June 2020 - Daz 3D New User Challenge - Scenes, Landscapes, and Working Modularly
Scott Livingston
Posts: 4,340
New User's Challenge - June 2020
Sponsored by DAZ 3D
Are you new to the 3D World? Are you at the beginning stages of learning 3D rendering? Have you been around for a little bit but feel you could benefit from some feedback or instruction? Have you been around awhile and would like to help other members start their creative journey? Well then come and join the fun as we host our newest render challenge!
New this year, we are breaking down each month into 2 different challenges. A Beginner Challenge and then also an Intermediate Challenge.
So which "Challenge" should you choose?
Follow the Beginner Challenge if you are:
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New to the New User Challenges
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New to Daz Studio
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Newer to 3D Rendering in General
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Or if you have not participated in the March Posing Challenge
Follow the Intermediate Challenge if you have:
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Participated in the New User Challenge for awhile
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Know the basics of Daz Studio and would like to learn more in depth topics
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Been using 3D Rendering Applications for awhile and feel comfortable with learning Intermediate Topics
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Or if you have all ready participated in the March Posing Challenge
*Please be sure to list in your post which Challenge you are participating in*
Closing date for both is June 30, 2020
For a list of the current challenge rules, please see this thread: Challenge Rules
They apply for both versions of the challenge.
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Beginner Challenge - June 2020
Sponsored by DAZ 3D
Are you new to the 3D World? Are you at the beginning stages of learning 3D rendering? Have you been around for a little bit but feel you could benefit from some feedback or instruction? Have you been around awhile and would like to help other members start their creative journey? Well then come and join the fun as we host our newest render challenge!
"Scenes and Landscapes"
This month's focus will be scenes and landscapes. If you haven't noticed when you look at images made by the various 3D software some of the packages do a lot better then others in treating an expansive scene or a magnificent landscape. Ones that come to mind are software such as Bryce or Vue. Both have some built in features that make those wonderfully big expansive images come true. DAZ Studio on the other hand does not have some of these features built into it but if you know the tricks there is no reason why you can't get those same kinds of results. For this contest we will be exploring the principles of how such scenes and landscapes are built and how to control the environment to create the sense of expansiveness a scene or landscape creates for the viewer.
There are some key elements that should be considered when creating a landscape, they are the inspiration, lighting, perspective and depth of focus. I have gathered some links for you that talk about each of these elements.
Inspiration:
Photos and Art:
Landscape Photography
Landscape 3D Art
Landscape Paintings
Surreal Landscapes
Perspective and Depth of Focus:
What a Painter Considers
What a Photographer Considers
Transform 3D Renders: Part 1
http://blog.advancedphotoshop.co.uk/tutorials/transform-3d-renders-part-1/
Transform 3D Renders: Part 2
http://blog.advancedphotoshop.co.uk/tutorials/transform-3d-renders-part-2/
Bryce 7
Bryce 7 Demo Reel
Things to consider when setting up your landscape:
As stated by Jon A. Bell in his book, 3ds max 6 Killer Tips, "For more realistic outdoor scenes, especially if you're seeing a distant horizon, you should always add a slight amount of atmospheric haze.... If you look at a distant mountain range (or if you don't have one right outside your window, just grab a travel magazine or pretend), you'll notice how colors become muted and washed out with distance. You can use just a slight amount of atmospheric fog (it depends on the scale of your scene), and the colors will determine the clarity or quality of your "atmosphere." For clear outdoor settings, using a slight bit of white fog is desirable; for sunset or urban settings (where the air might be more polluted), a slight yellowish or reddish cast makes your horizons look better." In DAZ Studio you have a couple of options in getting that affect. The first would be to add just a tiny bit of Depth of Field so that the objects become a bit more blurred and muted. Another way is to have a volumetric camera that will add the fog feature to the render.
Lighting:
Approaching Realism in DAZ Studio and Gamma Correction Demystified
http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/54913/
Using HDR Files In DAZ Studio 3delight renders https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okaYS1jeAew
http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/37753/
and for Iray
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5FZ5gS9v50
https://thinkdrawart.com/how-i-light-my-daz-studio-iray-scenes
Handy tools for DAZ Studio ( note: these can help but are not in any way necessary):
https://www.daz3d.com/terradome-3-iray
https://www.daz3d.com/ultrascatter-advanced-instancing-for-daz-studio
https://www.daz3d.com/modular-cove-landscape-creator
https://www.daz3d.com/digital-kit-bashing--cities-landscapes-and-structures
https://www.daz3d.com/ultrascenery--realistic-landscape-system
Previous challenges and contests on the topic
https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/253991/june-2018-daz-3d-new-user-challenge-scenes-and-landscapes/p1
https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/171661/june-2017-daz-3d-new-user-challenge-scenes-and-landscapes/p1
https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/90721/june-2016-new-user-3d-art-contest-scenes-and-landscapes-wip-thread/p1
https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/comment/832212/#Comment_832212
Bryce 7.1
Bryce Landscaping
Bryce Basics
I will be checking in as will the rest of the Community Volunteers to try and help with anything you all may need.
