Hard Light Productions Forums

Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Xelion on January 04, 2002, 06:47:00 pm

Title: Q for Setekh
Post by: Xelion on January 04, 2002, 06:47:00 pm
Setekh how do you integrate ships into your render; (in 3d program)
1. Do you render each ship separately and then position it in PhotoShop6 using the blending modes?
2. Or do you render all ships in one scene?

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Max
Flash Developer
Ps6 Beginner
Title: Q for Setekh
Post by: Carl on January 04, 2002, 08:11:00 pm
if you render them individually, they won't cast shadows on each other or reflect each other, so you have to render the whole image.
Title: Q for Setekh
Post by: Kamikaze on January 04, 2002, 10:02:00 pm
 You don't have to do you? It's only for the picky perfectionists (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/biggrin.gif)
Title: Q for Setekh
Post by: mikhael on January 04, 2002, 10:08:00 pm
 
Quote
Originally posted by Kamikaze:
You don't have to do you? It's only for the picky perfectionists  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/biggrin.gif)

I wouldn't say that. I'd say it was just for the overall look. You could fake those shadows but it always looks false somehow. Nothing beats properly raytraced shadows for that sense of veracity.

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--Mik
http://www.404error.com
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Title: Q for Setekh
Post by: Kamikaze on January 05, 2002, 01:30:00 am
sarcasm... (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/rolleyes.gif)
Title: Q for Setekh
Post by: Shrike on January 05, 2002, 02:16:00 am
 
Quote
Originally posted by mikhael:
I wouldn't say that. I'd say it was just for the overall look. You could fake those shadows but it always looks false somehow. Nothing beats properly raytraced shadows for that sense of veracity.

And nothing beats raytraced shadows for rendering time either.... *sight*
Title: Q for Setekh
Post by: Ace on January 05, 2002, 02:37:00 am
The few times I have done renders, I do the shadows and lighting myself in Photoshop. Has a softer more film like quality and I can generally "by eye" work out the shadows to look fine.

TS5 in it's lighting is too rough, especially on low poly models. (I've had to blend out edges of shadows, etc. to get a smooth look)

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Ace
Staff member FreeSpace Watch
 http://freespace.volitionwatch.com/ ("http://freespace.volitionwatch.com/")
Title: Q for Setekh
Post by: Sandwich on January 05, 2002, 03:07:00 am
 
Quote
Originally posted by Ace:
TS5 in it's lighting is too rough, especially on low poly models. (I've had to blend out edges of shadows, etc. to get a smooth look)

Just modify the light that's casting the shadows so that it has a softer edge.  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/biggrin.gif)

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Title: Q for Setekh
Post by: NeoHunter on January 05, 2002, 03:12:00 am
If you are going to render everything, then how do you put in the background of stars and nebula?

The only trick I know is to make a picture of the background and then place it on a thin box then position the camera to cover the background but not beyond it.

I thought there was a way to do it in another better way. I seem to have forgotten.

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Title: Q for Setekh
Post by: Starwing on January 05, 2002, 04:40:00 am
You can set a background image in TS. Even TS1 does that. I usually render all objects in one scene (except the latest pic, made a render of the ships and set it as background for the window). I used a trick to soften shadows in TS1 (reytraced shadows in TS1 were incredible bad). I just set another light with shadows turned off and very low intensity that lightened the black spots TS1 used to call shadows a little bit and made them look much more realistic.

[This message has been edited by Starwing (edited 01-05-2002).]
Title: Q for Setekh
Post by: Fineus on January 05, 2002, 04:53:00 am
FYI Max, Setekhs busy trying to cope with the bush fires in Australia at the moment - so don't be put off if you don't get a reply from him  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/smile.gif)

I seem to recall Setekh came up with a way to make shadows whilst still rendering each ship individually, and to render them he uses a custom made engine called Spire (not commercially available... yet  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/wink.gif))