Need help with Sun object

[abdelouahabb]

hi,
if you're talking about SKY of AR, then you can put any picture in the sky! look at the preset you'll find a toon sky, all clouds have no relation with longitude or latitude :thumbsup:
and if you want the it will have the control, then just put the sun in the moon, this should make more controls! but juste use the first one!

[Lwangaman]

I'm not sure what you mean about "Sky of Ar". I'm using the Sky Object Manager from the Menu of Cinema 4d r10: "Objects - Sky - Create Sky - Scene Objects" in the program. In the Scene Objects tab I can refer to any object that I want to take the place of the sun; I refer to a sphere with a nice sun shader that I found in a gallery, but any sun should be in the background, behind the clouds. Why is my sun in front of the Cloud Scenery of the Sky Manager Object? I didn't create the clouds, they're the clouds that are created by the Sky Manager.

[georgedrakakis]

hi,
the issue you are talking about never happened to me, but i am always using a sun as scene object.
i would suggest that you should check the clouds layers in the sky object. they are in different altitutes.
make sure your sphere is above the max altitute.
i think you should be in advanced mode in order to do that.
cheers,
george

[abdelouahabb]

i talked about the AR because there are two skies in cinema 4d!
the first one is a huge sphere,
the second one is the sky where you'll put all your parameters! but this one is with the Advanced Render Module.
and about your question, if you upload a small picture about the problem it would be helpful :)

[Lwangaman]

Alright, I checked to see if I could change any settings for the altitude of the sun object, but I can't because that is all determined automatically by the Sky Manager.

As regards the Advanced Render (I suppose that's what AR means) I've read about it here and there on the net, but in my Cinema4d r10 I don't see that in any menu, I wonder if it's integrated in the new interface... If it's not and I could use it let me know.

I've attached here a sample file so you can all see what I'm talking about, I put a jpeg and here's a link to my c4d: http://www.wikifortio.com/952459/CustomSunScene.c4d . Thanks again.

[abdelouahabb]

hi,
from what i see it's the SKY with the Advanced render, because advanced render is not in only one menu, but you find it in: Global illumination, caustics, ambiant occlusion, subsurface scaterring (in materials) and subpoly displacement (under displacement channel), and from the 10'th release it's integrated with pyrocluster...
now, here is how you'll add a picture as cloud or sun or a moon directly on your sky!
go to SkyObject, and clic on PlaceObject and browse for a picture.
and paint on your viewPort, you'll get a circle, and you'll see the picture that you browsed will be placed in the SkyObject list with azimuth,latitude,angle,illumnation, and intensity.
...
now, here is onther tip, this one, if you're a good painter and you've a good tablet so it should make a good result, in the 10'th release bodypaint is integrated to the core, and you can paint on 32 bits pictures,o so you can paint on an HDR or EXR (image based lightening),o so when you bring a good HDR image form internet oor you made on for a good sky, then apply it on a polyogonal sphere, because it has the UVW so like this you can paint! now just paint directly on your sky :thumbsup:

[Lwangaman]

Abdel I tried following your suggestion using the "Sky Objects" tab instead of the "Scene Objects" tab. I "placed" a photograph of the sun, then with my cursor over the editor window I dragged out a circle as you were saying; then when I release I don't get the picture of the sun, I only get a sort of a light shadow that resembles the picture! Anyway it seems to me that even if it did put a picture of the sun, I don't think it would work of well as the "Scene Objects" tab, which controls the distance, the position, the shading etc. of my sun object automatically according to the place and time of day.

As for painting with Bodypaint, that's something I haven't gotten into yet, but I'd like to learn as much as I can. Is Bodypaint a separate application? Or is it completely integrated in Cinema 4d? If so, where do I find it and how can I use it? I've looked up some tutorials on the web but I can't figure out where to find it in Cinema 4d... It looked like a separate application.

[Srek]

Since R10 BodyPaint is fully integrated in CINEMA 4D, just switch to the BP painting or UV Layout as needed. Before R10 BodyPaint 3D was available as a module, but used in the same way.
Cheers
Björn

[abdelouahabb]

hi,
to see the image as you placed it, just disable the illum. and rise the intensity, for exemple make 100.
and here is how you will get nice clouds,
first disable all clouds layers,
then try to enable them one by one, for exemple 2 layers are good to make a real sky with some clouds (just an idea)
now, in each layer play with scale N-S and scale W-E, this may vary the clouds look.
then, use Shift+left clic on the preview (under "save as preset") to redraw and look over you sky 360°!
now, to delete those small clouds near the plan, just play with Rolloff and make the good gradiant, this will make like a fog to hide those small clouds (just an idea).
now, if you want that the sky will cast rays like in real camera, adjust Max lens flare glow and max lens flare refl.
now use shif+left clic to preview the sky.
NB: you can use any polygon object to make a volumetric cloud, just go to Cloud tool, and draw your cloud in the viewport this will make a cloud object as child of the sky object, now go to your polygon mesh, and use transfer function (function-transfert) and make the cloud in "transfert to", apply. now adjust the mesh scale to make it bigger and match the cloud size, now just make it as a child of the cloud in the object manage now just render!
now, here is how you'll use bodypaint with sky module:
when you see that your sky is good, just make a sphere, and apply a reflection material, and go render menu-bake texture, this will make a tag on the sphere, adjust the resolution of the final image that will be made, now go to option (of the tag) and chek reflection, now press bake! this will make a spherical picture that can be used as environement and you can paint on it with bodypaint!

[georgedrakakis]

hi Lwangaman,
well, i've never used a sphere object as a sun, i always use a infinite or omni light, place in the scene objects tab of the sky plugin.

i've tested your scene, and the preset you've used is too cloudy to let the sun shine through.
however, to make a sun visible, i added an omnilight as scene object,
and turned on visibility.
i've raised the horizon start in the general settings tab from -2deg. to -1 (1st pic) or -1.5 deg (2ndpic).
-2deg horizon gave me a black colored omnilight and visibilty couln't work.
http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o271/studiomoccoro/sun-example.jpg


http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o271/studiomoccoro/sun-example_2.jpg

i prefere a not-a-all-cloudy set-up or with 1 or 2 max. cloud layers,
but that's a matter of personal taste.
cheers,
george

[georgedrakakis]

this is an example with less cloud layers. i've also lowered the density of the clouds layers.
hope it helps,
george

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o271/studiomoccoro/sun-example_3.jpg

[Lwangaman]

Thanks a lot for all the good counsels, some of those pics look pretty good!

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