Greetings all-quasi first time post...Please be gentle

[kwerch]

Greetings everyone-

 

In reading some of the posts last night in this forum, I realized that this would be a great place for me to get some advice from some of the folks out there who know many more of the ins and outs of this type of work than I do.

 

By way of background -I'll keep it short- I am building cabinets and furniture, primarily, and have only started doing 3d work to help clients visualize what I am proposing. I heard that only 8% of people are able to visualize. I don't do the 3d work full time. I mix it up with time in the shop and installing as well. Some of the 3d work is also crossing over into the CAM/CNC side of things but that is not the point of this entry here. I am obviously posting here in regards to visualization type efforts...

 

I am using Max7 and just started using the trial version of Vray.

 

 

I made this scene up as a concept for a client who wants a pull out bed infront of a fireplace. There are many improvements that I see needing to be made to this model but the ones that I would like to focus on are the following

 

Modeling detail into the Sofa-

Getting a displacement map onto the rock texture-

Vray plane light question-

 

Modeling the sofas- I made these simple shapes to get a sense of the useable space and not to display my talent(or lack therof) in modeling- I would now like to detail these a bit and am looking for a way to create creases. I remember seeing this topic somewhere but cannot re-locate it. Included is an image of the sofa. I think this would be good practice for me. Any advice would be appreciated?

 

Getting a (decent) displacement map into rock texture-I have played with this a bit but my results are less than admirable. (I realize there is alot of repeating in the other textures as well. I'll get back to that when I have some more time) I will plan to photoshop (a displacement map) in black between all the rocks and see what that does leaving a greyscaled image for the rest of the rocks. Max or Vray or other method of displacement? I've seen some good rockery creation and wonder how that is done.

 

Vray light plane question-If you take a look at the screen capture to see my light setup on the windows it might help. (THis would be looking from the outside in.)The upper part of the rockery is washed out closer to the windows above and also, the plane light does not really allow me to see things on the other side of the plane. I imagine that if I lower the intensity of the light that it will allow me to see through the plane better. If I would add some foliage outside I would have to figure this out. I will try to shrink the existing lights down so that they are pointing in the same direction but only go up as high as the top of blinds. I'll try an additional set up for the upper panes with the intensity turned down. Or maybe eliminate them altogether and use a skylight on the outside of some sort allowing these upper panes to allow light to pass. hmmmmm.

 

Thanks for the time in advance.

 

I hope I set up the attachments correctly...I'll see in a minute.

 

 

regards,

 

Karl