Intermediate Challenge:
Working Modularly
This includes kitbashing: combining products in unexpected, creative ways; and picturing items in settings other than what they were meant for.
You don’t have to have expensive modeling software to create a unique 3D environment. Why not put a new spin on a few old products and tools?
Kitbashing Tips and Tutorials
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXn2-K-1yJc&feature=youtu.be (this is a free preview of the following product for sale in the Daz3D store: https://www.daz3d.com/digital-kit-bashing--cities-landscapes-and-structures)
Using the Geometry Editor to separate parts of a set into distinct props: https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/197006/need-some-kit-bash-advice
Using the Geometry Editor to create material zones: http://youtube.com/watch?v=LbFileaCUO8#t=
Some techniques you can use, such as instancing, push modifiers, and editing materials were covered in previous New User Challenges.
You can radically change the appearance of an object with some very simple methods, such as applying a shader preset and adjusting the Y-Scale slider in the Parameters tab.
When combining items from different products, especially products by different creators, you may need to check the Surfaces settings and experiment until your components have a similar appearance when rendered.
Working modularly can be very rewarding, as it can greatly expand the possibilities of what you can do with the assets in your 3D library. I can't wait to see what you come up with!
This will be perfect for busting out a batch of modular set pieces I downloaded from ShareCG.com a long time ago, back when I was still using Studio 3 if I remember right.
Last time I used anything from it was back in January for that months contest to create the set, and I should try to get more use out if it then I currently do.
Edit: This link should take you to the gallery of the user who uploaded them. Look for "Free SciFi Corridor 2260. Part - (1-15)" There's also an extra download with some extra textures.
We get to break things!!!!!
Yay!!
Intermediate Challenge: Working Modularly
Here's version A of this using 7 of the parts from the set of downloads I mentioned in my last post. The remaining parts of the set are a total of 14 instances of 4 of them.
Intermediate Challenge: Working Modularly
Here's version B of this, with texture work done, and three characters added with kitbashed outfits to differant digrees. The 2 closest to us have items from 2 different outfits each, while the one farther back has stuff from 4 different outfits.
This is my entry called Fairy in Greywood. There is a bit of kitbashing in this but nothing has been used in an unusual way so I suppose it counts for the beginners challenge. I user UberSoft Lighting and 3Delight. I also used an Advanced Spotlight with a shadow. I may try using Depth of Field in the future with this. Feedback is very welcome.
@Shinji: nice start! I like both versions but the textures in B are a bit more interesting, I suppose. I might suggest that you try varying the textures a bit more: make the floor, walls/columns, and ceiling look more distinct from each other. Maybe even mix textures from the two versions? At any rate, the elements of the scene go nicely together and I wouldn't have guessed that it was bashed together from different sets.
@Sueya: Nice scene you are building! I like the idea of using depth of field in this scene and look forward to seeing you give that a try. I'd also suggest perhaps complementing your Uber and Advanced lighting with a distant light to represent the sun? Since you're calling it Fairy in Greywood, maybe try playing with the surface settings in order to play with the colors and maybe bring out that gray a bit... If the fairy herself was more colorful and her surroundings more muted, that might make for an interesting contrast. Certainly not the only direction you could go in, but something to think about...
Intermediate Challege - Working Modularly
Future Flux
Items used:
Utopia Indoor Pool
Technophilia Volume 3 - The TANK
Gadget Store
GIS Skyway
Ariochsnowpaw, that is such a cool use of the Utopia Indoor Pool! I used that for a render last month, retiled it with a decorative lattice pattern, and made it film noir. I'm surprised how versatile a base it can be for some wild scenes if you're creative with your props.
@katiedelongwriter - well made kits like that and a little geometry editing go a long way. I love these challenges because the help me lood at these tools in very different way.
@sueya - my favorite of yours amongs many of your renders I have loved. I really like the muted palette youv'e used. I will agree with Scott the if you could bunch up the texture on the dress or vibrance in the skin it might give the fairy a little more anchor as the center of the scene. The setting itself makes me want to hang out there for a while.
@Shinji Ikari 9th - It's always surprising what a little bit of material change can make. The crunge and the wet floor in the second one are very compelling. Can't wait to where you go with it.
Dreaming
Thanks for the positive feedback. I have added some DOF to the plants at the front and the background. I changed the fairy because I'm having problems with Genesis 3 facial expressions. I have changed the colour of her dress in line with your comments. I may add some flowers or mushrooms to show how the fairy brings colour to the woodland.
I need to get off my butt and render for this already. All my projects this week have been really abstract compositions- figures layered with clouds to play with negative space and silhouette, rather than detail. So they don't really fit with the theme. Gotta get my mind on the THEME for a change.
