A Reality render from a couple months back (properly credited using the vendor's credit section of the Gallery posting ;-) )

This features an early tester for Mec4D's new 3D beard system, hopefully coming out "soon" as a DAZ product.  They've had in for a while & I hope they get it in the store in the near future, along with getting the store working a bit better.

You can see the full sized version in my gallery here on Rendo

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/index.php?image_id=2315760&user_id=330354&np&np

Quote - Yeah, I am running Win 7 64bit so it should handle 32GB fine.  I guess I will bite the bullet now and go for the extra RAM.

  ~ Russ 

I'm on the Nvidia boat, too. Tough to top those fast processors and ddr5 on-board! The graphics card, at least for rendering purposes, is kind of the bottleneck if you're planning on doing some hardcore renders. Yes, GPU is great when it works, but I'm still biting my thumb for a proper cpu+gpu hybrid version of lux. 32GB will be plenty unless you're planning on doing animations, but in that event, RAM won't be the limiter near as much as your core count. I'm seriously thinking its time to get a couple bare bones units and make a home renderfarm. Hmm... 24 cores?

I want a dual CPU setup ... anyone got some spare cash :rolleyes:

Quote - I am seriously considering a high-end PC for 3D graphics.  My primary use at present is DS, Reality and LUXRender, but I also have Poser Pro 2012 and will be using that too, in the future.  I know that for Reality/LUX, GPU rendering isn't working very well currently.  I know I want a high-end CPU, and the system I am contemplating will have an Intel i7 Six Core Enhanced processor overclocked to 4.5 Ghz.  I plan to start with 16GB memory, but can upgrade that now or later if needed.

My key question is, does it much matter what graphics card I install?  I want to stay with NVIDEA, but I am wondering if I should go with a Quadro 4000 (3GB) or am I better off going with something in the GeForce line, like the GTX 680?   Or maybe the new GTX 690, which apparently is a dual processor card.

Any thoughts form you experts out there?  Do I wnat to install more RAM or is 16GB enough?  What's the best graphics card for LUX?  For Poser?

Thanks for any help or insights you can give me.

  ~ Russ 

Agree on sticking with the Geforce over Quadro.  I have an AMD card now, HD 6950 2GB (equivalent to the GTX 560ti). AMD performance is much better than it used to be and is pretty much equal to Nvidia these days, so you might find the AMD equivalent a bit cheaper with rebates.

Quote - I want a dual CPU setup ... anyone got some spare cash :rolleyes:

I went with two of the cheaper GTS450 series for SLI when I built mine. That counts, right? Doesn't much matter for GPU rendering, I still can't use 'em (to their full extent, anyway)! They do make that openGL preview quite nice though...

Back to Lux, does anyone know of a person or group who's actually run a full blitz animation through Reality? I'm contemplating a short sequence, just wondering how long I'll be looking at. It's quite hot here at the moment (round about 102 at the moment, and it's early!) Liquid cooling helps, but gotta run the a/c in my little office to keep the ambient down.

Maybe we ought to pool our resources and build an electric grid, yeah?

Quote - You give a girl 1 job to do, turn your back and she's forgot what she's doing.

Gotta like Reggie's Girls.  sigh

MC3D was nice enough to let me test his/her new upcoming V5 texture in Luxrender. Just the head for now, but after playing with the settings/maps a bit, I can't wait for the final product.

Here is Denisa WIP for V5. I took a little creative initiative (morph is mine), but you get the picture. (click for full)

OT ha the fun of rendering there was this presentation reel for land of the giants using the jupiter 2 from lost in space (Same producer) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMlaS5VnBHU&list=FLsTMGafHo6IXZjFooKUIwLQ&index=1&feature=plpp_video

I am going to render this alternate version I face genned Gugu Mbatha-Raw as the Joan character which became the "Valerie" character in the actual series...

The small spotlight is the one used with the softbox, because you probably will not see it when rendered I've made up a front cone and added it to the set.

Impressive, nice work John!

Attached Link: Vintage Vanity

My contribuition to raise Reality in the art charts.

Attached Link: Vintage Vanity [No post work version]

Thank you Alex and Mario for your new contributions. Because of everybody's contributions we are now ar position 8 in the charts! Getting closer to achieving World Domination! :)

Both are very nice! The wall lights are a little too bright for me, but great nonetheless.

Quote - I've just finished checking the latest spotlights and will packing them later today for testing.

The small spotlight is the one used with the softbox, because you probably will not see it when rendered I've made up a front cone and added it to the set.

Love your lights, John.  These will be great fun to play with!

  ~ Russ 

Quote - The same image without any post wok.

