Because the light set was an uneven number of props I've added a simple candle to round things off, this has been sent to our testers (thanks guys) so hopefully things will be ready fairly soon - No rushing them Doc, I know what you're like :)

Here's a quick render of one of the 20 lights included in this freebie light set.

Quote - No rushing them Doc, I know what you're like :)

If you post renders of the props, then I'll rush them :) You can't expect to tease and get away with it ;)

So testers, don't wait until Christmas!

Quote - Long time no see mbin!

 Thanks Doc! Just trying to catch up... I do pop in from time to time to see what is happening... trying to keep up with DA as well, got to pop off there now and try and clear the over 1500 messages... `¬) ...I really must try to fit some rendering in! (and get some uploads to the gallery here too... I'm only posting on DA at the moment.

 Did some tut's on Dformers and ripples, but never got round to posting them here, but I did submit to the Reality group, so I assume most people saw them? Just in case, here they are... http://fav.me/d57c952 http://fav.me/d57c9g6 http://fav.me/d57fqrm (I saw someone asking about Dformers a couple of pages back, so the tut 1 and 2 will give the basics - at least for ripples!)

The final image is below, this is the link to the full size http://www.deviantart.com/download/314821932/just_one_drop_in_a_clear_blue_sky_by_mbinz- (How do you get to access the full size image when you click on the image instead of having to post a link?) ...you may need to click twice to get full size...?

...and here is the link to the DA page... http://fav.me/d57fq5o which links to everything!

 Paolo, I hope the Wife makes a rapid recovery to full health!

That is a wonderful image!

Thanks Doc! I take it you hadn't seen it then? (Best viewed full size ;) )

It was made using only Daz primitives, 2 Dformers and the IBL that comes with the Reality plug in. And a bit of patient tweeking of Dformer splines of course! :) I posted the scene setup and splines, so if any one wants to try it out...

I read the scene setup, err think I prefer presets LOL.

john.. don't you already have a set of light props for reality listed on sharecg?  Or are you still adding to the first one that you've been working on for a while now?  If you have a pack of them finished, tested and ready to use; do you have a link to it?

The set I just finished is a general light set, these are also being tested.

Please bear in mind that I do get a bit carried away when making stuff, so testing 20 odd props properly in Realty does take a while.

I would rather give away things which have been tested but if you want them now just drop me a PM (on your own head be it :) )

As Doc likes to be teased, here's one of the floor lamps, many thanks to Kim for the reference image and suggestions on how to improve on the design.

OT - Doc your boxes are done, got them rendering now.

You are a bugger for teasing :tongue1:

It looks smashing John!

Looking forward to the boxes :)

Quote - Sharkbytes-BamaScans, the set on ShareCG is a photostudio lightset, there are a few extra bits and bobs added to it, that set is with Braintickler being tested, he is away on holiday at the moment so I am wainting for him to get back to me before I pass it on to Doc.

The set I just finished is a general light set, these are also being tested.

Please bear in mind that I do get a bit carried away when making stuff, so testing 20 odd props properly in Realty does take a while.

I would rather give away things which have been tested but if you want them now just drop me a PM (on your own head be it :) )

As Doc likes to be teased, here's one of the floor lamps, many thanks to Kim for the reference image and suggestions on how to improve on the design.

OT - Doc your boxes are done, got them rendering now.

I can wait.  My own lighting endeavors are probably going to be headed into the direction of exploring what different ies profiles will do for me

Quote - I like the look of the gun you've made Eril-nl, great piece of modeling, don't you find making things for Reality/LuxRender so much easier than just Daz Studio - things look so much more realistic.

...snip...

Thanks John!

Working with 3D mesh objects is soooo different from what I was used to; man, are solids easy in comparison! All this creasing and welding, tri's and quads, non-manifold and subdivision stuff, it's driving me bonkers! But is it worth it!

I fell into this trap when I started making photogrammetric 3D scans for my engineering work last december. I had to find a way to handle the resulting Mega-meshes, and using Zbrush and DAZ Studio seemed to be a good stop-gap solution until MUCH more expensive tools were available.

But then I found I could do FUN-things with them too! Oh dear....

Anyway, I've just started making dedicated props for DAZ, so there's still a lot to learn for me when it comes to surfaces, rigging and all of that.

Here's a simple folding chair I'm working on. I couldn't find one ready-made on the interwebs, so I decided to make it myself. Nothing too serious, just a practice thingy I needed anyway. And by no means ready to share, in its present state it's far too large.

Cheers!

You are missing the whisky glass or brandy balloon holder :)

Looks good Erik!

Attached Link: Walternate 1

Attached Link: Walternate 2

Quote - You are missing the whisky glass or brandy balloon holder :)

Looks good Erik!

Thanks Doc! But those glass objects weren't mine, if that's what you mean.

