[Cyberfish_Fred]

Just as the material database that we users can use, is there something similar but then with sample studio setups?

Lights/decor/reflection/diffuse shields, etc. etc.

For:

* realistic product shots
* realistic interior
* realistic outdoor
* etc.

Can anyone help me with the best setup for product shots? White background/ floor/ little shadow/ little reflection.

Thanks!

Sjon

[hatts]

I've only been using Maxwell under a year, but this is the quickest-rendering product setup I've managed to create. This is open to amendments...

1. Make an extruded surface that smoothly curves from floor to backdrop, like this:


This "stage" should be an appropriate real-world size that's big enough to hold your object.

2. Make a new white material with 230 - 240 as the color value. This is bright white without being impossibly bright. Apply this material to your backdrop/floor object.

3. Create a camera with an EV value somewhere between 9 and 13. The aperture should be quite small if you want some depth of field, otherwise you can set it to ~15+.

4. Create one or two emitters floating in the air near your object. Placement of these is up to you. In their properties, click "hide from camera." These are to create clear highlights. Maxwell resolves this type of lighting quickly. If the watts are going above 500 consider tweaking other settings, such as in step (3)

5. If you've gotten to a point where your exposure is ridiculously dark, just bump the ISO up by 100's until it's right.

6. Optionally use an HDR in Image Based Lighting. This should give your reflections and shading a bit more detail and believability. However, to rely solely (without spotlight emitters) on HDR lighting can cause a lot of headaches, and is guaranteed to increase your render time. For a more basic setup use a constant dome.

7. Get rid of camera vignette (Simulens -> Devignetting: 100%)

These settings have helped me with product shots, I don't claim them to be theoretically superior! The resultant setup is a really low-key, somewhat boring scene, and should just be used as a starting point for more interesting setups.

[Primus]

@Matthew

I´ve my basics more in photography. still learning maxwell ...so you explain a godd&basic setup for product shoots.

Can you show one of your renderings with this setup ?

Best,
Tom

[hatts]

Tom,

I made a quick example. I actually ended up using only 1 emitter, because I wanted to produce really straightforward shadows. Then I used a constant sky dome for even lighting. Sometimes to soften the floor shadows, or to add more complex floor shadows, I add extra emitters, but I think product shots benefit from really simple, crystal-clear shading. Also the render time is speedy.
Render:

Render showing emitter:

Screenshot showing camera:

Screenshot showing scene:


So this kind of project is actually as easy as it gets in Maxwell...

[Cyberfish_Fred]

Looks really great and such a quality with an easy setup. I will try something similar today. Thanks Hatts!!!

Fred

[Mihai]

You should really read this book: Light, Science & Magic, now it's in its fourth edition:

http://www.amazon.com/Light-Science-Mag ... 240812255/

Everything learned there can be used in Maxwell, and it teaches you some useful theory of light, how it reacts to different materials etc etc.

[Hervé]

indeed very good book Mihai..

[hatts]

Looks good Mihai

Also I hate to be painfully obvious but the manual is really a great quick read in its overview of physics.

EDIT: Control the look of your floor shadows by changing how far your emitters are from your object, and by changing their size. Big, close-up emitters will produce soft, vague shadows and distant, small emitters create strong, crisp shadows. This is very relevant for product shots. More info...

[Mihai]

Better to start looking at the online docs, the pdf is outdated and won't be updated
http://support.nextlimit.com/category/maxwell

EDIT: Control the look of your floor shadows by changing how far your emitters are from your object, and by changing their size. Big, close-up emitters will produce soft, vague shadows and distant, small emitters create strong, crisp shadows. This is very relevant for product shots.

I'd say that how close the emitters are will control a lot the "contrast" of light, secondary is to control what the sharpness of the shadows themselves. Usually it just looks nice with an emitter close to the subject, makes it easier also to control where the light falls.

[hatts]

Better to start looking at the online docs, the pdf is outdated and won't be updated

The documentation page is practically my homepage at this point...
That being said, it's still a shame! Sometimes nothing beats the simplicity of a long scrollable flat document.

While we're on the topic of product renders, do you have any suggestions for extremely top-notch HDR images or sets, Mihai? It seems most of the ones I come across, even expensive ones, aren't truly HDR in their range, and on top of that, can be low quality for other reasons. Our studio has been in a multi-year hunt for a pro-level HDR set. Sometimes we make them ourselves but we're not photographic experts.

[Mihai]

I'm making some myself But yes, it's not so easy to find good HDRs with enough range to have good shadows, and sharper shadows for that matter. There is moofe.com which are expensive but also have a few cool free ones. Maybe cg-source also which are very cheap, you can just buy one and test it. Another one is hdri-locations.com which are also very good.

[hatts]

Thanks, those three sites have some excellent options. Particularly impressed by Moofe