First Environment - Underwater Office - WIP

#1

Hey all!!

I have been working on my first 3D environment, attempting to create an office in an underwater complex. Right now I have done some very basic modeling but am focusing a lot more on the lighting. If I could get some feedback on my lighting I would very much appreciate it.

I have rendered 3 views. After the images I will give a brief rundown of how it is lit.

Ok, I have two windows to the outside. There is an opening in the dome at the top of the room that pours light (and caustics from the water) into the center of the room from above. The caustics are cast with a directional light and then there is a blue area light above also cast dim light into the room with a very low photon setting. In the first image, on the desk, I am making use of area lights with no Photons. I am also using area light spheres for the lights hanging from the walls. The light in the stairs is done with an area light which is casting a higher level of photons, and the blue fog outside the window is using the Mental Ray parti_volume shader attached to a cube - the sphere is just there for me to see the rays were working.

I know right now it’s fairly early on, but I would love any input on the lighting and texturing. Thanks for your time!!

Ryan

#2

I have been studying how to use Gamma correction as well as the parti_volume shader with a little more intensity. I have also been working a bit more on modeling and lighting. Below are the results.

This is another view with quite a bit more blue spill added from the parti_volume shader.

At this point I still have a long list of things to do, but as always any critique is appreciated, especially in the lighting and rendering. I am having some trouble with the glass and could use some pointers on that if anyone is well versed in it. Also, how to attach the moving caustic water shadows in the water outside the window … I’m working on it, but without much luck so far. Thanks for looking!

#3

Due to the gamma correction thread on the main forum

http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=2&t=610790&page=7&pp=15

I’ve begun working on Tone Mapping. Here is the result of gamma correction + tone mapping + irradiance tweaking

#4

I rendered out a test animation to make sure nothing was flickering. At 320x240 I’m getting about 2 min a frame (with Final Gather Mapping Frozen)

http://www.inspiralmedia.com/Transfer/CGTalk/Room.mov

The goal is to be finished modeling and texturing next Friday. I’m going to take a break from light tweaking (the hard part) so I can focus on filling the room a little more.

#5

I think what is going to really make this work are a few things.
I’ve read through your posts and it seems to me that your ultimate goal here is a good render and light setup. Unfortunately, you can’t make an omlet without breakin’ a couple of eggs.
Take a good few hours to do some research. Look at several different underwater facility designs. Couple of places to start is of course The Abyss, and The Sphere. These have excellent design layouts for their facilities.
I get the sense that you’re trying to make the room comfortable and have atmosphere. Giving it a sense of personalization and a home away from home. I think it is a good concept, but it needs to all make sense. There is probably no physical way for the room the be encased in cement. The sheer pressure from being that deep would destroy it all. Now I’ve noticed that you’ve tied in the fact that there is a metal ceiling to indicate that it would be metal behind the cement. This could work, but what makes it falter is that it is all rusted over in the texture. There should be bolts between these panels on the ceiling, and in the crevises (sp?) is where some slight rusting should occur. Not too much, because right now it looks like it could cave in on itself at any moment. You could make the bolts physically and include all the detail directly by modeling it, or you could create some bump or normal maps.
For the walls, I would create more hard surface details and then seperate the cement wall into vertically rectangular sections that are mounted onto the metal plating. This will maintain a homie atmosphere, but give the viewer the sense that it really is in a deepsea facility.
The furniture should be reworked. The designs are good, but the material construction needs some attention. Again, this goes back to what is going to withstand pressure. Obviously the cabin would be pressurized, but it needs to fit the setting. A wood metal combination would work, but I would stick to laminate type material settings for wood texturing. The chair really just doesn’t fit the setting at all. No offense. Look at some furniture websites like Ikea or Cort furniture rentals.
As far as lighting goes, pay attention to that after you have addressed some of these other issues. Only then will you be able to really set the mood and make adjustments to your materials.

#6

Hey Firebert!!

Thanks so much for all your thoughtful input!! I get what you are saying, it make sense. I have to figure out this SSS shader for another project I have to have done by Thursday, but by the end of the weekend I’ll try to implement some of your suggestions and post results.

Again, thanks so much for your time and expertise.

#7

No problem man. Looking forward to your progress!

#8

I agree with what Firerbert says.

You need to find a style and stick to it throughout the scene.
If you don’t like the more realistic style, have a look at
Bioshock that’s probably one of the best styled projects
I’ve seen so far.

Bioshock uses a more Jules Verne/Steampunkish theme that works
really well if you execute it in the right way. The problem is that
you’ll have to stick to it and don’t mix styles to much or you will
find inconsistancy.
In your case it’s the concrete walls together with the Victorian furniture.

I don’t know if I make sense here… let me know.

#9

Thanks again for the comments. I have taken your advice and started blocking in some changes.

First off I changed the wall and ceiling texturing to a metal paneling. I have tried to keep it warm and have found the slight reflectivity actually helps accentuate the lighting in the room. I placed bolts as suggested going down the ceiling panels, which I like the look of a lot. I did attempt bolts on some of the wall panels but found them to be too distracting when set against the rest of the interior.

I have replaced the ceiling supports with a system that goes floor to ceiling and connects in the dome above. My goal was to try and make it look a little ‘sturdier’ - this still needs work but is the basic idea.

I modeled a new chair, more in keeping with a modern comfy office chair.

My next steps are to continue modeling the structure. I would like to add pipes in a couple areas (I did look up ‘The Abyss’ and I liked how they used this). I also need to make the space look more lived in, tell a story with the model.

Also at this point I’m wondering if my furniture texture should go darker to offer more contrast with the wall shade?

The couch is not viewable in this angle, but I am going to remodel that this evening to try and make it less futuristic and more comfortable.

#10

I really like how this is going, keeps getting better and better. I have high hopes for it, don’t let me down! :wink: Keep up the good work.

#11

Looking much better. Something else you might want to try when you do the pipes and such is to attach bracing to the supports. I don’t know what they actually call it, but a “c” clamp that would wrap over the supports and attach to the metal ceiling. Then add some bolt/rust work to that.
I would continue adjusting your modeling for right now, then focus on lighting, then get into materials and textures. A lot of your lighting is really going to be more affected by your materials than your lights themselves. I always find it best to get the lighting the way I want it, but push it a little brighter than what I’m comfortable with. From there, start working the materials. Don’t really adjust your lights unless you are adding in more specular lighting. Hope that makes sense.

#12

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