To be more precise, I've just started using an engineering centered solid modeler (Inventor) in stead of a mesh editor to make props for DAZ. It's a shame I didn't find out earlier that this was possible, would have saved me a lot of frustration and time struggling with those pesky vertices and polygons!

By the way, an added bonus of using true solids for modeling is that you can VERY easily make cut-outs and section views. Very handy for technical illustrations etc.:

Cheers!

Quote - > Quote -  

 

 

You need to ensure you have the object you want reflected to be illuminated, I assume you want a reflection like this? http://fav.me/d3i0pqm  (the render is not very good, it was a very early render!) there is a link to the set up in the description. ;)

That's exactly what I'm trying to do and I think I finally have it.  The hard part is finding a place to put the lights so they actualy light what I want but don't show up in the reflection.

Sharkey's textures got me interested in trying to make some for the clothing I already own. I wanted to check and see if I have the correct idea.  You make a texture using the template.  Then you make a normal map and a diffuse map and trans map..and sometimes a bump map?  If I ever got good at it and wanted to sell some, do I need the permission of the person who made the object origionally if I'm only selling a texture?

Quote - Sharkey's textures got me interested in trying to make some for the clothing I already own. I wanted to check and see if I have the correct idea.  You make a texture using the template.  Then you make a normal map and a diffuse map and trans map..and sometimes a bump map?  If I ever got good at it and wanted to sell some, do I need the permission of the person who made the object origionally if I'm only selling a texture?

If you're so inclined, that's precisely what the templates are for :-) If you create the texture set from images you own or create, there isn't a problem. However, you're not allowed to resell them if you use images or textures from the original product. Short answer, your new set has to be 100% original (minus use of the template).

Once you get your idea, you can pm me and I can point you in the right direction on what you'll need for the rest of your product concerning maps and whatnot.

Xandi, the problem with creating your own textures is making sure the seams are covered, a quick and easy way to do this is to use the feather option in your paint program.

I'm not 100% sure but I do not think you need permission from the creator of the prop.

I always wondered what the templated were for..

Quote - The pic is a wee teaser for Doc...... Used Fabricator for the table cloth and one of Callad's IBL spherelights.

It is Sunday, day to be nice to people

Very nice sir, now just get on with those boxes :)

Quote - > Quote - > Quote -  

 You need to ensure you have the object you want reflected to be illuminated, I assume you want a reflection like this? http://fav.me/d3i0pqm  (the render is not very good, it was a very early render!) there is a link to the set up in the description. ;)

 That's exactly what I'm trying to do and I think I finally have it.  The hard part is finding a place to put the lights so they actualy light what I want but don't show up in the reflection.

Look forward to seeing the results, glad you got it sorted! ;)

Here's a very early preview of a crystal wine decanter I've just made using Autodesk Inventor, DAZ Studio, and Reality/LuxRender:

I think I'll make the stopper a bit smaller, and of course it needs a few matching wine glasses!

; )

Cheers!

Any chance of real wine to go with this great looking decanter :lol:

Nice, I really like the design Erik.

Nice decanter

Phenomenal image Erik

: )

Thanks guys!

The new render with some glasses is cooking, but it'll take a few hours.

The glasses are still quite plain, but I think the set looks nice already.

Cheers! (well, almost)

Here's a sneak preview:

Still a few errors that need some TLC, but otherwise looking nice allready!

Cheers!

This is really excellent Erik!

That's a very nice looking decanter Erik.  If you made a tiny one, it would be pretty for perfume too.

Thanks guys : )

Scaling it down to perfume-bottle size in Studio, why not?

Much prefer drinking wine though ; )

By the way, it was your "You are missing the whisky glass or brandy balloon holder :)" remark that sparked the idea for this one Doc, it tickled me in the right place LOL!

Cheers!

Shiney

that decanter needs to be full of patron.. although a wine glass of it would be enough, now, to make me have to sit down for a minute

Attached Link: Dreaming of Kim

Attached Link: Bush

Attached Link: Lynda Carter

Every advantage has its disadvantages.

So using a solid modeler like Autodesk Inventor to make DAZ props comes with this one:

On the boundary between the glass and the wine the surface meshes are occupying the same space, and LUX tries to render them both. Clearly not what I wanted to happen.

I already knew I should remove the glass mesh where glass meets wine, but I didn't, just to see what would happen.  And now I know for sure I should.

But what would be an efficient and practical way to do that?

I cannot prevent those surfaces to be formed, they come with the conversion from solid to mesh, so I need to remove them afterwards.

Especially inside a closed shape like that decanter I wouldn't know how to  selectively remove the unwanted vertices in a simple way. I'll see what I can do using the masking possibilities in Zbrush, that's really the only way I can think of right now.

Any suggestions anyone?

Thanks in advance : )

Cheers!

This beyond my level of expertise, I'm afraid. Hopefully someone will be able to provide you with a solution.

