[ivox3]

Bubba, ... even if you don't know a lick about lighting something, ... the one thing you DO know is that using sun and sky is going to produce a very certain result --- so, .. firstly, ...listen to Brett and then I'd say to abandon the sun and sky for emitters. Just begin using them, ...it doesn't matter which ones (try various presets) and experiment with different size geometric planes. Eventually your going to get a feel for what things do, ....then I would suggest studying realistic photographic setups ---- no shortages of those here and elsewhere online. The point is that you must start or forever just continue to produce flat renders ---- your choice.

ps. leave the HDR's out at first and when your comfortable setting up a solid lighting rig, ..then bring in the fancy reflections/light with HDR's (a study in and of themselves).

The reason I have these things in a particular order is that the learning ends up as real knowing versus the hit miss style of just trying things out at random.

[Bubbaloo]

Thanks for the great tips, guys!

[Bubbaloo]

learning ends up as real knowing versus the hit miss style of just trying things out at random.

You sound like Bruce Lee...

Here is a new render:

[tom]

Brilliant Is that coating on the wooden surface?

[Bubbaloo]

Is that coating on the wooden surface?

No, it is weight mapped reflection and hdri.

[Bubbaloo]

New image on first post, plus I added some of my previous mental ray renderings down at the bottom. Comments are always welcome!

[Bubbaloo]

Added a new re-worked Langston University addition. Used shift lense and a bit of glare. Added more trees, people, plants (http://www.turbosquid.com/Search/Index. ... horExact/y), details...

[Bubbaloo]

Front entrance redesign for our QT Ellenwood project:

[sandykoufax]

Hey, nice update.

but IMHO, your last image looks somewhat flat.

[simmsimaging]

Sorry Brian, I agree with Jeong-Ho on this one. Overall qualities are good, but the materials are really looking 2D/flat.

Nice light and modelling though.
b

[devista]

Sorry Brian, I agree with Jeong-Ho on this one. Overall qualities are good, but the materials are really looking 2D/flat.

Nice light and modelling though.
b

+1

[Bubbaloo]

I agree with you guys, this lacks in quality of materials. But I think it is the nature of the cmu building, it has no excitement. What can you do with such a plain building? Here is a close-up of the building textures. I'm fairly pleased with the bricks. I made them by hand in photoshop, my first time creating a material from scratch.


Thanks for the comments!

[justinj1023]

Where did you get the split face block texture?

Justin

[Bubbaloo]

I don't remember. Just searched online...

[Bubbaloo]

Here is the final version. I am thankfully done with this. I have added a sky and more vegetation, and also a background plane with an mxi for reflection in the glass. Rendered at 6000 px to SL17 with alpha:



The image on the first page is in higher resolution.