 house. I always think tree shadows are great on the facade to add realism however every time I try it, the various clients dont want it. Its a catch-22.

Thank you for your input. Please look at me website. I would like some more of your opinions.

Anthony

Thanks, Anthony. I use Thea exclusively for interiors now, but I'm starting to use Chief more for exteriors since the lighting and materials aren't quite so crucial in an exterior scene, and the new version of Phoebe seems to do a pretty good job.

The exterior of mine that you like was done in Chief several years ago, when Chief had the integrated POV-RAY rendering engine. It remains one of my all-time favorites.


Here's an example of an interior scene done in Chief's POV-RAY:


I took a look at your site. Your renderings are very nice -- you definitely have an eye for landscaping, and I'm envious of your ability to photoshop your model into an existing photograph -- I still haven't figured out how to do that very well. My main suggestion for your renderings would be to work on making your materials and lighting even more realistic. Right now, although very nice and detailed, they read a little flat. If you want realism, don't be afraid of using more dramatic lighting, or even all-natural lighting if possible (like in the bathroom scene above). And I've found that, for the most part, you will get better results by adjusting the material properties yourself using your own "eye" rather than using Chief's default materials.

Of the renderings I saw on your site, I liked this one the best, because it looked most realistic (except I'm confused by the courtyard tile, or whatever that is -- why is it so shiny? Looks like someone could slip and break their neck!). You also need to watch the shadows on the 2D plants -- they're too skinny too look realistic if the sun isn't directly behind the camera. Also, isn't it a little strange to have the porch lights turned on on a bright sunny day.... ;-)


Anyhow, nice work. Hope those comments are helpful!