Salad Bar Model

[ivanjay]

Hello,

 

I am creating an interior scene (cafeteria) in 3ds max design 2010. We often have to model salad bars as we are a foodservice consultant. However, typically we take a box place it in our salad bar and just apply a map of a salad bar to it. This results in an extremely flat ugly texturing...

 

Modeling every single food item in a salad bar would create a nigthmare for rendering (peas, carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, etc.)

 

Any recommendations on how I can get it looking decent without killing my rendering time?

[Tommy L]

displacement or scatter. displacement can render pretty fast with certain settings, especially if just adding generic lumps to stuff (like pebbles, stones etc, or even a pile of mushrooms.)

All the stones in this render were done with Vray dis.placement:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0GCIc31NK6E/SKsvm7YZKrI/AAAAAAAAABY/hjAAo9Z5sGU/s1600-h/2000.jpg

[ivanjay]

displacement or scatter. displacement can render pretty fast with certain settings, especially if just adding generic lumps to stuff (like pebbles, stones etc, or even a pile of mushrooms.)

All the stones in this render were done with Vray dis.placement:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0GCIc31NK6E/SKsvm7YZKrI/AAAAAAAAABY/hjAAo9Z5sGU/s1600-h/2000.jpg

 

Wow, that looks terrific.... I have tried using displacement before for suspended ceiling and floor tile to give it that height perspective without any success.

 

Can you guide me a bit here? Would I make lets say 10 different boxes in my salad bar, each with a different color and just apply a displacement map to each one? How would I go about making such a displacement map?

[amer abidi]

All the stones in this render were done with Vray dis.placement:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0GCIc31NK6E/SKsvm7YZKrI/AAAAAAAAABY/hjAAo9Z5sGU/s1600-h/2000.jpg

 

That is some excellent displacement!

[erickdt]

You'd probably want to get a map of each one of the items that you want in your bins and then apply that to a plane with a fair ammount of segments (~20x20) and then apply either the VRay displacement modifier with a noise map or the standard displacement modifier (also with a noise map). The more segments/subdivision you have in your surface to smoother you displacement will be. That was probably the problem with you attempt a using displacment for a drop cieling.

 

E

[chiquito]

You could try taking photos of diferent salads, and then mapping them on your model. I think there was a tutorial forn ted bourman (if i recall correctly) on how to model a refrigerator with beers in it. try giving it a twist.

Post results!!

good luck

[ivanjay]

You'd probably want to get a map of each one of the items that you want in your bins and then apply that to a plane with a fair ammount of segments (~20x20) and then apply either the VRay displacement modifier with a noise map or the standard displacement modifier (also with a noise map). The more segments/subdivision you have in your surface to smoother you displacement will be. That was probably the problem with you attempt a using displacment for a drop cieling.

 

E

 

so to summarize for mental ray (I dont have vray):

 

1. Create a plane for each salad item with roughly 20 x 20 segments

2. Apply a mental ray material with each ingredient as a bitmap in the diffuse slot

3. Apply a displacement map with a black and white noise input

That should do it?

[erickdt]

Yup. I'd personally prefer the standard displacement modifier because you can see how it deforms the mesh live within the viewport but you could also do it in the texture itself...

 

I'll do a test and post a pic when I get a chance.

 

E

[ivanjay]

I am not sure if anything is happening here...

 

I created a plane with a lettuce jpg.

I have 20 segments in each direction

I chose mental ray as my material type

 

In the displacement map I did the following:

 

Chose 3d Displacement as my map

Displacement Length - 1"

Extrustion Strength - 2

Extrusion Map - Noise

Black/White Color

Noise Type: Regular

Size = 5

High = 1 / Low = 0, Phase = 0

[erickdt]

Here are the results and the settings I used to get them. I used the displacement modifier from within the modifier list.

 

E

[ivanjay]

Here are the results and the settings I used to get them. I used the displacement modifier from within the modifier list.

 

E

 

A. that came out really good, putting me to shame with how easy that looks lol

B. I created the same settings and it seems to work nicely. Going to do a test render in a few. Of course now my lighting is screwed up... Grrrr

[chiquito]

images look great, within context, Im sure they will work out fine!!!!

[ivanjay]

Evidently I did something wrong, the planes are rendering black... Any ideas??

[erickdt]

Flipped normals maybe?

 

E

[Justin Hunt]

For such a large/ generic displacement wouldn't a noise modifier work better and use less memory? especially as these would be behind glass

 

If you were going to use a finer, more detailed displacement map then displacement would be the go

 

jhv

[ivanjay]

For such a large/ generic displacement wouldn't a noise modifier work better and use less memory? especially as these would be behind glass

 

If you were going to use a finer, more detailed displacement map then displacement would be the go

 

jhv

 

If I use a noise map it wouldnt give me the height adjustments....

 

I switched my exposure to logarithmic and boom, I have a salad bar... When back to mr photographic, black...

 

I would prefer to use mr photographic as it gives me much better control over the sunlight exposure (now I can't get rid of that blown out white from the sunlight...

[Justin Hunt]

it does give you height adjustment as well as X and Y

 

jhv

[ivanjay]

Any ideas why mr photographic exposure turns them black?

 

I also use Erco lights and I find that when I use mr photographic exposure they do dark as well

 

logarithmic works fine

[chris poole]

ivanjay, I am a foodservice equipment designer working with solidworks. I am currently trying to create a library of food items to render in my equipment. I have only been 3d modeling for a year or so and I am not familiar with any other rendering programs. any help you or anyone else on here could offer would be greatly appreciated. Chris

[pixelperfectg]

Any ideas why mr photographic exposure turns them black?

Because you haven't properly adjusted the exposure settings and/or your light configuration isn't physically based.

[ivanjay]

ivanjay, I am a foodservice equipment designer working with solidworks. I am currently trying to create a library of food items to render in my equipment. I have only been 3d modeling for a year or so and I am not familiar with any other rendering programs. any help you or anyone else on here could offer would be greatly appreciated. Chris

 

Chris, I am more than happy to help where I can but this is a pretty open ended statement There is a lot of areas up for discussion. What specifically are you looking for help on? I do not have any background with solidworks but as you can tell am familiar with CAD/MAX