Need Solution -- Shiny Skin on Genesis in LuxRender
DrowElfMorwen
Posts: 538
I'm fairly new to using LUX Render so I don't get it all, but I generally can figure things out... however, one thing I cannot figure out is why my Genesis figure has shiny skin! It's way too reflective! No matter what skin settings I change in DAZ, like turning off specular or lowering ambient, he is still way too bright.... why? Even if I change his skin to matte in the Lux Render settings, its still way too white.
Link to a render is below; obviously, I didn't let it finish because it's obvious what is going on with his skin. I've been having this problem for months so I finally just need some help :(
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Comments
Change your Tone Mapping in LuxRender to Linear. :coolsmile:
http://www.luxrender.net/wiki/LuxRender_Tone_mapping#Linear
Adjust the settings to your taste, per example ISO 50, Shutter 1, F-stop 8.
That turned everything pure white >.> With really few bright colors in spots!
Sorry, edited the previous post, while you were posting, because this was missing:
Adjust the settings to your taste, per example ISO 50, Shutter 1, F-stop 8.
Woo, let me do that again: I hit "estimate settings" and this is how it looks now.
http://sta.sh/01oozswnfd54
Okay, I keep playing with the settings. Fooling around now... thank you for the suggestion!! Should I always render in Linear?
As far as my experience goes, the Linear Tone Mapping works best.
See also: http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/18543/P1125/#291973
Thank you VERY much for your help!!!! *throws a party*
Already I am seeing this is way better than what I had before XD
Oh, though I am having another problem... >.> There is a weird line between my figure's SkinHip and SkinTorso areas, as well as the SkinNipple area... I don't understand what is causing it. I tried turning off both Displacement and Bump and zeroing them, yet the line as if it IS displaced is still there.... any idea what I am referring to? You can vaguely see it around the nipple, a distinct line, in the first picture I posted.
Actually, you can clearly see the lines I am talking of here: http://sta.sh/0hkxsfvbovq
I don´t know whats causing these lines. I assume your Torso Surface has diffrent settings than the Nipples Area and the Hip Area.
Oddly enough, it doesn't! I've already checked :(
edit: I think I found it!! It was a difference in LUX itself!! Thanks!
Yes, always use linear! It may be lazy, but I usually use the estimate button. Don't worry about the exposure settings being realistic in terms of real film camera settings (if you know anything about these), just tweak away if they need adjusting.
There are so many factors at play in Reality/Lux that it's not always easy to pinpoint a problem. The figure seems to be catching an awful lot of light—what is your lighting set up in Studio? I might use two or three mesh lights for a scene like this, in a classic photographer's 3-point set up (I might use IBL as well, but leave that aside for now). I set the lights about 2 or 3 metres away from the subject, usually.
You should, at least initially, have each light in its own group so that you can play with their levels individually in Light Groups in Lux. This is great fun because you can see the effect in Lux in real time.
As to material settings, there's a lot to say, but make sure you have a specular map. Not all sets have them, and with some old sets I've found that Reality can't seem to find them. If your set doesn't have them, steal them from another compatible set (e.g. M4) in your runtime that does, or make them from the colour maps if you are adventurous—either way it's better than nothing. With a spec map the specular colour can go as high as about 90, 90, 90 (grey, no point in colours) but keep it in the bottom third of the range. Without a spec map much lower, say 16, 16, 16. I will give a real example later.
Diffuse should not be 100%. I would usually set at something like 220, 220, 220. Quite high, but not max.
As far as human surfaces are concerned, get rid of disp maps as, to put is simply, there is no practical way of using them in Lux and you may get seams showing with them. This means deleting the disp map file reference in the modifiers tab. Setting displacement to zero will not get rid of their influence, as in Reality one level of subdivision is added even at zero setting. Deleting the map reference is the only way to go.
Bump map settings will nearly always need to be changed as they tend to be all over the place. See my example below, but there are various settings balances you can try, and they depend on the bump maps you are working with. Bump maps work with specular maps to break up the reflections so that you don't get that "plastic wrap" glossiness that is seen so often.
Glossiness strength, say, 7500 to start with—could certainly be higher, depending on other factors and requirements. I would ignore fuzz and coat to begin with. They may have their uses on skin, but I wouldn't start out with them
Finally, make sure all the surface regions are using the same set of maps and that all the shader settings on the skin are the same, otherwise you will see seams.
Here's an example of a very similar set to what you are using, and the settings I used.
Diffuse Color: 220,220,200
Specular Color: 87,87,87 (with spec map)
Glossiness strength: 7400
No coat or fuzz
Bump: Strength 100%, Neg -0.001, Pos 0.001
No map reference in displacement slot.
This is a low key shot and I wanted a dark background so I only used one mesh light (the curved one) at about 2 metres. I scaled it to 50% (this increases its brightness). It rendered very quickly (30 min maybe? Obviously this is dependent on your processor).
Note that it is not the same set that you are using, although it has the same inspiration (Avatar, obviously). This is a product that I don't think is available any more. I didn't use the morphs that came with it.
I'm not saying this render is perfect or ideal, I can think of many improvements that I could make, but it gives an example of a decent skin shader set up.
Surface settings aside, the rule 'angle of incidence equals angle of reflection' is worth bearing in mind.