However, since you used the word "suggestions" .... lipstick on the glass, or even fingerprints :lol: ?

Quote - Every advantage has its disadvantages.

So using a solid modeler like Autodesk Inventor to make DAZ props comes with this one:

 On the boundary between the glass and the wine the surface meshes are occupying the same space, and LUX tries to render them both. Clearly not what I wanted to happen.

I already knew I should remove the glass mesh where glass meets wine, but I didn't, just to see what would happen.  And now I know for sure I should.

 But what would be an efficient and practical way to do that?

I cannot prevent those surfaces to be formed, they come with the conversion from solid to mesh, so I need to remove them afterwards.

Especially inside a closed shape like that decanter I wouldn't know how to  selectively remove the unwanted vertices in a simple way. I'll see what I can do using the masking possibilities in Zbrush, that's really the only way I can think of right now.

Any suggestions anyone?

Thanks in advance : )

Cheers!

Nice work Erik, DominiqueBe posted in the old reality forum, and as you say you need to get rid of the vertices... In Dominique's diagram though, it looks like the glass was modeled first, then flip the inside lower normals, then added a single layer mesh to create the top surface of the wine. I know nothing about modelling, but would it be any easier to model the glass, select the inside mesh vertices to flip the normals, and then add the top surface afterwards, rather than modelling the liquid as a solid? I know Dominique played with this a lot, so it may be worth dropping a note...?

(took me ages to figure out have to insert an image from the old daz reality thread! - I new it was 'archive' somewhere in the address! - hopefully Dominique is happy for me to add ther link!)

Hi Martin!

I really want the container and the content to be separate meshes, so I can easily make full, half-full, and empty versions in one scene. This would also make it easy to tilt the container (a drinking glass) with the surface of the liquid staying level, just by making a new content model, and without any changes to the container mesh.

Next I'll first try to downscale the wine mesh a tiny-tiny bit, so it comes away from the glass. But I expect Lux to detect a third medium (air) between the two, and thus 'spoil' this work around.

We'll see.

Cheers!

Quick update:

It looks like expanding the 'liquid' content mesh (scale 100.1%) works better than shrinking it down (scale 99.9%). Neither is technically correct, but if it LOOKS good enough then it IS good enough, at least until there's a better way to do it.

Testrenders to compare the effect are coming up, but will take a while.

Cheers!

And the winner is.......

Anyone can decide for him/herself, but I think the upscaled version looks better.

This method will make filling transparent glasses, bottles, or whatever, with a liquid a lot easier I think.

Cheers!

Tough one to call. Upscaled one got the edge for me.

downscaled looked more realistic for me. Sucks we just can't model it correctly and have Lux do it's thing. Nice modeling BTW!

The way I model my glasses is as follows.

I lathe the outline of the glass itself, at this point the glass has outer and inner walls.

 I then select the inside polygons that will be the liquid, I "cut" them and assign them the liquid surface, even though they still occupy the same place they are no longer physically joined to the glass itself they are a separate entity. Where the liquid will be the glass no longer has inside walls polygons,they have been cut out and have become the liquid. At no time will glass and liquid polygons occupy the same space in the final model so there is no scaling of the liquid necessary.

Once I have established my liquid polygons, I select the uppermost points of these polygons and start extruding them inwards to create the top of the liquid, merging all the points into one in the center. I now have a complete liquid model that fits the wine glass exactly. The polygons of the inside lip of the glass remain as per the above sketch that mbin was kind enough to find in the old thread.

To resume all this you have a  wine glass which has no polygons where liquid and glass would normally meet

Polygons for the glass and liquid must have their normals pointing in the directions in the sketch.

This is the way that works for me, it's a pretty easy modeling job that most modeling apps are perfectly capable or performing.

I too would say the downscaled one, it shows the light distortion in the bottom of the glass, upscaled looks like stained glass.

Abi.

Quote - Here's a sneak preview:

 

 

Still a few errors that need some TLC, but otherwise looking nice allready!

Cheers!

Really nice model. May I ask how you achieved the cut glass effect? Was it modelled in or did you use a displacement map?

[quote

Really nice model. May I ask how you achieved the cut glass effect? Was it modelled in or did you use a displacement map?

Thanks!

As explained earlier in this thread I used a completely different kind of 3D editor to make these hard-surface models as is customary in the CGI world. None of the mesh-related complexities exist in that kind of program, those burdens only appear after export and conversion of the geometry to a format that can be imported into, let's say DAZ Studio.

But you couldn't and shouldn't do anything remotely organic with them, that is where Zbrush and its kin really shine.

So yes, everything was modelled, there are no maps of any kind used in these.

There IS a price to pay for all that detail though, these models are really really BIG!

But (up to a degree) that can be overcome by remeshing/decimation and displacement maps if necessary.

Cheers!