Is it theoretically wrong to use the default G8M mono SSS with lightened diffuse map with veins?

CHWT

Is it theoretically wrong to use default the G8M mono SSS setting with a lightened diffuse map with painted veins? I prefer mono SSS because I am not good at fiddling with all those parameters in chromatic SSS mode, at all. So I just lightened a skin that I really like and painted blue veins on it and called it a SSS map and plugged it into iray uber. I think the result was quite good, as I did get that glowing red color at those parts of the skin where a strong light source was nearby. I thought it looked pretty realistic. However, I am not sure if my way of doing it is theoretically correct or not.

WendyLuvsCatz

there is a theory?

I thought we were doing art which means one can use whatever map or not one chooses to express their creativity,

if you want to stick polka dots in the translucency channel and a moire texture in the normal channel you can 

CHWT

WendyLuvsCatz said:

there is a theory?

I thought we were doing art which means one can use whatever map or not one chooses to express their creativity,

if you want to stick polka dots in the translucency channel and a moire texture in the normal channel you can 

Yeah, I know there might not be a "correct" way of doing it. But I like to question myself (that's pretty unhealthy right?) LOL.

ETA: I actually don't mind (as I kind of see it coming) some people jumping out telling me that I am 100% wrong lol!

margrave

WendyLuvsCatz said:

there is a theory?

I thought we were doing art which means one can use whatever map or not one chooses to express their creativity,

if you want to stick polka dots in the translucency channel and a moire texture in the normal channel you can 

That's one way to look at it.

Another way is to look at the fact that an unbiased PBR engine like Iray goes to great lengths to emulate the reality of how light interacts with surfaces for photorealism, and it is a science rather than an art. In fact, the whole reason Iray has the Top Coat and Metallic Flakes options is because Nvidia wanted to sell it to car companies, who demand absolute realism in their car renders.

CHWT

margrave said:

WendyLuvsCatz said:

there is a theory?

I thought we were doing art which means one can use whatever map or not one chooses to express their creativity,

if you want to stick polka dots in the translucency channel and a moire texture in the normal channel you can 

That's one way to look at it.

Another way is to look at the fact that an unbiased PBR engine like Iray goes to great lengths to emulate the reality of how light interacts with surfaces for photorealism, and it is a science rather than an art. In fact, the whole reason Iray has the Top Coat and Metallic Flakes options is because Nvidia wanted to sell it to car companies, who demand absolute realism in their car renders.

Yeah, I know it actually is science. That's why I questioned myself about plugging a supposedly chromatic SSS map into a mono SSS shader, although I know it's my problem for being an idiot in fiddling with chromatic SSS parameters. Of course there are excellent tutorials like the one by Melissa in another thread, but in chromatic SSS mode, I often couldn't get the desired skin color/undertone, or I didn't get that glowing from within red color when a strong light source shining on the character's skin (you know that glowing red color when you use your palm to cover an electric torch).

nicstt

It's art.

The only important 'thing' is that you get a result you are happy with - the path is unimportant; unless of course you want to repeat it. :)

I love it when folks tell me this texture is wrong ant that method is wrong when simulating skin as they don't reflect real-world this or that.

... Folks saying this obviously forget that the model has an infinitely thin skin. There is no structure to the skin at all, let alone anything modeling the muscle, blood, fat, bone and the rest.

margrave

nicstt said:

It's art.

The only important 'thing' is that you get a result you are happy with - the path is unimportant; unless of course you want to repeat it. :)

I love it when folks tell me this texture is wrong ant that method is wrong when simulating skin as they don't reflect real-world this or that.

... Folks saying this obviously forget that the model has an infinitely thin skin. There is no structure to the skin at all, let alone anything modeling the muscle, blood, fat, bone and the rest.

No.

It can be art.

But if you're Nvidia, and you roll out your brand-new rendering engine, only for a bunch of automobile executives to say, "The metallic flakes don't look right. We're not interested in using Iray for our renders." then I don't think "It's art" will be much of a consolation.

The Iray engineers explicitly said this was a consideration when they were designing it.

Using it artistically doesn't change the fact that it was intended to be scientifically photoreal when Nvidia were making it.

The Blurst of Times

I like certain things. I don't like the way they used to do subsurface/translucency stuff in Iray with Genesis 3, back when it first came out. I like the direction lately, especially with the PBR shader in general, but I also need to tweak that.

Whatever makes the thing look good in your stuff, that is best in life.

/crush your enemies, see them driven before you, hear the lamentation of their women

richardandtracy

CHWT said:

Is it theoretically wrong to use default the G8M mono SSS setting with a lightened diffuse map with painted veins? I prefer mono SSS because I am not good at fiddling with all those parameters in chromatic SSS mode, at all. So I just lightened a skin that I really like and painted blue veins on it and called it a SSS map and plugged it into iray uber. I think the result was quite good, as I did get that glowing red color at those parts of the skin where a strong light source was nearby. I thought it looked pretty realistic. However, I am not sure if my way of doing it is theoretically correct or not.

I so want to say 'yes', but it'd require me to understand the question first. ;-)

CHWT

richardandtracy said:

CHWT said:

Is it theoretically wrong to use default the G8M mono SSS setting with a lightened diffuse map with painted veins? I prefer mono SSS because I am not good at fiddling with all those parameters in chromatic SSS mode, at all. So I just lightened a skin that I really like and painted blue veins on it and called it a SSS map and plugged it into iray uber. I think the result was quite good, as I did get that glowing red color at those parts of the skin where a strong light source was nearby. I thought it looked pretty realistic. However, I am not sure if my way of doing it is theoretically correct or not.

I so want to say 'yes', but it'd require me to understand the question first. ;-)

Ha! Well... I also want to tell myself that it's soooooo wrong to use flesh toned with blue veins SSS maps in mono mode and keep the default blood like translucency color, but heck it looks good. Probably a fluke!