Achieving this style of product shot

[abotrix]

I not sure what program your using but some time what I do in Cinema 4D is that I make a copy of the scene I'm working on and use simple radiosity solution, render it out and use that a temp. refrence to set up your light in the scene with out radiosity. Might help.

[Trauco]

I would rotate the object in its place, instead of moving the camera, to make the lights and cards do their thing.

Then i would create a blend material with the blending amount wired to the camera position, to change the object material to a self illuminated one (I would use a gradient map for the self illumination filter color that goes from white to black at the bottom, maybe with some diagonal angle, mapped to the screen not to the object, and then inside the white i would nest a falloff map based on IOR mapped to the object to make the edges brighter) as you approach it with the camera.

-Or-

I would rotate the object in its place, instead of moving the camera, and have a light with a very sharp falloff attached to it, so it does not affect the lighting when you are away from the object, but when you go for the detail it does illuminate it (i would use an area light with a gobo consisting of a gradient map similar to the other method).

-anyway-

I would do a camera path diagram in photoshop first, then upload it here so we can give you a better advice and you could tell us which software are you using ;-)

[powertooler]

Thanks for the great responses guys! I'm trying to implement now your material suggestions Trauco and having a little bit of trouble since I'm not sure Cinema4D is as flexible as may be needed. For example I've got a white->black gradient in the luminance channel set to '3D Linear' type and 'space' set to 'screen'. I'm not sure how I can nest a falloff shader inside that, although perhaps I can just apply one and set it to a multiply blending mode on top. I'll have a play with it!

If you could elaborate slightly on that paragraph that would be great because your solution sounds ingenious. My general understanding of what you're saying is that I use GI or some such for the earlier angles, but when I'm looking in the cavity I fade-up a luminance channel which is 'lit' plainly by a screen-mapped vertical white/black gradient, which is mixed with a falloff shader to catch/accentuate the bevels.

Am I on the right track?

ps. Here's a rough diagram of the layout I've got - the camera moves smoothly from above (pos 1) to the side (post 2) to in front looking down the cavity (post 3). The product is drawn exactly rectangular but actually has subtle bevels on the edges.

http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/765/explaindiagramer.jpg

[Trauco]

Am I on the right track?

Yep, spot on.

And multiplying the Falloff on top of the gradient ain't exactly the same, but should work (I was thinking more along the lines of using the gradient as a mask for the falloff).

Ah, i forgot the thing that makes it work; you need to match the gradient's general direction to the second camera position light direction, so it flows naturally from there (it would be really weird if the light came from the right on camera position 2, and then the gradient came from the left on camera position 3).

If you could elaborate slightly on that paragraph

I would do it this way:

A.- I would use whatever solution works to achieve the look you want for camera pos1 and camera pos2.

B.- Then i would set an animation key or wire parameter to blend from the illumination solution from step A to the self illumination solution on the next steps.

C.- I would create a Gradient map mapped to screen for the self illuminated material, in such a way that it doesn't clash with the perceived light direction on the transition from camera pos2 to camera pos3. (This Gradient should go from white to almost black)

D.- I would use that Gradient map as a mask for a Falloff map based on IOR to enhance the bevels on the model.


Or, if you can't use that gradient map as a mask;

C.- I would create a Gradient map mapped to screen... blah blah blah but instead of going from white to black, it should go from medium gray to black and set the Falloff map on top off it using an additive blending mode (In fact, this may look better than the other solution)

[powertooler]

Fantastic Felipe - thanks so much for the suggestions, I'll try it out when I get home!

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