Good stuff.. great lighting... great DoF.. model is cute.. clothes rock.. pose rocks.. scene rocks.  can't really find anything i don't like about it other than that I didn't do this render.

Quote - Both are very nice! The wall lights are a little too bright for me, but great nonetheless.

Thanks Doc! Yep, maybe a little bit bright, but I was unable to get the necessary lightning without overexpose.

Quote - > Quote - The same image without any post wok.

Good stuff.. great lighting... great DoF.. model is cute.. clothes rock.. pose rocks.. scene rocks.  can't really find anything i don't like about it other than that I didn't do this render.

Thanks Sharkbites. Your comment makes my weekend. 

Attached Link: Children & their toys

Quote - This features an early tester for Mec4D's new 3D beard system, hopefully coming out "soon" as a DAZ product.  They've had in for a while & I hope they get it in the store

I see that Cath's body hair and beard (separate products) have now been released at DAZ. Available separately and in a bundle. A 48 hour sale ends midnight tonight, DAZ time ($20 for the bundle if you are in the PC).

Attached Link: Valerie glass prison 2

Quote - Love the glass in LUX look forward to the lights John. I wonder what happened to Tako and horse?

Bob, you do realize she will run out of air soon,...... this could get very interesting, LOL.

Quote - > Quote - Love the glass in LUX look forward to the lights John. I wonder what happened to Tako and horse?

Bob, you do realize she will run out of air soon,...... this could get very interesting, LOL.

LOL you gotta love sci fi where the rules of physics conviently get suspended...

Just picked up another $125.00 commish going to the upgrade of my electronic drum module...

Thanks for the great spotlight John. I needed to light Madonna on a stage for my commission project looking great will post once render is done

Attached Link: DA link:

Quote - > Quote - Yeah, I am running Win 7 64bit so it should handle 32GB fine.  I guess I will bite the bullet now and go for the extra RAM.

  ~ Russ 

I'm on the Nvidia boat, too. Tough to top those fast processors and ddr5 on-board! The graphics card, at least for rendering purposes, is kind of the bottleneck if you're planning on doing some hardcore renders. Yes, GPU is great when it works, but I'm still biting my thumb for a proper cpu+gpu hybrid version of lux. 32GB will be plenty unless you're planning on doing animations, but in that event, RAM won't be the limiter near as much as your core count. I'm seriously thinking its time to get a couple bare bones units and make a home renderfarm. Hmm... 24 cores?

That's what I've done with a couple of linux machines. I say machines but one is just Mboard, AMD Phenom X4 940 CPU, 16GB Memory and PSU.

Then it boots off the other via NFS, though it could use a USB pen to boot and then mount the filesystems from NFS. The other is a 8 core AMD FX, 12GB, HDD and PSU. Connected via a 1GB Network switch. Also means that since they use the same Lux core files, only need to upgrade the Linux install once.

With my Win7 AMD Phenom X4 955 PC gives me 16 threads. Performance wise, FX is 20% faster than my Win7, X4 940 is about 10% slower.

I saw many of you had nice eyes and tears (....When I say you, I mean your characters!). I have a problem finding the right parameters for eyes to look "wet and shiny", and nearly the same problem for teeth. (you can click for higher rez, you'll see how unable I am to reach a "nice" result..)

If any of you can give me a tip, even a little one, on how to configure the material I would be very happy. I made many tests, none are ok. I wonder if it comes from me or from the eyes I have chosen... I should come from something I have not understood...

Thanks in advance.

Quote - I have a problem finding the right parameters for eyes to look "wet and shiny", and nearly the same problem for teeth. (you can click for higher rez, you'll see how unable I am to reach a "nice" result..)

Part of the "secret" is in the materials but a big component of the look is in the ligthing. You don't get "wet and shiny" without enough light to create the highlights. For example, IBL would be the wrong choice. A couple of mesh lights, scaled down a bit, would be better.

The cornea should be already set to Glass, which is the right material. Just make sure that you don't have a trans map for it. The sclera should have a failrly bright specular color. For example, 45,45,45. Glossiness for the sclera should be also pretty high, 8500-9500, depending on the lighting. The iris doesn't matter that much, the reflection should appear on the cornea.

Make sure that you are using eye textures that don't have "baked-in" highlights and then place a mesh light in front of the eyes of the subject, off camera. Make sure that the light is scaled down to 100% (it comes scaled to 200% by default). You might want to scale it down even more.

Also, remember that in real life, and in Lux, light reflect at an angle equal and opposite to the angle at whioch the light hits the surface. This means that the position of the camera and light will determin if you can see the reflections from your point of view. 

Hope this helps.

Attached Link: Dr Mad Otis and Madonna 1

Attached Link: Dr Mad Otis and Madonna 2

Anyone have a link to some in-ear phones for V4?

