blackout11c's 3D Render thread (with Resources!)

[blackout11c]

As a follow-on from my thread about my custom-render of the end of Reach, I decided to start this. It contains pictures of assorted ships from the Halo Universe, irrespective of whether they are UNSC, Covenant, or Forerunner. Any queries, just throw me a PM or post it here.
CCS-class Battlecruiser

SDV-class Heavy Corvette

CAS-class Assault Carrier

Links from here - https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B7ufQtFQDGNZSjFFWnoyNFdoZk0&usp=sharing. Zips contain .blend, .obj, and textures, for the respective ships.

 

[ferret304]

Are you using Blender's cycles for these?

 

[blackout11c]

Are you using Blender's cycles for these?

Yeah, I'm using cycles. I tend to use cycles for basically everything but the generated stars.

 

[Crimmson]

Looking good Blackout11c. I cant get the hang of using nodes, it takes me a while to get anything going and then I realize I wanted a small change. then I give up a for a while

 

[blackout11c]

Looking good Blackout11c. I cant get the hang of using nodes, it takes me a while to get anything going and then I realize I wanted a small change. then I give up a for a while

I find that cycles nodes are mostly trial and error. There may be tutorials for some of this, but there is a lot of hit-and-miss going on. On a side note, as of Blender 2.71, cycles will be the default rendering engine.

 

[blackout11c]

The Charon-class Light Frigate, with a preview of what's next. File is available on the database.

 

[ferret304]

Have you tried turning up your samples when you render? I noticed that your covenant ones had slightly grainy glossy effects on them. Just my 2 cents. I like what you're doing, though

 

[blackout11c]

Have you tried turning up your samples when you render? I noticed that your covenant ones had slightly grainy glossy effects on them. Just my 2 cents. I like what you're doing, though

They were only rendered at 50-100 samples. You can see a clear difference between the underside of the corvette (50 samples) and the underside of the Cruiser (1000 samples). Only problem is, 1000 samples takes a long time to render, even on a fairly high-spec machine.

 

[ferret304]

They were only rendered at 50-100 samples. You can see a clear difference between the underside of the corvette (50 samples) and the underside of the Cruiser (1000 samples). Only problem is, 1000 samples takes a long time to render, even on a fairly high-spec machine.

Yeah, rendering HQ can be a pain. It's nice to see a fellow blender user, along with Crimson

 

[blackout11c]

Yeah, rendering HQ can be a pain. It's nice to see a fellow blender user, along with Crimson

I tend to stick around 100-400 samples. It doesn't look quite as nice as 1000 samples, but it does the job. And yes, it is good to see other blender users on here :cool

 

[blackout11c]

Paris-class Heavy Frigate. Now with 100% more lights.
Files are on the database - here

 

[blackout11c]

So, I was playing around with a experimental build of Blender, seeing if I could do engine effects with it. So, 405th, what do you think?

 

[MissingSpartan7]

So, I was playing around with a experimental build of Blender, seeing if I could do engine effects with it. So, 405th, what do you think?

There's something about the "Glow" effect that bothers me, but I can't figure out what it is.

Try a longer cone with an open end, and a solid->transparent gradient material from the engine outward. Also maybe some light sources spaced back from the engines (decreasing in intensity), to cast a "back-glow" on the rest of the ship.


Dunno, just some thoughts.
E:Also, please light your scene a bit more.

 

[foxleader]

There's something about the "Glow" effect that bothers me, but I can't figure out what it is.

Try a longer cone with an open end, and a solid->transparent gradient material from the engine outward. Also maybe some light sources spaced back from the engines (decreasing in intensity), to cast a "back-glow" on the rest of the ship.


Dunno, just some thoughts.
E:Also, please light your scene a bit more.

yeah if you have something like a sun somewhere it would help.

 

[blackout11c]

Here are two new renders, one with the engine "flames", and one without them. I don't know if they're lit properly, but hey, they look cool. I will try for some against a planet, for more light, but that will take time to render. Oh, and I personally think it looks better without the flame... things.

 

[colbs]

You know you could probably get better pointers from scifi- meshes. Com

 

[MissingSpartan7]

Here are two new renders, one with the engine "flames", and one without them. I don't know if they're lit properly, but hey, they look cool. I will try for some against a planet, for more light, but that will take time to render. Oh, and I personally think it looks better without the flame... things.

That's definitely the better of the two.
In this instance, yes, I agree the engine contrails look terrible.
I'm not sure on the horizontal light blur thing going on on the engines and the sun - it looks out of place.
Looking at this as reference, you might want to go a lighter shade of blue.

On rendering - does blender allow for selective rendering? Can you have only the ship+engines render - but still have them affected by the light cast from the background elements, without actually rendering them?

 

[foxleader]

don't mind this one.

 

[foxleader]

take a look at this vid it should help some.

 

[blackout11c]

That's definitely the better of the two.
In this instance, yes, I agree the engine contrails look terrible.
I'm not sure on the horizontal light blur thing going on on the engines and the sun - it looks out of place.
you might want to go a lighter shade of blue.

On rendering - does blender allow for selective rendering? Can you have only the ship+engines render - but still have them affected by the light cast from the background elements, without actually rendering them?

The flare definetly needs some work. In terms of rendering, the only thing that comes to mind is the different render passes. Only issue is that I can't find much info on that. It may be an experimental feature, though. I'll check the experimental build.