[voxelpictures]

Hi every body,

We have now a great maxwell that is working like a Saturn V rocket. With all the small corrections and update we can say that NL is doing just a super job. Personally, i didn't really came about a ''bug'' that would prevent me from doing an image on time. I always do like i did ten years ago, delete a camera if it is not working of replace ''buggy'' thing's not working in a scene which would prevent any common renderer to crash. General Rule: You must know your software before blaming the editor.

My question is how to create great moods like big studios do? STACK-Studio.com, Mir-visuals.com, Neoscape and not to mention our friend Simsimaging among others. What is the technical aspects to consider behing great SUPER maxwell, photographic renderings.

link for sample: www.mir-visuals.com

Do they use compositing, or additional color light planes like bluewish and reddish, sepia for example to simulate cool or other moods in their scenes.
This is one of the most important aspect to consider since architects want their client to believe in the future moods that their exterior scene will create, with their new buildings integrated in existing pictures or completely 3D scenes.

What about showing yours techniques that you guy have come across and have work great for your clients. Specially in moods, i'm not talking about photographic quality rendering: This is one thing NL has change into to our world and they do it well. HOW TO SIMULATE MOODS?

Any comments from you guys architects are the most welcome.

Regards,

Roshan Martin
dipl. 3D Animator - CAD-CAID Digital Prototyper

VOXELPICTURES Int.
info@voxelpictures.com

[JTB]

One often used is the "BLOOM" effect, which can be accomplished with depth rendering in Pshop (added as a multiplied layer). I can't remember where I saw some details, but Kerkythea gallery has some pictures using this technique. Probably you will find something in Kerkythea forum. Maybe there is something in Maxwell forums too.

[-Adrian]

High color saturation, enhanced contrast, post-sharpening. The magic tricky for nearly everything.

[deadalvs]

this is one of the most interesting topics in cg graphics...

well..

first of all define your goal:
do you want to create photoreal images or hyperreal images. (check definitions)

* * *

for hyperreal imaging, you really do need overexaggerated saturation and sharpness values to stress a desired idea or image you want to express.

if you rather want to express a simplistic (and more convincing of reality) image with realistic content it gets more difficult since you have to obey laws of optics, physics.

* * *

the definition of mood is generated by different effects.

1) psychological interpretation of color.
--> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_symbolism
thus to express a certain mood, the correct color palette is needed.
2) a certain «prejudice» of the weather's state. like bad weather = bad mood // sunshine = good mood and so on.
the lighting conditions. the humidity
3) where does the viewer look at ? what does he feel ?
in my eyes, a dynamic and thus non-abstract image is closer to the human's way of interacting with it's environment. so depth of field, motion blur and color contrasts create a natural distinction/weighting and thus «mood», since the interaction with the picture awakens emotions that are embedded with the «needs of survival» of a human being.

also check maslov:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow's_h ... y_of_needs

there are many more points ..

* * *

imagine a green foggy forest with a tower that has a little red light on top. this image expresses mood since you can imagine how it would feel actually being there in that scene. you would feel cold, maybe lost. but you'd know that you are near somekind of society or city. at least in reach of a city that has choppers or airplanes that could fly low here, which itself would be a little sign of «safety» itself.

..

* * *

define mood too !
is mood needed to express desires for a product like in «this new shampoo bottle expresses freshness» or a scene like «this greenish basement lighting is used to increase the psychological force of torturing devices» like in the «saw» movies.

* * *

i definitively am a fan of unlimited detail. scratches, peeling-off paint, rust, dust and general imperfections. well, this means unlimited work of course, but it'd be worth it.

but do you need maxwell for this sort of realism ? i guess not. look at hollywood's work. they've been creating moody and photoreal motion pictures since many years in digital format. so there must be stuff to learn from them.

* * *

being a swiss architect myself, i have seen a lot of arch-viz work by now and i must say: 99% of it is neither photoreal nor moody. at most hyperreal.
especially the vegetation, overly saturated green, not integrated in the scene, poorly photoshopped. trees «glowing» like they'd be the main attraction of the picture.
i've been working in a landscape architecture office for months, developing a 2d/3d workflow where exactly MOOD of the viz work is exactly the main topic and i have learned a lot about it.

* * *

so... how do you create mood ?

don't just use the tools to create realism for you like using maxwell for realistic lighting. use all tools available to create a balance between natural color variation and the sense of directing the eye through the scene while telling a story or expressing feelings. think in the scene !
use DOF, motion blur, levels of details (!), add patina !
tilt the camera. use realistic camera angles. distort the image.

and remember:
mood is a quality of the image itself, independent of the way the image was created. a good charcoal sketch can still be moodier than any photoreal image.


always go back to the sketchbook !

[Bubbaloo]

Wow, great answer!

[voxelpictures]

Great Answer really. Thanks Mathias.
I think discussion like this would through ideas on the table that would definiteley improve the works of those working in this field and for SURE, this also applies to all works in CG.

Thanks Again.