Want some for some on-stage scenes.

Don't really need cables as they could be radio/bluetooth connections, just the in-ear pods.

Ooo wee I just discevered that I can render 2 at a time if I let my machine sit just pause them when I need to do something..

How do you all render so fast?  It takes me days to decide what I want to do and then to do it.  Getting the face the way I want it and then a pose can take me a couple of days.  I usually have a few hours at a time to work on it.  You all seem to crank out renders like magic!

I constantly render I have been going none stop for 5 months I think its catching up to my notebook. Sometimes it will not start due to being too hot. Not to worry I have a 2 year in home accidental protection unconditional guarantee. HP is really good about it.. I just make sure to regularly back up to my external drives... Today I discovered that I can run 2 at a time...

The cyclops only took a few minutes...

Over at the old Daz Forum we could include youtube clips. does that work here too?

If so: how? (could not make it work so posted just a link to the vid)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xrbqpu_luxrender-animation_creation

Btw.. on 'DailyMotion.com' they allow ~more~ than on Youtube :)

Quote - Over at the old Daz Forum we could include youtube clips. does that work here too?

If so: how? (could not make it work so posted just a link to the vid)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xrbqpu_luxrender-animation_creation

Btw.. on 'DailyMotion.com' they allow ~more~ than on Youtube :)

Very cool

Braintickler, is there anything I've missed ?

Quote - How do you all render so fast?  It takes me days to decide what I want to do and then to do it.  Getting the face the way I want it and then a pose can take me a couple of days.  I usually have a few hours at a time to work on it.  You all seem to crank out renders like magic!

You are not the only one, it can take me anything up to a month to get a render out of the door. Good things come to those who wait

Quote - Took a break from making the spotlights (only one more to go) and made a start on some misc items, so far I've done 4 power cables and an extension lead.

Braintickler, is there anything I've missed ?

Yep, the naked girl for the photoshoot :)

Nice work John!

Quote - > Quote - How do you all render so fast?  It takes me days to decide what I want to do and then to do it.  Getting the face the way I want it and then a pose can take me a couple of days.  I usually have a few hours at a time to work on it.  You all seem to crank out renders like magic!

You are not the only one, it can take me anything up to a month to get a render out of the door. Good things come to those who wait

& to those of us who create stories..

Quote - Took a break from making the spotlights (only one more to go) and made a start on some misc items, so far I've done 4 power cables and an extension lead.

Braintickler, is there anything I've missed ?

No, I think this is a perfect foto studio now. BTW, the LED is working cool too. I've just started a render-scene with the LED and plug + extension ...

Doc said -

Yep, the naked girl for the photoshoot :)

Nice work John!

 I should of quessed you'd pop in with a suggestion on how to speed up renders - less geometry :)

Glad you like it Braintickler, after adding some rotation morphs for the spotlights (this may not work, have to try it - Doc's idea) I was thinking of making a SLR camera - we'll see.

i've finished (I won't touch it again) one of my scenes.

@Paulo : thank you for your answer to my last post, I managed to solve the problem of my "wet" eyes.

@superboomturbo : This image has been updated thank to your advices on deviant art, and is much better than the initial one. So, thank you

Deviant art link : http://rankerx.deviantart.com/art/Abnormal-Singularity-311826096?

renderosity link : http://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/index.php?image_id=2344603

Penny has taken up physics and is about to explain Schrödinger's cat...

(Click on Pic for bigger and blurby bits)

Still a lot to improve i think.

Quote - How do you all render so fast?  It takes me days to decide what I want to do and then to do it.  Getting the face the way I want it and then a pose can take me a couple of days.  I usually have a few hours at a time to work on it.  You all seem to crank out renders like magic!

Xandi.. you're not the only one.  Model and scene creation is a breeze for me.. only takes me a few hours to get everything set to render.. it's my renders that take forever. A 1500x800 render with just one or two lights and a decent scene will creep along for me at like 17k samples/sec.  Every once in a while the gods will smile on my work and they'll go like 70k but that's like 1 out of 10 renders.  I just can't seem to figure it out.. I get everything set right.. hide stuff that's not in frame, nothing glossy, hide body parts that are under clothes, keep my lighting simple.  Still.. my latest render(still baking) has gone overnight and doesn't even have 200 passes yet.

Attached Link: Little girls & their toys

Quote - After rendering 2 at a time my system needs a few minutes to stop running slow...

Once I am happy with a scene. I set up a queue, give the renders sessions of 2 hours each (7200 secs) and loop the queue.

Leave it run all day while out and check on things when I come back.

Ho I just look at this so I can line them up thank. So you can set it up so it ges back and forth between 2 how?