Path of Rocks
I have spent the last three weeks re-learning DAZ after a very long break of almost four years. This is a WIP for the 'Working Modularly' category.
"We're going on an adventure." says the Huskie.
In progress of my first entry for this. I think I want to try to do one scene indoors and one outdoors, just to try to work with as many techniques as possible. I was happy with how this came out. Angels/demons aren't really my spiritual thing, but I know a lot of writers who work with those themes, so maybe one of them will have a book that needs a cover or something. I was happy with how the foreground fire/magic came together. It's a blend of several different flame, magic, and smoke/cloud props, to try to make the falloff blend into the b/g "natural". Postwork is a paint filter (Painted looks are massively popular in the dark fantasy/urban fantasy genre). Oh, umm, I think I'm supposed to participate in the beginning challenge because I've never done this challenge before? I'm never entirely sure whether I'm Beginner or Intermediate. So much of the time I feel like a beginner but I'm never 100% on which challenges I've thrown my hat in with my spotty memory, so it's usually easier to just let people move me up to whatever category they feel best fits my abilities. I don't want to be putting myself in the wrong one and making it less fun for other people to participate if I'm aiming to get different things out of the challenge than they are.
Version 3 of Fairy in the Greywood
I have added some more flowers and mushrooms. Please give me some constructive feedback.
@sueya You can add few small rocks right side of fairy. Add some flowers or mushrooms using instancing. You can also add a reason (a deer or a butterfly or a big mushroom or something you prefer though it is not necessary) to sit there. Also it looks like light is too much.
Not an entry but a very fast edited example only. Please note that I am not an expert yet.
Image credit: sueya
My first Rendering lasted 4.5 hours.
With light and camera and background.
It seems as though only a thumbnail version of the image may have gotten attached to your post. If you need help on how to attach the image, please let us know.
Image Title: Path of Rocks
Software Used: Daz Studio
Render Engine: Iray
Item Used:
* Daz Studio default dome with rotation
* Terradome 3
* Genesis 3 Female
* Hi-Lo Dress for Genesis 2 Female(s)
* Frawn Hair for Genesis 3 Female(s)
* Wild Flowers Water Plants Vol. 2
* Rocks Volume 4 - Flat Rocks.
The lilies and aquatic flora is really good in yours, with how it handles in the water motion. Very vivid.
Beginner Challenge: "All That Matters"
My very first submission after approx. two months with DAZ putting in serious hours every day and learning from YouTube videos and from precious tips shared by generous forum contributors and artists (i.e. people I call "magicians").
The main focus in this render: lighting (HDRI), shadows, depth of field, background/landscape
I have added the IGLK mist (light white-colored mist with zero fog) just before the background mountain-range, it shows up nicely on my viewport but doesn't really show up in the render - sorry!
Characters: Spencer, Vernon, baby Tobyn
Software: DAZ Studio 4.12 Mac 64-bit
ps. apologies I do not know how to insert the image into the actual post
Fine-tuning a number of techniques for my second entry.
Flames- a combo of flame props to get a depth of spitting and popping, and asymmetrical shapes.
Fog- working with a cloud prop as background fog for intermittent swirls.
Lighting: Golden Hour-style HDRI for color tone, atmosphere, augmented by a cool temp directional spotlight for lighting on face, background, props. Managing this required removing pillars in b/g, removing walls from the set, and very careful posing to ensure that dress and crown caught the light with strong highlights and contrasts with backdrop and shadows.
Postwork: a paint style, not so much because it needed it, but because I prefer the smooth look, and even with adjustments to the gamma and subsurface scatter, I'm not convinced I have her skin where I want it. I might try rerendering with XCRs to see if the additional control that provides yields different results. As it is, I did a little bit of color correction in post, tweaking the contrast post paint filter, because a little bit of my contrast tends to get lost in the paint process.
Here's the latest version of my image - Fairy in the Greywood.
I have managed to add more flowers, but my PC keeps crashing so this may be my final version.
Worked with my second render a little more- rerendered after tweaking the simulation a little more to fine-tune the draping on the dress, especially over her breasts. That's the only stuff I changed. I know it's piddly little crap, but it had bugged the crap out of me that I was struggling to get it to not vacuum seal onto her chest, and to drape more strongly. This is much stronger, I think.
Beginner Challenge - June 2020 - Scenes and Landscapes
My first foray into 3D art! Discovered Daz 3D some weeks ago, and it has been an interesting and exciting dabbling since then.
Using a lot of pointers from forums as well as the links provided here, came up with this image using an environment map and posing Romina in it - with an inclusion of a Distant Light - where I was trying to imitate sunlight during sunset.
My first Rendering lasted 4.5 hours.
With light and camera and background.
Yes Please
Hi, tis is wat i get .... file size is 17,6mb 3840 x 2160
No file data could be found in your post
the forum doesn't take that size, get down to 2MB (use jpg format) or load to the gallery and link from there with resize of the image